arXiv subjects

Wei-Chih Huang

Publications and source records attributed to Wei-Chih Huang.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Accessible Lepton-Number-Violating Models and Negligible Neutrino Masses

Lepton-number violation (LNV), in general, implies nonzero Majorana masses for the Standard Model neutrinos. Since neutrino masses are very small, for generic candidate models of the physics responsible for LNV, the rates for almost all experimentally accessible LNV observables -- except for neutrinoless double-beta decay -- are expected to be exceedingly small. Guided by effective-operator considerations of LNV phenomena, we identify a complete family of models where lepton number is violated but the generated Majorana neutrino masses are tiny, even if the new-physics scale is below 1 TeV. We explore the phenomenology of these models, including charged-lepton flavor-violating phenomena and baryon-number-violating phenomena, identifying scenarios where the allowed rates for $μ^-\to e^+$-conversion in nuclei are potentially accessible to next-generation experiments.

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arXiv2018

Consistency of a gauged two-Higgs-doublet model: Scalar sector

We study the theoretical and phenomenological constraints imposed on the scalar sector of the gauged two Higgs doublet model proposed recently as a variant of the popular inert Higgs doublet model of dark matter. The requirements of tree-level vacuum stability and perturbative unitarity in the scalar sector are analyzed in detail. Furthermore, taking into account the constraints from the 125 GeV Higgs boson measurements at the Large Hadron Collider, we map out the allowed ranges for the fundamental parameters of the scalar potential in the model.

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arXiv2018

Scalar Dark Matter, GUT baryogenesis and Radiative neutrino mass

We investigate an interesting correlation among dark matter phenomenology, neutrino mass generation and GUT baryogenesis, based on the scotogenic model. The model contains additional right-handed neutrinos $N$ and a second Higgs doublet $Φ$, both of which are odd under an imposed $Z_2$ symmetry. The neutral component of $Φ$, i.e. the lightest of the $Z_2$-odd particles, is the dark matter candidate. Due to a Yukawa coupling involving $Φ$, $N$ and the Standard Model leptons, the lepton asymmetry is converted into the dark matter asymmetry so that a non-vanishing $B-L$ asymmetry can arise from $(B-L)$-conserving GUT baryogenesis, leading to a nonzero baryon asymmetry after the sphalerons decouple. On the other hand, $Φ$ can also generate neutrino masses radiatively. In other words, the existence of $Φ$ as the dark matter candidate resuscitates GUT baryogenesis and realizes neutrino masses.

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arXiv2018

Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay and the Baryon Asymmetry of the Universe

We discuss the impact of the observation of neutrinoless double beta decay on the washout of lepton number in the early universe. Neutrinoless double beta decay can be triggered by a large number of mechanisms that can be encoded in terms of Standard Model effective operators which violate lepton number by two units. We calculate the contribution of such operators to the rate of neutrinoless double beta decay and correlate it with the washout of lepton number induced by the same operators in the early universe. We find that the observation of a non-standard contribution to neutrinoless double beta decay, i.e. not induced by the standard mass mechanism of light neutrino exchange, would correspond to an efficient washout of lepton number above the electroweak scale for many operators up to mass dimension 11. Combined with Standard Model sphaleron transitions, this would render many baryogenesis mechanisms at higher scales ineffective.

