Charged Scalars Research Articles

Revisiting type-II see-saw: present limits and future prospects at LHC

The type-II see-saw mechanism based on the annexation of the Standard Model by weak gauge triplet scalar field proffers a natural explanation for the very minuteness of neutrino masses. Noting that the phenomenology for the non-degenerate triplet Higgs spectrum is substantially contrasting than that for the degenerate one, we perform a comprehensive study for an extensive model parameter space parametrised by the triplet scalar vacuum expectation value (VEV), the mass-splitting between the triplet-like doubly and singly charged scalars and the mass of the doubly charged scalar. Considering all Drell-Yan production mechanisms for the triplet-like scalars and taking into account the all-encompassing complexity of their decays, we derive the most stringent 95% CL lower limits on the mass of the doubly charged scalar for a vast model parameter space by implementing already existing direct collider searches by CMS and ATLAS. These estimated limits are stronger by approximately 50–230 GeV than those reported by CMS and ATLAS. Strikingly, we also find a specific region of the parameter space that is beyond the reach of the existing LHC search strategies. Then, we forecast future limits by extending an ATLAS search at high-luminosity, and we propose a search strategy that yields improved limits for a part of the parameter space.

Characters, quasinormal modes, and Schwinger pairs in dS2 with flux

An integral representation of the 1-loop partition function for charged scalars and spinors, minimally coupled to a uniform U(1) field on S2, is given in terms of SO(1, 2) Harish-Chandra group characters and evaluated exactly in terms of Hurwitz ζ-functions. Analytically continuing the U(1) field, we interpret the path integrals as quasicanonical partition functions in dS2 with an electric field. The character itself is obtained as a trace over states living at the future boundary of de Sitter and has a quasinormal mode expansion. The imaginary part of the partition function captures Schwinger pair creation in the static patch at finite temperature. The thermal enhancement is most noticeable for scalar masses below Hubble and leads to non-monotonicity of the current as a function of the field. This parameter range, when dimensionally reducing from a charged or rotating Nariai spacetime, is excluded by Swampland-inspired bounds. Around the AdS2 black hole, in contrast to dS2, there is a threshold to pair creation.

Effective connections of aμ , Higgs physics, and the collider frontier

We consider scalar extensions of the Standard Model (SM) and their effective field theoretic generalizations to illustrate the phenomenological connection between precision measurements of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon ${a}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}$, precision Higgs measurements, and direct collider sensitivity. To this end, we consider charged beyond Standard Model (BSM) scalar sectors of the Zee-Babu type for which we develop a consistent and complete dimension-5 and -6 effective field theory extensions. This enables us to track generic new physics effects that interact with the SM predominantly via radiative interactions. While the operator space is high dimensional, the intersection of exotics searches at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), Higgs signal strength, and anomalous muon magnetic measurements is manageably small. We find that consistency of LHC Higgs observations and ${a}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}$ requires a significant deformation of the new states' electroweak properties. Evidence in searches for doubly charged scalars as currently pursued by the LHC experiments can be used to further tension the BSMEFT parameter space and resolve blind directions in the effective field theory (EFT)-extended Zee-Babu scenario.

A Symmetric Two Higgs Doublet Model

In the light of ongoing experimental search efforts for the dark matter and the post-Higgs Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) null results at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the Electroweak sector demands to be investigated for possible new scalar states discoverable at the LHC fulfilling the role of the dark matter. In this work we present a symmetric two Higgs doublet model with a discrete interchange symmetry among the two Higgs doublets (Φ1 ↔ Φ2). Apart from the Standard Model (SM)-like scalar state (h) with mh = 125 GeV, the model has several distinguishing features including the pseudoscalar (A), the charged scalars(H±) and the neutral scalar H, not having any direct coupling to the fermions. The neutral scalar H is assumed to have mass lighter than the 125 GeV SM-like Higgs state h. Due to the presence of a residual Z2 symmetry after the spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB), the neutral scalar H can emerge as a viable dark matter candidate. We discuss the constraints on such scalar dark matter from the current direct and indirect detection experiments. As a by-product of this construction, the SM-like scalar h ends up having an extra invisible decay mode of h → HH in this model which can also influence the dark matter parameter space. We discuss these model features in detail along with a guideline of relevant phenomenological searches at the LHC for this scenario.

