arXiv subjects

Kuver Sinha

Publications and source records attributed to Kuver Sinha.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Dark Matter at the Pseudoscalar Higgs Resonance in the pMSSM and SUSY GUTs

We study dark matter at the MSSM pseudoscalar Higgs resonance (A-funnel), which is one of the few remaining MSSM thermal dark matter candidates in the $100-1000$ GeV range safe from direct detection constraints. To illustrate the various factors at play, this study is performed in two contrasting set-ups: a bottom-up phenomenological MSSM (pMSSM) approach that allows significant freedom, and the top-down, highly constrained Yukawa unified $SO(10)$ GUT model. In the pMSSM, for $μ> 0$, the entire parameter space lies above the coherent neutrino background and mostly within reach of XENON1T and LZ, while blind spots exist at $m_A\,> \, 800\,$GeV for $μ< 0$; the strongest constraints come from $A/H \rightarrow ττ$ searches at the LHC. For Yukawa unified models, the confluence of $B_s \rightarrow μ^+ μ^-$ constraints, fits to the bottom quark and Higgs masses, and gluino mass bounds from the LHC result in a prediction: realizing the pseudoscalar resonance $requires$ gaugino mass non-universality, with a mass ratio that is determined to within a small range.

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arXiv2014

The Poker Face of the Majoron Dark Matter Model: LUX to keV Line

We study the viability of pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons (Majorons) arising in see-saw models as dark matter candidates. Interestingly the stability of the Majoron as dark matter is related to the scale that sets the see-saw and leptogenesis mechanisms, while its annihilation and scattering cross section off nuclei can be set through the Higgs portal. For $\mathcal{O}(GeV) - \mathcal{O}(TeV)$ Majorons, we compute observables such as the abundance, scattering cross section, Higgs invisible decay width, and emission lines and compare with current data in order to outline the excluded versus still viable parameter space regions. We conclude that the simplest Majoron dark matter models coupling through the Higgs portal, except at the Higgs resonance, are excluded by current direct detection data for Majorons lighter than $225$~GeV and future runnings are expected to rule out decisively the 1GeV-1TeV window. Lastly, we point out that light keV-scale Majorons whose relic density is set by thermal freeze-in from sterile neutrinos can account for the keV line observed by XMM-Newton observatory in the spectrum of 73 galaxy clusters, within a see-saw model with a triplet Higgs.

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arXiv2014

Correlation between Dark Matter and Dark Radiation in String Compactifications

Reheating in string compactifications is generically driven by the decay of the lightest modulus which produces Standard Model particles, dark matter and light hidden sector degrees of freedom that behave as dark radiation. This common origin allows us to find an interesting correlation between dark matter and dark radiation. By combining present upper bounds on the effective number of neutrino species N_eff with lower bounds on the reheating temperature as a function of the dark matter mass m_DM from Fermi data, we obtain strong constraints on the (N_eff,m_DM)-plane. Most of the allowed region in this plane corresponds to non-thermal scenarios with Higgsino-like dark matter. Thermal dark matter can be allowed only if N_eff tends to its Standard Model value. We show that the above situation is realised in models with perturbative moduli stabilisation where the production of dark radiation is unavoidable since bulk closed string axions remain light and do not get eaten up by anomalous U(1)s.

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arXiv2013

On the Viability of Thermal Well-Tempered Dark Matter in SUSY GUTs

In a scenario with heavy supersymmetric sfermions and decoupled supersymmetric Higgs sector, a well tempered neutralino is the remaining candidate for thermal single-component sub-TeV dark matter. Well tempered neutralinos are studied in the context of supersymmetric grand unified theories with third family Yukawa coupling unification. A global chi^2 analysis is performed, including the observables MW, MZ, GF, alpha_em, alpha_s(MZ), Mt, mb(mb), Mtau, b -> s gamma, BR(Bs -> mu^+ mu^-), Mh and Omegah^2. Tensions in simultaneously fitting the Higgs and bottom quark masses while also avoiding gluino mass bounds from the LHC disfavors light Higgsinos with mass < 500 GeV, ruling out light Bino/Higgsino dark matter candidates. Bino/Wino/Higgsino and Bino/Wino candidates fare somewhat better although they are fine-tuned and require departure from GUT scale gaugino mass universality (the example chosen here is the mixed modulus-anomaly pattern). Implications for dark matter direct detection of these models as well as collider signatures are briefly discussed. Independent of the thermal dark matter viability, these models will be severely constrained by the absence of a gluino at the next run of LHC.

