arXiv subjects

S. Willenbrock

Publications and source records attributed to S. Willenbrock.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2009

Associated Production of a W Boson and One b Jet

We calculate the production of a W boson and a single b jet to next-to-leading order in QCD at the Fermilab Tevatron and the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Both exclusive and inclusive cross sections are presented. We separately consider the cross section for jets containing a single b quark and jets containing a b-anti b pair. There are a wide variety of processes that contribute, and it is necessary to include them all in order to have a complete description at both colliders.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2007

Tevatron-for-LHC Report: Higgs

The search for Higgs bosons in both the standard model and its extensions is well under way at the Tevatron. As the integrated luminosity collected increases into the multiple inverse femptobarn range, these searches are becoming very interesting indeed. Meanwhile, the construction of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and its associated experiments at CERN are nearing completion. In this TeV4LHC workshop, it was realized that any experience at the Tevatron with respect to backgrounds, experimental techniques and theoretical calculations that can be verified at the Tevatron which have relevance for future measurements at the LHC were important. Studies and contributions to these efforts were made in three broad categories: theoretical calculations of Higgs production and decay mechanisms; theoretical calculations and discussions pertaining to non-standard model Higgs bosons; and experimental reviews, analyses and developments at both the Tevatron and the upcoming LHC experiments. All of these contributions represent real progress towards the elucidation of the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2007

Production of a Z boson and two jets with one heavy-quark tag

We present a next-to-leading-order calculation of the production of a Z boson with two jets, one or more of which contains a heavy quark (Q=c,b). We show that the cross section with only one heavy-quark jet is larger than that with two heavy-quark jets at both the Fermilab Tevatron and the CERN LHC. These processes are the dominant irreducible backgrounds to a Higgs boson produced in association with a Z boson, followed by h->bb. Our calculation makes use of a heavy-quark distribution function, which resums collinear logarithms and makes the next-to-leading-order calculation tractable.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2007

Tevatron-for-LHC Report: Top and Electroweak Physics

The top quark and electroweak bosons (W and Z) represent the most massive fundamental particles yet discovered, and as such refer directly to the Standard Model's greatest remaining mystery: the mechanism by which all particles gained mass. This report summarizes the work done within the top-ew group of the Tevatron-for-LHC workshop. It represents a collection of both Tevatron results, and LHC predictions. The hope is that by considering and comparing both machines, the LHC program can be improved and aided by knowledge from the Tevatron, and that particle physics as a whole can be enriched. The report includes measurements of the top quark mass, searches for single top quark production, and physics of the electroweak bosons at hadron colliders.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2007

Production of a W boson and two jets with one b-quark tag

The production of a W boson and two jets, at least one of which contains a b quark, is a principal background to single-top production, Higgs production, and signals of new physics at hadron colliders. We present a next-to-leading-order (NLO) calculation of the cross section at the Fermilab Tevatron and the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The NLO cross section differs substantially from that at LO, and we provide a context in which to understand this result.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2006

SM and MSSM Higgs Boson Production Cross Sections at the Tevatron and the LHC

We present results for the SM and MSSM Higgs-boson production cross sections at the Tevatron and the LHC. The SM cross sections are a compilation of the state-of-the-art theoretical predictions. The MSSM cross sections are obtained from the SM ones by means of an effective coupling approximation, as implemented in FeynHiggs. Numerical results have been obtained in four benchmark scenarios for two values of tan beta, tan beta = 5, 40.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2006

Minimal Trinification

We study the trinified model, SU(3)_C x SU(3)_L x SU(3)_R x Z_3, with the minimal Higgs sector required for symmetry breaking. There are five Higgs doublets, and gauge-coupling unification results if all five are at the weak scale, without supersymmetry. The radiative see-saw mechanism yields sub-eV neutrino masses, without the need for intermediate scales, additional Higgs fields, or higher-dimensional operators. The proton lifetime is above the experimental limits, with the decay modes p -> \barνK^+ and p -> μ^+ K^0 potentially observable. We also consider supersymmetric versions of the model, with one or two Higgs doublets at the weak scale. The radiative see-saw mechanism fails with weak-scale supersymmetry due to the nonrenormalization of the superpotential, but operates in the split-SUSY scenario.

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arXiv2005

Sterile Neutrinos and Global Symmetries

We use an effective-field-theory approach to construct models with naturally light sterile neutrinos, due to either exact or accidental global symmetries. The most attractive models we find are based on gauge symmetries, either discrete or continuous. We give examples of simple models based on Z_N, U(1)', and SU(2)'.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2004

The Higgs Working Group: Summary Report 2003

Theoretical progress in Higgs boson production and background processes is discussed with particular emphasis on QCD corrections at and beyond next-to-leading order as well as next-to-leading order electroweak corrections. The residual theoretical uncertainties of the investigated processes are estimated in detail. Moreover, recent investigations of the MSSM Higgs sector and other extensions of the SM Higgs sector are presented. The potential of the LHC and a high-energy linear e+e- collider for the measurement of Higgs couplings is analyzed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2004

