arXiv subjects

Wolfgang Altmannshofer

Publications and source records attributed to Wolfgang Altmannshofer.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Neutrino Trident Production: A Powerful Probe of New Physics with Neutrino Beams

The production of a mu+mu- pair from the scattering of a muon-neutrino off the Coulomb field of a nucleus, known as neutrino trident production, is a sub-weak process that has been observed in only a couple of experiments. As such, we show that it constitutes an exquisitely sensitive probe in the search for new neutral currents among leptons, putting the strongest constraints on well-motivated and well-hidden extensions of the Standard Model gauge group, including the one coupled to the difference of the lepton number between the muon and tau flavor, L_mu-L_tau. The new gauge boson, Z', increases the rate of neutrino trident production by inducing additional $(\barμγ_αμ)(\barνγ^αν)$ interactions, which interfere constructively with the Standard Model contribution. Existing experimental results put significant restrictions on the parameter space of any model coupled to muon number L_mu, and disfavor a putative resolution to the muon g-2 discrepancy via the loop of Z' for any mass m_Z' > 400 MeV. The reach to the models' parameter space can be widened with future searches of the trident production at high-intensity neutrino facilities such as the LBNE.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Light Dark Matter, Naturalness, and the Radiative Origin of the Electroweak Scale

We study classically scale invariant models in which the Standard Model Higgs mass term is replaced in the Lagrangian by a Higgs portal coupling to a complex scalar field of a dark sector. We focus on models that are weakly coupled with the quartic scalar couplings nearly vanishing at the Planck scale. The dark sector contains fermions and scalars charged under dark SU(2) x U(1) gauge interactions. Radiative breaking of the dark gauge group triggers electroweak symmetry breaking through the Higgs portal coupling. Requiring both a Higgs boson mass of 125.5 GeV and stability of the Higgs potential up to the Planck scale implies that the radiative breaking of the dark gauge group occurs at the TeV scale. We present a particular model which features a long-range abelian dark force. The dominant dark matter component is neutral dark fermions, with the correct thermal relic abundance, and in reach of future direct detection experiments. The model also has lighter stable dark fermions charged under the dark force, with observable effects on galactic-scale structure. Collider signatures include a dark sector scalar boson with mass < 250 GeV that decays through mixing with the Higgs boson, and can be detected at the LHC. The Higgs boson, as well as the new scalar, may have significant invisible decays into dark sector particles.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

New Physics Interpretations of the B-->K*mu+mu- Anomaly

This talk discusses possible new physics interpretations of recent experimental results on the B-->K*mu+mu- decay that show a discrepancy with the Standard Model predictions. A model independent analysis that takes into account all the relevant observables in B-->K*mu+mu- and in related b-->s transitions allows to identify a consistent new physics explanation of the discrepancy. An explicit realization in the context of a Z' model is presented. The model is based on the U(1) gauge group associated with the difference between muon- and tau-lepton number, L_mu - L_tau.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

New physics in $B \to K^*μμ$?

Recent experimental results on angular observables in the rare decay $B\to K^*μ^+μ^-$ show significant deviations from Standard Model predictions. We investigate the possibility that these deviations are due to new physics. Combining all relevant data on $b \to s$ rare decays, we show that a consistent explanation of most anomalies can be obtained by new physics contributing simultaneously to the semi-leptonic vector operator $O_9$ and its chirality-flipped counterpart $O_9'$. A partial explanation is possible with new physics in $O_9$ or in dipole operators only. We study in detail the implications for models of new physics, in particular the minimal supersymmetric standard model, models with partial compositeness and generic models with flavour-changing $Z^\prime$ bosons. In all considered models, contributions to $B\to K^*μ^+μ^-$ of the preferred size imply a spectrum close to the TeV scale. We stress that measurements of CP asymmetries in $B\to K^*μ^+μ^-$ could provide valuable information to narrow down possible new physics explanations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

The B_s --> mu+mu- and B_d --> mu+mu- Decays: Standard Model and Beyond

I review the status of the rare decays B_s --> mu+mu- and B_d --> mu+mu-. The latest Standard Model predictions for the corresponding branching ratios are discussed. An overview of additional observables that are accessible in the B_s --> mu+mu- decay is given. The new physics implications of the recent measurement of the B_s --> mu+mu- branching ratio are discussed both model independently and in the context of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Indirect Probes of the MSSM after the Higgs Discovery