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arXiv2013

Probing Supersymmetric Dark Matter and the Electroweak Sector using Vector Boson Fusion Processes: A Snowmass Whitepaper

Vector boson fusion (VBF) processes at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) provide a unique opportunity to search for new physics with electroweak couplings. Two studies are presented: (i) A search of supersymmetric dark matter in the final state of two VBF jets and large missing transverse energy is presented at 14 TeV. Prospects for determining the dark matter relic density are studied for the cases of Wino and Bino-Higgsino dark matter. The LHC could probe Wino dark matter with mass up to approximately 600 GeV with a luminosity of 1000 fb$^{-1}$. (ii) A search for the chargino/neutralino system in the final state of two VBF jets, missing transverse energy and two $τ$'s (light stau case) and light lepton $e$ and $μ$ (light slepton case). The $5 σ$ mass reach at 300 fb$^{-1}$ (1000 fb$^{-1}$) of LHC14 for inclusive and opposite-sign $τ$ pairs are 250 GeV (300 GeV) and 200 GeV (250 GeV), respectively, for $ΔM \, = \, m_{\tildeτ_1} - m_{\neu{1}} \, = \, 30$ GeV. For $ΔM \, = \, 15$ GeV, the $3 σ$ mass reach at 300 fb$^{-1}$ (1000 fb$^{-1}$) of LHC14 for inclusive $τ$ pairs is 180 GeV. The $5 σ$ mass reach at 300 fb$^{-1}$ (1000 fb$^{-1}$) of LHC14 for inclusive and opposite-sign $μ$ pairs are approximately 350 GeV (400 GeV) and 300 GeV (350 GeV), respectively. The mass reaches in the same-sign final state cases are similar to those in the opposite-sign cases.

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arXiv2013

Non-thermal Dark Matter in String Compactifications

Non-thermal cosmological histories are capable of greatly increasing the available parameter space of different particle physics dark matter (DM) models and are well-motivated by the ubiquity of late-decaying gravitationally coupled scalars in UV theories like string theory. A non-thermal DM model is presented in the context of LARGE Volume Scenarios in type IIB string theory. The model is capable of addressing both the moduli-induced gravitino problem as well as the problem of overproduction of axionic dark radiation and/or DM. We show that the right abundance of neutralino DM can be obtained in both thermal under and overproduction cases for DM masses between O(GeV) to O(TeV). In the latter case the contribution of the QCD axion to the relic density is totally negligible, while in the former case it can be comparable to that of the neutralino thus resulting in a multi-component DM scenario.

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arXiv2013

A Supersymmetric Model for Dark Matter and Baryogenesis Motivated by the Recent CDMS Result

We discuss a supersymmetric model for cogenesis of dark and baryonic matter where the dark matter (DM) has mass in the 8-10 GeV range as indicated by several direct detection searches including most recently the CDMS experiment with the desired cross section. The DM candidate is a real scalar filed. Two key distinguishing features of the model are the following: (i) in contrast with the conventional WIMP dark matter scenarios where thermal freeze-out is responsible for the observed relic density, our model uses non-thermal production of dark matter after reheating of the universe caused by moduli decay at temperatures below the QCD phase transition, a feature which alleviates the relic over-abundance problem caused by small annihilation cross section of light DM particles; (ii) baryogenesis occurs also at similar low temperatures from the decay of TeV scale mediator particles arising from moduli decay. A possible test of this model is the existence of colored particles with TeV masses accessible at the LHC.

