Light Charged Higgs Boson Research Articles

Light charged Higgs boson production at the Large Hadron electron Collider

We study the production of a light charged Higgs boson at the future Large Hadron electron Collider (LHeC), through the process $e^- p \to \nu_e H^- q$ considering both decay channels $H^- \to b \bar c$ and $H^- \to \tau \bar \nu_\tau$ in the final state. We analyse these processes in the context of the 2-Higgs Doublet Model Type III (2HDM-III) and assess the LHeC sensitivity to such $H^-$ signals against a variety of both reducible and irreducible backgrounds. We confirm that prospects for $H^-$ detection in the 2HDM-III are excellent assuming standard collider energy and luminosity conditions.

Muon g−2 in a U(1) -symmetric two-Higgs-doublet model

We show in this paper that, in a $U(1)$-symmetric two-Higgs-doublet model (2HDM), the two additional neutral Higgs bosons would become nearly degenerate in the large $\tan\beta$ regime, under the combined constraints from both theoretical arguments and experimental measurements. As a consequence, the excess observed in the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon could not be addressed in the considered framework, following the usual argument where these two neutral scalars are required to manifest a large mass hierarchy. On the other hand, we find that, with an $\mathcal{O}(1)$ top-Yukawa coupling and a relatively light charged Higgs boson, large contributions from the two-loop Barr-Zee type diagrams can account for the muon $g-2$ anomaly at the 1$\sigma$ level, in spite of a large cancellation between the scalar and pseudoscalar contributions. Furthermore, the same scenario can survive the tight constraints from the $B$-physics observables.

Light charged Higgs boson with dominant decay to quarks and its search at the LHC and future colliders

The possibility of a light charged Higgs boson $H^\pm$ that decays predominantly to quarks ($cs$ and/or $cb$) and with a mass in the range 80 GeV $\le m_{H^\pm} \le 90$ GeV is studied in the context of Three-Higgs-Doublet Models (3HDMs). At present the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has little sensitivity to this scenario, and currently the best constraints are from LEP2 and Tevatron searches. The branching ratio of $H^\pm\to cb$ can be dominant in two of the five types of 3HDM, and we determine the parameter space where this occurs. The decay $H^\pm\to cb$ has recently been searched for at the LHC for the first time, and with increased integrated luminosity one would expect sensitivity to the region 80 GeV $\le m_{H^\pm} \le 90$ GeV due to the smaller backgrounds with respect to $H^\pm\to cs$ decays.

Indirect search for light charged Higgs bosons through the dominant semileptonic decays of top quark t → b(→B/D + X)+H+(→τ+ντ)

In this work we introduce a new channel to indirect search for the light charged Higgs bosons, which are predicted in several extensions of the standard model (SM) such as the two-Higgs-doublet models (2HDMs). We calculate the O(αs) QCD radiative corrections to the energy distribution of bottom- and charmed-flavored hadrons (B/D) produced in the dominant decays of the polarized top quark in the 2HDM, i.e. t(↑)⟶b(→B/D+jet)+H+(→τ+ντ). Generally, the energy distribution of hadrons is governed by the unpolarized rate and the polar and the azimuthal correlation functions which are related to the density matrix elements of the decay t(↑)→bH+. In our proposed channel, any deviation of the B/D-meson energy spectrum from its corresponding SM predictions can be considered as a signal for the existence of charged Higgs at the LHC. We also calculate, for the first time, the azimuthal correlation rate Γϕ at next-to-leading order which vanishes at the Born level.

Identifying a light charged Higgs boson at the LHC Run II

We analyse the phenomenological implications of a light Higgs boson, h, within the CP-conserving 2-Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) Type-I, for the detection prospects of the charged H± state at Run II of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), assuming s=13 TeV as energy and O(100 fb−1) as luminosity. When sufficiently light, this h state can open up the bosonic decay channel H±→W±(⁎)h, which may have a branching ratio significantly exceeding those of the H±→τν and H±→cs channels. We perform a broad scan of the 2HDM Type-I parameter space, assuming the heavier of the two CP-even Higgs bosons, H, to be the observed SM-like state with a mass near 125 GeV. Through these scans we highlight regions in which mH±<mt+mb that are still consistent with the most recent limits from experimental searches. We find in these regions that, when the H±→W±(⁎)h decay mode is the dominant one, the h can be highly fermiophobic, with a considerably large decay rate in the γγ channel. This can result in the total cross section of the σ(pp→H±h→W±(⁎)+4γ) process reaching up to O(100 fb). We therefore investigate the possibility of observing this spectacular signal at the LHC Run II.

