arXiv subjects

Tanmoy Modak

Publications and source records attributed to Tanmoy Modak.

47 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Unraveling the couplings of a Drell-Yan produced $Z'$ with heavy-flavor tagging

Despite no new physics so far at the LHC, a $Z'$ boson with $m_{Z'} \sim 100$ GeV could still emerge via Drell-Yan (DY) production, $q \bar q \to Z' \to μ^+ μ^-$, in the next few years. To unravel the nature of the $Z'$ coupling, we utilize the $c$- and $b$-tagging algorithms developed by ATLAS and CMS to investigate $cg \to c Z'$ at 14 TeV LHC. While light-jet contamination can be eliminated, mistagged $b$-jets cannot be rejected in any of the tagging schemes we adopt. On the other hand, for nonzero $bbZ'$ coupling, far superior $b$-tagging could discover the $bg \to b Z'$ process, where again light-jet mistag can be ruled out, but mistagged $c$-jets cannot yet be excluded. Provided that DY production is discovered soon enough, we find that a simultaneous search for $c g \to c Z'$ and $b g \to b Z'$ can conclusively discern the nature of $Z'$ couplings involved.

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arXiv2018

Identifying a $Z'$ behind $b \to s \ell \ell$ anomalies at the LHC

Recent $b\to s\ell\ell$ anomalies may imply the existence of a new $Z'$ boson with left-handed $Z'bs$ and $Z'μμ$ couplings. Such a $Z'$ may be directly observed at LHC via $b \bar s \to Z' \to μ^+μ^-$, and its relevance to $b\to s\ell\ell$ may be studied by searching for the process $gs \to Z'b \to μ^+μ^- b$. In this paper, we analyze the capability of the 14 TeV LHC to observe the $Z'$ in the $μ^+ μ^-$ and $μ^+μ^- b$ modes based on an effective model with major phenomenological constraints imposed. We find that both modes can be discovered with 3000 fb$^{-1}$ data if the $Z'bs$ coupling saturates the latest $B_s-\bar B_s$ mixing limit from UTfit at around $2σ$. Besides, a tiny right-handed $Z'bs$ coupling, if it exists, opens up the possibility of a relatively large left-handed counterpart, due to cancellation in the $B_s-\bar B_s$ mixing amplitude. In this case, we show that even a data sample of $\mathcal{O}(100)$ fb$^{-1}$ would enable discovery of both modes. We further study the impact of a $Z'bb$ coupling as large as the $Z'bs$ coupling. This scenario enables discovery of the $Z'$ in both modes with milder effects on the $B_s-\bar B_s$ mixing, but obscures the relevance of the $Z'$ to $b \to s\ell\ell$. Discrimination between the $Z'bs$ and $Z'bb$ couplings may come from the production cross section for the $Z'b\bar{b}$ final state. However, we do not find the prospect for this to be promising.

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arXiv2018

Signal for a light singlet scalar at the LHC

In the general Higgs portal like models, the extra neutral scalar, $S$, can mix with the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson, $H$. We perform an exploratory study focusing on the direct search for such a light singlet $S$ at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). After careful study of the SM background, we find the process $pp\rightarrow t\bar{t}S$ followed by $S\rightarrow b\bar{b}$ can be used to investigate $S$ with mass in the $20<M_S<100$ GeV range, which has not been well explored at the LHC. The signal significance becomes meaningful with a luminosity around a few $\mbox{ab}^{-1}$. Also, we study the prospects of finding the light scalar at the future 100 TeV $pp$ collider, the $Z$ and Higgs factories. With similar luminosity, the current LEP limits on the mixing between $S$ and $H$ can be improved by at least one or two orders of magnitude.

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arXiv2018

Searching for new scalar bosons via triple-top signature in $cg \to tS^0 \to tt\bar t$

The alignment phenomenon, that the 125 GeV $h^0$ boson so resembles the Standard Model Higgs boson, can be understood in a two Higgs doublet model without discrete symmetry. New Yukawa couplings $ρ_{tt}$ and $ρ_{tc}$ offer new avenues to discover the extra scalar $H^0$ and pseudoscalar $A^0$. We propose to search for $cg \to tH^0$, $tA^0$ followed by $H^0$, $A^0 \to t\bar t$, $t\bar c$, where same-sign dileptons could be the harbinger, with triple-top, in the signature of three leptons plus three $b$-jets, as confirmation. Discovery could touch upon the origin of baryon asymmetry of the Universe.

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arXiv2017

Search for $tZ'$ associated production induced by $tcZ'$ couplings at the LHC

The $P'_5$ and $R_K$ anomalies, recently observed by the LHCb collaboration in $B \to K^{(*)}$ transitions, may indicate the existence of a new $Z'$ boson, which may arise from gauged $L_μ- L_τ$ symmetry. Flavor-changing neutral current $Z'$ couplings, such as $tcZ'$, can be induced by the presence of extra vector-like quarks. In this paper we study the LHC signatures of the induced right-handed $tcZ'$ coupling that is inspired by, but not directly linked to, the $B \to K^{(*)}$ anomalies. The specific processes studied are $cg \to tZ'$ and its conjugate process each followed by $Z'\toμ^+μ^-$. By constructing an effective theory for the $tcZ'$ coupling, we first explore model-independently the discovery potential of such a $Z'$ at the 14 TeV LHC with 300 and 3000 fb$^{-1}$ integrated luminosities. We then reinterpret the model-independent results within the gauged $L_μ- L_τ$ model. In connection with $tcZ'$, the model also implies the existence of a flavor-conserving $ccZ'$ coupling, which can drive the $c \bar c \to Z' \to μ^+μ^-$ process. Our study shows that existing LHC results for dimuon resonance searches already constrain the $ccZ'$ coupling, and that the $Z'$ can be discovered in either or both of the $cg \to tZ'$ and $c \bar c \to Z'$ processes. We further discuss the sensitivity to the left-handed $tcZ'$ coupling and find that the coupling values favored by the $B \to K^{(*)}$ anomalies lie slightly below the LHC discovery reach even with 3000 fb$^{-1}$.

