Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model Parameter Space Research Articles

Improved {(g-2)_mu } measurements and wino/higgsino dark matter

The electroweak (EW) sector of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) can account for a variety of experimental data. In particular it can explain the persistent 3-4,sigma discrepancy between the experimental result for the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, (g-2)_mu , and its Standard Model (SM) prediction. The lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP), which we take as the lightest neutralino, {tilde{chi }}_{1}^0, can furthermore account for the observed Dark Matter (DM) content of the universe via coannihilation with the next-to-LSP (NLSP), while being in agreement with negative results from Direct Detection (DD) experiments. Concerning the unsuccessful searches for EW particles at the LHC, owing to relatively small production cross-sections a comparably light EW sector of the MSSM is in full agreement with the experimental data. The DM relic density can fully be explained by a mixed bino/wino LSP. Here we take the relic density as an upper bound, which opens up the possibility of wino and higgsino DM. We first analyze which mass ranges of neutralinos, charginos and scalar leptons are in agreement with all experimental data, including relevant LHC searches. We find roughly an upper limit of sim 600 ,, mathrm {GeV} for the LSP and NLSP masses. In a second step we assume that the new result of the Run 1 of the “MUON G-2” collaboration at Fermilab yields a precision comparable to the existing experimental result with the same central value. We analyze the potential impact of the combination of the Run 1 data with the existing (g-2)_mu data on the allowed MSSM parameter space. We find that in this case the upper limits on the LSP and NLSP masses are substantially reduced by roughly 100 ,, mathrm {GeV}. We interpret these upper bounds in view of future HL-LHC EW searches as well as future high-energy e^+e^- colliders, such as the ILC or CLIC.

Searching for heavy Higgs in supersymmetric final states at the LHC

In this work, we analyse and demonstrate possible strategies to explore extended Higgs sector of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). In particular we concentrate on heavy Higgs decays to electroweakinos. We analyse the Higgs to electroweakino decays in the allowed MSSM parameter space after taking into account 13 TeV LHC searches for supersymmetric particles and phenomenological constraints such as flavour physics, Higgs measurements and dark matter constraints. We explore some novel aspects of these Higgs decays. The final states resulting from Higgs to electroweakino decays will have backgrounds arising from the Standard Model as well as direct electroweakino production at the LHC. We demonstrate explicit kinematical differences between Higgs to electroweakino decays and associated backgrounds. Furthermore, we demonstrate for a few specific example points, optimised analysis search strategies at the high luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) run. Finally, we comment on possible search strategies for heavy Higgs decays to exotic final states, where the lightest chargino is long lived and leads to a disappearing track at the LHC.

Improved (g-2)_mu measurements and supersymmetry

The electroweak (EW) sector of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) can account for variety of experimental data. The lighest supersymmetric particle (LSP), which we take as the lightest neutralino, {tilde{chi }}_{1}^0, can account for the observed Dark Matter (DM) content of the universe via coannihilation with the next-to-LSP (NLSP), while being in agreement with negative results from Direct Detection (DD) experiments. Owing to relatively small production cross-sections a comparably light EW sector of the MSSM is also in agreement with the unsuccessful searches at the LHC. Most importantly, the EW sector of the MSSM can account for the persistent 3-4,sigma discrepancy between the experimental result for the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, (g-2)_mu , and its Standard Model (SM) prediction. Under the assumption that the {tilde{chi }}_{1}^0 provides the full DM relic abundance we first analyze which mass ranges of neutralinos, charginos and scalar leptons are in agreement with all experimental data, including relevant LHC searches. We find an upper limit of sim 600 ,, mathrm {GeV} for the LSP and NLSP masses. In a second step we assume that the new result of the Run 1 of the “MUON G-2” collaboration at Fermilab yields a precision comparable to the existing experimental result with the same central value. We analyze the potential impact of the combination of the Run 1 data with the existing (g-2)_mu data on the allowed MSSM parameter space. We find that in this case the upper limits on the LSP and NLSP masses are substantially reduced by roughly 100 ,, mathrm {GeV}. This would yield improved upper limits on these masses of sim 500 ,, mathrm {GeV}. In this way, a clear target could be set for future LHC EW searches, as well as for future high-energy e^+e^- colliders, such as the ILC or CLIC.

