Higgs Observables Research Articles

Global fits of SUSY at future Higgs factories

In this work, we study the impact of electroweak and Higgs precision measurements at future electron-positron colliders on several typical supersymmetric models, including the constrained minimal supersymmetric Standard Model (CMSSM), nonuniversal Higgs mass generalizations (NUHM1, NUHM2), and the seven-dimensional minimal supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM7). Using publicly available data from the $\mathsf{GAMBIT}$ community, we postprocess previous SUSY global fits with additional likelihoods to explore the discovery potential of Higgs factories, such as the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC), the Future Circular Collider (FCC), and the International Linear Collider (ILC). We show that the currently allowed parameter space of these models will be further tested by future precision measurements. In particular, dark matter annihilation mechanisms may be distinguished by precise measurements of Higgs observables.

Enhancement of the double Higgs production via leptoquarks at the LHC

Measurements of single Higgs production and its decays are in good agreement with the Standard Model. There is still room for large modifications in double Higgs production at LHC, though these effects may be correlated with large corrections to other observables, in particular single Higgs production. In this work we address the issue of enhancing double Higgs production in the presence of scalar leptoquarks while satisfying all experimental constraints. We show at leading order that including more than one species of leptoquarks, large cubic interactions with the Higgs can lead to sizable enhancement of di-Higgs production cross section at LHC, while at the same time keeping other Higgs observables and precision measurements under control. For masses above 800 GeV these corrections are in general below 30%, whereas in a viable scenario in which one of the leptoquarks can be light, specifically in the mass range 400 − 600 GeV, we show that it is possible to roughly double the SM cross section for di-Higgs production, implying that possible first hints of it may be probed at the high luminosity LHC at mathcal{L} ∼ 2 ab−1.

Comparative studies of 2HDMs under the Higgs boson precision measurements

We perform comparative studies for four types of the two Higgs Doublet Models (2HDMs) under the precision measurements of the Standard Model (SM) Higgs observables at the proposed Higgs factories. We explore the discovery potential based on the hypothetical deviations in the precision data for the 2HDMs up to one-loop level. We find 5σ observability from the χ2 fitting in a significant theory parameter space at future Higgs factories. For the Type-I 2HDM, regions with cos(β − α) ≲ −0.1 or cos(β − α) ≳ 0.08 are discoverable at more than 5σ level. For the other three types of 2HDMs, the 5σ region is even bigger: | cos(β − α)| ≳ 0.02 for tan β ∼ 1. At small and large values of tan β, the region in cos(β − α) is further tightened. We examine the extent to which the different 2HDM theories may be distinguishable from one to the other at the 95% Confidence Level with four benchmark points as case studies. We show that a large part of the parameter space of the other types of 2HDMs can be distinguished from the benchmark points of the target model. The impacts of loop corrections are found to be significant in certain parameter regions.

Anatomy of Higgs boson decays into γγ and γZ within the electroweak chiral Lagrangian in the Rξ gauges

In this work we study the Higgs boson decays into two photons and into one photon and one $Z$ gauge boson within the context of the non-linear Effective Field Theory called the Electroweak Chiral Lagrangian. We present a detailed computation of the corresponding amplitudes to one-loop level in the covariant $R_\xi$ gauges. We assume that the fermionic loop contributions are as in the Standard Model and focus here just in the computation of the bosonic loop contributions. Our renormalization program and the anatomy of the various contributions participating in the $R_\xi$ gauges are fully explored. With this present computation we demonstrate the gauge invariance of the EChL result, not only for the case of on-shell Higgs boson, but also for the most general and interesting case of off-shell Higgs boson. We finally analyse and conclude on the special relevance of the Goldstone boson loops, in good agreement with the expected chiral loops behaviour in Chiral Lagrangians. We perform a systematic comparison with the corresponding computation of the Standard Model in the $R_\xi$ gauges and with the previous EChL results in the unitary gauge. This work represents the first computation within the EChL of these Higgs observables to one-loop in the most general $R_\xi$ gauges and with a full renormalization program description, not yet fully explored in the previous literature and which is different to the most frequently used in the linear Effective Field Theory (SMEFT).