Higgs Boson Production in Association with Bottom Quarks

In the Standard Model, the coupling of the Higgs boson to b quarks is weak, leading to small cross sections for producing a Higgs boson in association with b quarks. However, Higgs bosons with enhanced couplings to b quarks, such as occur in supersymmetric models for large values of tan beta, will be copiously produced at both the Tevatron and the LHC in association with b quarks, which will be an important discovery channel. We investigate the connections between the production channels, bg -> bh and gg ->b bbar h, at next-to-leading order (NLO) in perturbative QCD and present results for the cases with two high p_T b jets and with one high p_T b jet at both the Tevatron the the LHC. Finally, the total cross sections without cuts are compared between gg -> b bbar h at NLO and b bbar ->h at NNLO.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2004

Associated Production of a Z Boson and a Single Heavy-Quark Jet

The leading-order process for the production of a Z boson and a heavy-quark jet at hadron colliders is gQ -> ZQ (Q=c,b). We calculate this cross section at next-to-leading order at the Tevatron and the LHC, and compare it with other sources of ZQ events. This process is a background to new physics, and can be used to measure the heavy-quark distribution function.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Quark-Lepton Quartification

We propose that quarks and leptons are interchangeable entities in the high-energy limit. This naturally results in the extension of [SU(3)]^3 trinification to [SU(3)]^4 quartification. In addition to the unbroken color SU(3)_q of quarks, there is now also a color SU(3)_l of leptons which reduces to an unbroken SU(2)_l. We discuss the natural occurrence of SU(2)_l doublets at the TeV energy scale, which leads remarkably to the unification of all gauge couplings without supersymmetry. Proton decay occurs through the exchange of scalar bosons, with a lifetime in the range 10^{34} - 10^{36} years.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

The Road Ahead

I describe the surrounding landscape on the road to the CERN Large Hadron Collider. I revisit the milestones of hadron-collider physics, and from them draw lessons for the future. I recall the primary motivation for the journey - understanding the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking - and speculate that even greater discoveries may await us. I review the physics that we know beyond the standard model - dark matter, dark energy, and neutrino masses - and discuss the status of grand-unified theories. I list the reasons why the Higgs boson is central to the standard model as well as to physics beyond the standard model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Higgs-Boson Production in Association with a Single Bottom Quark

Higgs bosons from an extended Higgs sector, such as a two-Higgs-doublet model, can have greatly enhanced coupling to the bottom quark. Producing such a Higgs boson in association with a single high-p_T bottom quark via g b -> h b allows for the suppression of backgrounds. Previous studies have instead used g g,qbar q -> bbar b h as the production mechanism, which is valid only if both b quarks are at high p_T. We calculate g b -> h b at next-to-leading order in QCD, and find that it is an order of magnitude larger than g g,qbar q -> bbar b h at the Fermilab Tevatron and the CERN Large Hadron Collider. This production mechanism improves the prospects for the discovery of a Higgs boson with enhanced coupling to the b quark.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Triplicated Trinification

Gauge-coupling unification is just as successful in the standard model with six Higgs doublets as it is in the minimal supersymmetric standard model. However, the gauge couplings unify at 10^14 GeV, which yields rapid proton decay in the SU(5) model. I propose that the grand-unified gauge group is instead SU(3)_c x SU(3)_L x SU(3)_R, in which baryon number is conserved by the gauge interactions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Higgs-Boson Production via Bottom-Quark Fusion

Higgs bosons with enhanced coupling to bottom quarks are copiously produced at hadron colliders via b\bar{b} -> h, where the initial b quarks reside in the proton sea. We revisit the calculation of the next-to-leading-order cross section for this process and argue that the appropriate factorization scale for the b distribution functions is approximately m_h/4, rather than m_h, as had been previously assumed. This greatly improves the convergence of the perturbation series, and yields a result with mild factorization-scale dependence. We also show that the leading-order calculation of gg -> b\bar{b}h, integrated over the momenta of the final-state particles, is very sensitive to the factorization and renormalization scales. For scales of order m_h/4 the gg -> b\bar{b}h cross section is comparable to that of b\bar{b} -> h, in contrast to the order-of-magnitude discrepancy between these two calculations for the scale m_h. The result we obtain improves the prospects for Higgs-boson discovery at hadron colliders for large values of tan(β).

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

The Standard Model and the Top Quark

The top quark is one of the least well-studied components of the standard model. In these lectures I discuss the expected properties of the top quark, which will be tested at the Fermilab Tevatron and the CERN Large Hadron Collider. I begin with a modern review of the standard model, emphasizing the underlying concepts. I then discuss the role the top quark plays in precision electroweak analyses. The last two lectures address the strong and weak interactions of the top quark, with an emphasis on the top-quark spin.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

Color-flow decomposition of QCD amplitudes

We introduce a new color decomposition for multi-parton amplitudes in QCD, free of fundamental-representation matrices and structure constants. This decomposition has a physical interpretation in terms of the flow of color, which makes it ideal for merging with shower Monte-Carlo programs. The color-flow decomposition allows for very efficient evaluation of amplitudes with many quarks and gluons, many times faster than the standard color decomposition based on fundamental-representation matrices. This will increase the speed of event generators for multi-jet processes, which are the principal backgrounds to signals of new physics at colliders.

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