arXiv subjects

Sara Khatibi

Publications and source records attributed to Sara Khatibi.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Alleviating Cosmological Tensions with the Hadrosymmetric Twin Higgs

The Hadrosymmetric Twin Higgs (HTH) model provides a natural solution to the little hierarchy problem by incorporating all three generations of quarks in a twin sector. Unlike other Twin Higgs scenarios, such as the Mirror Twin Higgs (MTH), the HTH framework avoids introducing additional light states or radiation and thus remains consistent with stringent bounds on the effective number of relativistic species, $\Delta N_{\rm eff}$. Its particle content and interactions also make it difficult to probe at colliders, highlighting the importance of cosmological tests. In this work, we study the cosmological implications of the HTH model, focusing on the persistent tensions in the Hubble constant ($H_0$) and the matter clustering amplitude ($\sigma_8$). Implementing the HTH sector in a Boltzmann code and confronting it with cosmic microwave background (CMB) data and local $H_0$ measurements, we find that HTH scenario partially reduces the Hubble tension from more than $4\sigma$ to about $2.5\sigma$, while also alleviating the $\sigma_8$ discrepancy. These results demonstrate that the HTH framework not only addresses naturalness in particle physics but also offers a viable route to mitigating current cosmological tensions, thereby strengthening the link between fundamental theory and precision cosmology.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Neutron decay into a Dark Sector via Leptoquarks

In this paper, we extend the Standard Model (SM) scalar sector with scalar leptoquarks (LQ) as a portal to the dark sector to resolve some observational anomalies simultaneously. We introduce LQ coupling to scalar dark matter (DM) to suggest an exotic decay channel for the neutron into scalar DM and an SM anti-neutrino. If the branching ratio of this new neutron decay channel is $1\%$, a long-standing discrepancy in the measured neutron lifetime between two different experimental methods, bottle and beam experiments, can be solved. The mass of the scalar DM produced from neutron decay should be in a narrow range and as a result, its production in the early universe is challenging. We discuss that the freeze-in mechanism can produce this scalar DM in the early universe with the correct relic abundance. Then we show that the model can explain other SM anomalies like the muon $(g-2)$, and $R_{D^{(*)}}$ anomaly simultaneously.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Light and Feebly Interacting Non-Abelian Vector Dark Matter Produced Through Vector Misalignment

In this paper, we examine the evolution of light and feebly interacting non-abelian dark gauge bosons dark matter in the early universe. We specifically work on a multi-component dark matter scenario with a $SU(2)_{_R}$ gauge symmetry, spontaneously broken by a scalar $\phi$. For sufficiently light $\lesssim O( \rm{MeV})$ and feebly interacting $(g_{_R} \lesssim 10^{-10})$ gauge bosons, $W^3_{_R}$ and $W^{\pm}_{_R} \equiv W_{_R}^1 \pm i W_{_R}^2$ become the dark matter candidates. In this study, the portal between the dark sector and the standard model sector is provided by the right-handed electron charged under $SU(2)_{_R}$. We show that in the region of the parameter space where $g_{_R} \sim 10^{-12}$, the dark gauge boson $W^3_{_R}$ can be produced efficiently via the freeze-in mechanism, however, this mechanism fails to produce $W^{\pm}_{_R}$ sufficiently. For smaller dark gauge coupling, the relic density of three dark matter components can be obtained via the vector misalignment mechanism. Vector misalignment has already been discussed in the case of dark photon dark matter. In this study, we extend the arguments to non-abelian gauge bosons. After discussing the evolution of $W_{_R}$s in the early universe, we study the model's constraints and show the parameter space's allowed region.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Probing FCNC couplings in single top quark production associated with a neutral gauge boson at future lepton colliders

In this paper, we consider a single top quark production in association with a neutral gauge boson (Z boson or Photon) at the future electron-positron colliders. We utilize these channels to probe the top quark Flavour Changing Neutral Currents (FCNC) interactions in $tqZ$ and $tqγ$ vertices. We perform two separate analyses for top-Z-jet and top-$γ$-jet channels. The Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) approach is employed to search for these anomalous couplings. We consider parton showering, hadronization and fast detector simulation in our study and use a cut-and-count technique to separate the signal from the Standard Model (SM) background processes. The upper limits on the FCNC couplings at $95\%$ confidence level for the different integrated luminosities are obtained. It is shown that the future lepton collider would be able to probe the FCNC branching fractions to $\rm{Br}(t\rightarrow q γ)< 10^{-4}$ and $\rm{Br}(t\rightarrow q Z) < 10^{-4}$ with $3$ $\rm{ab}^{-1}$of integrated luminosity of data at a center of mass energy of $350$ GeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Probing four-fermion operators in the triple top production at future hadron colliders