Dimension-six electroweak top-loop effects in Higgs production and decay

We study the next-to-leading order electroweak corrections to Higgs processes from dimension-six top-quark operators in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory approach. We consider the major production channels, including W H, ZH, and VBF production at the LHC, and ZH, VBF production at future lepton colliders, as well as the major decay channels including H → γγ, γZ, W lν, Zll, boverline{b} , μμ, ττ . The results show that within the current constraints, top-quark operators can shift the signal strength of the loop-induced processes, i.e. H → γγ, γZ, by factors of sim mathcal{O}(1)-mathcal{O}(10) , and that of the tree-level processes, i.e. all remaining production and decay channels, by ∼ 5 − 10% at the LHC, and up to ∼ 15% at future lepton colliders. This implies that essentially all Higgs channels have started to become sensitive to top-quark couplings, and in particular, Higgs observables at high luminosity LHC as well as future lepton colliders, even below the toverline{t} threshold, will improve our knowledge of top-quark couplings. We derive the sensitivities of Higgs measurements to top-quark operators at the high luminosity LHC, using projections for both inclusive and differential measurements. We conclude that treating the dimension-six top-quark sector and the Higgs/electroweak sector separately may not continue to be a good strategy. A global analysis combining Higgs and top-quark measurements is desirable, and our calculation and implementation provide an automatic and realistic simulation tool for this purpose.

Current and future constraints on Higgs couplings in the nonlinear Effective Theory

We perform a Bayesian statistical analysis of the constraints on the nonlinear Effective Theory given by the Higgs electroweak chiral Lagrangian. We obtain bounds on the effective coefficients entering in Higgs observables at the leading order, using all available Higgs-boson signal strengths from the LHC runs 1 and 2. Using a prior dependence study of the solutions, we discuss the results within the context of natural-sized Wilson coefficients. We further study the expected sensitivities to the different Wilson coefficients at various possible future colliders. Finally, we interpret our results in terms of some minimal composite Higgs models.

New physics scale from Higgs observables with effective dimension-6 operators

No matter what the scale of new physics is, deviations from the Standard Model (SM) for the Higgs observables will indicate the existence of such a scale. We consider effective six dimensional operators, and their effects on the Higgs productions and decays to estimate this new scale. We analyze and identify the parameter space consistent with known properties of the Higgs boson using recent Run II results from ATLAS and CMS experiments corresponding to ∼37 fb−1 of data. We then calculate the t¯th productions, as well as double Higgs production at the LHC using the effective couplings, and show that these can be much different than those predicted by the Standard Model, for a wide region of allowed parameter space. These predictions can be tested in the current or the future runs of the LHC. We find that the data are consistent with the existence of a new physics scale as low as 500 GeV for a significant region of parameter space of this six dimensional couplings with these new physics effects at the LHC. We also find that for some region of the parameter space, di-Higgs production can be much larger than that predicted by the Standard Model, giving rise to the prospect of its observation even in the current run II of the LHC.

Global fits of GUT-scale SUSY models with GAMBIT

We present the most comprehensive global fits to date of three supersymmetric models motivated by grand unification: the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model (CMSSM), and its Non-Universal Higgs Mass generalisations NUHM1 and NUHM2. We include likelihoods from a number of direct and indirect dark matter searches, a large collection of electroweak precision and flavour observables, direct searches for supersymmetry at LEP and Runs I and II of the LHC, and constraints from Higgs observables. Our analysis improves on existing results not only in terms of the number of included observables, but also in the level of detail with which we treat them, our sampling techniques for scanning the parameter space, and our treatment of nuisance parameters. We show that stau co-annihilation is now ruled out in the CMSSM at more than 95% confidence. Stop co-annihilation turns out to be one of the most promising mechanisms for achieving an appropriate relic density of dark matter in all three models, whilst avoiding all other constraints. We find high-likelihood regions of parameter space featuring light stops and charginos, making them potentially detectable in the near future at the LHC. We also show that tonne-scale direct detection will play a largely complementary role, probing large parts of the remaining viable parameter space, including essentially all models with multi-TeV neutralinos.