Bosonic decays of charged Higgs bosons in a 2HDM type-I

In this study, we focus on the bosonic decays of light charged Higgs bosons in the 2-Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) Type-I. We quantify the Branching Ratios (BRs) of the H^pm rightarrow W^pm h and H^pm rightarrow W^pm A channels and show that they could be substantial over several areas of the parameter space of the 2HDM Type-I that are still allowed by Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and other experimental data as well as theoretical constraints. We suggest that H^pm rightarrow W^pm h and/or H^pm rightarrow W^pm A could be used as a feasible discovery channel alternative to H^pm rightarrow tau nu .

Light charged Higgs boson scenario in 3-Higgs doublet models

The constraints from the measurements of the [Formula: see text] decay rate on the parameter space of 3-Higgs Doublet Models (3HDMs), where all the doublets have nonzero vacuum expectation values, are studied at the next-to-leading order in QCD. In order to naturally avoid the presence of flavour changing neutral currents at the tree level, we impose two softly-broken discrete [Formula: see text] symmetries. This gives rise to five independent types of 3HDMs that differ in their Yukawa couplings. We show that in all these 3HDMs (including the case of type-II-like Yukawa interactions) both masses of the two charged Higgs bosons [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] can be smaller than the top mass [Formula: see text] while complying with the constraints from [Formula: see text]. As an interesting phenomenological consequence, the branching ratios of the charged Higgs bosons decay into the [Formula: see text] final states can be as large as [Formula: see text] when their masses are taken to be below [Formula: see text] in two of the five 3HDMs (named as Type-Y and Type-Z). This light charged Higgs boson scenario provides a hallmark 3HDM signature that cannot be realised in [Formula: see text] symmetric 2-Higgs doublet models. We find that in the Type-Y and Type-Z 3HDMs the scenario with [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is ruled out by the direct searches at the LHC, but in the Type-Y 3HDM [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is allowed by [Formula: see text] and direct searches at LEP2, Tevatron and LHC due to the reduced sensitivity of these searches to the degenerate case [Formula: see text]. The cases where only one or both charged Higgs bosons are above the top quark mass are also naturally allowed in the both Type-Y and Type-Z 3HDMs.

Constraints on nonstandard intermediate boson exchange models from neutrino-electron scattering

Constraints on couplings of several Beyond Standard Model Physics scenarios, mediated by massive intermediate particles including (1) Extra Z-prime, (2) New Light Spin-1 Boson, and (3) Charged Higgs Boson, are placed via neutrino-electron scattering channel to test Standard Model at low energy-momentum transfer regime. Data on $\bar{\nu}_{e}-e$ and $\nu_{e}-e$ scattering from the TEXONO and LSND Experiments, respectively, are used. Upper bounds to coupling constants of Flavor Conserving and Flavor Violating New Light Spin-1 Boson and Charged Higgs Boson with respect to different mediator masses are determined. The relevant parameter spaces are extended by allowing light mediators. New lower mass limits for extra Z-prime gauge boson models are also placed.

Next-to-leading order corrections to the spin-dependent energy spectrum of hadrons from polarized top quark decay in the general two Higgs doublet model

In recent years, searches for the light and heavy charged Higgs bosons have been done by the ATLAS and the CMS collaborations at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in proton–proton collision. Nevertheless, a definitive search is a program that still has to be carried out at the LHC. The experimental observation of charged Higgs bosons would indicate physics beyond the Standard Model. In the present work, we study the scaled-energy distribution of bottom-flavored mesons (B) inclusively produced in polarized top quark decays into a light charged Higgs boson and a massless bottom quark at next-to-leading order in the two-Higgs-doublet model; t(↑)→bH+→BH++X. This spin-dependent energy distribution is studied in a specific helicity coordinate system where the polarization vector of the top quark is measured with respect to the direction of the Higgs momentum. The study of these energy distributions could be considered as a new channel to search for the charged Higgs bosons at the LHC. For our numerical analysis and phenomenological predictions, we restrict ourselves to the unexcluded regions of the MSSM mH+−tan⁡β parameter space determined by the recent results of the CMS [13] and ATLAS [14] collaborations.

