arXiv subjects

John Ellis

Publications and source records attributed to John Ellis.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

arXiv2010

Flavour Geometry and Effective Yukawa Couplings in the MSSM

We present a new geometric approach to the flavour decomposition of an arbitrary soft supersymmetry-breaking sector in the MSSM. Our approach is based on the geometry that results from the quark and lepton Yukawa couplings, and enables us to derive the necessary and sufficient conditions for a linearly-independent basis of matrices related to the completeness of the internal [SU(3) x U(1)]^5 flavour space. In a second step, we calculate the effective Yukawa couplings that are enhanced at large values of tan(beta) for general soft supersymmetry-breaking mass parameters. We highlight the contributions due to non-universal terms in the flavour decompositions of the sfermion mass matrices. We present numerical examples illustrating how such terms are induced by renormalization-group evolution starting from universal input boundary conditions, and demonstrate their importance for the flavour-violating effective Yukawa couplings of quarks.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2009

D-Foam Phenomenology: Dark Energy, the Velocity of Light and a Possible D-Void

In a D-brane model of space-time foam, there are contributions to the dark energy that depend on the D-brane velocities and on the density of D-particle defects. The latter may also reduce the speeds of photons linearly with their energies, establishing a phenomenological connection with astrophysical probes of the universality of the velocity of light. Specifically, the cosmological dark energy density measured at the present epoch may be linked to the apparent retardation of energetic photons propagating from nearby AGNs. However, this nascent field of `D-foam phenomenology' may be complicated by a dependence of the D-particle density on the cosmological epoch. A reduced density of D-particles at redshifts z ~ 1 - a `D-void' - would increase the dark energy while suppressing the vacuum refractive index, and thereby might reconcile the AGN measurements with the relatively small retardation seen for the energetic photons propagating from GRB 090510, as measured by the Fermi satellite.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Nucleosynthesis Constraints on a Massive Gravitino in Neutralino Dark Matter Scenarios

The decays of massive gravitinos into neutralino dark matter particles and Standard Model secondaries during or after Big-Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) may alter the primordial light-element abundances. We present here details of a new suite of codes for evaluating such effects, including a new treatment based on PYTHIA of the evolution of showers induced by hadronic decays of massive, unstable particles such as a gravitino. We also develop an analytical treatment of non-thermal hadron propagation in the early universe, and use this to derive analytical estimates for light-element production and in turn on decaying particle lifetimes and abundances. We then consider specifically the case of an unstable massive gravitino within the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (CMSSM). We present upper limits on its possible primordial abundance before decay for different possible gravitino masses, with CMSSM parameters along strips where the lightest neutralino provides all the astrophysical cold dark matter density. We do not find any CMSSM solution to the cosmological Li7 problem for small m_{3/2}. Discounting this, for m_{1/2} ~ 500 GeV and tan beta = 10 the other light-element abundances impose an upper limit m_{3/2} n_{3/2}/n_γ< 3 \times 10^{-12} GeV to < 2 \times 10^{-13} GeV for m_{3/2} = 250 GeV to 1 TeV, which is similar in both the coannihilation and focus-point strips and somewhat weaker for tan beta = 50, particularly for larger m_{1/2}. The constraints also weaken in general for larger m_{3/2}, and for m_{3/2} > 3 TeV we find a narrow range of m_{3/2} n_{3/2}/n_γ, at values which increase with m_{3/2}, where the Li7 abundance is marginally compatible with the other light-element abundances.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Update on the Direct Detection of Dark Matter in MSSM Models with Non-Universal Higgs Masses

We discuss the possibilities for the direct detection of neutralino dark matter via elastic scattering in variants of the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM) with non-universal supersymmetry-breaking contributions to the Higgs masses, which may be either equal (NUHM1) or independent (NUHM2). We compare the ranges found in the NUHM1 and NUHM2 with that found in the MSSM with universal supersymmetry-breaking contributions to all scalar masses, the CMSSM. We find that both the NUHM1 and NUHM2 offer the possibility of larger spin-independent dark matter scattering cross sections than in the CMSSM for larger neutralino masses, since they allow the density of heavier neutralinos with large Higgsino components to fall within the allowed range by astrophysics. The NUHM1 and NUHM2 also offer more possibilities than the CMSSM for small cross sections for lower neutralino masses, since they may be suppressed by scalar and pseudoscalar Higgs masses that are larger than in the CMSSM.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2009

