arXiv subjects

Joerg Jaeckel

Publications and source records attributed to Joerg Jaeckel.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

WISPy Cold Dark Matter

Very weakly interacting slim particles (WISPs), such as axion-like particles (ALPs) or hidden photons (HPs), may be non-thermally produced via the misalignment mechanism in the early universe and survive as a cold dark matter population until today. We find that, both for ALPs and HPs whose dominant interactions with the standard model arise from couplings to photons, a huge region in the parameter spaces spanned by photon coupling and ALP or HP mass can give rise to the observed cold dark matter. Remarkably, a large region of this parameter space coincides with that predicted in well motivated models of fundamental physics. A wide range of experimental searches -- exploiting haloscopes (direct dark matter searches exploiting microwave cavities), helioscopes (searches for solar ALPs or HPs), or light-shining-through-a-wall techniques -- can probe large parts of this parameter space in the foreseeable future.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Direct SUSY Searches at the LHC in the light of LEP Higgs Bounds

In this note we compare the latest 1.04 fb^{-1} LHC searches for squarks and gluinos from jets and missing transverse momentum (MET) with constraints arising from the LEP Higgs bound. For General Gauge Mediation models with moderate values of tan(beta) we find that the zero-lepton MET searches of supersymmetry at the LHC are only starting to be competitive with the Higgs bounds from LEP. From this perspective and for such models, the SUSY searches at the LHC are still very much in the beginning.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Evasive Higgs Maneuvers at the LHC

Non-standard decays of the Higgs boson produced at the Large Hadron Collider can lead to signatures which can easily be missed due to non-adapted trigger or search strategies. Keeping electroweak symmetry breaking Standard Model-like we classify the phenomenology of an evasive Higgs boson into three categories and discuss how they can be described in an effective field theory. We comment on how one can improve the search strategies to also detect such an evasive Higgs.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Prospects for Searching Axion-like Particle Dark Matter with Dipole, Toroidal and Wiggler Magnets

In this work we consider searches for dark matter made of axions or axion-like particles (ALPs) using resonant radio frequency cavities inserted into dipole magnets from particle accelerators, wiggler magnets developed for accelerator based advanced light sources, and toroidal magnets similar to those used in particle physics detectors. We investigate the expected sensitivity of such ALP dark matter detectors and discuss the engineering aspects of building and tuning them. Brief mention is also made of even stronger field magnets that are becoming available due to improvements in magnetic technology. It is concluded that new experiments utilizing already existing magnets could greatly enlarge the mass region in searches for axion-like dark matter particles.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2011

Travels on the squark-gluino mass plane

Soft supersymmetry breaking appears in the weak-scale effective action but is usually generated at higher scales. For these models the structure of the renormalization group evolution down to the electroweak scale leaves only part of the squark-gluino and slepton-gaugino mass planes accessible. Our observations divide these physical mass planes into three wedges: the first can be reached by all models of high-scale breaking; the second can only be populated by models with a low mediation scale; in the third wedge squarks and gluinos would have to be described by an exotic theory. All usual benchmark points reside in the first wedge, even though an LHC discovery in the third wedge would arguably be the most exciting outcome.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Testing String Vacua in the Lab: From a Hidden CMB to Dark Forces in Flux Compactifications

We perform a detailed analysis of the phenomenological properties of hidden Abelian gauge bosons with a kinetic mixing with the ordinary photon within type IIB flux compactifications. We study the interplay between moduli stabilisation and the Green-Schwarz mechanism that gives mass to the hidden photon paying particular attention to the role of D-terms. We present two generic classes of explicit Calabi-Yau examples with an isotropic and an anisotropic shape of the extra dimensions showing how the last case turns out to be very promising to make contact with current experiments. In fact, anisotropic compactifications lead naturally to a GeV-scale hidden photon ("dark forces" that can be searched for in beam dump experiments) for an intermediate string scale; or even to an meV-scale hidden photon (which could lead to a "hidden CMB" and can be tested by light-shining-through-a-wall experiments) in the case of TeV-scale strings.