QCD analysis of light charged Higgs production through polarized top quark decay in two different frames

Light and heavy charged Higgs bosons are predicted by many models with an extended Higgs sector such as the two-Higgs-doublet model (2HDM). Searches for the charged Higgs bosons have been done by the ATLAS and the CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in proton-proton collision. However, a definitive search of charged Higgs bosons still has to be carried out by the LHC experiments. The experimental observation of charged Higgs bosons would indicate physics beyond the Standard Model. In the present work we study the mathcal{O}left({alpha}_sright) correction to the energy spectrum of the inclusive bottom-flavored mesons (Xb) in polarized top quark decays into a light charged Higgs boson (mH+< mt) and a massless bottom quark followed by the hadronization process b → Xb in the type-I 2HDM, i.e. t(↑) → H+b → H+Xb +Jet. This spin-dependent energy distribution is studied in two different helicity coordinate systems. This study could be considered as a new channel to indirect search for the charged Higgs bosons. To present our phenomenological predictions, we restrict ourselves to the constraints on the mH+ − tan β parameter space determined by the recent results of the CMS and the ATLAS collaborations.

Charged Higgs pair production at the LHC as a probe of the top-seesaw assisted technicolor model

The top-seesaw assisted technicolor (TC) model, which was proposed recently to accommodate the 126 GeV Higgs mass discovered by the Large Hadron Colliders (LHC), predicts light and heavy charged Higgs bosons in addition to the neutral Higgses. In this paper, we will study the pair productions of the charged Higgs, proceeding through gluon–gluon fusion and quark–antiquark annihilation, at the LHC in the frame of the top-seesaw assisted TC model. We find that in a large part of parameter space the production cross-sections of the light charged Higgs pair at the LHC can be quite large compared with the low standard model backgrounds, while it is impossible for the pair production of the heavy ones to be detected with the strong final mass suppression. Therefore, the light charged Higgs pair production may be served as a probe of this new TC model at the LHC.

Search for a light charged Higgs boson decaying to c s ¯ $$ \mathrm{c}\overline{\mathrm{s}} $$ in pp collisions at s = 8 $$ \sqrt{s}=8 $$ TeV

A search for a light charged Higgs boson, originating from the decay of a top quark and subsequently decaying into a charm quark and a strange antiquark, is presented. The data used in the analysis correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 inverse femtobarns recorded in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The search is performed in the process t t-bar to W+/- b H-/+ b-bar, where the W boson decays to a lepton (electron or muon) and a neutrino. The decays lead to a final state comprising an isolated lepton, at least four jets and large missing transverse energy. No significant deviation is observed in the data with respect to the standard model predictions, and model-independent upper limits are set on the branching fraction B(t to H+ b), ranging from 1.2 to 6.5% for a charged Higgs boson with mass between 90 and 160 GeV, under the assumption that B(H+ to c s-bar) = 100%.