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arXiv2013

Probing Dark Matter at the LHC using Vector Boson Fusion Processes

Vector boson fusion (VBF) processes at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) provide a unique opportunity to search for new physics with electroweak couplings. A feasibility study for the search of supersymmetric dark matter in the final state of two VBF jets and large missing transverse energy is presented at 14 TeV. Prospects for determining the dark matter relic density are studied for the cases of Wino and Bino-Higgsino dark matter. The LHC could probe Wino dark matter with mass up to approximately 600 GeV with a luminosity of 1000 fb$^{-1}$.

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arXiv2013

Vector Boson Fusion Processes as a Probe of Supersymmetric Electroweak Sectors at the LHC

Vector boson fusion (VBF) processes offer a promising avenue to study the non-colored sectors of supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model at the LHC. A feasibility study for searching for the chargino/neutralino system in the $R-$parity conserving Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model is presented. The high $E_T$ forward jets in opposite hemispheres are utilized to trigger VBF events, so that the production of the lightest chargino and the second lightest neutralino can be probed without a bias by experimental triggers. Kinematic requirements are developed to search for signals of these supersymmetric states above Standard Model backgrounds in both $τ$ and light lepton ($e$ and $μ$) final states at $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV.

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arXiv2012

Successful Supersymmetric Dark Matter with Thermal Over/Under-Abundance from Late Decay of a Visible Sector Scalar

We present an explicit model where the decay of an R-parity even scalar $S$ with ${\cal O}({\rm TeV})$ mass is the origin of non-thermal dark matter. The correct relic abundance can be produced for both large and small annihilation rates in accordance with the Fermi constraints on the annihilation cross-section. This scenario has advantages over that of non-thermal dark matter from modulus decay. First, branching ratio for production of R-parity odd particles can be made quite small by a combination of $S$ couplings to matter fields and kinematic suppression, enabling us to obtain the observed dark matter relic density in cases of thermal underproduction as well as overproduction. Second, gravitino production is naturally suppressed by the virtue of decaying scalar belonging to the visible sector. The decaying scalar $S$ can also successfully generate baryon asymmetry of the universe, and may provide an explanation for the baryon-dark matter coincidence puzzle.

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arXiv2012

Higgsino Dark Matter and the Cosmological Gravitino Problem

We motivate Higgsino dark matter from a solution to the cosmological moduli/gravitino problem. Cosmological moduli/gravitino should be heavy enough to decay before the onset of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, and this requirement typically forces gauginos to have masses above a TeV in Type IIB compactifications. Higgsinos emerge as the viable sub-TeV dark matter candidates if anomaly and modulus mediated contributions to supersymmetry breaking are both competitive. Obtaining the correct relic density in this mass range forces Higgsinos to be produced non-thermally from the decay of a modulus. We outline constraints arising from indirect and direct detection experiments in this context, as well as theoretical constraints such as the overproduction of dark matter from gravitino decay.

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arXiv2012

Non-thermal Higgsino Dark Matter: Cosmological Motivations and Implications for a 125 GeV Higgs

If the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) is Higgsino-like, the thermal relic density is lower than the observed dark matter content for a LSP mass in the sub-TeV region. We outline constraints arising from the Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope data and LSP production from gravitino decay that must be satisfied by a successful non-thermal Higgsino scenario. We show that in a generic class of models where anomaly and modulus mediated contributions to supersymmetry breaking are of comparable size, Higgsino arises as the only viable sub-TeV dark matter candidate if gravitinos are heavy enough to decay before the onset of big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). The correct relic density can be obtained via modulus decay in these models. As an explicit example, we consider a modulus sector in effective field theory ($D=4, N=1$ supergravitiy arising from type IIB KKLT compactification). Within this class of mirage mediation models, heaviness of the gravitino forces a sub-TeV Higgsino LSP and gives a Higgs mass around 125 GeV. In this example, the constraints from direct detection experiments are also satisfied.