Testing Higgs coupling precision and new physics scales at lepton colliders

The next-generation lepton colliders, such as CEPC, FCC-ee, and ILC will make precision measurement of the Higgs boson properties. We first extract the Higgs coupling precision from Higgs observables at CEPC to illustrate the potential of future lepton colliders. Depending on the related event rates, the precision can reach percentage level for most couplings. Then, we try to estimate the new physics scales that can be indirectly probed with Higgs and electroweak precision observables. The Higgs observables, together with the existing electroweak precision observables, can probe new physics up to 10 TeV (40 TeV for the gluon-related operator [Formula: see text]) at 95% C.L. Including the [Formula: see text] mass measurements and [Formula: see text]-pole observables at CEPC further pushes the limit up to 35 TeV. Although [Formula: see text]-pole running is originally for the purpose of machine calibration, it can be as important as the Higgs observables for probing the new physics scales indirectly. The indirect probe of new physics scales at lepton colliders can mainly cover the energy range to be explored by the following hadron colliders of [Formula: see text] (50–100 TeV), such as SPPC and FCC-hh.

Probing new physics scales from Higgs and electroweak observables at e + e − Higgs factory

New physics beyond the standard model (SM) can be model-independently formulated via dimension-6 effective operators, whose coefficients (cutoffs) characterize the scales of new physics. We study the probe of new physics scales from the electroweak precision observables (EWPO) and the Higgs observables (HO) at the future $e^+e^-$ Higgs factory (such as CEPC). To optimize constraints of new physics from all available observables, we establish a scheme-independent approach. With this formulation, we treat the SM electroweak parameters and the coefficients of dimension-6 operators on equal footing, which can be fitted simultaneously by the same $\chi^2$ function. As deviations from the SM are generally small, we can expand the new physics parameters up to linear order and perform an analytical $\chi^2$ fit to derive the potential reach of the new physics scales. We find that the HO from both Higgs produnction and decay rates can probe the new physics scales up to 10TeV (and to 44TeV for the case of gluon-involved operator $\mathcal{O}_g$), and the new physics scales of Yukawa-type operators can be probed by the precision Higgs coupling measurements up to (13-25)TeV. Further including the EWPO can push the limit up to 35TeV. From this prospect, we demonstrate that the EWPO measured in the early phase of a Higgs factory can be as important as the Higgs observables. These indirect probes of new physics scales at the Higgs factory can mainly cover the energy range to be directly explored by the next generation hadron colliders of pp(50-100TeV), such as the SPPC and FCC-hh.

Distinguishing between MSSM and NMSSM through ∆F = 2 processes

We study deviations between MSSM and $Z_3$-invariant NMSSM, with respect to their predictions in $\Delta F=2 $ processes. We find that potentially significant effects arise either from the well known double-penguin diagrams, due to the extra scalar NMSSM states, or from neutralino-gluino box contributions, due to the extended neutralino sector. Both are discussed to be effective in the large $\tan\beta$ regime. Enhanced genuine-NMSSM contributions in double penguins are expected for a light singlet spectrum (CP-even,CP-odd), while the magnitude of box effects is primarily controlled through singlino mixing. The latter is found to be typically subleading (but non-negligible) for $\lambda \lesssim 0.5$, however it can become dominant for $\lambda\sim \mathcal{O}(1)$. We also study the low $\tan\beta$ regime, where a distinction between MSSM and NMSSM can come instead due to experimental constraints, acting differently on the allowed parameter space of each model. To this end, we incorporate the LHC Run-I limits from $H\rightarrow Z Z$, $A \rightarrow hZ$ and $H^\pm \rightarrow \tau \nu $ non-observation along with Higgs observables and set (different) upper bounds for new physics contributions in $\Delta F=2 $ processes. We find that a $\sim 25\%$ contribution in $\Delta M_{s(d)}$ is still possible for MFV models, however such a large effect is nowadays severely constrained for the case of MSSM, due to stronger bounds on the charged Higgs masses.

