Higgsino Mass Research Articles

Discrete R -symmetry, various energy scales, and gravitational waves

We present a supersymmetric model where energy scales of a discrete $R$-symmetry breaking ($Z_{6R}$) and cosmic inflation are commonly attributed to the confinement scale of a hidden $Sp(2)$ strong dynamics. Apart from these, SUSY-breaking scale, the Higgsino mass and the right-handed neutrino masses are all shown to stem from $Z_{6R}$ breaking scale inferred from CMB observables. We will show that the model is characterized by the SUSY-breaking soft mass $m_{\rm soft}\simeq100-1000{\rm TeV}$ and the reheating temperature $T_{\rm rh}\simeq10^{9}{\rm GeV}$. Then we discuss how these predictions of the model can be tested with the help of the spectrum of the gravitational wave induced by the short-lived cosmic string present during the reheating era.

Impact of recent (g − 2)μ measurement on the light CP-even Higgs scenario in general Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

The General Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (GNMSSM) is an attractive theory that is free from the tadpole problem and the domain-wall problem of Z3-NMSSM, and can form an economic secluded dark matter (DM) sector to naturally predict the DM experimental results. It also provides mechanisms to easily and significantly weaken the constraints from the LHC search for supersymmetric particles. These characteristics enable the theory to explain the recently measured muon anomalous magnetic moment, (g − 2)μ, in a broad parameter space that is consistent with all experimental results and at same time keeps the electroweak symmetry breaking natural. This work focuses on a popular scenario of the GNMSSM in which the next-to-lightest CP-even Higgs boson corresponds to the scalar discovered at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Both analytic formulae and a sophisticated numerical study show that in order to predict the scenario without significant tunings of relevant parameters, the Higgsino mass μtot ≲ 500 GeV and tan β ≲ 30 are preferred. This character, if combined with the requirement to account for the (g − 2)μ anomaly, will entail some light sparticles and make the LHC constraints very tight. As a result, this scenario can explain the muon anomalous magnetic moment in very narrow corners of its parameter space.

Proton lifetime in minimal SUSY SU(5) in light of LHC results

We examine proton decay mediated by color-triplet Higgsinos in minimal supersymmetric SU(5) grand unified theory in light of the discovery of the Higgs boson and the absence of SUSY signals at the LHC. We pay special attention to various threshold effects arising from Planck-suppressed operators that affect the color-triplet Higgsino mass and also allow for correcting the wrong mass relations for the light fermions. Our analysis allows for a non-universal SUSY spectrum with the third family sfermions having a separate mass compared to the first two families. We identify the allowed parameter space of the model and show that the SUSY scalar masses are constrained by current limits from proton lifetime to be above 5 TeV, while the glunio, Wino and the Higgsinos may be within reach of the LHC. When the SUSY scalar masses are required to be ≤ 30 TeV, so that they are within reach of next generation collider experiments, we find that proton lifetime for the decay p → overline{nu} K+ is bounded by τ(p → overline{nu} K+) ≤ 1.1 × 1035 yrs.

The tiny (g-2) muon wobble from small-\u03bc supersymmetry

A new measurement of the muon anomalous magnetic moment, gμ− 2, has been reported by the Fermilab Muon g-2 collaboration and shows a 4.2 σ departure from the most precise and reliable calculation of this quantity in the Standard Model. Assuming that this discrepancy is due to new physics, we concentrate on a simple supersymmetric model that also provides a dark matter explanation in a previously unexplored region of supersymmetric parameter space. Such interesting region can realize a Bino-like dark matter candidate compatible with all current direct detection constraints for small to moderate values of the Higgsino mass parameter |μ|. This in turn would imply the existence of light additional Higgs bosons and Higgsino particles within reach of the high-luminosity LHC and future colliders. We provide benchmark scenarios that will be tested in the next generation of direct dark matter experiments and at the LHC.