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arXiv2017

Probing anomalous Higgs couplings in $H \to Z V$ decays

We analyze the possibility of probing anomalous Higgs couplings in the rare decays $H \to Z V$, $V$ being a vector quarkonium state. These rare decays involve both gauge as well as the Yukawa sectors and either of them can potentially be anomalous. We show that the branching fractions for $H \to Z V$ decays in Standard Model are small, making it a sensitive probe for anomalous Higgs couplings originating from physics beyond Standard Model. Moreover, as both $V$ and $Z$ can decay into pair of charged leptons, they provide experimentally clean channels and future LHC runs should observe such decays. We perform a model independent analysis and show how angular asymmetries can be used to probe these anomalous Higgs couplings, taking further decays of $V$ and $Z$ to pair of charged leptons into account. The angular asymmetries can provide significant information about anomalous Higgs couplings in both gauge and Yukawa sectors.

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arXiv2016

Constraining wrong-sign $hbb$ couplings with $h \rightarrow Υγ$

The rare decay $h \rightarrow Υγ$ has a very small rate in the Standard Model, due to a strong cancellation between the direct and indirect diagrams. Models with a changed $hbb$ coupling can thus lead to a great increase in this decay. Current limits on two Higgs doublet models still allow for the possibility that the $hbb$ coupling might have a sign opposite to the Standard Model; the so-called "wrong-sign". We show how $h \rightarrow Υγ$ can be used to put limits on the wrong-sign solutions.

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arXiv2016

750 GeV Diphoton excess from Gauged $B-L$ Symmetry

We show that the recently observed 750 GeV diphoton excess at LHC can be due to the decay of a $SU(2)_L$ singlet scalar particle having 3 units of charge under gauged $B - L$ symmetry. Such a particle arises as an essential ingredient of recently studied gauged $B -L$ extension of the Standard Model with unconventional charge assignment for right handed neutrinos. Apart from being one of the simplest extensions of the Standard Model, the model also contains a dark matter candidate and Dirac neutrinos with naturally small masses.

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arXiv2015

Disentangling the Spin-Parity of a Resonance via the Gold-Plated Decay Mode

Searching for new resonances and finding out their properties is an essential part of any existing or future particle physics experiment. The nature of a new resonance is characterized by its spin, charge conjugation, parity, and its couplings with the existing particles of the Standard Model. If a new resonance is found in the four lepton final state produced via two intermediate $Z$ bosons, the resonance could be a new heavy scalar or a $Z'$ boson or even a higher spin particle. In such cases the step by step methodology as enunciated in this paper can be followed to determine the spin, parity and the coupling to two $Z$ bosons of the parent particles, in a fully model-independent way. In our approach we show how three uni-angular distributions and few experimentally measurable observables can conclusively tell us about the spin, parity as well as the couplings of the new resonance to two $Z$ bosons. We have performed a numerical analysis to validate our approach and showed how the uniangular observables can be used to disentangle the spin parity as well as coupling of the resonance.

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arXiv2015

Probing Higgs couplings at LHC and beyond

The study of the Higgs couplings following its discovery is the priority of future LHC runs. A hint of anomalous nature will be exhibited via its coupling to the Standard Model(SM) particles and open up new domain of phenomenological study of physics beyond the Standard Model. The enhanced statistics from next LHC runs will enable entry into the precision era to study the properties of Higgs with greater details. In this paper we present how one can extract Higgs couplings in future LHC runs at 14 TeV via $H \rightarrow Z Z^* \rightarrow 4 \ell$, using observables constructed from angular distributions for the Standard Model Higgs and Higgs with mixed CP configuration. We show how angular asymmetries can be used to measure the ratios of the couplings and the relative phases at LHC. We benchmark our analysis finding out the angular asymmetries and the best fit values of the ratios of the couplings for SM Higgs, CP-odd admixture, CP-even higher derivative contribution and when CP-even higher derivative contribution and CP-odd admixture are both present. In the Standard Model, $HZZ$ couplings have no momentum dependence. It is thus essential to demonstrate the momentum independence of the couplings to establish the couplings are SM like in nature. In this work we show how one can test the momentum independence of the Standard Model like coupling using angular asymmetries. We develop the necessary tools and demonstrate how to study the momentum dependence can be studied at future LHC runs.

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arXiv2014

Inferring the nature of the boson at 125-126 GeV

The presence of a bosonic resonance near 125 GeV has been firmly established at the Large Hadron Collider. Understanding the exact nature of this boson is a priority. The task now is to verify whether the boson is indeed the scalar Higgs as proposed in the Standard Model of particle physics, or something more esoteric as proposed in the plethora of extensions to the Standard Model. This requires a verification that the boson is a $J^{PC}=0^{++}$ state with couplings precisely as predicted by the Standard Model. Since a non Standard Model boson can in some cases mimic the Standard Model Higgs in its couplings to gauge bosons, it is essential to rule out any anomalous behavior in its gauge couplings. We present a step by step methodology to determine the properties of this resonance without making any assumptions about its couplings. We present the analysis in terms of uni-angular distributions which lead to angular asymmetries that allow for the extraction of the couplings of the 125-126 GeV resonance to Z bosons. We show analytically and numerically, that these asymmetries can unambiguously confirm whether the new boson is indeed the Standard Model Higgs boson.

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