In this paper, we study the triple top quark production at the future high-energy proton-proton colliders to probe the four-fermion interactions involving three top quarks. We employ the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) to find the upper limits at $95\%$ CL on the Wilson coefficients of these kinds of four-fermion operators. We consider a detailed analysis with a unique signal signature of two same-sign leptons. A full simulation chain includes all the relevant backgrounds, realistic detector simulations and a cut-based technique are taken into account. This study is presented for the HE-LHC working at the center of mass energy of 27 TeV with 15~ab$^{-1}$ and FCC-hh working at the center of mass energy of 100 TeV with 30~ab$^{-1}$. We show that the future high-energy proton-proton colliders could reach an impressive sensitivity to four-fermion contact interactions involving three top quarks.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Multi-Component Dark Matter in a Non-Abelian Dark Sector

In this paper, we explore a dark sector scenario with a gauged $SU(2)_R$ and a global $U(1)_X \times \mathbb{Z}_2$, where the continuous symmetries are spontaneously broken to a global $U(1)_D$. We show that in various regions of the parameter space we can have two, or three dark matter candidates, where these dark matter particles are either a Dirac fermion, a dark gauge boson, or a complex scalar. The phenomenological implications of this scenario are vast and interesting. We identify the parameter space that is still viable after taking into account the constraints from various experiments. We, also, discuss how this scenario can explain the recent observation by DAMPE in the electron-positron spectrum. Furthermore, we comment on the neutrino mass generation through non-renormalizable interactions between the standard model and the dark sector.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

New Probes for Axion-like Particles at Hadron Colliders

Axion-like particles (ALPs) appear from spontaneous global symmetry breaking in many extensions of the Standard Model (SM). In this paper, we find bounds on ALP ($a$) model parameters at the LHC from the ALP production associated with a photon and a jet ($j+γ+a$) as well as single top and top quark pairs ($t+j+a$, $t\bar{t}+a$) in a model independent approach. In particular, it is shown that the ALP production associated with a photon plus a jet at the LHC is a promising channel with significant sensitivity to probe the ALP couplings to gluons and electroweak gauge bosons. The prospects are presented at the High Luminosity LHC including a realistic detector simulation and pile up effects. Furthermore, the ALP model is examined through its contributions to the top quark (chromo)magnetic dipole moments. It is shown that the top quark magnetic and chromomagnetic dipole moments enable us to probe the ALP couplings to top quark and gauge bosons at a time. The constraints are complementary to those obtained from direct searches, as they are sensitive to light ALPs.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Study of top quark dipole interactions in $t\bar{t}$ production associated with two heavy gauge bosons at the LHC

In this paper, we investigate the prospects of measuring the strong and weak dipole moments of the top quark at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Measurements of these couplings provide an excellent opportunity to probe new physics interactions as they have quite small magnitudes in the Standard Model. Our analyses are through studying the production cross sections of $t\bar{t}WW$ and $t\bar{t}ZZ$ processes in the same sign dilepton and four-lepton final states, respectively. The sensitivities to strong and weak top quark dipole interactions at the $95\%$ confidence level for various integrated luminosity scenarios are derived and compared with other studies. In addition to using the total cross sections, a novel handle based on an angular observable is introduced which is found to be sensitive to variations of the top quark strong dipole moments. We also investigate the sensitivity of the invariant mass of the system to the strong and weak dipole moments of the top quark.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Probing Higgs boson couplings in H+$γ$ production at the LHC

In this paper, we examine the potential of Higgs boson production associated with a photon at the LHC to probe the new physics effects in the framework of the standard model effective field theory. It is shown that the differential kinematic distributions such as photon transverse momentum and invariant mass of Higgs+$γ$ in Higgs associated production are powerful variables to explore the coefficients of dimension six operators. The analysis is performed in the decay channel of Higgs boson into a $b\bar{b}$ pair including the main sources of background processes and a realistic simulation of the detector effects. We provide constraints at $95\%$ confidence level on the Wilson coefficients of dimension-six operators affecting Higgs boson plus a photon production. We show to what extent these limits could be improved at the high luminosity LHC. The effect of these constraints on a well-motivated beyond standard model scenario is presented.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Single top quark production as a probe of anomalous $tqγ$ and $tqZ$ couplings at the FCC-ee