Search for charginos and neutralinos in final states with two boosted hadronically decaying bosons and missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for charginos and neutralinos at the Large Hadron Collider is reported using fully hadronic final states and missing transverse momentum. Pair-produced charginos or neutralinos are explored, each decaying into a high-$p_{\text{T}}$ Standard Model weak boson. Fully-hadronic final states are studied to exploit the advantage of the large branching ratio, and the efficient background rejection by identifying the high-$p_{\text{T}}$ bosons using large-radius jets and jet substructure information. An integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV is used. No significant excess is found beyond the Standard Model expectation. The 95% confidence level exclusion limits are set on wino or higgsino production with varying assumptions in the decay branching ratios and the type of the lightest supersymmetric particle. A wino (higgsino) mass up to 1060 (900) GeV is excluded when the lightest SUSY particle mass is below 400 (240) GeV and the mass splitting is larger than 400 (450) GeV. The sensitivity to high-mass wino and higgsino is significantly extended compared with the previous LHC searches using the other final states.

Search for R-parity-violating supersymmetry in a final state containing leptons and many jets with the ATLAS experiment using sqrt{s} = 13hbox { TeV} proton\u2013proton collision data

A search for R-parity-violating supersymmetry in final states characterized by high jet multiplicity, at least one isolated light lepton and either zero or at least three b-tagged jets is presented. The search uses {139},{text {fb}^{-1}} of sqrt{s} = {13}hbox { TeV} proton–proton collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. The results are interpreted in the context of R-parity-violating supersymmetry models that feature gluino production, top-squark production, or electroweakino production. The dominant sources of background are estimated using a data-driven model, based on observables at medium jet multiplicity, to predict the b-tagged jet multiplicity distribution at the higher jet multiplicities used in the search. Machine-learning techniques are used to reach sensitivity to electroweakino production, extending the data-driven background estimation to the shape of the machine-learning discriminant. No significant excess over the Standard Model expectation is observed and exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level are extracted, reaching as high as 2.4 TeV in gluino mass, 1.35 TeV in top-squark mass, and 320 (365) GeV in higgsino (wino) mass.

Search for physics beyond the standard model in final states with two or three soft leptons and missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at TeV

The most recent CMS results from a search for supersymmetry (SUSY) with a compressed mass spectrum in leptonic final states will be presented. The search is targeting signatures with missing transverse momentum and two or three low-momentum (soft) leptons. The dataset used is collected by the CMS experiment during the Run–2 proton-proton collisions at TeV at the LHC, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of up to 137 fb−1. The observed data are found to be in agreement with the Standard Model prediction and exclusion upper limits are set on the SUSY particles production cross section. The results are interpreted in terms of electroweakino and top squark pair production. In both cases, a small mass difference between the produced SUSY particles and the lightest neutralino is considered. A wino-bino and a higgsino simplified models are used for the electroweakino interpretation. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are set on masses up to 280 GeV for a mass difference between the and the lightest neutralino of 10 GeV for the wino-bino production. In the higgsino interpretation masses are excluded up to 210 GeV for a mass difference of 7.5 GeV and up to 150 GeV for a mass difference of 3 GeV. The results for the higgsino production are additionally interpreted in terms of a phenomenological minimal SUSY extension of the standard model, excluding the higgsino mass parameter μ up to 180 GeV for bino mass parameter M1 = 800 GeV. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the top squark pair production interpretation, excluding top squark masses up to 530 GeV in the four-body top squark decay model and up to 475 GeV in the chargino-mediated decay model for a mass difference between the top squark and the lightest neutralino of 30 GeV.

Impact of the bounds on the direct search for neutralino dark matter on naturalness

In the Minimal Supersymmetric Extension of the Standard Model (MSSM) the higgsino mass parameter $\mu$ appears both in the masses of the Higgs bosons and in the neutralino mass matrix. Electroweak finetuning therefore prefers small values of $|\mu|$. On the other hand, bino--like neutralinos make a good dark matter candidate. We show that current direct search limits then impose a strong lower bound on $|\mu|$, in particular for $\mu > 0$ or if the masses of the heavy Higgs bosons of the MSSM are near their current limit from LHC searches. There is therefore some tension between finetuning and neutralino dark matter in the MSSM. We also provide simple analytical expressions which in most cases closely reproduce the numerical results.