Electric Dipole Moments in the MSSM Reloaded

We present a detailed study of the Thallium, neutron, Mercury and deuteron electric dipole moments (EDMs) in the CP-violating Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM). We take into account the complete set of one-loop graphs, the dominant Higgs-mediated two-loop diagrams, the complete CP-odd dimension-six Weinberg operator and the Higgs-mediated four-fermion operators. We improve upon earlier calculations by including the resummation effects due to CP-violating Higgs-boson mixing and to threshold corrections to the Yukawa couplings of all up- and down-type quarks and charged leptons. As an application of our study, we analyse the EDM constraints on the CPX, trimixing and Maximally CP- and Minimally Flavour-Violating (MCPMFV) scenarios. Cancellations may occur among the CP-violating contributions to the three measured EDMs arising from the 6 CP-violating phases in the MCPMFV scenario, leaving open the possibility of relatively large contributions to other CP-violating observables. The analytic expressions for the EDMs are implemented in an updated version of the code CPsuperH2.0.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2009

Exploration of Possible Quantum Gravity Effects with Neutrinos II: Lorentz Violation in Neutrino Propagation

It has been suggested that the interactions of energetic particles with the foamy structure of space-time thought to be generated by quantum-gravitational (QG) effects might violate Lorentz invariance, so that they do not propagate at a universal speed of light. We consider the limits that may be set on a linear or quadratic violation of Lorentz invariance in the propagation of energetic neutrinos, v/c=[1 +- (E/M_\nuQG1)] or [1 +- (E/M_νQG2}^2], using data from supernova explosions and the OPERA long-baseline neutrino experiment.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2009

Physics Beyond the Standard Model

The Standard Model is in good shape, apart possibly from g_μ- 2 and some niggling doubts about the electroweak data. Something like a Higgs boson is required to provide particle masses, but theorists are actively considering alternatives. The problems of flavour, unification and quantum gravity will require physics beyond the Standard Model, and astrophysics and cosmology also provide reasons to expect physics beyond the Standard Model, in particular to provide the dark matter and explain the origin of the matter in the Universe. Personally, I find supersymmetry to be the most attractive option for new physics at the TeV scale. The LHC should establish the origin of particle masses has good prospects for discovering dark matter, and might also cast light on unification and even quantum gravity. Important roles may also be played by lower-energy experiments, astrophysics and cosmology in the searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2009

Probing a Possible Vacuum Refractive Index with Gamma-Ray Telescopes

We have used a stringy model of quantum space-time foam to suggest that the vacuum may exhibit a non-trivial refractive index depending linearly on gamma-ray energy: eta -1 ~ E_gamma/M_QG1, where M_QG1 is some mass scale typical of quantum gravity that may be ~ 10^18 GeV: see Phys. Lett. B 665, 412 (2008) and references therein. The MAGIC, HESS and Fermi gamma-ray telescopes have recently probed the possible existence of such an energy-dependent vacuum refractive index. All find indications of time-lags for higher-energy photons, but cannot exclude the possibility that they are due to intrinsic delays at the sources. However, the MAGIC and HESS observations of time-lags in emissions from AGNs Mkn 501 and PKS 2155-304 are compatible with each other and a refractive index depending linearly on the gamma-ray energy, with M_QG1 ~ 10^18 GeV. We combine their results to estimate the time-lag Delta t to be expected for the highest-energy photon from GRB 080916c measured by the Fermi telescope, which has an energy ~ 13.2 GeV, assuming the redshift z = 4.2 \pm 0.3 measured by GROND. In the case of a refractive index depending linearly on the gamma-ray energy we predict Delta t = 25 \pm 11 s. This is compatible with the time-lag Delta t <= 16.5 s reported by the Fermi Collaboration, whereas the time-lag would be negligible in the case of a refractive index depending quadratically on the gamma-ray energy. We suggest a strategy for future observations that could distinguish between a quantum-gravitational effect and other interpretations of the time-lags observed by the MAGIC, HESS and Fermi gamma-ray telescopes.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2009

Outlook for Charged Higgs Physics

Almost all extensions of the Standard Model predict the existence of charged Higgs bosons. This talk focuses on the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM), which is relatively predictive. The outlook for detecting supersymmetric particles and Higgs bosons at the LHC are discussed, as are the prospects for finding indirect effects of supersymmetric Higgs bosons at low energies, e.g., in K decays. The outlook for discovering observable effects of CP-violating supersymmetric phases at high energies or in B decays is also mentioned.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

