Electroweak Precision Observables Research Articles

Using the effective weak mixing angle as an input parameter in SMEFT

We implement electroweak renormalisation schemes involving the effective weak mixing angle to NLO in Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT). After developing the necessary theoretical machinery, we analyse a select set of electroweak precision observables in such input schemes. An attractive feature is that large corrections from top-quark loops appearing in other schemes are absorbed into the definition of the effective weak mixing angle. On the other hand, the renormalisation condition which achieves this involves a large number of flavour-specific SMEFT couplings between the Z boson and charged leptons, motivating simple flavour assumptions such as minimal flavour violation for practical applications. The results of this paper provide a valuable new component for estimating systematic uncertainties in SMEFT fits by performing analyses in multiple input schemes.

Anomalies in global SMEFT analyses. A case study of first-row CKM unitarity

Recent developments in the Standard Model analysis of semileptonic charged-current processes involving light quarks have revealed ~ 3σ tensions in Cabibbo universality tests involving meson, neutron, and nuclear beta decays. In this paper, we explore beyond the Standard Model explanations of this so-called Cabibbo Angle Anomaly in the framework of the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT), including not only low-energy charged current processes (‘L’), but also electroweak precision observables (‘EW’) and Drell-Yan collider processes (‘C’) that probe the same underlying physics across a broad range of energy scales. The resulting ‘CLEW’ framework not only allows one to test explanations of the Cabibbo Angle Anomaly, but is set up to provide near model-independent analyses with minimal assumptions on the flavor structure of the SMEFT operators. Besides the global analysis, we consider a large number of simpler scenarios, each with a subset of SMEFT operators, and investigate how much they improve upon the Standard Model fit. We find that the most favored scenarios, as judged by the Akaike Information Criterion, are those that involve right-handed charged currents. Additional interactions, namely oblique operators, terms modifying the Fermi constant, and operators involving right-handed neutral currents, play a role if the CDF determination of the W mass is included in the analysis.

Heavy neutral lepton corrections to SM boson decays: lepton flavour universality violation in low-scale seesaw realisations

We study lepton flavour universality violation in SM boson decays in low-scale seesaw models of neutrino mass generation, also addressing other electroweak precision observables. We compute the electroweak next-to-leading order corrections, which turn out to be important – notably in the case of the invisible decay width of the Z boson, for which the corrections can be as large as the current experimental uncertainty. As a well-motivated illustrative study case, we choose a realisation of the Inverse Seesaw mechanism, and discuss the complementary role of lepton flavour conserving, lepton flavour violating and precision observables, both in constraining and in probing such models of neutrino mass generation. Our findings suggest that invisible Z decays are especially important, potentially at the origin of the most stringent constraints for certain regimes of the Inverse Seesaw (while complying with charge lepton flavour violation and other electroweak precision tests). We also discuss the probing power of the considered observables in view of the expected improvement in experimental precision at FCC-ee.

Global analysis of the ALP effective theory

We perform a global fit of the effective Lagrangian for axion-like particles (ALPs) to data. By combining LHC observables from top physics, dijet and di-boson production with electroweak precision observables, we resolve the full parameter space of ALPs with flavor-universal couplings. Using the renormalization group to evolve the effective ALP couplings to low energies allows us to investigate the impact of flavor observables on the global analysis. We show that resonance searches in B → K meson decays significantly enhance the sensitivity to ALPs with sub-GeV masses. The lifetime of the ALP plays a crucial role in resolving the multi-dimensional parameter space with searches for prompt, displaced and invisible ALP decays. Our analysis points out the differences in probing an effective theory with new light particles, compared to scenarios with only non-resonant effects of heavy particles at low energies, as in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory.

Renormalization of a Standard Model extension with a Dark Abelian Sector and predictions for the W-boson mass

The described Dark Abelian Sector Model (DASM) extends the Standard Model (SM) by a “dark” sector containing a spontaneously broken U(1)d gauge group. Keeping this dark sector quite generic we only add one additional Higgs boson, one Dirac fermion, and right-handed SM-like neutrinos to the SM. Using the only two singlet operators of the SM with dimension less than 4 (the U(1)Y field-strength tensor and the SM Higgs mass operator |Φ|2) as well as the right-handed neutrino fields we open up three portals to the dark sector. Dark sectors, such as the one of the DASM, that introduce an additional Higgs boson H as well as an additional Z′ gauge boson can have a large influence on the predictions for electroweak precision observables and even accommodate possible dark matter candidates. We consider one of the two Higgs bosons to be the known 125 GeV Higgs boson and parameterize the extension of the scalar sector by the mass of the second Higgs boson, the Higgs mixing angle, and a Higgs self-coupling. We do not assume any mass hierarchy in the gauge sector and use the mass of the additional Z′ boson and a corresponding gauge-boson mixing angle to parameterize the extension of the gauge sector. The fermion sector is parameterized by the mass of the additional fermion and a fermion mixing angle. We describe an on-shell as well as an MS¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\overline{\ extrm{MS}} $$\\end{document} renormalization scheme for the DASM sectors and give explicit results for the renormalization constants at the 1-loop level, and, thus, prepare the ground for full NLO predictions for collider observables in the DASM. As a first example, we provide the DASM prediction for the W-boson mass derived from muon decay.