How to save the WIMP: global analysis of a dark matter model with two s-channel mediators

A reliable comparison of different dark matter (DM) searches requires models that satisfy certain consistency requirements like gauge invariance and perturbative unitarity. As a well-motivated example, we study two-mediator DM (2MDM). The model is based on a spontaneously broken $U(1)'$ gauge symmetry and contains a Majorana DM particle as well as two $s$-channel mediators, one vector (the $Z'$) and one scalar (the dark Higgs). We perform a global scan over the parameters of the model assuming that the DM relic density is obtained by thermal freeze-out in the early Universe and imposing a large set of constraints: direct and indirect DM searches, monojet, dijet and dilepton searches at colliders, Higgs observables, electroweak precision tests and perturbative unitarity. We conclude that thermal DM is only allowed either close to an $s$-channel resonance or if at least one mediator is lighter than the DM particle. In these cases a thermal DM abundance can be obtained although DM couplings to the Standard Model are tiny. Interestingly, we find that vector-mediated DM-nucleon scattering leads to relevant constraints despite the velocity-suppressed cross section, and that indirect detection can be important if DM annihilations into both mediators are kinematically allowed.

Gauge-independent renormalization of the 2-Higgs-doublet model

The 2-Higgs-Doublet Model (2HDM) belongs to the simplest extensions of the Standard Model (SM) Higgs sector that are in accordance with theoretical and experimental constraints. In order to be able to properly investigate the experimental Higgs data and, in the long term to distinguish between possible models beyond the SM, precise predictions for the Higgs boson observables have to be made available on the theory side. This requires the inclusion of the higher order corrections. In this work, we investigate in detail the renormalization of the 2HDM, a pre-requisite for the computation of higher order corrections. We pay particular attention to the renormalization of the mixing angles $\alpha$ and $\beta$, which diagonalize the Higgs mass matrices and which enter all Higgs observables. The implications of various renormalization schemes in next-to-leading order corrections to the sample processes $H^\pm \to W^\pm h/H$ and $H \to ZZ$ are investigated. Based on our findings, we will present a renormalization scheme that is at the same time process independent, gauge independent and numerically stable.

Musings on cosmological relaxation and the hierarchy problem

Recently Graham, Kaplan and Rajendran [1] proposed cosmological relaxation as a mechanism for generating a hierarchically small Higgs vacuum expectation value. Inspired by this we collect some thoughts on steps towards a solution to the electroweak hierarchy problem and apply them to the original model of cosmological relaxation [1]. To do so, we study the dynamics of the model and determine the relation between the fundamental input parameters and the electroweak vacuum expectation value. Depending on the input parameters the model exhibits three qualitatively different regimes, two of which allow for hierarchically small Higgs vacuum expectation values. One leads to standard electroweak symmetry breaking whereas in the other regime electroweak symmetry is mainly broken by a Higgs source term. While the latter is not acceptable in a model based on the QCD axion, in non-QCD models this may lead to new and interesting signatures in Higgs observables.

Blind spots for neutralino dark matter in the NMSSM

Spin-independent cross-section for neutralino dark matter scattering off nuclei is investigated in the NMSSM. Several classes of blind spots for direct detection of singlino-Higgsino dark matter are analytically identified, including such that have no analog in the MSSM. It is shown that mixing of the Higgs doublets with the scalar singlet has a big impact on the position of blind spots in the parameter space. In particular, this mixing allows for more freedom in the sign assignment for the parameters entering the neutralino mass matrix, required for a blind spot to occur, as compared to the MSSM or the NMSSM with decoupled singlet. Moreover, blind spots may occur for any composition of a singlino-Higgsino LSP. Particular attention is paid to cases with the singlet-dominated scalar lighter than the 125 GeV Higgs for which a vanishing tree-level spin-independent scattering cross-section may result from destructive interference between the Higgs and the singlet-dominated scalar exchange. Correlations of the spin-independent scattering cross-section with the Higgs observables are also discussed.