PeV gravitino, weak-scale Higgsino, and GeV axino in the Kachru-Kalosh-Linde-Trivedi setup

We realize high scale supersymmetry in the mirage mediation. The Higgs sector is extended with the Peccei-Quinn symmetry, and the higgsino mass term is generated by the Kim-Nilles mechanism. In particular, the Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaking scale naturally lies on the mirage messenger scale due to the mixed modulus-anomaly mediation with the gauge coupling unification. Consequently, the higgsino mass term is of order the weak scale while the gravitino mass is of PeV order. This hierarchy naturally leads to the correct electroweak symmetry breaking. The higgsinos are thus in the range accessible at future lepton colliders, while other sparticles are well-above the current LHC reach and consistent with the observed Higgs boson. The axino is dominantly produced from the modulus decay and accounts for the correct dark matter abundance.

Search for supersymmetry in events with four or more charged leptons in 139 fb\u22121 of sqrt{s} = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for supersymmetry in events with four or more charged leptons (electrons, muons and τ-leptons) is presented. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to 139 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider at sqrt{s} = 13 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Four-lepton signal regions with up to two hadronically decaying τ-leptons are designed to target several supersymmetric models, while a general five-lepton signal region targets any new physics phenomena leading to a final state with five charged leptons. Data yields are consistent with Standard Model expectations and results are used to set upper limits on contributions from processes beyond the Standard Model. Exclusion limits are set at the 95% confidence level in simplified models of general gauge-mediated supersymmetry, excluding higgsino masses up to 540 GeV. In R-parity-violating simplified models with decays of the lightest supersymmetric particle to charged leptons, lower limits of 1.6 TeV, 1.2 TeV, and 2.5 TeV are placed on wino, slepton and gluino masses, respectively.

Singlino-dominated dark matter in general NMSSM

The general Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM) describes the singlino-dominated dark-matter (DM) property by four independent parameters: singlet-doublet Higgs coupling coefficient λ, Higgsino mass μtot, DM mass {m}_{{tilde{chi}}_1^0} , and singlet Higgs self-coupling coefficient κ. The first three parameters strongly influence the DM-nucleon scattering rate, while κ usually affects the scattering only slightly. This characteristic implies that singlet-dominated particles may form a secluded DM sector. Under such a theoretical structure, the DM achieves the correct abundance by annihilating into a pair of singlet-dominated Higgs bosons by adjusting κ’s value. Its scattering with nucleons is suppressed when λv/μtot is small. This speculation is verified by sophisticated scanning of the theory’s parameter space with various experiment constraints considered. In addition, the Bayesian evidence of the general NMSSM and that of Z3-NMSSM is computed. It is found that, at the cost of introducing one additional parameter, the former is approximately 3.3 × 103 times the latter. This result corresponds to Jeffrey’s scale of 8.05 and implies that the considered experiments strongly prefer the general NMSSM to the Z3-NMSSM.

A relatively light, highly bino-like dark matter in the Z3-symmetric NMSSM and recent LHC searches

A highly bino-like Dark Matter (DM), which is the Lightest Supersymmetric Particle (LSP), could be motivated by the stringent upper bounds on the DM direct detection rates. This is especially so when its mass is around or below 100 GeV for which such a bound tends to get most severe. Requiring not so large a higgsino mass parameter, that would render the scenario reasonably ‘natural’, prompts such a bino-like state to be relatively light. In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), in the absence of comparably light scalars, such an excitation, if it has to be a thermal relic, is unable to meet the stringent experimental upper bound on its abundance unless its self-annihilation hits a funnel involving either the Z-boson or the Standard Model (SM)-like Higgs boson. We demonstrate that, in such a realistic situation, a highly bino-like DM of the popular Z3-symmetric Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM) is viable over an extended range of its mass, from our targeted maximum in the vicinity of the mass of the top quark down to about 30 GeV. This is facilitated by the presence of comparably light singlet-like states that could serve as funnel (scalars) and/or coannihilating (singlino) states even as the bino-like LSP receives a minimal (but optimal) tempering triggered by suitably light higgsino states that, in the first place, evade stringent lower bounds on their masses that can be derived from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments only in the presence of a lighter singlino-like state. An involved set of blind spot conditions is derived for the DM direct detection rates by considering for the very first time the augmented system of neutralinos comprising of the bino, the higgsinos and the singlino which highlights the important roles played by the NMSSM parameters ‘λ’ and tan β in delivering a richer phenomenology.