hep-th↗

arXiv2011

New Constraints on Gauge Mediation and Beyond from LHC SUSY Searches at 7 TeV

The first results from the LHC on jets plus missing energy provide powerful new data to test SUSY models. Initial theoretical interpretations of these data have concentrated on gravity mediation, usually the CMSSM and its variations. In this paper we confront a large class of gauge mediation models with these new data. More precisely we consider models of pure general gauge mediation (pure GGM) and confront them with the recent experimental results of the ATLAS collaboration. We use Herwig++ and RIVET, incorporating the full set of experimental cuts, to calculate the signal rates and compare them to the data. Although based on only 35pb^{-1} of integrated luminosity, we show that these new data probe and exclude a portion of previously allowed parameter space of GGM. In addition we investigate the viability of standard SUSY benchmark points, including the Snowmass, CMS and ATLAS sets which encompass other mediation scenarios such as gravity, anomaly and gaugino mediation.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

RG Invariants, Unification and the Role of the Messenger Scale in General Gauge Mediation

In General Gauge Mediation (GGM) all MSSM soft sfermion masses at a high scale M_mess can be parameterised by three a priori independent scales Λ_{S;1,2,3}(M_mess). (Similarly the gaugino masses are given by Λ_{G;1,2,3}(M_mess).) For the first two generations this parameterisation in terms of a set of running Λ_{S;1,2,3}(μ) -- conveniently obtained from appropriate RG invariants -- continues to hold all the way down to the electroweak scale. This is not the case for the third generation because of the large Yukawa couplings. Together these two observations imply that the messenger scale is an additional parameter of GGM models. In models where all messengers are in complete GUT multiplets (without significant mass splittings), all Λ_{S,r} are equal at M_mess. Starting from the observable mass spectrum at the electroweak scale we present a strategy to determine if this unification occurs and at which scale. This approach uses data accessible at colliders to gain insight into high scale unification physics beyond the unification of gauge couplings.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Mass Sum Rules and the Role of the Messenger Scale in General Gauge Mediation

In General Gauge Mediation (GGM), supersymmetry breaking is communicated to the Standard Model (MSSM) sector via gauge interactions at a high scale which we refer to as the messenger scale. At this scale GGM predicts certain sum rules between the MSSM sfermion masses. We investigate the validity and the ultimate fate of these sum rules after RG evolution down to the electroweak scale where the mass spectrum will be probed at colliders. We find that the sum rules hold for the first two generations. However the third generation (where sfermions are lightest) violates one of the two sum rules by 10 to 50% over the explored parameter space. This constrains and quantifies the potential use of sum rules as a signature of gauge mediation. We also comment on the role played by the messenger scale in single- and multi-scale GGM models.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Resonant Regeneration in the Sub-Quantum Regime -- A demonstration of fractional quantum interference

Light shining through wall experiments (in the optical as well as in the microwave regime) are a powerful tool to search for light particles coupled very weakly to photons such as axions or extra hidden sector photons. Resonant regeneration, where a resonant cavity is employed to enhance the regeneration rate of photons, is one of the most promising techniques to improve the sensitivity of the next generation of experiments. However, doubts have been voiced if such methods work at very low regeneration rates where on average the cavity contains less than one photon. In this note we report on a demonstration experiment using a microwave cavity driven with extremely low power, to show that resonant amplification works also in this regime. In accordance with standard quantum mechanics this is a demonstration that interference also works at the level of less than one quantum. As an additional benefit this experiment shows that thermal photons inside the cavity cause no adverse effects.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Spectroscopic Bounds on New Physics

We use atomic spectra to extend pure Coulomb's law tests to larger masses. We interpret these results in terms of constraints for hidden sector photons. With existing data the bounds for hidden photons are not improved. However we find that our atomic spectra bounds are an especially clean and model-independent complement to existing ones from other methods. We also show that data from future tests of true muonium and muonic atoms could produce atomic spectra bounds which probe untested parameter space.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

Low energy laboratory searches for WISPs

We present an overview over the current status of laboratory experiments searching for (very) weakly coupled slim particles (WISPs). These experiments at the high precision frontier explore new physics beyond the standard model in a complementary way to high energy accelerators. The multitude of active and planned experiments shows a lively field and promises interesting new data in the near future.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

Pure General Gauge Mediation for Early LHC Searches

We present benchmark points for Pure General Gauge Mediation (GGM) models specifically optimised for early LHC searches. The pure GGM set-up is as defined in our previous paper arXiv:0910.2674: namely we adopt the minimal set-up in which B_mu is generated only through gauge interactions, and as a result tan beta is a prediction rather than an input. The only input parameters are messenger masses together with two independent scales which generate gaugino and scalar masses. The parameter space favoured by current experimental data includes an interesting region with light gluinos (m_g < 500 GeV and relatively heavy squarks) and a bino-like NLSP where early discovery is likely. We also find interesting regions of parameter space where the NLSP is a stau or stau/neutralino co-NLSP and the squark masses are relatively low. We present benchmark points which are typical for each of these three regions, and give the spectrum, branching ratios, and also the overall 2 -> 2 cross-sections. This data in SLHA format can be found at http://www.ippp.dur.ac.uk/~SUSY