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arXiv2018

Signals of New Gauge Bosons in Gauged Two Higgs Doublet Model

Recently a gauged two Higgs doublet model, in which the two Higgs doublets are embedded into the fundamental representation of an extra local $SU(2)_H$ group, is constructed. Both the new gauge bosons $Z^\prime$ and $W^{\prime (p,m)}$ are electrically neutral. While $Z^\prime$ can be singly produced at colliders, $W^{\prime (p,m)}$, which is heavier, must be pair produced. We explore the constraints of $Z^\prime$ using the current Drell-Yan type data from the Large Hadron Collider. Anticipating optimistically that $Z^\prime$ can be discovered via the clean Drell-Yan type signals at high luminosity upgrade of the collider, we explore the detectability of extra heavy fermions in the model via the two leptons/jets plus missing transverse energy signals from the exotic decay modes of $Z^\prime$. For the $W^{\prime (p,m)}$ pair production in a future 100 TeV proton-proton collider, we demonstrate certain kinematical distributions for the two/four leptons plus missing energy signals have distinguishable features from the Standard Model background. In addition, comparisons of these kinematical distributions between the gauged two Higgs doublet model and the littlest Higgs model with T-parity, the latter of which can give rise to the same signals with competitive if not larger cross sections, are also presented.

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arXiv2018

Polarized gamma rays from dark matter annihilations

In this paper, we explore the possibility of a linearly polarized gamma-ray signal from dark matter annihilations in the Galactic center. Considering neutral weakly interacting massive particles, a polarized gamma-ray signal can be realized by a two-component dark matter model of Majorana fermions with an anapole moment. We discuss the spin alignment of such dark matter fermions in the Galactic center and then estimate the intensity and the polarizability of the final-state electromagnetic radiation in the dark matter annihilations. For low-mass dark matter, the photon flux at sub-GeV energies may be polarized at a level detectable in current X-ray polarimeters. Depending on the mass ratio between the final-state fermion and DM, the degree of polarization at the mass threshold can reach $70\%$ or even higher, providing us with a new tool for probing the nature of dark matter in future gamma-ray polarization experiments.

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arXiv2018

Consistency test of the AMS-02 antiproton excess with direct detection data based on the effective field theory approach

The potential antiproton excess in the AMS-02 data is of much interest and can probably come from dark matter annihilations. Based on the effective field theory approach, in this work we investigate the compatibility of the DM interpretation of the AMS-02 antiproton excess and the null results from direct detection experiments, LUX, PandaX-II, and XENON1T. We focus on dimension-five and -six operators with fermion DM. Only one of dimension-five and one of dimension-six operators can successfully account for the antiproton excess, while the rest either are excluded by direct detection or require very small cut-off scales which invalidate the effective field theory approach.

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arXiv2018

A model explaining neutrino masses and the DAMPE cosmic ray electron excess

We propose a flavored $U(1)_{eμ}$ neutrino mass and dark matter~(DM) model to explain the recent DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) data, which feature an excess on the cosmic ray electron plus positron flux around 1.4 TeV. Only the first two lepton generations of the Standard Model are charged under the new $U(1)_{eμ}$ gauge symmetry. A vector-like fermion $ψ$, which is our DM candidate, annihilates into $e^{\pm}$ and $μ^{\pm}$ via the new gauge boson $Z'$ exchange and accounts for the DAMPE excess. We have found that the data favors a $ψ$ mass around 1.5~TeV and a $Z'$ mass around 2.6~TeV, which can potentially be probed by the next generation lepton colliders and DM direct detection experiments.

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arXiv2018

Neutrino assisted GUT baryogenesis - revisited

Many GUT models conserve the difference between the baryon and lepton number, $B-L$. These models can create baryon and lepton asymmetries from heavy Higgs or gauge boson decays with $B+L \neq 0$ but with $B-L=0$. Since the sphaleron processes violate $B+L$, such GUT-generated asymmetries will finally be washed out completely, making GUT baryogenesis scenarios incapable of reproducing the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe. In this work, we revisit the idea to revive GUT baryogenesis, proposed by Fukugita and Yanagida, where right-handed neutrinos erase the lepton asymmetry before the sphaleron processes can significantly wash out the original $B+L$ asymmetry, and in this way one can prevent a total washout of the initial baryon asymmetry. By solving the Boltzmann equations numerically for baryon and lepton asymmetries in a simplified 1+1 flavor scenario, we can confirm the results of the original work. We further generalize the analysis to a more realistic scenario of three active and two right-handed neutrinos to highlight flavor effects of the right-handed neutrinos. Large regions in the parameter space of the Yukawa coupling and the right-handed neutrino mass featuring successful baryogenesis are identified.

