Order Electroweak Phase Transition Research Articles

Strong first order electroweak phase transition in 2HDM confronting future Z & Higgs factories

The electroweak phase transition can be made first order by extending the Standard Model (SM) Higgs sector with extra scalars. The same new physics can explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe by supplying an extra source of CP violation and sphaleron processes. In this paper we study the existence of strong first order electroweak phase transition (SFOEWPT) in the type-I and type-II two Higgs doublet models (2HDM). We focus on how the SFOEWPT requirements constraint the spectrum of non-SM Higgs. Through the parameter space scan, we find that SFOEWPT suggests an upper limit on the masses of heavy Higgs {m}_{A/H/{H}^{pm }} , which is around 1 TeV. High temperature expansion and Higgs vacuum uplifting is used for an analytical understanding of our results. After taking into account the probe ability on SFOEWPT from theoretical constraints, Higgs and Z-pole precision measurements up to the one-loop level at future Higgs & Z factories, sizeable loop corrections require {m}_{A/{H}^{pm }}-{m}_H ∈ (100, 250) GeV to meet SFOEWPT condition for Type-II 2HDM, and left|{m}_{A/{H}^{pm }}-{m}_Hright| ∈ (100, 350) GeV or left|{m}_A-{m}_{H/{H}^{pm }}right| ∈ (100, 350) GeV for Type-I 2HDM.

Probing electroweak phase transition with multi-TeV muon colliders and gravitational waves

We study the complementarity of the proposed multi-TeV muon colliders and the near-future gravitational wave (GW) detectors to the first order electroweak phase transition (FOEWPT), taking the real scalar extended Standard Model as the representative model. A detailed collider simulation shows the FOEWPT parameter space can be greatly probed via the vector boson fusion production of the singlet, and its subsequent decay to the di-Higgs or di-boson channels. Especially, almost all the parameter space yielding detectable GW signals can be probed by the muon colliders. Therefore, if we could detect stochastic GWs in the future, a muon collider could provide a hopeful crosscheck to identify their origin. On the other hand, there is considerable parameter space that escapes GW detections but is within the reach of the muon colliders. The precision measurements of Higgs couplings could also probe the FOEWPT parameter space efficiently.

Nucleation is more than critical: A case study of the electroweak phase transition in the NMSSM

Electroweak baryogenesis is an attractive mechanism to generate the baryon asymmetry of the Universe via a strong first order electroweak phase transition. We compare the phase transition patterns suggested by the vacuum structure at the critical temperatures, at which local minima are degenerate, with those obtained from computing the probability for nucleation via tunneling through the barrier separating local minima. Heuristically, nucleation becomes difficult if the barrier between the local minima is too high, or if the distance (in field space) between the minima is too large. As an example of a model exhibiting such behavior, we study the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, whose scalar sector contains two SU(2) doublets and one gauge singlet. We find that the calculation of the nucleation probabilities prefers different regions of parameter space for a strong first order electroweak phase transition than the calculation based solely on the critical temperatures. Our results demonstrate that analyzing only the vacuum structure via the critical temperatures can provide a misleading picture of the phase transition patterns, and, in turn, of the parameter space suitable for electroweak baryogenesis.

Dark matter, electroweak phase transition, and gravitational waves in the type II two-Higgs-doublet model with a singlet scalar field

In the framework of type-II two-Higgs-doublet model with a singlet scalar dark matter $S$, we study the dark matter observables, the electroweak phase transition, and the gravitational wave signals by such strongly first order phase transition after imposing the constraints of the LHC Higgs data. We take the heavy CP-even Higgs $H$ as the only portal between the dark matter and SM sectors, and find the LHC Higgs data and dark matter observables require $m_S$ and $m_H$ to be larger than 130 GeV and 360 GeV for $m_A=600$ GeV in the case of the 125 GeV Higgs with the SM-like coupling. Next, we carve out some parameter space where a strongly first order electroweak phase transition can be achieved, and find benchmark points for which the amplitudes of gravitational wave spectra reach the sensitivities of the future gravitational wave detectors.