HL-LHC and ILC sensitivities in the hunt for heavy Higgs bosons

The prediction of additional Higgs bosons is one of the key features of physics beyond the Standard Model (SM) that gives rise to an extended Higgs sector. We assess the sensitivity of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in the high luminosity (HL) run alone and in combination with a possible future International Linear Collider (ILC) to probe heavy neutral Higgs bosons. We employ the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) as a framework and assume the light mathcal {CP}-even MSSM Higgs boson to be the Higgs boson observed at 125,mathrm{GeV}. We discuss the constraints on the MSSM parameter space arising from the precision measurements of the rates of the detected signal at 125,mathrm{GeV} and from direct searches for new heavy Higgs bosons in the tau ^+tau ^-, bbar{b} and di-Higgs (hh) final states. A new benchmark scenario for heavy Higgs searches in the bbar{b} channel is proposed in this context. For the future Higgs rate measurements at the HL-LHC and ILC two different scenarios are investigated, namely the case where the future rate measurements agree with the SM prediction and the case where the rates agree with the predictions of possible realizations of the MSSM Higgs sector in nature.

Closing in on the Wino LSP via trilepton searches at the LHC

The neutralino dark matter (DM) predicted by the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) has been probed in several search modes at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), one of the leading ones among which is the trilepton plus missing transverse momentum channel. The experimental analysis of this mode has, however, been designed to probe mainly a bino-like DM, originating in the decays of a pair of next-to-lightest neutralino and lightest chargino, both of which are assumed to be wino-like. In this study, we analyse how this trilepton channel can be tuned for probing also the wino-like DM. We note that, while the mentioned standard production mode generally leads to a relatively poor sensitivity for the wino-like DM, there are regions in the MSSM parameter space where the net yield in the trilepton final state can be substantially enhanced at the LHC with sqrt{s}=14 TeV. This is achieved by taking into account also an alternative channel, pair-production of the wino-like DM itself in association with the heavier chargino, and optimisation of the kinematical cuts currently employed by the LHC collaborations. In particular, we find that the cut on the transverse mass of the third lepton highly suppresses both the signal channels and should therefore be discarded in this DM scenario. We perform a detailed detector-level study of some selected parameter space points that are consistent with the most important experimental constraints, including the recent ones from the direct and indirect DM detection facilities. Our analysis demonstrates the high complementarity of the two channels, with their combined significance reaching above 4σ for a wino-like DM mass around 100 GeV, with an integrated luminosity as low as 100 fb−1.

The impact of two-loop effects on the scenario of MSSM Higgs alignment without decoupling

In multi-Higgs models, the properties of one neutral scalar state approximate those of the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson in a limit where the corresponding scalar field is roughly aligned in field space with the scalar doublet vacuum expectation value. In a scenario of alignment without decoupling, a SM-like Higgs boson can be accompanied by additional scalar states whose masses are of a similar order of magnitude. In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), alignment without decoupling can be achieved due to an accidental cancellation of tree-level and radiative loop-level effects. In this paper we assess the impact of the leading two-loop mathcal{O}(alpha _s h_t^2) corrections on the Higgs alignment condition in the MSSM. These corrections are sizable and important in the relevant regions of parameter space and furthermore give rise to solutions of the alignment condition that are not present in the approximate one-loop description. We provide a comprehensive numerical comparison of the alignment condition obtained in the approximate one-loop and two-loop approximations, and discuss its implications for phenomenologically viable regions of the MSSM parameter space.

Vacuum stability with the effective six-pointed couplings of the Higgs bosons in the heavy supersymmetry

Consistent and phenomenologically successful scenarios of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) include the Higgs potential which is positively defined at large fields and has two minima, one of them is true and stable vacuum in which we live. However, the effective terms of the MSSM potential which appear at a loop level can spoil the vacuum stability leading to a metastable or unstable vacuum configurations. Such a situation is analysed and the general necessary conditions of vacuum stability in the MSSM parameter space are imposed. For a majority of the MSSM “benchmark scenarios” which are used for reconstruction of production channels at the LHC, the effective potential is found to be always stable, except light stop and τ -phobic scenarios.