Fermion mass hierarchy in an extended left-right symmetric model

We present a Left-Right symmetric model that provides an explanation for the mass hierarchy of the charged fermions within the framework of the Standard Model. This explanation is achieved through the utilization of both tree-level and radiative seesaw mechanisms. In this model, the tiny masses of the light active neutrinos are generated via a three-loop radiative inverse seesaw mechanism, with Dirac and Majorana submatrices arising at one-loop level. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of the inverse seesaw mechanism being implemented with both submatrices generated at one- loop level. The model contains a global U(1)X symmetry which, after its spontaneous breaking, allows for the stabilization of the Dark Matter (DM) candidates. We show that the electroweak precision observables, the electron and muon anomalous magnetic moments as well as the Charged Lepton Flavor Violating decays, μ → eγ, are consistent with the current experimental limits. In addition, we analyze the implications of the model for the 95 GeV diphoton excess recently reported by the CMS collaboration and demonstrate that such anomaly could be easily accommodated. Finally, we discuss qualitative aspects of DM in the considered model.

Resolving the muon g − 2 tension through Z′-induced modifications to σhad

The QED hadronic vacuum polarization function plays an important role in the determination of precision electroweak observables and of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. These contributions have been computed from data, by means of dispersion relations affecting the electron positron hadronic cross sections, or by first principle lattice-QCD computations in the Standard Model. Today there is a discrepancy between the two approaches for determining these contributions, which affects the comparison of the measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon with the theoretical predictions. In this article, we revisit the idea that this discrepancy may be explained by the presence of a new light gauge boson that couples to the first generation quark and leptons and has a mass below the GeV scale. We discuss the requirements for its consistency with observations and the phenomenological implications of such a gauge extension.

Dimension-8 SMEFT analysis of minimal scalar field extensions of the Standard Model

We analyze the constraints obtainable from present data using the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) on extensions of the Standard Model with additional electroweak singlet or triplet scalar fields. We compare results obtained using only contributions that are linear in dimension-6 operator coefficients with those obtained including terms quadratic in these coefficients as well as contributions that are linear in dimension-8 operator coefficients. We also implement theoretical constraints arising from the stability of the electroweak vacuum and perturbative unitarity. Analyzing the models at the dimension-8 level constrains scalar couplings that are not bounded at the dimension-6 level. The strongest experimental constraints on the singlet model are provided by Higgs coupling measurements, whereas electroweak precision observables provide the strongest constraints on the triplet model. In the singlet model the present di-Higgs constraints already play a significant role. We find that the current constraints on model parameters are already competitive with those anticipated from future di- and tri-Higgs measurements. We compare our results with calculations in the full model, exhibiting the improvements when higher-order SMEFT terms are included. We also identify regions in parameter space where the SMEFT approximation appears to break down. We find that the combination of current constraints with the theoretical bounds still admits regions where the SMEFT approach is not valid, particularly for lower scalar boson masses.

Bounds on lepton non-unitarity and heavy neutrino mixing

We present an updated and improved global fit analysis of current flavour and electroweak precision observables to derive bounds on unitarity deviations of the leptonic mixing matrix and on the mixing of heavy neutrinos with the active flavours. This new analysis is motivated by new and updated experimental results on key observables such as Vud, the invisible decay width of the Z boson and the W boson mass. It also improves upon previous studies by considering the full correlations among the different observables and explicitly calibrating the test statistic, which may present significant deviations from a χ2 distribution. The results are provided for three different Type-I seesaw scenarios: the minimal scenario with only two additional right-handed neutrinos, the next to minimal one with three extra neutrinos, and the most general one with an arbitrary number of heavy neutrinos that we parametrise via a generic deviation from a unitary leptonic mixing matrix. Additionally, we also analyze the case of generic deviations from unitarity of the leptonic mixing matrix, not necessarily induced by the presence of additional neutrinos. This last case relaxes some correlations among the parameters and is able to provide a better fit to the data. Nevertheless, inducing only leptonic unitarity deviations avoiding both the correlations implied by the right-handed neutrino extension as well as more strongly constrained operators is challenging and would imply significantly more complex UV completions.