Observable gravitational waves in minimal scotogenic model

We scrutinise the widely studied minimal scotogenic model of dark matter (DM) and radiative neutrino mass from the requirement of a strong first order electroweak phase transition (EWPT) and observable gravitational waves at future planned space based experiments. The scalar DM scenario is similar to inert scalar doublet extension of standard model where a strong first order EWPT favours a portion of the low mass regime of DM which is disfavoured by the latest direct detection bounds. In the fermion DM scenario, we get newer region of parameter space which favours strong first order EWPT as the restriction on mass ordering within inert scalar doublet gets relaxed. While such leptophilic fermion DM remains safe from stringent direct detection bounds, newly allowed low mass regime of charged scalar can leave tantalising signatures at colliders and can also induce charged lepton flavour violation within reach of future experiments. While we get such new region of parameter space satisfying DM relic, strong first order EWPT with detectable gravitational waves, light neutrino mass and other relevant constraints, we also improve upon previous analysis in similar model by incorporating appropriate resummation effects in effective finite temperature potential.

Connecting the electroweak sphaleron with gravitational waves

We present the relation between the sphaleron energy and the gravitational wave signals from a first order electroweak phase transition. The crucial ingredient is the scaling law between the sphaleron energy at the temperature of the phase transition and that at zero temperature. We estimate the baryon number preservation criterion, and observe that for a sufficiently strong phase transition, it is possible to probe the electroweak sphaleron using measurements of future space-based gravitational wave detectors.

Electroweak phase transition in non-minimal Higgs sectors

Higgs sector extensions beyond the Standard Model (BSM) provide additional sources of CP violation and further scalar states that help to trigger a strong first order electroweak phase transition (SFOEWPT) required to generate the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe through electroweak baryogenesis. We investigate the CP-violating 2-Higgs-Doublet Model (C2HDM) and the Next-to-Minimal 2-Higgs-Doublet Model (N2HDM) with respect to their potential to generate an SFOEWPT while being compatible with all relevant and recent theoretical and experimental constraints. The implications of an SFOEWPT on the collider phenomenology of the two models are analysed in detail in particular with respect to Higgs pair production. We provide benchmark points for parameter points that are compatible with an SFOEWPT and provide distinct di-Higgs signatures.

Dynamics of Electroweak Phase Transition in the 3-3-1-1 Model

The bubble nucleation in the framework of 3-3-1-1 model is studied. Previous studies show that first order electroweak phase transition occurs in two periods. In this paper we evaluate the bubble nucleation temperature throughout the parameter space. Using the stringent condition for bubble nucleation formation we find that in the first period, symmetry breaking from \(SU(3)\rightarrow SU(2)\), the bubble is formed at the nucleation temperature $T=150$ GeV and the lower bound of the scalar mass is 600 GeV. In the second period, symmetry breaking from \((SU(2)\rightarrow U(1)\), only subcritical bubbles are formed. This constraint eliminates the electroweak baryon genesis in the second period of the model.

Strong first order electroweak phase transition in gauge-Higgs unification at finite temperature

We analyze the electroweak phase transition at finite temperature in a model of gauge-Higgs unification where the fermion mass hierarchy including top quark mass, a viable electroweak symmetry breaking and an observed Higgs mass are successfully reproduced. To study the phase transition, we derive the general formula of the 1-loop effective potential at finite temperature by using the $\zeta$ function regularization method. It is remarkable that the functions determining the Kaluza-Klein mass spectrum have only to be necessary in calculations. This potential can be applicable to any higher dimensional theory in flat space where one extra spatial dimension is compactified. Applying to our model of gauge-Higgs unification, the strong first phase transition compatible with 125 GeV Higgs mass is found to happen.

Electroweak phase transition with composite Higgs models: calculability, gravitational waves and collider searches

We study the strong first order electroweak phase transition (SFOEWPT) with the SO(6)/SO(5) composite Higgs model, whose scalar sector contains one Higgs doublet and one real singlet. Six benchmark models are built with fermion embeddings in 1, 6, and 15 of SO(6). We show that SFOEWPT cannot be triggered under the minimal Higgs potential hypothesis, which assumes the scalar potential is dominated by the form factors from the lightest composite resonances. To get a SFOEWPT, the contributions from local operators induced by physics above the cutoff scale are needed. We take the 6 + 6 model as an example to investigate the gravitational waves prediction and the related collider phenomenology.

