Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Vernon Barger

Publications and source records attributed to Vernon Barger.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Inflationary Potential from 21 cm Tomography and Planck

Three-dimensional neutral hydrogen mapping using the redshifted 21 cm line has recently emerged as a promising cosmological probe. Within the framework of slow-roll reconstruction, we analyze how well the inflationary potential can be reconstructed by combining data from 21 cm experiments and cosmic microwave background data from the Planck satellite. We consider inflationary models classified according to the amplitude of their tensor component, and show that 21 cm measurements can significantly improve constraints on the slow-roll parameters and determine the shape of the inflationary potential.

astro-ph↗

Complex Singlet Extension of the Standard Model

We analyze a simple extension of the Standard Model (SM) obtained by adding a complex singlet to the scalar sector (cxSM). We show that the cxSM can contain one or two viable cold dark matter candidates and analyze the conditions on the parameters of the scalar potential that yield the observed relic density. When the cxSM potential contains a global U(1) symmetry that is both softly and spontaneously broken, it contains both a viable dark matter candidate and the ingredients necessary for a strong first order electroweak phase transition as needed for electroweak baryogenesis. We also study the implications of the model for discovery of a Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider.

hep-ph↗

SUSY backgrounds to Standard Model calibration processes at the LHC

One of the first orders of business for LHC experiments after beam turn-on will be to calibrate the detectors using well understood Standard Model (SM) processes such as W and Z production and ttbar production. These familiar SM processes can be used to calibrate the electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeters, and also to calibrate the associated missing transverse energy signal. However, the presence of new physics may already affect the results coming from these standard benchmark processes. We show that the presence of relatively low mass supersymmetry (SUSY) particles may give rise to significant deviations from SM predictions of Z+jets and W+jets events for jet multiplicity $\ge 4$ or $\ge 5$, respectively. Furthermore, the presence of low mass SUSY may cause non-standard deviations to appear in top quark invariant and transverse mass distributions. Thus, effects that might be construed as detector mal-performance could in fact be the presence of new physics. We advocate several methods to check when new physics might be present within SM calibration data.

hep-ph↗

Spin Dependence of Dark Matter Scattering

New experiments designed to discover a weakly interacting dark matter (DM) particle via spin dependent scattering can distinguish models of electroweak symmetry breaking. The plane of spin dependent versus spin independent DM scattering cross sections is a powerful model diagnostic. We detail representative predictions of mSUGRA, singlet extended SM and MSSM, a new Dirac neutrino, Littlest Higgs with T-parity (LHT) and Minimal Universal Extra Dimensions (mUED) models. Of these models, the nMSSM has the largest spin dependent (SD) cross section. It has a very light neutralino which would give lower energy nuclear recoils. The Focus Point region of mSUGRA, mUED and the right handed neutrino also predict a very large SD cross section and predict a large signal of high energy neutrinos in the IceCube experiment from annihilations of dark matter in the Sun. We also describe a model independent treatment of the scattering of DM particles of different intrinsic spins.

hep-ph↗

Neutrino sector impacts SUSY dark matter

Motivated by the fact that neutrinos are massive, we study the effect of neutrino Yukawa couplings on neutralino dark matter observables within the framework of a supersymmetric seesaw. We find that neutrino couplings significantly affect the neutralino relic density in regions of parameter space where soft SUSY-breaking slepton masses and/or trilinear couplings are large. Depending on the size of the couplings, the neutralino relic density spans over an order of magnitude in the A-funnel, focus point and stop-coannihilation regions of mSUGRA. We also show that dark matter detection rates can be modified by up to several orders of magnitude.

hep-ph↗

Unparticle physics with broken scale invariance

If scale invariance is exact, unparticles are unlikely to be probed in colliders since there are stringent constraints from astrophysics and cosmology. However these constraints are inapplicable if scale invariance is broken at a scale mu >~ 1 GeV. The case 1 GeV <~ mu < M_Z is particularly interesting since it allows unparticles to be probed at and below the Z pole. We show that mu can naturally be in this range if only vector unparticles exist, and briefly remark on implications for Higgs phenomenology. We then obtain constraints on unparticle parameters from e+ e- -> mu+ mu- cross-section and forward-backward asymmetry data, and compare with the constraints from mono-photon production and the Z hadronic width.

hep-ph↗

Top Quark Pairs at High Invariant Mass - A Model-Independent Discriminator of New Physics at the LHC