How to use the Standard Model effective field theory

We present a practical three-step procedure of using the Standard Model effective field theory (SM EFT) to connect ultraviolet (UV) models of new physics with weak scale precision observables. With this procedure, one can interpret precision measurements as constraints on a given UV model. We give a detailed explanation for calculating the effective action up to one-loop order in a manifestly gauge covariant fashion. This covariant derivative expansion method dramatically simplifies the process of matching a UV model with the SM EFT, and also makes available a universal formalism that is easy to use for a variety of UV models. A few general aspects of RG running effects and choosing operator bases are discussed. Finally, we provide mapping results between the bosonic sector of the SM EFT and a complete set of precision electroweak and Higgs observables to which present and near future experiments are sensitive. Many results and tools which should prove useful to those wishing to use the SM EFT are detailed in several appendices.

Dimension-six triple gluon operator inHiggs+jetobservables

Recently a lot of progress has been made towards a full classification of new physics effects in Higgs observables by means of effective dimension-six operators. Specifically, Higgs production in association with a high transverse momentum jet has been suggested as a way to discriminate between operators that modify the Higgs-top coupling (${O}_{t}$) and operators that induce an effective Higgs-gluon coupling (${O}_{g}$)---a distinction that is hard to achieve with signal strength measurements alone. With this article we would like to draw attention to another source of new physics in $\mathrm{Higgs}+\mathrm{jet}$ observables: the triple gluon operator ${O}_{3g}$ (consisting of three factors of the gluon field strength tensor). We compute the distortions of kinematic distributions in $\mathrm{Higgs}+\mathrm{jet}$ production at a 14 TeV LHC due to ${O}_{3g}$ and compare them with the distortions due to ${O}_{t}$ and ${O}_{g}$. We find that the transverse momentum distributions alone cannot discriminate between ${O}_{3g}$ and ${O}_{g}$ if the coefficient of the operator ${O}_{t}$ treated as an unknown parameter. We further show that the jet rapidity and the difference between the Higgs and jet rapidity are well suited to remove this new degeneracy. Using rough estimates for the expected bounds we find that allowed distortions in kinematic distributions due to ${O}_{g}$ are of similar size as those due to ${O}_{3g}$. We conclude that a full analysis of new physics in $\mathrm{Higgs}+\mathrm{jet}$ observables must take the contributions from ${O}_{3g}$ into account.

Scaling and tuning of EW and Higgs observables

We study deformations of the SM via higher dimensional operators. In particular, we explicitly calculate the one-loop anomalous dimension matrix for 13 bosonic dimension-6 operators relevant for electroweak and Higgs physics. These scaling equations allow us to derive RG-induced bounds, stronger than the direct constraints, on a universal shift of the Higgs couplings and some anomalous triple gauge couplings by assuming no tuning at the scale of new physics, i.e. by requiring that their individual contributions to the running of other severely constrained observables, like the electroweak oblique parameters or $\Gamma(h \rightarrow \gamma\gamma)$, do not exceed their experimental direct bounds. We also study operators involving the Higgs and gluon fields.

Surveying the scope of the SU(2) L scalar septet sector

Extending the Standard Model by adding a scalar field transforming as a septet under $SU(2)_L$ preserves the $\rho$ parameter at tree level and can satisfy experimental constraints on the electroweak parameters $S$ and $T$. This work presents the first fully general phenomenological study of such an extension. We examine constraints on the septet model couplings based on electroweak and Higgs observables, and use LHC searches for new physics to bound the mass of the septet to be above $\sim 400$ GeV at a $95\%$ CL.

Implications of light charginos for Higgs observables, LHC searches and dark matter

A rather high Higgs mass, m_h = 126 GeV, suggests that at least a part of the supersymmetric spectrum of the MSSM may live beyond O(1TeV) and hence inaccessible to the LHC. However, there are theoretical and phenomenological reasons supporting a possibility that charginos and neutralinos remain much closer to the electroweak scale. In this paper, we explore such a scenario in the light of recent Higgs measurements, mainly its di-photon decay rate, where the data might indicate a slight excess over the SM prediction. That excess could be fitted by the contribution of light charginos provided tan(beta) is low to moderate, a possibility that is receiving much attention for other theoretical reasons. We investigate the implications of this scenario for other observables, such as dark matter constraints, electroweak observables and experimental signals at the LHC, like di-lepton, tri-lepton and same-sign dilepton. An important part of the models survive all the constraints and are able to give positive signals at LHC-14TeV and/or XENON1T.