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arXiv2018

Asymmetric dark matter, baryon asymmetry and lepton number violation

We study the effect of lepton number violation (LNV) on baryon asymmetry, generated in the early Universe, in the presence of a dark sector with a global symmetry $U(1)_X$, featuring asymmetric dark matter (ADM). We show that in general LNV, observable at the LHC or in neutrinoless double beta decay experiments, cannot wash out a baryon asymmetry generated at higher scales, unlike in scenarios without such dark sector. An observation of LNV at the TeV scale may thus support ADM scenarios. Considering several models with different types of dark matter (DM), we find that the DM mass is of the order of a few GeV or below in our scenario.

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arXiv2017

Sizable NSI from the $SU(2)_L$ scalar doublet-singlet mixing and the implications in DUNE

We propose a novel and simple mechanism where sizable effects of non-standard interactions (NSI) in neutrino propagation are induced from the mixing between an electrophilic second Higgs doublet and a charged singlet. The mixing arises from a dimensionful coupling of the scalar doublet and singlet to the standard model Higgs boson. In light of the small mass, the light mass eigenstate from the doublet-singlet mixing can generate much larger NSI than those induced by the heavy eigenstate. We show that a sizable NSI $\varepsilon_{eτ}$ ($\sim 0.3$) can be attained without being excluded by a variety of experimental constraints. Furthermore, we demonstrate that NSI can mimic effects of the Dirac CP phase in the neutrino mixing matrix but they can potentially be disentangled by future long-baseline neutrino experiments, such as the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE).

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arXiv2017

AMS-02 Positron Excess and Indirect Detection of Three-body Decaying Dark Matter

We consider indirect detection of meta-stable dark matter particles decaying into a stable neutral particle and a pair of standard model fermions. Due to the softer energy spectra from the three-body decay, such models could potentially explain the AMS-02 positron excess without being constrained by the Fermi-LAT gamma-ray data and the cosmic ray anti-proton measurements. We scrutinize over different final state fermions, paying special attention to handling of the cosmic ray background and including various contributions from cosmic ray propagation with the help of the \textsc{LikeDM} package. It is found that primary decays into an electron-positron pair and a stable neutral particle could give rise to the AMS-02 positron excess and, at the same time, stay unscathed against the gamma-ray and anti-proton constraints. Decays to a muon pair or a mixed flavor electron-muon pair may also be viable depending on the propagation models. Decays to all other standard model fermions are severely disfavored.

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arXiv2016

Gauged Two Higgs Doublet Model confronts the LHC 750 GeV di-photon anomaly

In light of the recent 750 GeV diphoton anomaly observed at the LHC, we study the possibility of accommodating the deviation from the standard model prediction based on the recently proposed Gauged Two Higgs Doublet Model. The model embeds two Higgs doublets into a doublet of a non-abelian gauge group $SU(2)_H$, while the standard model $SU(2)_L$ right-handed fermion singlets are paired up with new heavy fermions to form $SU(2)_H$ doublets, and $SU(2)_L$ left-handed fermion doublets are singlets under $SU(2)_H$. An $SU(2)_H$ scalar doublet, which provides masses to the new heavy fermions as well as the $SU(2)_H$ gauge bosons, can be produced via gluon fusion and subsequently decays into two photons with the new fermions circulating the triangle loops to account for the deviation from the standard model prediction.