The Fine-Tuning Price of Neutralino Dark Matter in Models with Non-Universal Higgs Masses

We study the amounts of fine-tuning of the parameters of the MSSM with non-universal soft supersymmetry-breaking contributions to the Higgs masses (the NUHM) that would be required for the relic neutralino density to lie within the range favoured by WMAP and other astrophysical and cosmological observations. Such dark matter fine-tuning is analogous to the commonly studied electroweak fine-tuning associated with satisfying the electroweak symmetry breaking conditions, which we also study for completeness. We identify several distinct regions of the NUHM parameter space: a bulk region, a $\stau-\neut$ coannihilation region, a pseudoscalar Higgs funnel region, a focus-point bino/higgsino region and a $\sneut-\neut$ coannihilation region. Within each region, we analyse specific representative points for which we provide breakdowns of the contributions to the dark matter fine-tuning associated with the different NUHM parameters. In general, the NUHM offers points with both both smaller and larger amounts of dark matter fine-tuning than points in the corresponding regions of the CMSSM. Lower amounts of dark matter fine-tuning typically arise at points where several different (co)annihilation processes contribute, e.g., at junctions between regions with different dominant processes. We comment on the prospects for using collider measurements to estimate the likely dark matter density within the NUHM framework.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

The Physics Prospects for CLIC

Following a brief outline of the CLIC project, this talk summarizes some of the principal motivations for an e+ e- collider with E_CM = 3 TeV. It is shown by several examples that CLIC would represent a significant step beyond the LHC and ILC in its capabilities for precision measurements at high energies. It would make possible a complete study of a light Higgs boson, including rare decay modes, and would provide a unique tool to study a heavy Higgs boson. CLIC could also complete the studies of supersymmetric spectra, if sparticles are relatively light, and discover any heavier sparticles. It would also enable deeper probes of extra dimensions, new gauge bosons and excited quarks or leptons. CLIC has unique value to add to experimental particle physics, whatever the LHC discovers.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

Observing The Hidden Sector

We study the effects of renormalization due to hidden-sector dynamics on observable soft supersymmetry-breaking parameters in the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM), under various hypotheses about their universality at a high input scale. We show that hidden-sector renormalization effects may induce the spurious appearance of unification of the scalar masses at some lower scale, as in mirage unification scenarios. We demonstrate in simple two-parameter models of the hidden-sector dynamics that the parameters may in principle be extracted from experimental measurements, rendering the hidden sector observable. We also discuss the ingredients that would be necessary to carry this programme out in practice.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

Hidden-Sector Dynamics and the Supersymmetric Seesaw

In light of recent analyses that have shown that nontrivial hidden-sector dynamics in models of supersymmetry breaking can lead to a significant impact on the predicted low-energy supersymmetric spectrum, we extend these studies to consider hidden-sector effects in extensions of the MSSM to include a seesaw model for neutrino masses. A dynamical hidden sector in an interval of mass scales below the seesaw scale would yield renormalization-group running involving both the anomalous dimension from the hidden sector and the seesaw-extended MSSM renormalization group equations (RGEs). These effects interfere in general, altering the generational mixing of the sleptons, and allowing for a substantial change to the expected level of charged-lepton flavour violation in seesaw-extended MSSM models. These results provide further support for recent theoretical observations that knowledge of the hidden sector is required in order to make concrete low-energy predictions, if the hidden sector is strongly coupled. In particular, hidden-sector dynamics may impact our ability to reconstruct the supersymmetric seesaw parameters from low-energy observations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

Prospects for Discovering Supersymmetry at the LHC

Supersymmetry is one of the best-motivated candidates for physics beyond the Standard Model that might be discovered at the LHC. There are many reasons to expect that it may appear at the TeV scale, in particular because it provides a natural cold dark matter candidate. The apparent discrepancy between the experimental measurement of g_mu - 2 and the Standard model value calculated using low-energy e+ e- data favours relatively light sparticles accessible to the LHC. A global likelihood analysis including this, other electroweak precision observables and B-decay observables suggests that the LHC might be able to discover supersymmetry with 1/fb or less of integrated luminosity. The LHC should be able to discover supersymmetry via the classic missing-energy signature, or in alternative phenomenological scenarios. The prospects for discovering supersymmetry at the LHC look very good.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