In this paper, a detailed study to probe the top quark Flavour-Changing Neutral Currents (FCNC) $tqγ$ and $tqZ$ at the future $e^{-}e^{+}$ collider FCC-ee in three different center-of-mass energies of 240, 350 and 500 GeV is presented. A set of useful variables are proposed and used in a multivariate technique to separate signal $e^- e^+ \rightarrow Z/γ\rightarrow t \bar{q} ~ ( \bar{t} q )$ from standard model background processes. The study includes a fast detector simulation based on the {\sc delphes} package to consider the detector effects. The $3 σ$ discovery regions and the upper limits on the FCNC branching ratios at 95\% confidence level (CL) in terms of the integrated luminosity are presented. It is shown that with 300 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity of data, FCC-ee would be able to exclude the effective coupling strengths above ${\cal O} (10^{-4}-10^{-5})$ which is corresponding to branching fraction of ${\cal O}(0.01-0.001)$\%. We show that moving to a high-luminosity regime leads to a significant improvement on the upper bounds on the top quark FCNC couplings to a photon or a $Z$ boson.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Constraining the monochromatic gamma-rays from dark matter annihilation by the LHC

The installation of forward detectors in CMS and ATLAS turn the LHC to an effective photon-photon collider. The elastic scattering of the beam-protons via the emission of photons, which can be identified by tagging the intact protons in the forward detectors, provides a powerful diagnostic of the central production of new particles through photon-photon annihilation. In this letter we study the central production of dark matter particles and the potential of LHC to constrain the cross section of this process. By virtue of the crossing symmetry, this limit can immediately be used to constrain the production of monochromatic gamma-rays in dark matter annihilation, a smoking gun signal under investigation in indirect dark matter searches. We show that with the integrated luminosity $\mathcal{L}=30~{\rm fb}^{-1}$ in LHC at center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV, for dark matter masses $\sim (50-600)$ GeV, a model-independent constraint on the cross section of dark matter annihilation to monochromatic gamma-rays at the same order of magnitude as the current Fermi-LAT and the future limits from CTA, can be obtained.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Measuring anomalous WW$γ$ and t$\bar{\text{t}}γ$ couplings using top+$γ$ production at the LHC

We consider the electroweak production of a top quark in association with a photon at the LHC to probe the electroweak top quark couplings (t$\bar{\text{t}}γ$) as well as the triple gauge boson couplings (WW$γ$). The study is based on the modifications of the t$\bar{\text{t}}γ$ and WW$γ$ interactions via heavy degrees of freedom in the form of dimension-six operators which we add to the standard model Lagrangian. A binned angular asymmetry in single top quark plus photon events and cross section ratio are proposed to probe the anomalous t$\bar{\text{t}}γ$ and WW$γ$ couplings. It is shown that the proposed angular asymmetry can distinguish anomalous t$\bar{\text{t}}γ$, WW$γ$ couplings from the standard model prediction and yield a great sensitivity.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Constraints on top quark flavor changing neutral currents using diphoton events at the LHC

In this paper we show that the diphoton mass spectrum in proton-proton collisions at the LHC is sensitive to the top quark flavor changing neutral current in the vertices of $tuγ$ and $tcγ$. The diphoton mass spectrum measured by the CMS experiment at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 19.5 fb$^{-1}$ is used as an example to set limits on these FCNC couplings. It is also shown that the angular distribution of the diphotons is sensitive to anomalous $tuγ$ and $tcγ$ couplings and it is a powerful tool to probe any value of the branching fraction of top quark rare decay to an up-type quark plus a photon down to the order of $10^{-4}$. We also show that the $tuγ$ FCNC coupling has a significant contribution to the neutron electric dipole moment (EDM) and the upper bound on neutron EDM can be used to constrain the $tuγ$ FCNC coupling.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Exploring the Anomalous Higgs-top Couplings