Off diagonal charged scalar couplings with the Z boson: Zee-type models as an example

Models with scalar doublets and charged scalar singlets have the interesting property that they have couplings between one Z boson and two charged scalars of different masses. This property is often ignored in phenomenological analysis, as it is absent from models with only extra scalar doublets. We explore this issue in detail, considering h rightarrow Z gamma , B rightarrow X_s gamma , and the decay of a heavy charged scalar into a lighter one and a Z boson. We propose that the latter be actively searched for at the LHC, using the scalar sector of the Zee-type models as a prototype and proposing benchmark points which obey all current experimental data, and could be within reach of the LHC.

Role of Charged Scalar in Icecube and NSI

We study a variant of neutrinophilic two-Higgs doublets model to explain excess neutrino events in the 1 – 3 PeV energy bins at the IceCube. This is arranged by a charged scalar in the model, through a Glashow-like resonance. The same charged scalar can generate sizeable non standard interactions (NSIs) of the neutrinos. We perform a combined analysis of the latest IceCube observations, taking into account constraints from the neutrino and LEP experiments, to explore the parameter space leading to sizeable NSIs.

Spontaneously stabilised dark matter from a fermiophobic U(1)\u2032 gauge symmetry

We consider the possibility that dark matter is stabilised by a discrete Z2 symmetry which arises from a subgroup of a U(1)′ gauge symmetry, spontaneously broken by integer charged scalars, and under which the chiral quarks and leptons do not carry any charges. A chiral fermion χ with half-integer charge is odd under the preserved Z2, and hence becomes a stable dark matter candidate, being produced through couplings to right-handed neutrinos with vector-like U(1)′ charges, as in the type Ib seesaw mechanism. We calculate the relic abundance in such a low energy effective seesaw model containing few parameters, then consider a high energy renormalisable model with a complete fourth family of vector-like fermions, where the chiral quark and lepton masses arise from a seesaw-like mechanism. With the inclusion of the fourth family, the lightest vector-like quark can contribute to the dark matter production, enlarging the allowed parameter space that we explore.

Doubly charged scalars and vector-like leptons confronting the muon g-2 anomaly and Higgs vacuum stability

The present work introduces new scalar and fermionic degrees of freedom to the Standard Model. While the scalar sector is augmented by a complex scalar triplet and a doubly charged scalar singlet, the fermionic sector is extended by two copies of vector-like leptons. Of these, one copy is an $SU(2)_L$ singlet while the other, an $SU(2)_L$ doublet. We explain how this combination can offer a solution to the muon g-2 anomaly and also lead to non-zero neutrino masses. In addition, it is also shown that the parameter regions compliant with the two aforementioned issues can stabilise the electroweak vacuum till the Planck scale, something not possible within the Standard Model alone.

Bulk locality for scalars and fermions with global symmetry

We count the number of independent solutions to crossing constraints of four point functions involving charged scalars and charged fermions in a CFT with large gap in the spectrum. To find the CFT data we employ recently developed analytical functionals to charged fields. We compute the corresponding higher dimensional flat space S matrices in an independent group theoretic manner and obtain agreement with our CFT counting of ambiguities. We also write down the local lagrangians explicitly. Our work lends further evidence to [1] that any CFT with a large central charge expansion and a large gap in the spectrum has an AdS bulk dual.