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arXiv2012

Attractors, Universality and Inflation

Studies of the initial conditions for inflation have conflicting predictions from exponential suppression to inevitability. At the level of phase space, this conflict arises from the competing intuitions of CPT invariance and thermodynamics. After reviewing this conflict, we enlarge the ensemble beyond phase space to include scalar potential data. We show how this leads to an important contribution from inflection point inflation, enhancing the likelihood of inflation to an inverse cubic power law. In the process, we emphasize the attractor dynamics of the gravity-scalar system and the existence of universality classes from inflection point inflation. Finally, we comment on the predictivity of inflation in light of these results.

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arXiv2012

Searching for Top Squarks at the LHC in Fully Hadronic Final State

We pursue a scenario where the lighter top squark (stop) mass is accessible for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in the near future, while gluinos and first two generation squarks are heavier. At $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV, we investigate the identification of stops which decay predominantly into a top quark and the stable lightest supersymmetric particle. We use a simple kinematical variable, $M3$, to reconstruct two top quarks which are pair-produced from the stops, in the fully hadronic channel. The dominant Standard Model (SM) background for this signal stems from $t\bar t$ plus jets, with one top quark decaying into $ blν$, where the lepton is undetected and the $ν$ produces missing transverse momentum. The lepton identification efficiency is thus crucial in order to estimate the background correctly. We identify kinematical variables to reduce the SM background. We find that it is possible to achieve signal and background cross-section at similar levels for stop masses around $350 - 500$ GeV for a neutralino mass of 100 GeV.

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arXiv2012

Holomorphic Bisectional Curvatures, Supersymmetry Breaking, and Affleck-Dine Baryogenesis

Working in $D=4, N=1$ supergravity, we utilize relations between holomorphic sectional and bisectional curvatures of Kahler manifolds to constrain Affleck-Dine baryogenesis. We show the following No-Go result: Affleck-Dine baryogenesis cannot be performed if the holomorphic sectional curvature at the origin is isotropic in tangent space; as a special case, this rules out spaces of constant holomorphic sectional curvature (defined in the above sense) and in particular maximally symmetric coset spaces. We also investigate scenarios where inflationary supersymmetry breaking is identified with the supersymmetry breaking responsible for mass splitting in the visible sector, using conditions of sequestering to constrain manifolds where inflation can be performed.

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arXiv2012

Diagnosis of Supersymmetry Breaking Mediation Schemes by Mass Reconstruction at the LHC

If supersymmetry is discovered at the LHC, the next question will be the determination of the underlying model. While this may be challenging or even intractable, a more optimistic question is whether we can understand the main contours of any particular paradigm of the mediation of supersymmetry breaking. The determination of superpartner masses through endpoint measurements of kinematic observables arising from cascade decays is a powerful diagnostic tool. In particular, the determination of the gaugino sector has the potential to discriminate between certain mediation schemes (not all schemes, and not between different UV realizations of a given scheme). We reconstruct gaugino masses, choosing a model where anomaly contributions to supersymmetry breaking are important (KKLT compactification), and find the gaugino unification scale. Moreover, reconstruction of other superpartner masses allows us to solve for the parameters defining the UV model. The analysis is performed in the stop and stau coannihilation regions where the lightest neutralinos are mainly gauginos, to additionally satisfy dark matter constraints. We thus develop observables to determine stau and stop masses to verify that the coannihilation mechanism is indeed operational, and solve for the relic density.

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arXiv2011

Catastrophic Inflation

We study inflection point inflation using Singularity Theory, which relates degenerate critical points of functions to their local behavior. This approach illuminates universal features of small-field models and gives analytic control over parametrized families of scalar potentials near inflationary solutions. The behavior of the scalar potential is tied to the number of physical input parameters, which determines a set of universality classes. Within these classes, we obtain universal scaling relations for density perturbations and the scale of inflation. In specific models, we show that the scale of supersymmetry breaking also possesses scaling behavior. We illustrate this general structure with a specific example: the Racetrack Inflation model in type IIB string theory, with the inflaton being the real part of the Kahler modulus, and the input parameters being flux dependent quantities that appear in the 4D, N=1 superpotential.

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