Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Matthew J. Dolan

Publications and source records attributed to Matthew J. Dolan.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2018

Dirac-Phase Thermal Leptogenesis in the extended Type-I Seesaw Model

Motivated by the fact that the Dirac phase in the PMNS matrix is the only CP-violating parameter in the leptonic sector that can be measured in neutrino oscillation experiments, we examine the possibility that it is the dominant source of CP violation for leptogenesis caused by the out-of-equilibrium decays of heavy singlet fermions. We do so within a low-scale extended type-I seesaw model, featuring two Standard Model singlet fermions per family, in which lepton number is approximately conserved such that the heavy singlet neutrinos are pseudo-Dirac. We find that this produces a predictive model of leptogenesis. Our results show that for low-scale thermal leptogenesis, a pure inverse-seesaw scenario fails to produce the required asymmetry, even accounting for resonance effects, because wash-out processes are too efficient. Dirac-phase leptogenesis is, however, possible when the linear seesaw term is switched on, with the aid of the resonance contributions naturally present in the model. Degenerate and hierarchical spectra are considered -- both can achieve Dirac-phase leptogenesis, although the latter is more constrained. Finally, although unable to probe the parameter space of Dirac-phase leptogenesis, the contributions to unitarity violation of the PMNS matrix, collider constraints and charged-lepton flavour-violating processes are calculated and we further estimate the impact of the future experiments MEG-II and COMET for such models.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2018

Revised constraints and Belle II sensitivity for visible and invisible axion-like particles

Light pseudoscalars interacting pre-dominantly with Standard Model gauge bosons (so-called axion-like particles or ALPs) occur frequently in extensions of the Standard Model. In this work we review and update existing constraints on ALPs in the keV to GeV mass region from colliders, beam dump experiments and astrophysics. We furthermore provide a detailed calculation of the expected sensitivity of Belle II, which can search for visibly and invisibly decaying ALPs, as well as long-lived ALPs. The Belle II sensitivity is found to be substantially better than previously estimated, covering wide ranges of relevant parameter space. In particular, Belle II can explore an interesting class of dark matter models, in which ALPs mediate the interactions between the Standard Model and dark matter. In these models, the relic abundance can be set via resonant freeze-out, leading to a highly predictive scenario consistent with all existing constraints but testable with single-photon searches at Belle II in the near future.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2017

Transplanckian Censorship and Global Cosmic Strings

Large field excursions are required in a number of axion models of inflation. These models also possess global cosmic strings, around which the axion follows a path mirroring the inflationary trajectory. Cosmic strings are thus an interesting theoretical laboratory for the study of transplanckian field excursions. We describe connections between various effective field theory models of axion monodromy and study the classical spacetimes around their supercritical cosmic strings. For small decay constants $f M_p/f$, the EFT is under control and the string cores undergo topological inflation, which may be either of exponential or power-law type. We show that the exterior spacetime is nonsingular and equivalent to a decompactifying cigar geometry, with the radion rolling in a potential generated by axion flux. Signals are able to circumnavigate infinite straight strings in finite but exponentially long time, $t\sim e^{Δa/M_p}$. For finite loops of supercritical string in asymptotically flat space, we argue that if topological inflation occurs, then topological censorship implies transplanckian censorship, or that external observers are forbidden from threading the loop and observing the full excursion of the axion.

hep-th↗
arXiv2016

Parton Shower Uncertainties in Jet Substructure Analyses with Deep Neural Networks

Machine learning methods incorporating deep neural networks have been the subject of recent proposals for new hadronic resonance taggers. These methods require training on a dataset produced by an event generator where the true class labels are known. However, training a network on a specific event generator may bias the network towards learning features associated with the approximations to QCD used in that generator which are not present in real data. We therefore investigate the effects of variations in the modelling of the parton shower on the performance of deep neural network taggers using jet images from hadronic W-bosons at the LHC, including detector-related effects. By investigating network performance on samples from the Pythia, Herwig and Sherpa generators, we find differences of up to fifty percent in background rejection for fixed signal efficiency. We also introduce and study a method, which we dub zooming, for implementing scale-invariance in neural network-based taggers. We find that this leads to an improvement in performance across a wide range of jet transverse momenta. Our results emphasise the importance gaining a detailed understanding what aspects of jet physics these methods are exploiting.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2016

Dissecting Jets and Missing Energy Searches Using $n$-body Extended Simplified Models

Simplified Models are a useful way to characterize new physics scenarios for the LHC. Particle decays are often represented using non-renormalizable operators that involve the minimal number of fields required by symmetries. Generalizing to a wider class of decay operators allows one to model a variety of final states. This approach, which we dub the $n$-body extension of Simplified Models, provides a unifying treatment of the signal phase space resulting from a variety of signals. In this paper, we present the first application of this framework in the context of multijet plus missing energy searches. The main result of this work is a global performance study with the goal of identifying which set of observables yields the best discriminating power against the largest Standard Model backgrounds for a wide range of signal jet multiplicities. Our analysis compares combinations of one, two and three variables, placing emphasis on the enhanced sensitivity gain resulting from non-trivial correlations. Utilizing boosted decision trees, we compare and classify the performance of missing energy, energy scale and energy structure observables. We demonstrate that including an observable from each of these three classes is required to achieve optimal performance. This work additionally serves to establish the utility of $n$-body extended Simplified Models as a diagnostic for unpacking the relative merits of different search strategies, thereby motivating their application to new physics signatures beyond jets and missing energy.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2016