Top quark with its large Yukawa coupling is crucially important to explore TeV scale physics. Therefore, the study of Higgs-top sector is highly motivated to look for any deviations from the standard model predictions. The most general lowest order Lagrangian for the Higgs-top Yukawa coupling has scalar ($κ$) and pseudoscalar ($\tildeκ$) components. Currently, these couplings are constrained indirectly using the present experimental limits on the Higgs-$γ$-$γ$ and Higgs-gluon-gluon couplings. Furthermore, stronger bounds on $κ$ and $\tildeκ$ are obtained using the limits on the electric dipole moments (EDM). In this work, we propose an asymmetry-like observable $O_ϕ$ in $t\bar{t}H$ production at the LHC to probe the Higgs-top coupling and to distinguish between the scalar and pseudoscalar components. We also show that the presence of the pseudoscalar component in the Higgs-top Yukawa coupling leads to a sizeable value for the top quark EDM. It is shown that a limit of $10^{-19}$ e.cm, which is achievable by the future $e^{-}e^{+}$ collider, allows us to exclude a significant region in the $(κ,\tildeκ)$ plane.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Probing the Anomalous FCNC Interactions in Top-Higgs Final State and Charge Ratio Approach

We study the anomalous production of a single top quark in association with a Higgs boson at the LHC originating from flavor changing neutral current (FCNC) interactions in $tqg$ and $tqH$ vertices. We derive the discovery potentials and $68\%$ C.L. upper limits considering leptonic decay of the top quark and the Higgs boson decay into a $b\bar{b}$ pair with 10 fb$^{-1}$ integrated luminosity of data in proton-proton collisions at the center-of-mass energy of 14 TeV. We propose a charge ratio for the lepton in top quark decay in terms of lepton $p_{T}$ and $η$ as a strong tool to observe the signal. In particular, we show that the charge ratio increases significantly at large $p_{T}$ of the charged lepton. While the main background from $t\bar{t}$ is nearly charge symmetric and $W+jets$ background has much smaller charge ratio with respect to the signal. We show that this feature can also be used in the probe of anomalous single top production with a $Z-$boson or a photon which are under the attention of the experimental collaborations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

From Tevatron's top and lepton-based asymmetries to the LHC

We define a lepton-based asymmetry in semi-leptonic ttbar production at the LHC. We show that the ratio of this lepton-based asymmetry and the ttbar charge asymmetry, measured as a function of the lepton transverse momentum or the ttbar invariant mass is a robust observable in the Standard Model. It is stable against higher order corrections and mis-modeling effects. We show that this ratio can also be a powerful discriminant among different new physics models and between them and the Standard Model. Finally, we show that a related ratio defined at the Tevatron is also robust as a function of the ttbar invariant mass.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Top Quark Asymmetries and Unparticle Physics

Among different measured observables of top-antitop quark pairs at hadron colliders, the forward-backward asymmetry ($A_{\text{FB}}$) measured by the CDF and D0 collaborations has inconsistency with the Standard Model prediction. The measured forward-backward asymmetry grows with $t\bar{t}$ invariant mass. Several new physics models have been proposed to explain this deviation. We consider the consistency of the parameter space of vector unparticle (in Flavor-Conserving scenario) with the existing $t\bar{t}$ production measurements. In particular, we look at the total cross sections at the LHC and Tevatron, differential cross section with $t\bar{t}$ invariant mass, and the LHC charge asymmetry to identify the regions in parameter space that can give the desired top $A_{\text{FB}}$ observed by the Tevatron. We show that in spite of the intrinsic tension between the LHC charge asymmetry and $A_{\text{FB}}$, there exists a region in the unparticle parameters space where the top $A_{\text{FB}}$ and the LHC charge asymmetry are satisfied simultaneously. Finally, we show that the consistent region with $t\bar{t}$ observables is consistent with the constraints coming from the dijet resonance searches.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Top Quark Forward-Backward Asymmetry and $W'$-Boson with General Couplings

The measured forward-backward asymmetry in top pair events at the Fermilab Tevatron collider deviates significantly from the standard model expectation. Several models have been proposed to describe the observed asymmetry which grows with the rapidity difference of the top pairs and also with the $t\bar{t}$ invariant mass. The presence of a heavy charged gauge boson $W'$ with the coupling $W'-t-d$ (left-handed, right-handed, and a mixture of left and right-handed couplings) could generate the desired top forward-backward asymmetry keeping the top pair cross section consistent with the standard model prediction. Such $W'$-boson makes contribution to the electric dipole moment of the neutron through contribution to the $d$-quark electric dipole moment, recently measured charge asymmetry ($A_{C}$) by the LHC experiments, and the total cross section of top pair at the LHC and Tevatron. We show that the upper bounds on neutron and top electric dipole moments disfavour any $W'$ with a mass below 240 GeV which could explain the Tevatron forward-backward asymmetry. It is shown that the charge asymmetry provides an allowed region in the parameters space with no overlap with the allowed region where the asymmetry could be described.

hep-ph↗