Probing quantum gravity using photons from a flare of the active galactic nucleus Markarian 501 observed by the MAGIC telescope

We analyze the timing of photons observed by the MAGIC telescope during a flare of the active galactic nucleus Mkn 501 for a possible correlation with energy, as suggested by some models of quantum gravity (QG), which predict a vacuum refractive index \simeq 1 + (E/M_{QGn})^n, n = 1,2. Parametrizing the delay between gamma-rays of different energies as Δt =\pmτ_l E or Δt =\pmτ_q E^2, we find τ_l=(0.030\pm0.012) s/GeV at the 2.5-sigma level, and τ_q=(3.71\pm2.57)x10^{-6} s/GeV^2, respectively. We use these results to establish lower limits M_{QG1} > 0.21x10^{18} GeV and M_{QG2} > 0.26x10^{11} GeV at the 95% C.L. Monte Carlo studies confirm the MAGIC sensitivity to propagation effects at these levels. Thermal plasma effects in the source are negligible, but we cannot exclude the importance of some other source effect.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Supersymmetric Grand Unification and Lepton Universality in K-> l νDecays

Motivated by the prospects for an improved test of lepton universality in K -> l νdecays by the NA62 experiment at CERN, we study predictions for the possible lepton non-universality in K -> l νdecays in supersymmetric models. Violations of μ-e universality in this process may originate from mixing effects in the right-handed slepton sector, providing a unique window into this aspect of supersymmetric flavour physics in the large-\tanβregion. Minimal unification scenarios with universal soft supersymmetry-breaking terms at the GUT scale would predict negligible violation of lepton universality. However, lepton non-universality may be observable in non-minimal grand unified models with higher-dimensional terms contributing to fermion masses, in which case renormalization effects above the GUT scale may enhance the mixing among the right-handed sleptons. This could leads to observable lepton non-universality in K -> l νdecays in specific regions of the parameter space with high \tan β, large A terms and small charged Higgs boson mass. Observable non-universality in K -> l νdecays would be correlated with a large value of BR(τ-> e γ). The experimental upper limit on the electric dipole moment of the electron could be reconciled with leptogenesis, if the latter occurs at a relatively low scale, which would also alleviate the cosmological gravitino problem. Even if lepton non-universality is not seen in the near future, one may nevertheless obtain significant constraints on the model parameters and unknown aspects of right-handed fermion and sfermion mixing.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

B-Meson Observables in the Maximally CP-Violating MSSM with Minimal Flavour Violation

Additional sources of CP violation in the MSSM may affect B-meson mixings and decays, even in scenarios with minimal flavour violation (MFV). We formulate the maximally CP-violating and minimally flavour-violating (MCPMFV) variant of the MSSM, which has 19 parameters, including 6 phases that violate CP. We then develop a manifestly flavour-covariant effective Lagrangian formalism for calculating Higgs-mediated FCNC observables in the MSSM at large tan(beta), and analyze within the MCPMFV framework FCNC and other processes involving B mesons. We include a new class of dominant subleading contributions due to non-decoupling effects of the third-generation quarks. We present illustrative numerical results that include effects of the CP-odd MCPMFV parameters on Higgs and sparticle masses, the B_s and B_d mass differences, and on the decays B_s --> mu+ mu-, B_u --> tau nu and b --> s gamma. We use these results to derive illustrative constraints on the MCPMFV parameters imposed by D0, CDF, BELLE and BABAR measurements of B mesons, demonstrating how a potentially observable contribution to the CP asymmetry in the b --> s gamma decay may arise in the MSSM with MCPMFV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

Sivers Asymmetries for Inclusive Pion and Kaon Production in Deep-Inelastic Scattering

We calculate the Sivers distribution functions induced by the final-state interaction due to one-gluon exchange in diquark models of nucleon structure, treating the cases of scalar and axial-vector diquarks with both dipole and Gaussian form factors. We use these distribution functions to calculate the Sivers single-spin asymmetries for inclusive pion and kaon production in deep-inelastic scattering. We compare our calculations with the results of HERMES and COMPASS, finding good agreement for pi+ production at HERMES, and qualitative agreement for pi0 and K+ production. Our predictions for pion and kaon production at COMPASS could be probed with increased statistics. The successful comparison of our calculations with the HERMES data constitutes prima facie evidence that the quarks in the nucleon have some orbital angular momentum in the infinite-momentum frame.

hep-ph↗