We study the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) with minimal flavor violation (MFV), imposing constraints from flavor physics observables and MSSM Higgs searches, in light of the recent discovery of a 125 GeV Higgs boson by ATLAS and CMS. We analyze the electroweak vacuum stability conditions to further restrict the MSSM parameter space. In addition, a connection to ultraviolet physics is shown via an implementation of renormalization group running, which determines the TeV-scale spectrum from a small set of minimal supergravity parameters. Finally, we investigate the impact from dark matter direct detection searches. Our work highlights the complementarity of collider, flavor and dark matter probes in exploring the MSSM, and shows that even in a MFV framework, flavor observables constrain the MSSM parameter space well beyond the current reach of direct SUSY particle searches.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

A Minimal Flavor Violating 2HDM at the LHC

We explore the phenomenology of a two Higgs doublet model where both Higgs doublets couple to up-type and down-type fermions with couplings determined by the minimal flavor violation ansatz. This 2HDM "Type MFV" generalizes 2HDM Types I-IV, where the decay rates of h --> bb and h --> tau+tau- are governed by MFV couplings independent of the Higgs couplings to gauge bosons or the top quark. To determine the implications of the present Higgs data on the model, we have performed global fits to all relevant data. Several surprisingly large effects on the light Higgs phenomenology can arise: (1) The modified couplings of the Higgs to fermions can enhance the h --> gamma gamma rate significantly in both VBF production (up to a factor of 3 or more) and the inclusive rate (up to a factor of 1.5 or more). (2) In the 2HDM Type MFV, the constraints on a light charged Higgs are milder than in 2HDM Types I-IV. Thus, there can be substantial charged Higgs loop contribution to the di-photon rate, allowing further enhancements of the di-photon rates. (3) The h --> tau+tau- rate can be (highly) suppressed, independently of the other decay channels. Furthermore, we studied the correlation between the light Higgs and the heavy Higgs phenomenology. We showed that even small deviations from the decoupling limit would imply good prospects for the detection of the heavy Higgs boson. In some regions of parameter space, a substantial range of M_H is already either ruled out or on the edge of detection. Finally we investigated the possibility that the heavy Higgs is close in mass to the light Higgs, providing additional h/H --> bb rate, as well as confounding the extraction of properties of the Higgs bosons.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Cornering New Physics in b --> s Transitions

We derive constraints on Wilson coefficients of dimension-six effective operators probing the b --> s transition, using recent improved measurements of the rare decays Bs --> mu+mu-, B --> K mu+mu- and B --> K* mu+mu- and including all relevant observables in inclusive and exclusive decays. We consider operators present in the SM as well as their chirality-flipped counterparts and scalar operators. We find good agreement with the SM expectations. Compared to the situation before winter 2012, we find significantly more stringent constraints on the chirality-flipped coefficients due to complementary constraints from B --> K mu+mu- and B --> K* mu+mu- and due to the LHCb measurement of the angular observable S_3 in the latter decay. We also list the full set of observables sensitive to new physics in the low recoil region of B --> K* mu+mu-.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Searching for New Physics with Flavor Violating Observables

In this talk, I review the status and prospects of several low energy flavor observables that are highly sensitive to New Physics effects. In particular I discuss the implications for possible New Physics in b --> s transitions coming from the recent experimental results on the B_s mixing phase, the branching ratio of the rare decay B_s --> mu+mu-, and angular observables in the B --> K* mu+mu- decay. Also the recent evidence for direct CP violation in singly Cabibbo suppressed charm decays and its interpretation in the context of New Physics models is briefly discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