Search for direct production of electroweakinos in final states with missing transverse momentum and a Higgs boson decaying into photons in pp collisions at sqrt{s} = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for a chargino-neutralino pair decaying via the 125 GeV Higgs boson into photons is presented. The study is based on the data collected between 2015 and 2018 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1 of pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No significant excess over the expected background is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level for a massless {tilde{chi}}_1^0 are set on several electroweakino production cross-sections and the visible cross-section for beyond the Standard Model processes. In the context of simplified supersymmetric models, 95% confidence-level limits of up to 310 GeV in mleft({tilde{chi}}_1^{pm }/{tilde{chi}}_2^0right) , where mleft({tilde{chi}}_1^0right) = 0.5 GeV, are set. Limits at 95% confidence level are also set on the {tilde{chi}}_1^{pm }{tilde{chi}}_2^0 cross-section in the mass plane of mleft({tilde{chi}}_1^{pm }/{tilde{chi}}_2^0right) and mleft({tilde{chi}}_1^0right) , and on scenarios with gravitino as the lightest supersymmetric particle. Upper limits at the 95% confidence-level are set on the higgsino production cross-section. Higgsino masses below 380 GeV are excluded for the case of the higgsino fully decaying into a Higgs boson and a gravitino.

The LHC higgsino discovery plane for present and future SUSY searches

Considerations from electroweak naturalness and stringy naturalness imply a little hierarchy in supersymmetric models where the superpotential higgsino mass parameter μ is of order the weak scale whilst the soft SUSY breaking terms may be in the (multi-) TeV range. In such a case, discovery of SUSY at LHC may be most likely in the higgsino pair production channel. Indeed, ATLAS and CMS are performing searches in the higgsino mass discovery plane of mχ˜20 vs. Δm0≡mχ˜20−mχ˜10. We examine several theoretical aspects of this discovery plane in both the gravity-mediation NUHM2 model and the general mirage-mediation (GMM′) models. These include: the associated chargino mass mχ˜1±, the expected regions of the bottom-up notion of electroweak naturalness ΔEW, and the expected regions of stringy naturalness. While compatibility with electroweak naturalness allows for mass gaps Δm0∼ 4-20 GeV, stringy naturalness exhibits a clear preference for yet smaller mass gaps of 4-10 GeV. For still smaller mass gaps, the plane becomes sharply unnatural since very large gaugino masses are required. This study informs the most promising SUSY search channels and parameter space regions for the upcoming HL-LHC runs and possible HE-LHC option.

Probing single stop production at the FCC-hh/SPPC

Top squark (stop) is a crucial part of supersymmetric models (SUSY) to understand the naturalness problem. Other than the traditional stop pair production, the single production via electroweak interaction provides signals with distinctive features which could help confirm the existence of the top squark. In this paper, we investigate the observability of stop through the mono-top channel of the single stop production at the future proton-proton colliders, FCC-hh and SPPC, in a simplified Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). With the integrated luminosity of 3000 fb−1, we can probe the stop with mass up to 3.25 TeV by the mono-top channel at 5σ level. Considering the systematic uncertainty of 10%, the exclusion limit for stop mass can be reached at about 1.5 TeV. Exclusion limits on stop mass and higgsino mass parameter μ are also presented.

ILC as a natural SUSY discovery machine and precision microscope: From light Higgsinos to tests of unification

The requirement of electroweak naturalness in simple supersymmetric models implies the existence of a cluster of four light higgsinos with mass $\sim 100-300$\,GeV, the lighter the better. While such light compressed spectra may be challenging to observe at LHC, the International Linear $e^+e^-$ Collider (ILC) with $\sqrt{s}>2m_{\rm higgsino}$ would serve as both a SUSY discovery machine and a precision microscope. We study higgsino pair production signatures at the ILC based on full, \texttt{Geant4-}based simulation of the ILD detector concept. We examine several benchmark scenarios that may be challenging for discovery at HL-LHC due to mass differences between the higgsino states between $20$ and $4$\,GeV. Assuming $\sqrt{s}= 500$\,GeV and 1000\,fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity, the individual higgsino masses can be measured to $1-2\%$ precision in case of the larger mass differences, and at the level of $5\%$ for the smallest mass difference case. The higgsino mass splittings are sensitive to the electroweak gaugino masses and allow extraction of gaugino masses to $\sim 3-20\%$ (depending on the model). Extrapolation of gaugino masses via renormalization group running can test the hypothesis of gaugino mass unification. We also examine a case with natural generalized mirage mediation where the unification of gaugino masses at an intermediate scale apparently gives rise to a natural SUSY spectrum somewhat beyond the reach of HL-LHC.

