arXiv subjects

Joseph D. Lykken

Publications and source records attributed to Joseph D. Lykken.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2004

Visible Sector Supersymmetry Breaking Revisited

We revisit the possibility of "visible sector" SUSY models: models which are straightforward renormalizable extensions of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), where SUSY is broken at tree level. Models of this type were abandoned twenty years ago due to phenomenological problems, which we review. We then demonstrate that it is possible to construct simple phenomenologically viable visible sector SUSY models. Such models are indeed very constrained, and have some inelegant features. They also have interesting and distinctive phenomenology. Our models predict light gauginos and very heavy squarks and sleptons. The squarks and sleptons may not be observable at the LHC. The LSP is a stable very light gravitino with a significant Higgsino admixture. The NLSP is mostly Bino. The Higgs boson is naturally heavy. Proton decay is sufficently and naturally suppressed, even for a cutoff scale as low as 10^8 GeV. The lightest particle of the O'Raifeartaigh sector (the LOP) is stable, and is an interesting cold dark matter candidate.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2000

On Kaluza-Klein States from Large Extra Dimensions

We consider the novel Kaluza-Klein (KK) scenario where gravity propagates in the $4+n$ dimensional bulk of spacetime, while gauge and matter fields are confined to the 3+1 dimensional world-volume of a brane configuration. For simplicity we assume compactification of the extra $n$ dimensions on a torus with a common scale $R$, and identify the massive KK states in the four-dimensional spacetime. For a given KK level $\vec{n}$ there are one spin-2 state, $(n-1)$ spin-1 states and $n(n-1)/2$ spin-0 states, all mass-degenerate. We construct the effective interactions between these KK states and ordinary matter fields (fermions, gauge bosons and scalars). We find that the spin-1 states decouple and that the spin-0 states only couple through the dilaton mode. We then derive the interacting Lagrangian for the KK states and Standard Model fields, and present the complete Feynman rules. We discuss some low energy phenomenology for these new interactions for the case when 1/R is small compared to the electroweak scale, and the ultraviolet cutoff of the effective KK theory is on the order of 1 TeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2000

Physics Needs for Future Accelerators

Contents: 1. Prologomena to any meta future physics 1.1 Physics needs for building future accelerators 1.2 Physics needs for funding future accelerators 2. Physics questions for future accelerators 2.1 Crimes and misapprehensions 2.1.1 Organized religion 2.1.2 Feudalism 2.1.3 Trotsky was right 2.2 The Standard Model as an effective field theory 2.3 What is the scale of new physics? 2.4 What could be out there? 2.5 Model-independent conclusions 3. Future accelerators 3.1 What is the physics driving the LHC? 3.2 What is the physics driving the LC? 3.2.1 Higgs physics is golden 3.2.2 LHC won't be sufficient to unravel the new physics as the TeV scale 3.2.3 LC precision measurements can pin down new physics scales 3.3 Why a Neutrino Factory? 3.4 Pushing the energy frontier

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

Tau Jet Signals for Supersymmetry at the Tevatron

We present a more detailed account of our study (hep-ph/9903238) for the supersymmetry reach of the Tevatron in channels with isolated leptons and identified tau jets. We review the theoretical motivations for expecting such signatures, and describe the relevant parameter space in the minimal supergravity and the minimal gauge-mediated models. With explicit Monte Carlo simulations we then show that for certain parameter ranges, channels with two leptons and one tau jet offer a better reach in Run II than the clean trilepton signal. We emphasize than improving on tau ID is an important prerequisite for successful searches in multiple tau jet channels. Finally, we discuss some triggering issues.

hep-ex↗

arXiv1999

Stop and Sbottom Searches in Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron

We estimate the Tevatron Run II potential for top and bottom squark searches. We find an impressive reach in several of the possible discovery channels. We also study some new channels which may arise in non-conventional supersymmetry models. In each case we rely on a detailed Monte Carlo simulation of the collider events and the CDF detector performance in Run I.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

Supersymmetry Signatures with Tau Jets at the Tevatron

We study the supersymmetry reach of the Tevatron in channels containing both isolated leptons and identified tau jets. In the most challenging case, where the branching ratios of gauginos to taus dominate, we find that searches for two leptons, a tau jet and a large amount of missing transverse energy have a much better reach than the classic trilepton signature. With total integrated luminosity of ${\rm L} \gsim 4 {\rm fb}^{-1}$, the Tevatron will start extending the expected LEP-II reach for supersymmetry.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

New and Improved Superstring Phenomenology

Recent developments in string theory have important implications for cosmology. Topics discussed here are inflation, the cosmological constant, smoothing of cosmological singularities, and dark matter from parallel universes. Talk presented at the International Workshop on Particle Physics and the Early Universe (COSMO-98), 15-20 Nov, Asilomar, Monterey, CA.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

Sparticle Masses from Kinematic Fitting at a Muon Collider

Three case studies are presented of slepton pair production followed by two-body or quasi-two-body decays at a muon collider. Precision mass measurements are possible using a variety of kinematic fitting methods. Standard Model and supersymmetric backgrounds are easily controlled by kinematic cuts. In all three cases it appears that detector resolutions, not backgrounds or statistics, will dominate the final error bars. Polarized beams are not necessary to control SM backgrounds. However, without polarization it may be difficult in some cases to disentangle slepton_right from slepton_left signals.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1996