QED positivity bounds

We apply positivity bounds directly to a $U(1)$ gauge theory with charged scalars and charged fermions, i.e. QED, minimally coupled to gravity. Assuming that the massless $t$-channel pole may be discarded, we show that the improved positivity bounds are violated unless new physics is introduced at the parametrically low scale $\Lambda_{\rm new} \sim (e m M_{\rm pl})^{1/2}$, consistent with similar results for scalar field theories, far lower than the scale implied by the weak gravity conjecture. This is sharply contrasted with previous treatments which focus on the application of positivity bounds to the low energy gravitational Euler-Heisenberg effective theory only. We emphasise that the low-cutoff is a consequence of applying the positivity bounds under the assumption that the pole may be discarded. We conjecture an alternative resolution that a small amount of negativity, consistent with decoupling limits, is allowed and not in conflict with standard UV completions, including weakly coupled ones.

Extended Higgs boson sectors, effective field theory, and Higgs boson phenomenology

We consider the phenomenological implications of charged scalar extensions of the SM Higgs sector in addition to EFT couplings of this new state to SM matter. We perform a detailed investigation of modifications of loop-induced decays of the 125 GeV Higgs boson, which receives corrections from the propagating charged scalars alongside one-loop EFT operator insertions and demonstrate that the interplay of $H\to \gamma\gamma$ and $H\to Z\gamma$ decays can be used to clarify the additional states phenomenology in case a discovery is made in the future. In parallel, EFT interactions of the charged Higgs can lead to a decreased sensitivity to the virtual presence of charged Higgs states, which can significantly weaken the constraints that are naively expected from the precisely measured $H\to \gamma\gamma$ branching ratio. Again $H\to Z\gamma$ measurements provide complementary sensitivity that can be exploited in the future.

Benchmark for LHC searches for low-mass custodial fiveplet scalars in the Georgi-Machacek model

The Georgi-Machacek (GM) model is used to motivate and interpret LHC searches for doubly charged scalars decaying to vector bosons pairs. The doubly charged scalars are part of a degenerate fermiophobic custodial fiveplet with states $H_5^{\pm\pm}$, $H_5^\pm$, and $H_5^0$ and common mass $m_5$. The GM model has been extensively studied at the LHC for $m_5 > 200$ GeV but there is a largely unprobed region of parameter space from $120$ GeV $< m_5 < 200$ GeV where light doubly-charged scalars could exist. This region has been neglected by experimental searches due in part to the lack of a benchmark for $m_5 < 200$ GeV. In this paper we propose a new "low-$m_5$" benchmark for the GM model, defined for $m_5 \in (50, 550)$ GeV, and characterize its properties. We apply all existing experimental constraints and summarize the phenomenology of the surviving parameter space. We show that the benchmark populates almost the entirety of the relevant allowed parameter plane for $m_5$ below 200 GeV and satisfies the constraints from the 125 GeV Higgs boson signal strengths. We compute the 125 GeV Higgs boson's couplings to fermion and vector boson pairs and show that they are always enhanced in the benchmark relative to those in the Standard Model. We also compute the most relevant production cross sections for $H_5$ at the LHC, including Drell-Yan production of $H_5$ pairs. The process $pp \to H \to H_5 H_5$ contributes in a small region of parameter space, but is small compared to the Drell-Yan production cross section. Finally we compute the branching ratios of $H_5^0 \to \gamma\gamma$ and $H_5^{\pm} \to W^{\pm} \gamma$. The width-to-mass ratio of each of the $H_5$ states is below 1\% over the entire benchmark, so that the narrow-width approximation is well justified.

Light mass window of lepton portal dark matter

We explore a novel possibility that dark matter has a light mass below 1 GeV in a lepton portal dark matter model. There are Yukawa couplings involving dark matter, left-handed leptons and an extra scalar doublet in the model. In the light mass region, dark matter is thermally produced via its annihilation into neutrinos. In order to obtain the correct relic abundance and avoid collider bounds, a neutral scalar is required to be light while charged scalars need to be heavier than the electroweak scale. Such a mass spectrum is realized by adjusting quartic couplings in the scalar potential or introducing an extra singlet scalar. It turns out that the mass region of 10 MeV–10 GeV is almost free from experimental and observational constraints. We also point out that searches for extra neutrino flux from galactic dark matter annihilations with neutrino telescopes are the best way to test our model.