Measuring the trilinear neutral Higgs boson couplings in the minimal supersymmetric standard model at e+e− colliders in the light of the discovery of a Higgs boson

We consider the measurement of the trilinear couplings of the neutral Higgs bosons in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) at a high energy [Formula: see text] linear collider in the light of the discovery of a Higgs boson at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We identify the state observed at the LHC with the lightest Higgs boson [Formula: see text] of the MSSM, and impose the constraints following from this identification, as well as other experimental constraints on the MSSM parameter space. In order to measure trilinear neutral Higgs couplings, we consider different processes where the heavier Higgs boson [Formula: see text] of the MSSM is produced in electron–positron collisions, which subsequently decays into a pair of lighter Higgs boson. We identify the regions of the MSSM parameter space where it may be possible to measure the trilinear couplings of the Higgs boson at a future electron–positron collider. A measurement of the trilinear Higgs couplings is a crucial step in the construction of the Higgs potential, and hence in establishing the phenomena of spontaneous symmetry breaking in gauge theories.

Status of the 98–125 GeV Higgs bosons scenario with updated LHC-8 data

In the context of minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM), we discuss the possibility of the lightest Higgs boson with mass $M_h = 98 $ GeV to be consistent with the $2.3\sigma$ excess observed at the LEP in the decay mode $e^+e^- \to Zh$, with $h \to b {\bar b}$. In the same region of the MSSM parameter space, the heavier Higgs boson $(H)$ with mass $M_H \sim 125 $ GeV is required to be consistent with the latest data on Higgs coupling measurements at the end of 7 + 8 TeV LHC run with $25{\rm fb}^{-1}$ of data. While scanning the MSSM parameter space, we impose constraints coming from flavour physics, relic density of the cold dark matter as well as direct dark matter searches. We study the possibility of observing this light Higgs boson in vector boson fusion process and associated production with $W/Z$ boson at the high luminosity $(3000~{\rm fb}^{-1})$ run of the 14 TeV LHC. Our analysis shows that this scenario can hardly be ruled out even at the high luminosity run of the LHC. However, the precise measurement of the Higgs signal strength ratios can play a major role to distinguish this scenario from the canonical MSSM one.

MSSM Dark Matter in Light of Higgs and LUX Results

The constraints imposed on the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) parameter space by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Higgs mass limit and gluino mass lower bound are revisited. We also analyze the thermal relic abundance of lightest neutralino, which is the Lightest Supersymmetric Particle (LSP). We show that the combined LHC and relic abundance constraints rule out most of the MSSM parameter space except a very narrow region with very largetan⁡β (~50). Within this region, we emphasize that the spin-independent scattering cross section of the LSP with a proton is less than the latest Large Underground Xenon (LUX) limit by at least two orders of magnitude. Finally, we argue that nonthermal Dark Matter (DM) scenario may relax the constraints imposed on the MSSM parameter space. Namely, the following regions are obtained:m0≃O(4) TeV andm1/2≃600 GeV for lowtan⁡β (~10);m0~m1/2≃O(1) TeV orm0≃O(4) TeV andm1/2≃700 GeV for largetan⁡β (~50).

Erratum: Vacuum stability of the effective Higgs potential in the minimal supersymmetric standard model [Phys. Rev. D90, 035025 (2014)

The parameters of the Higgs potential of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) receive large radiative corrections which lift the mass of the lightest Higgs boson to the measured value of 126 GeV. Depending on the MSSM parameters, these radiative corrections may also lead to the situation that the local minimum corresponding to the electroweak vacuum state is not the global minimum of the Higgs potential. We analyze the stability of the vacuum for the case of heavy squark masses as favored by current LHC data. To this end we first consider an effective Lagrangian obtained by integrating out the heavy squarks and then study the MSSM one-loop effective potential V_eff, which comprises all higher-dimensional Higgs couplings of the effective Lagrangian. We find that only the second method gives correct results and argue that the criterion of vacuum stability should be included in phenomenological analyses of the allowed MSSM parameter space. Discussing the cases of squark masses of 1 and 2 TeV we show that the criterion of vacuum stability excludes a portion of the MSSM parameter space in which (mu tanbeta) and A_t are large.