Introduction to Supersymmetry

These lectures give a self-contained introduction to supersymmetry from a modern perspective. Emphasis is placed on material essential to understanding duality. Topics include: central charges and BPS-saturated states, supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models, N=2 Yang-Mills theory, holomorphy and the N=2 Yang-Mills beta function, supersymmetry in 2, 6, 10, and 11 spacetime dimensions.

hep-th↗

arXiv1996

Z' Bosons and Supersymmetry

A broad class of supersymmetric extensions of the standard model predict a Z' vector boson whose mass is naturally in the range 250 GeV < M_Z' < 2 TeV. To avoid unacceptably large mixing with the Z, one requires either a discrete tuning of the U(1)' charges or a leptophobic Z'. Both cases are likely to arise as the low energy limits of heterotic string compactifications, but a survey of existing realistic string models provides no acceptable examples. A broken U(1)' leads to additional D-term contributions to squark, slepton, and Higgs masses, which depend on the U(1)' charge assignments and the Z' mass. The Tevatron and future colliders can discover or decisively rule out this class of models.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1996

String Model Building in the Age of D-Branes

The string duality revolution calls into question virtually all of the working assumptions of string model builders. A number of difficult questions arise. I use fractional charge as an example of a criterion which one would hope is robust beyond the weak coupling heterotic limit. Talk given at the 5th International Workshop on Supersymmetry and Unification of Fundamental Interactions (SUSY-96), University of Maryland, College Park, May 29 - June 1, 1996.

hep-th↗

arXiv1996

Weak Scale Superstrings

Recent developments in string duality suggest that the string scale may not be irrevocably tied to the Planck scale. Two explicit but unrealistic examples are described where the ratio of the string scale to the Planck scale is arbitrarily small. Solutions which are more realistic may exist in the intermediate coupling or ``truly strong coupling'' region of the heterotic string. Weak scale superstrings have dramatic experimental consequences for both collider physics and cosmology.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

Four-Dimensional Superstring Models

These lectures from the 1995 Trieste Summer School in High Energy Physics and Cosmology give an elementary introduction to perturbative superstring theory, superstring phenomenology, and the fermionic construction of perturbative string models.These lectures assume no prior knowledge of string theory.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1995

Three Generations in the Fermionic Construction

We obtain three generation SU(3)_c X SU(2)_L X U(1)_Y string models in all of the exactly solvable (0,2) constructions sampled by fermionization. None of these examples, including those that are symmetric abelian orbifolds, rely on the Z_2 X Z_2 orbifold underlying the NAHE basis. We present the first known three generation models for which the hypercharge normalization, k_1, takes values smaller than that obtained from an SU(5) embedding, thus lowering the effective gauge coupling unification scale. All of the models contain fractional electrically charged and vectorlike exotic matter that could survive in the light spectrum.

hep-th↗

arXiv1995

Maximally Supersymmetric String Theories in D<10

The existence of maximally supersymmetric solutions to heterotic string theory that are not toroidal compactifications of the ten-dimensional superstring is established. We construct an exact fermionic realization of an N=1 supersymmetric string theory in D=8 with non-simply-laced gauge group Sp(20). Toroidal compactification to six and four dimensions gives maximally extended supersymmetric theories with reduced rank (4,12) and (6,14) respectively.

hep-th↗

arXiv1994

Fermion Masses from Superstring Models with Adjoint Scalars

We explore the possibility of embedding supersymmetric GUT texture ideas into superstring models. We discuss the construction of GUT models using free fermionic strings. We find SO(10) models with adjoint scalars, three generations of chiral fermions, and a fundamental Higgs with a Yukawa coupling to only the third generation.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1993

Planck-Scale Unification and Dynamical Symmetry Breaking

We explore the possibility of unification of gauge couplings near the Planck scale in models of extended technicolor. We observe that models of the form G X SU(3)_c X SU(2)_L X U(1)_Y cannot be realized, due to the presence of massless neutral Goldstone bosons (axions) and light charged pseudo-Goldstone bosons; thus, unification of the known forces near the Planck scale cannot be achieved. The next simplest possibility, G X SU(4)_{PS} X SU(2)_L X U(1)_{T_{3R}}, cannot lead to unification of the Pati-Salam and weak gauge groups near the Planck scale. However, superstring theory provides relations between couplings at the Planck scale without the need for an underlying grand-unified gauge group, which allows unification of the SU(4)$_{PS}$ and SU(2)$_L$ couplings.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1992

String Theory, Black Holes, and SL(2,R) Current Algebra

We analyse in detail the $SL(2,R)$ black hole by extending standard techniques of Kac-Moody current algebra to the non-compact case. We construct the elements of the ground ring and exhibit W-infinity type structure in the fusion algebra of the discrete states. As a consequence, we can identify some of the exactly marginal deformations of the black hole. We show that these deformations alter not only the spacetime metric but also turn on non-trivial backgrounds for the tachyon and all of the massive modes of the string.

hep-th↗