Mono-b events from single stop production at the HL-LHC and HE-LHC

Top-squarks (stop) play an important role in SUSY naturalness. The stop pair production is considered as the most effective way to search for stop at the LHC. However, the collider signature of stop pair production is usually characterized by tt¯ plus missing transverse energy, which is also predicted in many other non-supersymmetric models. On the other hand, the single stop production via the electroweak interaction can provide some distinctive signatures, and thus will help to confirm the existence of the stop. In this paper, we investigate the observability of the mono-b events from the single stop production process pp→t˜1χ˜1−→b+E̸T in a simplified MSSM framework where the higgsinos and stops are the only sparticles at the HL-LHC and HE-LHC. We find that the stop mass and the higgsino mass may be probed up to about 1.6 TeV and 550 GeV at 5σ level at the HE-LHC with the integrated luminosity L=15ab−1. We also present the 2σ exclusion limits of the stop mass at the HL-LHC and HE-LHC.

Cornering Higgsinos Using Soft Displaced Tracks.

Higgsino has been intensively searched for in the LHC experiments in recent years. Currently, there is an uncharted region beyond the LEP Higgsino mass limit where the mass splitting between the neutral and charged Higgsinos is around 0.3-1GeV, which is unexplored by either the soft di-lepton or disappearing track searches. This region is, however, of great importance from a phenomenological point of view, as many supersymmetric models predict such a mass spectrum. In this Letter, we propose a possibility of filling this gap by using a soft microdisplaced track in addition to the monojet event selection, which allows us to discriminate a signature of the charged Higgsino decay from the standard model background. It is found that this new strategy is potentially sensitive to a Higgsino mass of ≲180(250) GeV at the LHC Run2 (HL-LHC) for a charged-neutral mass splitting of ≃0.5 GeV.

96 GeV diphoton excess in seesaw extensions of the natural NMSSM

The Next-to Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM) with a Type-I seesaw mechanism extends the NMSSM by three generations of right-handed neutrino fields to generate neutrino mass. As a byproduct it renders the lightest sneutrino as a viable DM candidate. Due to the gauge singlet nature of the DM, its scattering with nucleon is suppressed in most cases to coincide spontaneously with the latest XENON-1T results. Consequently, broad parameter spaces in the Higgs sector, especially a light Higgsino mass, are resurrected as experimentally allowed, which makes the theory well suited to explain the long standing $b \bar{b}$ excess at LEP-II and the continuously observed $\gamma \gamma$ excess by CMS collaboration. We show by both analytic formulas and numerical results that the theory can naturally predict the central values of the excesses in its broad parameter space, and the explanations are consistent with the Higgs data of the discovered Higgs boson, $B-$physics and DM physics measurements, the electroweak precision data as well as the LHC search for sparticles. Part of the explanations may be tested by future DM experiments and the SUSY search at the LHC.

Light Higgs bosons in the general NMSSM

Physics beyond the Standard Model (SM) may manifest itself as small deviations from the SM predictions for Higgs signal strengths at 125 GeV. Then, a plausible and interesting possibility is that the Higgs sector is extended and at the weak scale there appears an additional Higgs boson weakly coupled to the SM sector. Combined with the LEP excess in e^+e^-rightarrow Z(hrightarrow bbar{b}), the diphoton excess around 96 GeV recently reported by CMS may suggest such a possibility. We examine if those LEP and CMS excesses can be explained simultaneously by a singlet-like Higgs boson in the general next-to-minimal supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM). Higgs mixing in the NMSSM relies on the singlet coupling to the MSSM Higgs doublets and the higgsino mass parameter, and thus is subject to the constraints on these supersymmetric parameters. We find that the NMSSM can account for both the LEP and CMS excesses at 96 GeV while accommodating the observed 125 GeV SM-like Higgs boson. Interestingly, the required mixing angles constrain the heavy doublet Higgs boson to be heavier than about 500 GeV. We also show that the viable region of mixing parameter space is considerably modified if the higgsino mass parameter is around the weak scale, mainly because of the Higgs coupling to photons induced by the charged higgsinos.