Invisible decays of the heavier Higgs boson in the minimal supersymmetric standard model

We consider the possibility that the heavier CP-even Higgs boson~($H^0$) in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) decays invisibly into neutralinos in the light of the recent discovery of the 126 GeV resonance at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). For this purpose we consider the minimal supersymmetric standard model with universal, non-universal and arbitrary boundary conditions on the supersymmetry breaking gaugino mass parameters at the grand unified scale. Typically, scenarios with universal and nonuniversal gaugino masses do not allow invisible decays of the lightest Higgs boson~($h^0$), which is identified with the $126$ GeV resonance, into the lightest neutralinos in the MSSM. With arbitrary gaugino masses at the grand unified scale such an invisible decay is possible. The second lightest Higgs boson can decay into various invisible final states for a considerable region of the MSSM parameter space with arbitrary gaugino masses as well as with the gaugino masses restricted by universal and nonuniversal boundary conditions at the grand unified scale.The possibility of the second lightest Higgs boson of the MSSM decaying into invisible channels is more likely for arbitrary gaugino masses at the grand unified scale. The heavier Higgs boson decay into lighter particles leads to the intriguing possibility that the entire Higgs boson spectrum of the MSSM may be visible at the LHC even if it decays invisibly, during the searches for an extended Higgs boson sector at the LHC. In such a scenario the nonobservation of the extended Higgs sector of the MSSM may carefully be used to rule out regions of the MSSM parameter space at the LHC.

Dark matter in split SUSY with intermediate higgses

The searches for heavy Higgs bosons and supersymmetric (SUSY) particles at the LHC have left the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) with an unusual spectrum of SUSY particles, namely, all squarks are beyond a few TeV while the Higgs bosons other than the one observed at 125 GeV could be relatively light. In light of this, we study a scenario characterized by two scales: the SUSY breaking scale or the squark-mass scale $(M_S)$ and the heavy Higgs-boson mass scale $(M_A)$.We perform a survey of the MSSM parameter space with $M_S < 10^{10}$ GeV and $M_A < 10^4$ GeV such that the lightest Higgs boson mass is within the range of the observed Higgs boson as well as satisfying a number of constraints. The set of constraints include the invisible decay width of the $Z$ boson and that of the Higgs boson, the chargino-mass limit, dark matter relic abundance from Planck, the spin-independent cross section of direct detection by LUX, and gamma-ray flux from dwarf spheroidal galaxies and gamma-ray line constraints measured by Fermi LAT. Survived regions of parameter space feature the dark matter with correct relic abundance, which is achieved through either coannihilation with charginos, $A/H$ funnels, or both. We show that future measurements, e.g., XENON1T and LZ, of spin-independent cross sections can further squeeze the parameter space.

SM and MSSM [formula omitted] in ATLAS

After the discovery of a Higgs boson at the LHC in γγ, ZZ and WW final states in 2012, the ATLAS collaboration also observes an excess of data over the predicted background in ττ final states, which is consistent with the decay of the discovered Higgs boson with mH≈125 GeV. With an observed (expected) significance of 4.1σ (3.2σ), this is evidence for the coupling of this Higgs boson to fermions. The multivariate analysis of a dataset corresponding to 20.3 fb−1 of pp collisions at s=8 TeV is presented together with a separate cut-based analysis of the same dataset searching for h/H/A→τ+τ− decays in the context of the Minimal Super-Symmetric Standard Model (MSSM). No excess of data over the expected backgrounds is observed in this search for additional Higgs bosons, and exclusion limits on the production cross section times branching fraction are derived and interpreted in the MSSM parameter space for different scenarios.

One-loop corrections to neutralino-stop coannihilation revisited

We discuss the ${\cal O}(\alpha_s)$ supersymmetric QCD corrections to neutralino-stop coannihilation into a top quark and a gluon in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). This particular channel can be numerically important in wide ranges of the MSSM parameter space with rather light stops. We discuss technical details such as the renormalization scheme and the phase-space slicing method with two cutoffs. We also comment on improvements with respect to earlier works on the given process. Further, we study for the first time the phenomenologically very interesting interplay of neutralino-stop coannihilation with neutralino-pair annihilation into quark pairs taking the full next-to-leading order SUSY-QCD corrections into account. We demonstrate that the numerical impact of these corrections on the total (co)annihilation cross section and finally on the theoretically predicted neutralino relic density is significant.