Probing a scalar singlet-catalyzed electroweak phase transition with resonant di-Higgs boson production in the 4b channel

We investigate the prospective reach of the 14 TeV HL-LHC for resonant production of a heavy Higgs boson that decays to two SM-like Higgs bosons in the $4b$ final state in the scalar singlet extended Standard Model. We focus on the reach for choices of parameters yielding a strong first order electroweak phase transition. The event selection follows the $4b$ analysis by the ATLAS Collaboration, enhanced with the use of a boosted decision tree method to optimize the discrimination between signal and background events. The output of the multivariate discriminant is used directly in the statistical analysis. The prospective reach of the $4b$ channel is compatible with previous projections for the $bb\gamma\gamma$ and $4\tau$ channels for heavy Higgs boson mass $m_2$ below 500 GeV and superior to these channels for $m_2 > 500$ GeV. With 3 ab$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity, it is possible to discover the heavy Higgs boson in the $4b$ channel for $m_2< 500$ GeV in regions of parameter space yielding a strong first order electroweak phase transition and satisfying all other phenomenological constraints.

Electroweak baryogenesis with vector-like leptons and scalar singlets

We investigate the viability of electroweak baryogenesis in a model with a first order electroweak phase transition induced by the addition of two gauge singlet scalars. A vector-like lepton doublet is introduced in order to provide CP violating interactions with the singlets and Standard Model leptons, and the asymmetry generation dynamics are examined using the vacuum expectation value insertion approximation. We find that such a model is readily capable of generating sufficient baryon asymmetry while satisfying electron electric dipole moment and collider phenomenology constraints.

Revisiting electroweak phase transition with varying Yukawa coupling constants

We revisited the scenario of electroweak baryogenesis in the presence of large Yukawa couplings, in which it was found previously that a strongly first order electroweak phase transition can occur with the Higgs mass at its observed value of 125 GeV. Given the sensitivity of the running of the Higgs quartic coupling on the Yukawa coupling constants, we find that the addition of order one Yukawa couplings beyond the top quark drastically lowers the scale at which the Higgs potential becomes unstable. Specifically, even with only one additional order one Yukawa coupling, the scalar potential becomes unstable already at the TeV scale, assuming the Standard Model values for the Higgs sector parameters at the electroweak scale. Furthermore, by assuming the Standard Model values for the Higgs sector parameters at the TeV scale, the quartic coupling constant is driven to be larger than its Standard Model value at the electroweak scale. This in turn predicts a much lighter Higgs mass than the measured value of 125 GeV. In this scenario, the strength of the electroweak phase transition is also significantly weakened.

Signs of heavy Higgs bosons at CLIC: an e^+ e^- road to the electroweak phase transition

We analyse the sensitivity of the proposed compact linear collider (CLIC) to the existence of beyond the standard model (SM) Higgs bosons through their decays into pairs of massive gauge bosons H rightarrow VV and SM-like Higgses H rightarrow hh, considering CLIC centre of mass energies sqrt{s} = 1.4 TeV and 3 TeV. We find that resonant di-Higgs searches at CLIC would allow for up to two orders of magnitude improvement w.r.t. the sensitivity achievable by HL-LHC in the mass range m_H in [250,mathrm {GeV},, 1 ,mathrm {TeV}]. Focusing then on a real singlet extension of the SM, we explore the prospects of heavy Higgs searches at CLIC for probing the regions of parameter space yielding a strongly first order electroweak phase transition that could generate the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe. Our study illustrates the complementarity between CLIC and other possible future colliders like FCC-ee in probing singlet extensions of the SM, and shows that high-energy e^+ e^- colliders provide a powerful means to unravel the nature of electroweak symmetry breaking in the early Universe.

Two Electro-weak Phases in the \(SU(2)_1 \otimes SU(2)_2 \otimes U(1)_Y\) Model

Our analysis shows that SM-like electroweak phase transition (EWPT) in the \(SU(2)_1 \otimes SU(2)_2 \otimes U(1)_Y\) (2-2-1) model is a first-order phase transition at the $200$ GeV scale, enough for baryogenesis. This first order EWPT is described by a non-smooth correlation length function. The second VEV is larger than 1.1 TeV in a two-stage EWPT senarino.

