An extra Z′ gauge boson as a source of Higgs particles

Abstract

Models with extra gauge bosons are well motivated extensions of the standard model (SM) because of their connection with several unification schemes. These models include an extended Higgs sector in order to break the gauge symmetry and generate the required masses. The resulting spectrum of Higgs bosons could be searched for at current and future colliders using SM-like production mechanisms. However, the existence of the new gauge bosons could provide new production mechanisms, which could be used to probe the non-standard properties of Higgs particles. In this paper, we study the 3-body decays of the Z′ associated with a model with an extra U(1)′, which could be used as a source of Higgs bosons. We find that the decays of a Z′ into a Higgs boson and a top–anti-top pair, namely , can reach branching ratios (Br′s) as high as 10−3, which could be detected at future colliders. We also study the production of Higgs bosons in association with the Z vector boson at a linear collider, through the reaction e+e− → Z, Z′ → Z + h, including both the resonant and non-resonant effects.