Complementarity between nonstandard Higgs boson searches and precision Higgs boson measurements in the MSSM

Precision measurements of the Higgs boson properties at the LHC provide relevant constraints on possible weak-scale extensions of the Standard Model (SM). In the context of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) these constraints seem to suggest that all the additional, non-SM-like Higgs bosons should be heavy, with masses larger than about 400 GeV. This article shows that such results do not hold when the theory approaches the conditions for "alignment independent of decoupling", where the lightest CP-even Higgs boson has SM-like tree-level couplings to fermions and gauge bosons, independently of the non-standard Higgs boson masses. The combination of current bounds from direct Higgs boson searches at the LHC, along with the alignment conditions, have a significant impact on the allowed MSSM parameter space yielding light additional Higgs bosons. In particular, after ensuring the correct mass for the lightest CP-even Higgs boson, we find that precision measurements and direct searches are complementary, and may soon be able to probe the region of non-SM-like Higgs boson with masses below the top quark pair mass threshold of 350 GeV and low to moderate values of $\tan\beta$.

Search for neutral Higgs bosons of the minimal supersymmetric standard model in pp collisions at s = 8 $$ \sqrt{s}=8 $$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for the neutral Higgs bosons predicted by the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) is reported. The analysis is performed on data from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The samples used for this search were collected in 2012 and correspond to integrated luminosities in the range 19.5-20.3 fb−1. The MSSM Higgs bosons are searched for in the τ τ final state. No significant excess over the expected background is observed, and exclusion limits are derived for the production cross section times branching fraction of a scalar particle as a function of its mass. The results are also interpreted in the MSSM parameter space for various benchmark scenarios.

Vacuum stability of the effective Higgs potential in the minimal supersymmetric standard model

The parameters of the Higgs potential of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) receive large radiative corrections which lift the mass of the lightest Higgs boson to the measured value of 126 GeV. Depending on the MSSM parameters, these radiative corrections may also lead to the situation that the local minimum corresponding to the electroweak vacuum state is not the global minimum of the Higgs potential. We analyze the stability of the vacuum for the case of heavy squark masses as favored by current LHC data. To this end we first consider an effective Lagrangian obtained by integrating out the heavy squarks and then study the MSSM one-loop effective potential V_eff, which comprises all higher-dimensional Higgs couplings of the effective Lagrangian. We find that only the second method gives correct results and argue that the criterion of vacuum stability should be included in phenomenological analyses of the allowed MSSM parameter space. Discussing the cases of squark masses of 1 and 2 TeV we show that the criterion of vacuum stability excludes a portion of the MSSM parameter space in which (mu tanbeta) and A_t are large.

Indirect probes of the MSSM after the Higgs discovery

AbstractWe study the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) with minimal flavor violation (MFV), imposing constraints from flavor physics observables and MSSM Higgs searches, in light of the recent discovery of a 125 GeV Higgs boson by ATLAS and CMS. We analyze the electroweak vacuum stability conditions to further restrict the MSSM parameter space. In addition, a connection to ultraviolet physics is shown via an implementation of renormalization group running, which determines the TeV-scale spectrum from a small set of minimal supergravity parameters. Finally, we investigate the impact from dark matter direct detection searches. Our work highlights the complementarity of collider, flavor and dark matter probes in exploring the MSSM, and shows that even in a MFV framework, flavor observables constrain the MSSM parameter space well beyond the current reach of direct SUSY particle searches.

Squarks Decay into Quarks and Gluinos in the MSSM with Complex Parameters

We discuss the decay of squarks (stop and sbottom) into quarks (top and bottom) and gluinos in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) with complex parameters $A_t$, $A_b$. The analytical and numerical results for the decay widths are given. We show that the effect of these CP phases on the decay widths of stop and sbottom decay can be quite significant in a large region of the MSSM parameter space. SUSY-QCD corrections to the decay widths have been included.