Multistep strongly first order phase transitions from new fermions at the TeV scale

In spite of the vast literature on the subject of first order Electroweak Phase Transitions (EWPTs), which can provide the necessary conditions for generating the Baryon Asymmetry in the Universe, fermion-induced EWPTs still remain a rather uncharted territory. In this paper, we consider a simple fermionic extension of the Standard Model involving one $SU(2)_L$ doublet and two $SU(2)_L$ singlet Vector-Like Leptons, strongly coupled to the Higgs boson and with masses close to the TeV scale. We show how such a simple scenario can give rise to a non-trivial thermal history of the Universe, involving strongly first order multistep phase transitions occurring at temperatures close to the electroweak scale. Finally, we investigate the distinct Gravitational Wave (GW) signatures of these phase transitions at future space--based GW detectors, such as LISA, DECIGO, and BBO, and briefly discuss the possible LHC signatures of the Vector-Like Leptons.

Higgs inflation and cosmological electroweak phase transition with N scalars in the post-Higgs era

We study inflation and cosmological electroweak phase transitions utilizing the Standard model augmented by $N$ scalars respecting a global $O(N)$ symmetry. We observe that the representation of the global symmetry is restricted by the inflationary observables and the condition of a strongly first order electroweak phase transition. Theoretical constraints including the stability, perturbativity and unitarity are used to bound the model parameter space. The Electroweak precision observables and Higgs precisions limit the representation of the symmetry. We evaluate the possibility to simultaneously address the inflation and the dark matter after considering the experimental constraints from the future leptonic colliders. When the $O (N)$ symmetry respected by the N-scalar is spontaneously broken to the $O (N-1)$ symmetry, both the one-step and two-step SFOEWPT can occur within the inflation viable parameter regions, which will be tested by the future CEPC, ILC and FCC-ee. The relation between the number of Goldstones and the SFOEWPT condition depends on phase transition patterns. The situation of Goldstone faking neutrinos and contributing to the dark radiation are investigated.

Electroweak phase transition and Higgs phenomenology in the Georgi-Machacek model

In this work, we perform the electroweak phase transition study with the Georgi-Machacek model. We investigate both the one-step and two-step strong first order electroweak phase transition (SFOEWPT). The SFOEWPT viable parameter spaces could be tested by the future 14TeV LHC, HL-LHC, and ILC. The LHC Higgs signal strength measurements severely bound the SFOEWPT valid parameter spaces, a tinny region of the mixing angle between the neutral fields of the isospin-doublet and isospin-triplet scalars around α ∼ 0 can allow the two-step SFOEWPT to occur. The triplet vacuum expectation value (VEV) is crucial for both SFOEWPT and related Higgs phenomenology. The two-step SFOEWPT can be distinguished from the one-step SFOEWPT through the triple Higgs coupling searches and the low mass doubly charged Higgs searches at colliders.

Thermally modified sterile neutrino portal dark matter and gravitational waves from phase transition: the freeze-in case

We consider the thermal effects into the evaluation of the dark matter production process. With the assistance of the right handed neutrinos, the freeze-in massive particle dark matter production history can be modified by the two-step phase transitions. The kinematic of decay/inverse decay or annihilation processes can be affected by the finite temperature effects as the Universe cools down. The history of the symmetry respected by the model can be revealed by the DM relic abundance evolution processes. The strong first order electroweak phase transition generated gravitational waves can be probed. The number of extra scalars for the Hierarchy problem can be probed through the Higgs off-shell searches at the LHC.

Fusing vectors into scalars at high energy lepton colliders

We study vector boson fusion production of new scalar singlets at high energy lepton colliders. We find that CLIC has the potential to test single production cross-sections of a few tens of attobarns in di-Higgs and di-boson final states. In models with a sizeable singlet-Higgs mixing, these values correspond to a precision in Higgs couplings of order 0.1% or better. We compare our sensitivities with those of the LHC and interpret our results in well-motivated models like the Twin Higgs, the NMSSM and axion-like particles. Looking forward to even higher energy machines, we show that the reach of muon colliders like LEMMA or MAP overcomes the one of future hadron machines like FCC-hh. We finally study the pair production of the new scalar singlets via an off-shell Higgs. This process does not vanish for small mixings and will constitute a crucial probe of models generating a first order electro-weak phase transition.