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arXiv2016

G2HDM : Gauged Two Higgs Doublet Model

A novel model embedding the two Higgs doublets in the popular two Higgs doublet models into a doublet of a non-abelian gauge group $SU(2)_H$ is presented. The Standard Model $SU(2)_L$ right-handed fermion singlets are paired up with new heavy fermions to form $SU(2)_H$ doublets, while $SU(2)_L$ left-handed fermion doublets are singlets under $SU(2)_H$. Distinctive features of this anomaly-free model are: (1) Electroweak symmetry breaking is induced from spontaneous symmetry breaking of $SU(2)_H$ via its triplet vacuum expectation value; (2) One of the Higgs doublet can be inert, with its neutral component being a dark matter candidate as protected by the $SU(2)_H$ gauge symmetry instead of a discrete $Z_2$ symmetry in the usual case; (3) Unlike Left-Right Symmetric Models, the complex gauge fields $(W_1^{\prime}\mp i W_2^{\prime})$ (along with other complex scalar fields) associated with the $SU(2)_H$ do {\it not} carry electric charges, while the third component $W^{\prime}_3$ can mix with the hypercharge $U(1)_Y$ gauge field and the third component of $SU(2)_L$; (4) Absence of tree level flavour changing neutral current is guaranteed by gauge symmetry; and {\it etc}. In this work, we concentrate on the mass spectra of scalar and gauge bosons in the model. Constraints from previous $Z^\prime$ data at LEP and the Large Hadron Collider measurements of the Standard Model Higgs mass, its partial widths of $γγ$ and $Zγ$ modes are discussed.

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arXiv2015

Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay and High-Scale Baryogenesis

The constraints on baryogenesis models obtained from an observation of neutrinoless double beta decay are discussed. The lepton number violating processes, which can underlie neutrinoless double beta decay, would together with sphaleron processes, which are effective in a wide range of energies, wash out any primordial baryon asymmetry of the universe. Typically, if a mechanism of neutrinoless double beta decay other than the standard light neutrino exchange is observed, typical scenarios of high-scale baryogenesis will be excluded. This can be achieved by different methods, e.g. through the observation in multiple isotopes or the measurement of the decay distribution. In addition, we will also highlight the connection with low energy lepton flavour violation and lepton number violation at the LHC.

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arXiv2015

Impact of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay on Models of Baryogenesis

Interactions that manifest themselves as lepton number violating processes at low energies in combination with sphaleron transitions typically erase any pre-existing baryon asymmetry of the Universe. We demonstrate in a model independent approach that the observation of neutrinoless double beta decay would impose a stringent constraint on mechanisms of high-scale baryogenesis, including leptogenesis scenarios. Further, we discuss the potential of the LHC to model independently exclude high-scale leptogenesis scenarios when observing lepton number violating processes. In combination with the observation of lepton flavor violating processes, we can further strengthen this argument, closing the loophole of asymmetries being stored in different lepton flavors.

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arXiv2015

Falsifying High-Scale Baryogenesis with Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay and Lepton Flavor Violation

Interactions that manifest themselves as lepton number violating processes at low energies in combination with sphaleron transitions typically erase any preexisting baryon asymmetry of the Universe. In this article, we discuss the constraints obtained from an observation of neutrinoless double beta decay in this context. If a new physics mechanism of neutrinoless double beta decay other than the standard light neutrino exchange is observed, typical scenarios of high-scale baryogenesis will be excluded unless the baryon asymmetry is stabilized via some new mechanism. We also sketch how this conclusion can be extended beyond the first lepton generation by incorporating lepton flavor violating processes.

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arXiv2015

Flipped GUT Inflation

We analyse the prospects for constructing hybrid models of inflation that provide a dynamical realisation of the apparent closeness between the supersymmetric GUT scale and the possible scale of cosmological inflation. In the first place, we consider models based on the flipped SU(5)$\times$U(1) gauge group, which has no magnetic monopoles. In one model, the inflaton is identified with a sneutrino field, and in the other model it is a gauge singlet. In both cases we find regions of the model parameter spaces that are compatible with the experimental magnitudes of the scalar perturbations, $A_s$, and the tilt in the scalar perturbation spectrum, $n_s$, as well as with an indicative upper limit on the tensor-to-scalar perturbation ratio, $r$. We also discuss embeddings of these models into SO(10), which is broken at a higher scale so that its monopoles are inflated away.

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