New Physics Models of Direct CP Violation in Charm Decays

In view of the recent LHCb measurement of Delta A_CP, the difference between the time-integrated CP asymmetries in D --> K+K- and D --> pi+pi- decays, we perform a comparative study of the possible impact of New Physics degrees of freedom on the direct CP asymmetries in singly Cabibbo suppressed D meson decays. We systematically discuss scenarios with a minimal set of new degrees of freedom that have renormalizable couplings to the SM particles and that are heavy enough such that their effects on the D meson decays can be described by local operators. We take into account both constraints from low energy flavor observables, in particular D0-D0bar mixing, and from direct searches. While models that explain the large measured value for Delta A_CP with chirally enhanced chromomagnetic penguins are least constrained, we identify a few viable models that contribute to the D meson decays at tree level or through loop induced QCD penguins. We emphasize that such models motivate direct searches at the LHC.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Model-independent constraints on new physics in b --> s transitions

We provide a comprehensive model-independent analysis of rare decays involving the b --> s transition to put constraints on dimension-six Delta(F)=1 effective operators. The constraints are derived from all the available up-to-date experimental data from the B-factories, CDF and LHCb. The implications and future prospects for observables in b --> s l+l- and b --> s nu nu transitions in view of improved measurements are also investigated. The present work updates and generalises previous studies providing, at the same time, a useful tool to test the flavour structure of any theory beyond the SM.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

B Meson Mixing in Effective Theories of Supersymmetric Higgs Bosons

We study a minimal flavor violating extension of the MSSM, where higher dimensional operators in the Kahler potential induce tree level non-holomorphic Higgs couplings that are controlled by the scale of the physics beyond the MSSM, and analyze their possible impact on CP violation in Bs and Bd mixing. We consider results on the time dependent CP asymmetries in Bs --> psi phi and Bs --> psi f_0 from LHCb, in Bs --> psi phi from CDF and D0 and in B --> psi K_S from the B factories as well as the measurement of an anomalous like-sign dimuon charge asymmetry at D0. Taking into account the stringent bounds on the branching ratio of the rare Bs --> mu+mu- decay, we investigate to which extent the framework allows to address the observed (2-3)sigma discrepancies in fits of the unitarity triangle. We find that a non-standard Bd mixing phase, that is in agreement with the current bounds on CP violation in Bs mixing, requires the presence of higher dimensional operators both in the Kahler potential and the superpotential. The corresponding region of parameter space is characterized by small tan(beta)~5, a light Higgs spectrum with masses below ~400 GeV and will be probed by future measurements at LHCb.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Signals of CP Violation Beyond the MSSM in Higgs and Flavor Physics

We study an extension of the Higgs sector of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), considering the effects of new degrees of freedom at the TeV scale, and allowing for sources of CP violation beyond the MSSM (BMSSM). We analyze the impact of the BMSSM sources of CP violation on the Higgs collider phenomenology and on low energy flavor and CP violating observables. We identify distinct Higgs collider signatures that cannot be realized, either in the case without CP violating phases or in the CP violating MSSM, and investigate the prospects to probe them at the Tevatron and the LHC. The most striking benchmark scenario has three neutral Higgs bosons that all decay dominantly into W boson pairs and that are well within the reach of the 7 TeV LHC run. On the other hand, we also present scenarios with three Higgs bosons that have masses M_Hi > 150 GeV and decay dominantly into b bbar. Such scenarios are much more challenging to probe and can even lie completely outside the reach of the 7 TeV LHC run. We explore complementary scenarios with standard MSSM Higgs signals that allow to accommodate a sizable B_s mixing phase as indicated by D0, as well as the excess in B_s --> mu+ mu- candidates recently reported by CDF. We find that, in contrast to the MSSM, a minimal flavor violating soft sector is sufficient to generate significant corrections to CP violating observables in meson mixing, compatible with EDM constraints. In particular, a sizable B_s mixing phase, S_psiphi < 0.4, can be achieved for specific regions of parameter space. Such a large B_s mixing phase would unambiguously imply a sizable suppression of S_psiKs with respect to the SM prediction and a BR(B_s --> mu+ mu-) close to the 95% C.L. upper bound reported by CDF.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

CP Violation in D0-D0bar Mixing and Electric Dipole Moments in SUSY Alignment Models