Probing the Lμ−Lτ gauge boson at electron colliders

We investigate the minimal $U(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ model with extra heavy vector-like leptons or charged scalars. By studying the kinetic mixing between $U(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ gauge boson $Z^\prime$ and standard model photon, which is absent at tree level and will arise at one loop level due to $\mu$, $\tau$ and new heavy charged leptons or scalars, the interesting behavior is shown. It can provide possibility for visible signatures of new heavy particles. We propose to search for $Z^\prime$ at electron collider experiments, such as Belle II, BESIII and future Super Tau Charm Factory (STCF), using the monophoton final state. The parameter space of $Z^\prime$ is probed, and scanned by its gauge coupling constant $g_{Z^\prime}$ and mass $m_{Z^\prime}$. We find that electron colliders have sensitivity to the previously unexplored parameter space for $Z^\prime$ with MeV-GeV mass. Future STCF experiments with $\sqrt s=2-7$ GeV can exclude the anomalous muon magnetic moment favored area when $m_{Z^\prime}<5$ GeV with the luminosity of 30 ab$^{-1}$. For $m_{Z^\prime} < 2m_\mu$, $g_{Z^\prime}$ can be down to $4.2\times 10^{-5}$ at 2 GeV STCF.

Fingerprinting the contribution of colored scalars to the H^+ W^- Z(gamma ) vertex

Color-octet scalars arise in various Grand Unification scenarios and also in other models of new physics. They are also postulated for minimal flavour violation. Purely phenomenological imprints of such scalars are therefore worth looking at. Motivated by this, we perform a complete one-loop calculation of the H^+ rightarrow W^+ Z (gamma ) decay in a two Higgs doublet model augmented by a color-octet SU(2)_L scalar doublet. The computation is conveniently segregated into colorless and colored components. The color-octet part of the amplitude, being scaled by the color-factor, provides an overall enhancement to the form factors. Crucial constraints from perturbative unitarity, positivity of the scalar potential, oblique parameters, Higgs signal strengths and direct search of a charged Higgs and color-octet scalars are folded-in into the analysis. Sensitivity of the loop-induced H^+ rightarrow W^+ Z (gamma ) vertex to other model parameters is elucidated. Finally, the prospect of observing a loop-induced H^+ rightarrow W^+ Z (gamma ) interaction at the future hadronic collisions is also discussed.

Charged scalar production at the compact linear collider for the S_3 otimes mathbb {Z}_2 model

We present a model with S_3 otimes mathbb {Z}_2 model plus a sterile neutrino and its phenomenological expectations for the production of charged scalars at the compact linear collider. At tree level, our model predicts a total cross section in between 0.1 and 10^{-5} pb for the e^- e^+ rightarrow H^+ H^- process, considering all possible mass values for the charged scalar in the CLIC experiment. We also show that this prediction holds regardless of the masses of the other exotic particles and their couplings. We also show that an indirect detection from its effects in the e overline{e} rightarrow e overline{e} + missing energy process is possible under specific conditions, or a direct detection under other circumstances. However, one cannot use this process to study the sterile neutrinos present in this model, given that they have a small influence in the total cross-section for the direct detection of the exotic scalar to be possible.