We study top quark pair production to probe new physics at the LHC. We propose reconstruction methods for $t\bar{t}$ semileptonic events and use them to reconstruct the $t\bar{t}$ invariant mass. The angular distribution of top quarks in their c.m. frame can determine the spin and production subprocess for each new physics resonance. Forward-backward asymmetry and CP-odd variables can be constructed to further delineate the nature of new physics. We parametrize the new resonances with a few generic parameters and show high invariant mass top pair production may provide an early indicator for new physics beyond the Standard Model.

hep-ph↗

Monochromatic Neutrino Signals from Dark Matter Annihilation

Dark matter annihilations in the Sun to neutrino-antineutrino pairs have striking signatures in neutrino detectors such as IceCube and KM3. We make a model independent study of the signals after propagation of the neutrinos from the center of the Sun to the Earth. A large spin-dependent DM capture cross section in the Sun make the discovery prospects robust.

astro-ph↗

High energy neutrinos from neutralino annihilations in the Sun

Neutralino annihilations in the Sun to weak boson and top quark pairs lead to high-energy neutrinos that can be detected by the IceCube and KM3 experiments in the search for neutralino dark matter. We calculate the neutrino signals from real and virtual WW, ZZ, Zh, and $t \bar t$ production and decays, accounting for the spin-dependences of the matrix elements, which can have important influences on the neutrino energy spectra. We take into account neutrino propagation including neutrino oscillations, matter-resonance, absorption, and nu_tau regeneration effects in the Sun and evaluate the neutrino flux at the Earth. We concentrate on the compelling Focus Point (FP) region of the supergravity model that reproduces the observed dark matter relic density. For the FP region, the lightest neutralino has a large bino-higgsino mixture that leads to a high neutrino flux and the spin-dependent neutralino capture rate in the Sun is enhanced by 10^3 over the spin-independent rate. For the standard estimate of neutralino captures, the muon signal rates in IceCube are identifiable over the atmospheric neutrino background for neutralino masses above M_Z up to 400 GeV.

hep-ph↗

LHC Phenomenology of an Extended Standard Model with a Real Scalar Singlet

Gauge singlet extensions of the Standard Model (SM) scalar sector may help remedy its theoretical and phenomenological shortcomings while solving outstanding problems in cosmology. Depending on the symmetries of the scalar potential, such extensions may provide a viable candidate for the observed relic density of cold dark matter or a strong first order electroweak phase transition needed for electroweak baryogenesis. Using the simplest extension of the SM scalar sector with one real singlet field, we analyze the generic implications of a singlet-extended scalar sector for Higgs boson phenomenology at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We consider two broad scenarios: one in which the neutral SM Higgs and singlet mix and the other in which no mixing occurs and the singlet can be a dark matter particle. For the first scenario, we analyze constraints from electroweak precision observables and their implications for LHC Higgs phenomenology. For models in which the singlet is stable, we determine the conditions under which it can yield the observed relic density, compute the cross sections for direct detection in recoil experiments, and discuss the corresponding signatures at the LHC.

hep-ph↗

Precision gluino mass at the LHC in SUSY models with decoupled scalars

One way to ameliorate the SUSY flavor and CP problems is to postulate that scalar masses lie in the TeV or beyond regime. For example, the focus point (FP) region of the minimal supergravity (mSUGRA) model is especially compelling in that heavy scalar masses can co-exist with low fine-tuning while yielding the required relic abundance of cold dark matter (via a mixed higgsino-bino neutralino). We examine many of the characteristics of collider events expected to arise at the CERN LHC in models with multi-TeV scalars, taking the mSUGRA FP region as a case study. The collider events are characterized by a hard component arising from gluino pair production, plus a soft component arising from direct chargino and neutralino production. Gluino decays in the FP region are characterized by lengthy cascades yielding very large jet and lepton multiplicities, and a large b-jet multiplicity. Thus, as one steps to higher jet, b-jet or lepton multiplicity, signal-over-background rates should steadily improve. The lengthy cascade decays make mass reconstruction via kinematic edges difficult; however, since the hard component is nearly pure gluino pair production, the gluino mass can be extracted to +- 8% via total rate for \eslt +\ge 7-jet +\ge 2 b-jet events, assuming 100 fb^{-1} of integrated luminosity. The distribution of invariant mass of opposite-sign/same-flavor dileptons in the hard component exhibits two dilepton mass edges: m_{\tz_2}-m_{\tz_1} and m_{\tz_3}-m_{\tz_1}. As a consistency check, the same mass edges should be seen in isolated opposite-sign dileptons occurring in the soft component trilepton signal which originates mainly from chargino-neutralino production.