Determining the Quantum Numbers of Simplified Models in $t\bar{t}X$ production at the LHC

Simplified models provide an avenue for characterising and exploring New Physics for large classes of UV theories. In this article we study the ability of the LHC to probe the spin and parity quantum numbers of a new light resonance $X$ which couples predominantly to the third generation quarks in a variety of simplified models through the $t\bar t X$ channel. After evaluating the LHC discovery potential for $X$, we suggest several kinematic variables sensitive to the spin and CP properties of the new resonance. We show how an analysis exploiting differential distributions in the semi-leptonic channel can discriminate among various possibilities. We find that the potential to discriminate a scalar from a pseudoscalar or (axial) vector to be particularly promising.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2016

Simplified Models for Higgs Physics: Singlet Scalar and Vector-like Quark Phenomenology

Simplified models provide a useful tool to conduct the search and exploration of physics beyond the Standard Model in a model-independent fashion. In this work we consider the complementarity of indirect searches for new physics in Higgs couplings and distributions with direct searches for new particles, using a simplified model which includes a new singlet scalar resonance and vector-like fermions that can mix with the SM top-quark. We fit this model to the combined ATLAS and CMS 125 GeV Higgs production and coupling measurements and other precision electroweak constraints, and explore in detail the effects of the new matter content upon Higgs production and kinematics. We highlight some novel features and decay modes of the top partner phenomenology, and discuss prospects for Run II.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2015

A taste of dark matter: Flavour constraints on pseudoscalar mediators

Dark matter interacting via the exchange of a light pseudoscalar can induce observable signals in indirect detection experiments and experience large self-interactions while evading the strong bounds from direct dark matter searches. The pseudoscalar mediator will however induce flavour-changing interactions in the Standard Model, providing a promising alternative way to test these models. We investigate in detail the constraints arising from rare meson decays and fixed target experiments for different coupling structures between the pseudoscalar and Standard Model fermions. The resulting bounds are highly complementary to the information inferred from the dark matter relic density and the constraints from primordial nucleosynthesis. We discuss the implications of our findings for the dark matter self-interaction cross section and the prospects of probing dark matter coupled to a light pseudoscalar with direct or indirect detection experiments. In particular, we find that a pseudoscalar mediator can only explain the Galactic Centre excess if its mass is above that of the B mesons, and that it is impossible to obtain a sufficiently large direct detection cross section to account for the DAMA modulation

hep-ph↗
arXiv2015

$hhjj$ production at the LHC

The search for di-Higgs production at the LHC in order to set limits on Higgs trilinear coupling and constraints on new physics is one of the main motivations for the LHC high luminosity phase. Recent experimental analyses suggest that such analyses will only be successful if information from a range of channels is included. We therefore investigate di-Higgs production in association with two hadronic jets and give a detailed discussion of both the gluon- and weak boson fusion contributions, with a particular emphasis on the phenomenology with modified Higgs trilinear and quartic gauge couplings. We perform a detailed investigation of the full hadronic final state and find that $hhjj$ production should add sensitivity to a di-Higgs search combination at the HL-LHC with 3 ab$^{-1}$. Since the WBF and GF contributions are sensitive to different sources of physics beyond the Standard Model, we devise search strategies to disentangle and isolate these production modes. While gluon fusion remains non-negligible in WBF-type selections, sizeable new physics contributions to the latter can still be constrained. As an example of the latter point we investigate the sensitivity that can be obtained for a measurement of the quartic Higgs-gauge boson couplings.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2015

Higgs Self-Coupling Measurements at a 100 TeV Hadron Collider

An important physics goal of a possible next-generation high-energy hadron collider will be precision characterisation of the Higgs sector and electroweak symmetry breaking. A crucial part of understanding the nature of electroweak symmetry breaking is measuring the Higgs self-interactions. We study dihiggs production in proton-proton collisions at 100 TeV centre of mass energy in order to estimate the sensitivity such a machine would have to variations in the trilinear Higgs coupling around the Standard Model expectation. We focus on the two b-jets plus diphotons final state, including possible enhancements in sensitivity by exploiting dihiggs recoils against a hard jet. We find that it should be possible to measure the trilinear self-coupling with 40% accuracy given 3/ab and 12% with 30/ab of data.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2015

Characterising dark matter searches at colliders and direct detection experiments: Vector mediators