Gravitational dynamics in the toy model of the Higgs-dark matter sector: the field theoretic perspective

The objective of the paper was to examine gravitational evolutions in the Higgs-dark matter sector toy model. The real part of the Higgs doublet was modelled by a neutral scalar. Two dark matter candidates introduced were the dark photon and a charged complex scalar. Non-minimal couplings of both scalars to gravity were included. The coupling channels between the ordinary and dark matter sectors were kinetic mixing between the electromagnetic and dark U(1) fields and the Higgs portal coupling among the scalars. The structures of emerging singular spacetimes were either of Schwarzschild or Reissner–Nordström types. The non-minimal scalar–gravity couplings led to an appearance of timelike portions of apparent horizons where they transform from spacelike to null. The features of dynamical black holes were described as functions of the model parameters. The black holes formed later and their radii and masses were smaller as the mass parameter of the complex scalar increased. The dependencies on the coupling of the Higgs field to gravity exhibited extrema, which were a maximum for the time of the black holes formation and minima in the cases of their radii and masses. A set of quantities associated with an observer moving with the evolving matter was proposed. The energy density, radial pressure and pressure anisotropy within dynamical spacetimes get bigger as the singularity is approached. The increase is more considerable in the Reissner–Nordström spacetimes. The apparent horizon local temperature changes monotonically in the minimally coupled case and non-monotonically when non-minimal scalar–gravity couplings are involved.

LHC sensitivity to singly charged scalars decaying into electrons and muons

Current LHC searches for non-supersymmetric singly-charged scalars, based on Two-Higgs-Doublet models, in general focus the analysis on third-generation fermions in the final state. However, singly-charged scalars in alternative extensions of the scalar sector involve Yukawa couplings not proportional to the mass of the fermions. Assuming the scalar decays into electrons and muons, it can manifest cleaner experimental signatures. In this paper we suggest that a singly-charged scalar singlet, with electroweak production, can start to be probed in the near future with dedicated search strategies. Depending on the strength of the Yukawa couplings, two independent scenarios are considered: direct pair-production (small couplings) and single-production via virtual neutrino exchange (large couplings). We show that, up to a mass as large as 500 GeV, most of the parameter space could be excluded at the 95% C.L. in a high-luminosity phase of the LHC. Our results also apply to other frameworks, provided the singly-charged scalar exhibits similar production patterns and dominant decay modes.

Infrared finiteness of a complete theory of charged scalars and fermions at finite temperature

It is known that the infrared (IR) divergences accruing from pure fermion–photon interactions at finite temperature cancel to all orders in perturbation theory. The corresponding infrared finiteness of scalar thermal QED has also been established recently. Here, we study the IR behaviour, at finite temperature, of theories where charged scalars and fermions interact with neutrals that could potentially be dark matter candidates. Such thermal field theories contain both linear and sub-leading logarithmic divergences. We prove that the theory is IR-finite to all orders in perturbation, with the divergences cancelling order by order between virtual and real photon corrections, when both absorption and emission of photons from and into the heat bath are taken into account. The calculation follows closely the technique used by Grammer and Yennie for zero temperature field theory. The result is generic and applicable to a variety of models, independent of the specific form of the neutral-fermion–scalar interaction vertex.

Constraining the t→u flavor changing neutral Higgs coupling at the LHC

We study the constraints on $t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}u$ flavor changing neutral Higgs coupling and how it may be explored further at the LHC. In the general two Higgs doublet model, such transitions can be induced by a nonzero ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{tu}$ Yukawa coupling. We show that such couplings can be constrained by existing searches at the LHC for ${m}_{H}$, ${m}_{A}$, and ${m}_{{H}^{+}}$ in the sub-TeV range, where $H$, $A$, and ${H}^{+}$ are the exotic $CP$-even, $CP$-odd, and charged scalars. We find that a dedicated $ug\ensuremath{\rightarrow}tH/tA\ensuremath{\rightarrow}tt\overline{u}$ search can probe the available parameter space of ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{tu}$ down to a few percent level for $200\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}\ensuremath{\lesssim}{m}_{H}$, ${m}_{A}\ensuremath{\lesssim}600\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$, with discovery possible at high luminosity. Effects of how other extra top Yukawa couplings, such as ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{tc}$ and ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{tt}$, dilute the sensitivity of the ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{tu}$ probe are discussed.