Light charged Higgs bosons to AW/HW via top decay

While current ATLAS and CMS measurements exclude a light charged Higgs ($m_{H^\pm}<160$ GeV) for most of the parameter region in the context of the MSSM scenarios, these bounds are significantly weakened in the Type II 2HDM once the exotic decay channel into a lighter neutral Higgs, $H^\pm \to AW/HW$, is open. In this study, we examine the possibility of a light charged Higgs produced in top decay via single top or top pair production, with the subsequent decay $H^\pm \rightarrow AW/HW$, which can reach a sizable branching fraction at low $\tan\beta$ once it is kinematically permitted. With a detailed collider analysis, we obtain exclusion and discovery bounds for the 14 TeV LHC assuming the existence of a 70 GeV neutral scalar. Assuming ${\rm BR}(H^\pm \rightarrow AW/HW)=100\%$ and ${\rm BR}(A/H \rightarrow \tau\tau)=8.6\%$, the 95% exclusion limits on ${\rm BR}(t \rightarrow H^+ b)$ are about 0.2% and 0.03% for single top and top pair production respectively, with an integrated luminosity of 300 ${\rm fb}^{-1}$. The discovery reaches are about 3 times higher. In the context of the Type II 2HDM, discovery is possible at both large $\tan\beta > 17$ for 155 GeV $< m_{H^\pm} <$ 165 GeV, and small $\tan\beta < 6$ over the entire mass range. Exclusion is possible in the entire $\tan\beta$ versus $m_{H^\pm}$ plane except for charged Higgs masses close to the top threshold. The exotic decay channel $H^\pm \to AW/HW$ is therefore complementary to the conventional $H^\pm \rightarrow \tau\nu$ channel.

Is the CMSeejjexcess a hint for light supersymmetry?

We discuss the impact of additional two-body decays of the right-handed neutrino into a light charged Higgs state on the dilepton plus dijet cross sections from resonant $W'$ production. We consider in particular a supersymmetric left-right symmetric model which predicts such a light charged Higgs boson. We demonstrate that the $eejj$ excess as measured by CMS can be explained best if the $W'$ also has decay modes into Higgsino-like charginos and neutralinos with masses of a few hundred GeV. Provided that this excess is confirmed, the model predicts also one right-handed neutrino with a mass below 200 GeV as well as a doubly charged Higgs boson which should be discovered at the LHC in the near future.

Impact of a four-zero Yukawa texture on h → γγ and γZ in the framework of the Two Higgs Doublet Model Type III

We study the substantial enhancement, with respect to the corresponding Standard Model rates, that can be obtained for the branching ratios of the decay channels $h \to \gamma \gamma$ and $h\to \gamma Z$ within the framework of the Two Higgs Doublet Model Type III, assuming a four-zero Yukawa texture and a general Higgs potential. We show that these processes are very sensitive to the flavor pattern entering the Yukawa texture and to the triple coupling structure of the Higgs potential, both of which impact onto the aforementioned decays. We can accommodate the parameters of the model in such a way to obtain the $h \to \gamma \gamma$ rates reported by the Large Hadron Collider and at the same time we get a $h\to \gamma Z$ fraction much larger than in the Standard Model, indeed within experimental reach. We present some scenarios where this phenomenology is realized for spectrum configurations that are consistent with current constraints. We also discuss the possibility of obtaining a light charged Higgs boson compatible with all such measurements, thereby serving the purpose of providing a hallmark signal of the scenario considered.

Non-decoupling MSSM Higgs sector and light superpartners

In the ``non-decoupling'' region of the Higgs sector in MSSM, the heavier CP-even Higgs boson (H^0) is Standard-Model-like and close to the charged Higgs bosons (H^\pm) in mass, while other neutral Higgs bosons (h^0,A^0) are lighter and near the Z mass. This scenario is consistent with the current Higgs search limits, although the improved sensitivity for a light charged Higgs boson search t -> H^+ b may result in certain degree of tension. We demonstrate that it can pass the stringent flavor constraints, provided there are other light SUSY particles to contribute in the loop induced processes. In turn, the non-decoupling Higgs sector implies the existence of light (left-handed) stop, sbottom and Wino-like gauginos, with mass all below 250 GeV. These light super-partners can still escape the current SUSY searches at the LHC. Dedicated searches for soft decay products should be devised for the LHC experiments to improve the searching sensitivity. The ILC would be able to cover the full spectrum region. The solutions for the viable SUSY parameters result from subtle cancellations and are often missed by the generic multiple dimensional scans, highlighting the importance of theoretical guidance in search for such special cases.