hep-ph↗

Recoil Detection of the Lightest Neutralino in MSSM Singlet Extensions

We investigate the correlated predictions of singlet extended MSSM models for direct detection of the lightest neutralino with its cosmological relic density. To illustrate the general effects of the singlet, we take heavy sleptons and squarks. We apply LEP, $(g-2)_μ$ and perturbativity constraints. We find that the WMAP upper bound on the cold dark matter density limits much of the parameter space to regions where the lightest neutralino can be discovered in recoil experiments. The results for the NMSSM and UMSSM are typically similar to the MSSM since their light neutralinos have similar compositions and masses. In the n/sMSSM the neutralino is often very light and its recoil detection is within the reach of the CDMS II experiment. In general, most points in the parameter spaces of the singlet models we consider are accessible to the WARP experiment.

hep-ph↗

TeV physics and the Planck scale

Supersymmetry is one of the best motivated possibilities for new physics at the TeV scale. However, both concrete string constructions and phenomenological considerations suggest the possibility that the physics at the TeV scale could be more complicated than the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), e.g., due to extended gauge symmetries, new vector-like supermultiplets with non-standard SU(2)xU(1) assignments, and extended Higgs sectors. We briefly comment on some of these possibilities, and discuss in more detail the class of extensions of the MSSM involving an additional standard model singlet field. The latter provides a solution to the $μ$ problem, and allows significant modifications of the MSSM in the Higgs and neutralino sectors, with important consequences for collider physics, cold dark matter, and electroweak baryogenesis.

hep-ph↗

Collider Signatures of Singlet Extended Higgs Sectors

We explore the collider signatures of the Higgs sectors in singlet-extended MSSM models. We find that even with reduced couplings due to singlet mixing, a significant portion of the parameter spaces have a discoverable Higgs via traditional decay modes or via invisible decays (directly to neutralinos or through cascade decays to neutralinos and neutrinos). For illustrative points in parameter space we give the likelihood of Higgs discovery. In cases where neither traditional nor invisible modes can discover the Higgs, the neutralino sector may provide evidence for the extended models.

hep-ph↗

Neutralino Signatures of the Singlet Extended MSSM

Extending the Higgs sector of the MSSM by the addition of a gauge singlet scalar field can remedy the mu problem. We explore the implications of extended models for both the spectrum of the neutralinos and the cascade decays of the neutralinos and charginos. Extra steps due to light decoupled neutralinos in the cascade decays of both neutralinos and charginos allow an excess of trilepton events compared to the MSSM and the existence of events with higher lepton multiplicity. Additionally, displaced vertices of the chi_2^0 due to small decay widths in some models may be observable.

hep-ph↗

Singlet Extensions of the MSSM

The Higgs sector of the MSSM may be extended to solve the mu problem by the addition of a gauge singlet scalar field. We consider the consequences of the singlet on the Higgs and neutralino states compositions. We discuss the potential for discovering Higgs bosons of singlet models and observing the unique multilepton signatures of the extended neutralino sector.

hep-ph↗

Neutralino annihilation to q qbar g

We compute the cross section for chi chi -> q qbar g at order alpha_s^2/M_{squark}^6 arising from interference between the tree-level and loop-induced processes. This interference term is the same order in alpha_s as chi chi -> gg; for mass degenerate squarks M_{squark_R} = M_{squark_L} = M_{squark} we find v_{rel} sigma_{int} = [-2 m_{chi}^2 / 3 M_{squark}^2] v_{rel} sigma(chi chi -> gg).

hep-ph↗

Higgs Sector in Extensions of the MSSM

Extensions of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) with additional singlet scalar fields solve the important mu-parameter fine tuning problem of the MSSM. We compute and compare the neutral Higgs boson mass spectra, including one-loop corrections, of the following MSSM extensions: Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM), the nearly-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (nMSSM), and the U(1)'-extended Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (UMSSM) by performing scans over model parameters. We find that the Secluded U(1)'-extended Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (sMSSM) is identical to the nMSSM if three of the additional scalars decouple. The dominant part of the one-loop corrections are model-independent since the singlet field does not couple to MSSM particles other than the Higgs doublets. Thus, model-dependent parameters enter the masses only at tree-level. We apply constraints from LEP bounds on the Standard Model and MSSM Higgs boson masses and the MSSM chargino mass, the invisible Z decay width, and the Z-Z' mixing angle. Some extended models permit a Higgs boson with mass substantially below the SM LEP limit or above theoretical limits in the MSSM. Ways to differentiate the models via masses, couplings, decays and production of the Higgs bosons are discussed.

hep-ph↗