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

Optimizing Light-Shining-through-a-Wall Experiments for Axion and other WISP Searches

One of the prime tools to search for new light bosons interacting very weakly with photons -- prominent examples are axions, axion-like particles and extra ``hidden'' U(1) gauge bosons -- are light-shining-through-a-wall (LSW) experiments. With the current generation of these experiments finishing data taking it is time to plan for the next and search for an optimal setup. The main challenges are clear: on the one hand we want to improve the sensitivity towards smaller couplings, on the other hand we also want to increase the mass range to which the experiments are sensitive. Our main example are axion(-like particle)s but we also discuss implications for other WISPs (weakly interacting slim particles) such as hidden U(1) gauge bosons. To improve the sensitivity for axions towards smaller couplings one can use multiple magnets to increase the length of the interaction region. However, naively the price to pay is that the mass range is limited to smaller masses. We discuss how one can optimize the arrangement of magnets (both in field direction as well as allowing for possible gaps in between) to ameliorate this problem. Moreover, future experiments will include resonant, high quality optical cavities in both the production and the regeneration region. To achieve the necessary high quality of the cavities we need to avoid too high diffraction losses. This leads to minimum requirements on the diameter of the laser beam and therefore on the aperture of the cavity. We investigate what can be achieved with currently available magnets and desirable features for future ones.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

Improving the Discovery Potential of Future Light-Shining-through-a-Wall Experiments

Planning for the next generation of light-shining-through-wall experiments has started. It is therefore timely to investigate possible ways to optimize their setups. The goals are to improve the sensitivity towards smaller couplings and increase the mass range to which the experiments are sensitive. We discuss possible magnet arrangements and the effects of the unavoidable gaps in the magnetic field profile. Furthermore, we discuss requirements on the diameter of the laser beam and aperture of the magnets in order to achieve high-quality cavities.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

Spectroscopy as a test of Coulomb's law - A probe of the hidden sector

High precision spectroscopy can provide a sensitive tool to test Coulomb's law on atomic length scales. This can then be used to constrain particles such as extra "hidden" photons or minicharged particles that are predicted in many extensions of the standard model, and which cause small deviations from Coulomb's law. In this paper we use a variety of transitions in atomic hydrogen, hydrogenic ions, and exotic atoms to probe Coulomb's law. This extends the region of pure Coulomb's law tests to larger masses. For hidden photons and minicharged particles this region is already tested by other astrophysical and laboratory probes. However, future tests of true muonium and muonic atoms are likely to probe new parameter space and therefore have good discovery potential for new physics. Finally, we investigate whether the discrepancy between the theoretical calculation of the 2s_{1/2}^{F=1} - 2p_{3/2}^{F=2} transition in muonic hydrogen and its recent experimental measurement at PSI can be explained by the existence of a hidden photon. This explanation is ruled out by measurements of the Lamb shift in ordinary hydrogen.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

Light particles - A window to fundamental physics

In these proceedings we illustrate that light, very weakly interacting particles can arise naturally from physics which is fundamentally connected to very high energy scales. Searching for them therefore may give us interesting new insights into the structure of fundamental physics. Prime examples are the axion, and more general axion-like particles, as well as hidden sector photons and matter charged under them.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

The Low-Energy Frontier of Particle Physics

Most embeddings of the Standard Model into a more unified theory, in particular the ones based on supergravity or superstrings, predict the existence of a hidden sector of particles which have only very weak interactions with the visible sector Standard Model particles. Some of these exotic particle candidates (such as e.g. "axions", "axion-like particles" and "hidden U(1) gauge bosons") may be very light, with masses in the sub-eV range, and have very weak interactions with photons. Correspondingly, these very weakly interacting sub-eV particles (WISPs) may lead to observable effects in experiments (as well as in astrophysical and cosmological observations) searching for light shining through a wall, for changes in laser polarisation, for non-linear processes in large electromagnetic fields and for deviations from Coulomb's law. We present the physics case and a status report of this emerging low-energy frontier of fundamental physics.

hep-ph↗