Charged Higgs boson production in single top mode at the LHC

The main production mode for a light charged Higgs boson at the LHC is pp → tt̄, with one the top-quarks decaying to a charged Higgs and a b-quark. However, single top production also gives rise to final states with charged Higgs bosons. In this work we analyse how the two processes compare at the LHC@14TeV. We will be working in the framework of the two-Higgs double model, considering both a CP-conserving and a CP-violating version of the model. We conclude that the single top mode could help to constrain the parameter space in several versions of the model. We also discuss the role of other complementary production processes in future searches at the LHC.

Off-diagonal terms in Yukawa textures of the Type-III 2-Higgs doublet model and light charged Higgs boson phenomenology

We discuss flavor-violating constraints and consequently possible charged Higgs boson phenomenology emerging from a four-zero Yukawa texture embedded within the Type-III 2-Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM-III). Firstly, we show in detail how we can obtain several kinds of 2HDMs when some parameters in the Yukawa texture are absent. Secondly, we present a comprehensive study of the main B-physics constraints on such parameters induced by flavor-changing processes, in particular on the off-diagonal terms of such a texture: i.e., from $\mu -e$ universality in $\tau$ decays, several leptonic B-decays ($B \to \tau \nu$, $D \to \mu \nu$ and $D_s \to {l} \nu$), the semi-leptonic transition $B\to D \tau \nu$, plus $B \to X_s \gamma$, including $B^0-\bar B^0$ mixing, $B_s \to \mu^+ \mu^-$ and the radiative decay $Z\to b \bar{b}$. Thirdly, having selected the surviving 2HDM-III parameter space, we show that the $H^- c \bar{b}$ coupling can be very large over sizable expanses of it, in fact, a very different situation with respect to 2HDMs with a flavor discrete symmetry (i.e., ${\mathcal{Z}}_2$) and very similar to the case of the Aligned-2HDM (A2HDM) as well as of models with three or more Higgs doublets. Fourthly, we study in detail the ensuing $H^\pm$ phenomenology at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), chiefly the $c\bar b \to H^+$ production mode and the $H^+\to c\bar b$ decay channel while assuming $\tau^+\nu_\tau$ decays in the former and $t\to bH^+$ production in the latter, showing that significant scope exists in both cases.

Single top events as a source of light charged Higgs in the fully hadronic final state at LHC

The single top production proceeds through different channels at LHC. The t-channel production which has a cross section at the level of one third of the ttbar, can be regarded as a source of light charged Higgs boson through top quark decay to charged Higgs. Due to the low jet multiplicity and characteristic kinematic features of this process, a signal selection can be designed to extract charged Higgs signal from the background processes. In this paper, taking MSSM as the theoretical framework, The light charged Higgs signal from single top events is analyzed. The charged Higgs is assumed to decay to tau nu and the hadronic decay of tau leptons is analyzed. Different charged Higgs mass hypotheses are analyzed and a scan over the parameter space (mH+,tanbeta) is performed. It is shown that this process has the potential to exclude large areas of parameter space, while with enough data, a 5 sigma discovery would also be possible. Finally 95% C.L. exclusion and 5 sigma contours are provided for different integrated luminosities of LHC.

Trilepton signatures of light charged and CP-odd Higgs bosons in top quark decays

In singlet extensions of the two Higgs doublet model, a light CP-odd Higgs boson (A) can significantly modify decay modes of the charged Higgs, without necessarily affecting decay modes of the standard model-like Higgs boson. These effects can be sizable even if the doublet component of the light CP-odd Higgs is small, so that constraints from Upsilon decays and direct CP-odd Higgs production do not apply. We study a scenario in which the charged Higgs is produced in top quark decays, t -> H+ b, with dominant H+ -> W A. We focus on the CP-odd Higgs mass range below the bb threshold. We summarize all current experimental constraints and find that, as a result of H+ -> W A dominance, this scenario is not constrained in a large region of tan(beta), mH+, and CP-odd Higgs doublet component. We discuss search strategies based on A -> tau tau, with both taus decaying leptonically, and on the subleading decay mode A -> mu mu. We show that a search for t -> H+ b, H+ -> W A, A -> mu mu in 20 fb^-1 of 8 TeV LHC data can constrain most of the currently allowed parameter space. Existing trilepton searches are not sensitive to this signal due to the adopted isolation criteria.