We introduce a Minimal Simplified Dark Matter (MSDM) framework to quantitatively characterise dark matter (DM) searches at the LHC. We study two MSDM models where the DM is a Dirac fermion which interacts with a vector and axial-vector mediator. The models are characterised by four parameters: the DM and mediator masses, and the mediator couplings to DM and quarks. The MSDM models accurately capture the full event kinematics, and the dependence on all masses and couplings can be systematically studied. The interpretation of mono-jet searches in this framework can be used to establish an equal-footing comparison with direct detection experiments. For theories with a vector mediator, LHC mono-jet searches possess better sensitivity than direct detection searches for light DM masses (less than 5 GeV). For axial-vector mediators, LHC and direct detection searches generally probe orthogonal directions in the parameter space. We explore the projected limits of these searches from the ultimate reach of the LHC and multi-ton xenon direct detection experiments, and find that the complementarity of the searches remains. Finally, we provide a comparison of limits in the MSDM and effective field theory (EFT) frameworks to highlight the deficiencies of the EFT framework, particularly when exploring the complementarity of mono-jet and direct detection searches.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2014

A weighty interpretation of the Galactic Centre excess

Previous attempts at explaining the gamma-ray excess near the Galactic Centre have focussed on dark matter annihilation directly into Standard Model particles. This results in a preferred dark matter mass of 30-40 GeV (if the annihilation is into b quarks) or 10 GeV (if it is into leptons). Here we show that the gamma-ray excess is also consistent with heavier dark matter particles; in models of secluded dark matter, dark matter with mass up to 76 GeV provides a good fit to the data. This occurs if the dark matter first annihilates to an on-shell particle that subsequently decays to Standard Model particles through a portal interaction. This is a generic process that works in models with annihilation, semi-annihilation or both. We explicitly demonstrate this in a model of hidden vector dark matter with an SU(2) gauge group in the hidden sector.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2014

Constraining CP-violating Higgs Sectors at the LHC using gluon fusion

We investigate the constraints that the LHC can set on a 126 GeV Higgs boson that is an admixture of CP eigenstates. Traditional analyses rely on Higgs couplings to massive vector bosons, which are suppressed for CP-odd couplings, so that these analyses have limited sensitivity. Instead we focus on Higgs production in gluon fusion, which occurs at the same order in the strong coupling for both CP-even and -odd couplings. We study the Higgs plus two jet final state followed by Higgs decay into a pair of tau leptons. We show that using the 8 TeV dataset it is possible to rule out the pure CP-odd hypothesis in this channel alone at nearly 95\% C.L, assuming that the Higgs is CP-even. We also provide projected limits for the 14 TeV LHC run.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2014

Extended gamma-ray emission from Coy Dark Matter

We show that it is possible for WIMP dark matter to produce a large signal in indirect dark matter searches without producing signals elsewhere. We illustrate our point by fitting the Fermi-LAT extended galactic gamma-ray excess with a simple model of Dirac dark matter that annihilates primarily into b quarks via a pseudoscalar. Current collider constraints are weak while the 14 TeV LHC run will constrain a limited portion of the parameter space. No signal is expected in additional indirect searches or at future direct detection experiments. Our results emphasise the importance of fully understanding potential indirect signals of dark matter as they may provide the only information about the dark matter particle.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2013

Further on up the road: $hhjj$ production at the LHC

A measurement of the $hh+2j$ channel at the LHC would be particularly thrilling for electroweak physics. It is not only the leading process which is sensitive to the $W^+W^- hh$ and $ZZhh$ interactions, but also provides a potentially clear window to study the electroweak symmetry-breaking sector by probing Higgs-Goldstone interactions through the weak boson fusion component of the scattering process. Until now, a phenomenologically complete analysis of this channel has been missing. This is mostly due to the high complexity of the involved one-loop gluon fusion contribution and the fact that a reliable estimate thereof cannot be obtained through simplified calculations in the $m_t\to \infty$ limit. In particular, the extraction of the Higgs trilinear coupling from this final state rests on a delicate $m_t$-dependent interference pattern which is not captured in an effective field theory approach. In this paper, we report on the LHC's potential to access di-Higgs production in association with two jets in a fully-showered hadron-level analysis. Our study includes the finite top and bottom mass dependencies for the gluon fusion contribution. On the basis of these results, we also comment on the potential sensitivity to the trilinear Higgs and $VV^\dagger hh$ ($V=W^\pm,Z$) couplings that can be expected from measurements of this final state.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2013

Di-Higgs final states augMT2ed -- selecting $hh$ events at the high luminosity LHC

Higgs boson self-interactions can be investigated via di-Higgs ($pp\to hh+X$) production at the LHC. With a small ${\cal{O}}(30)$ fb Standard Model production cross section, and a large $t\bar t$ background, this measurement has been considered challenging, even at a luminosity-upgraded LHC. We demonstrate that by using simple kinematic bounding variables, of the sort already employed in existing LHC searches, the dominant $t\bar t$ background can be largely eliminated. Simulations of the signal and the dominant background demonstrate the prospect for measurement of the di-Higgs production cross section at the 30% level using 3/ab of integrated luminosity at a high-luminosity LHC. This corresponds to a Higgs self-coupling determination with 60% accuracy in the $b\bar b τ^+τ^-$ mode, with potential for further improvements from e.g. subjet technologies and from additional di-Higgs decay channels.

hep-ph↗