We report on a study of CP Violation in D0-D0bar mixing and Electric Dipole Moments in the framework of supersymmetric alignment models. Both classes of observables are strongly suppressed in the Standard Model and highly sensitive to new sources of flavor and CP violation that can be present in models of New Physics. Supersymmetric alignment models generically predict large non-standard effects in D0-D0bar mixing and we show that visible CP violation in D0-D0bar mixing implies lower bounds for the EDMs of hadronic systems, like the neutron EDM and the mercury EDM, in the reach of future experimental sensitivities. We also give updated constraints on the mass insertions of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model using the current data on D0-D0bar mixing.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Symmetries and Asymmetries of B -> K* mu+ mu- Decays in the Standard Model and Beyond

The rare decay B -> K* (-> K pi) mu+ mu- is regarded as one of the crucial channels for B physics as the polarization of the K* allows a precise angular reconstruction resulting in many observables that offer new important tests of the Standard Model and its extensions. These angular observables can be expressed in terms of CP-conserving and CP-violating quantities which we study in terms of the full form factors calculated from QCD sum rules on the light-cone, including QCD factorization corrections. We investigate all observables in the context of the Standard Model and various New Physics models, in particular the Littlest Higgs model with T-parity and various MSSM scenarios, identifying those observables with small to moderate dependence on hadronic quantities and large impact of New Physics. One important result of our studies is that new CP-violating phases will produce clean signals in CP-violating asymmetries. We also identify a number of correlations between various observables which will allow a clear distinction between different New Physics scenarios.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Viability of MSSM scenarios at very large tan(beta)

We investigate the MSSM with very large tan(beta) > 50, where the fermion masses are strongly affected by loop-induced couplings to the "wrong" Higgs, imposing perturbative Yukawa couplings and constraints from flavour physics. Performing a low-energy scan of the MSSM with flavour-blind soft terms, we find that the branching ratio of B->tau nu and the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon are the strongest constraints at very large tan(beta) and identify the viable regions in parameter space. Furthermore we determine the scale at which the perturbativity of the Yukawa sector breaks down, depending on the low-energy MSSM parameters. Next, we analyse the very large tan(beta) regime of General Gauge Mediation (GGM) with a low mediation scale. We investigate the requirements on the parameter space and discuss the implied flavour phenomenology. We point out that the possibility of a vanishing Bmu term at a mediation scale M = 100 TeV is challenged by the experimental data on B->tau nu and the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

A Lower Bound on hadronic EDMs from CP Violation in D0-D0bar mixing in SUSY Alignment Models

The SM predictions for CP violating effects in D meson systems are highly suppressed at the per mill level. Therefore, any experimental evidence for a sizable CP violation in D0-D0bar mixing would unambiguously point towards a New Physics (NP) signal. Within supersymmetric scenarios, the popular alignment models can naturally account for large, non-standard effects in D0-D0bar mixing. We demonstrate that, within alignment models, detectable CP violating effects in D0-D0bar mixing would unambiguously imply a lower bound for the electric dipole moment (EDM) of hadronic systems, like the neutron EDM and the mercury EDM, in the reach of future experimental sensitivities. The simultaneous evidence of CP violation in D meson systems together with non vanishing hadronic EDMs would strongly support the idea of SUSY alignment models and disfavour gauge-mediated SUSY breaking models, SUSY models with MFV and non-Abelian SUSY flavour models. As a byproduct of our analysis, we study the correlation between the time dependent CP asymmetry in decays to CP eigenstates S_f and the semileptonic asymmetry a_SL both model independently and in SUSY alignment models.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2009

Phenomenology of CP Violation in a Flavor Blind MSSM and Beyond

We present an analysis of low energy CP violating observables in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). We focus on the predictions of CP violation in b -> s transitions in the framework of a flavor blind MSSM, where the CKM matrix remains the only source of flavor violation, but additional CP violating phases are introduced in the soft SUSY breaking sector. We find large and strongly correlated effects in Delta F = 0 observables like the electric dipole moments (EDMs) of the electron and the neutron, as well as in Delta F = 1 observables like the time dependent CP asymmetries in B -> phi K_s and B -> eta' K_s, the direct CP asymmetry in b -> s gamma and in several CP asymmetries in B -> K* mu+ mu-. On the other hand, observables that are only sensitive to CP violation in Delta F = 2 transitions, in particular the B_s mixing phase, are found to be SM like in this framework. We stress that only in presence of additional sources of flavor violation, sizeable New Physics effects to CP violation in meson mixing can occur.

hep-ph↗