Tri-hypercharge: a separate gauged weak hypercharge for each fermion family as the origin of flavour

We propose a tri-hypercharge (TH) extension of the Standard Model (SM) in which a separate gauged weak hypercharge is associated with each fermion family. In this way, every quark and lepton multiplet carries unique gauge quantum numbers under the extended gauge group, providing the starting point for a theory of flavour. If the Higgs doublets only carry third family hypercharge, then only third family renormalisable Yukawa couplings are allowed. However, non-renormalisable Yukawa couplings may be induced by the high scale Higgs fields (hyperons) which break the three hypercharges down to the SM hypercharge, providing an explanation for fermion mass hierarchies and the smallness of CKM quark mixing. Following a similar methodology, we study the origin of neutrino masses and mixing in this model. Due to the TH gauge symmetry, the implementation of a seesaw mechanism naturally leads to a low scale seesaw, where the right-handed neutrinos in the model may be as light as the TeV scale. We present simple examples of hyperon fields which can reproduce all quark and lepton (including neutrino) masses and mixing. After a preliminary phenomenological study, we conclude that one of the massive Z′ bosons can be as light as a few TeV, with implications for flavour-violating observables, LHC physics and electroweak precision observables.

Impact of dimension-eight SMEFT operators in the electroweak precision observables and triple gauge couplings analysis in universal SMEFT

We perform a complete study of the electroweak precision observables and electroweak gauge boson pair production in terms of the SMEFT up to ${\cal O}(1/\Lambda^4)$ under the assumption of universal, C and P conserving new physics. We show that the analysis of data from those two sectors allows us to obtain closed constraints in the relevant parameter space in this scenario. In particular we find that the Large Hadron Collider data can independently constrain the Wilson coefficients of the dimension-six and -eight operators directly contributing to the triple gauge boson vertices. Our results show that the impact of dimension-eight operators in the study of triple gauge couplings is small.

The importance of flavor in SMEFT Electroweak Precision Fits

Effective field theory tools are essential for exploring non-Standard Model physics at the LHC in the absence of the discovery of new light particles. Predictions for observables are typically made at the lowest order in the QCD and electroweak expansions in the Standard Model effective field theory (SMEFT) and often ignore the effects of flavor. Here, we present results for electroweak precision observables (EWPOs) at the next-to-leading order QCD and electroweak expansions (NLO) of the SMEFT with an arbitrary flavor structure for the fermion operators. Numerical NLO SMEFT fits to EWPOs have a strong dependence on the assumed flavor structures and we demonstrate this using various popular assumptions for flavor symmetries.

Third-family quark-lepton Unification and electroweak precision tests

We analyze the compatibility of the hypothesis of third-family quark-lepton unification at the TeV scale with electroweak precision data, lepton flavor universality tests, and high-pT constraints. We work within the framework of the UV complete flavor non-universal 4321 gauge model, which is matched at one loop to the Standard Model Effective Field Theory. For consistency, all electroweak precision observables are also computed at one loop within the effective field theory. At tree level, the most sizeable corrections are to W → τντ and Z → ντντ due to integrating out a pseudo-Dirac singlet fermion required by the model for neutrino mass generation. At loop level, the new colored states of the model generate large flavor-universal contributions to the electroweak precision observables via leading- and next-to-leading log running effects, yielding a significant improvement in the electroweak fit (including an increase in the W-boson mass). These effects cannot be decoupled if the model addresses the charged-current B-meson anomalies. Overall, we find good compatibility between the data sets, while simultaneously satisfying all low- and high-energy constraints.

Electroweak precision test of axion-like particles

We study the contributions of an axion-like particle to the electroweak precision observables. The particle is assumed to couple with the standard model electroweak gauge bosons. We provide the formulae of the contributions valid for any mass of the axion-like particle. It is found that the effects arise not only via the oblique S and U parameters but also via radiative corrections to the gauge couplings. Besides, the decay of Z → aγ affects the total width of the Z boson. All of those contributions are considered simultaneously in the global fit analysis of the electroweak precision observables. Also, we discuss the recent CDF result of the W-boson mass measurement. Since the model is tightly constrained by flavor and collider constraints, it is found that the discrepancy from the standard model prediction is solved only when the axion-like particle is heavier than 500 GeV and its coupling to di-photon is suppressed.

Electroweak precision tests for triplet scalars

Electroweak precision observables are fundamentally important for testing the standard model (SM) or its extensions. The influences to observables from new physics within the electroweak sector can be expressed in terms of oblique parameters S, T, U. The recently reported W mass excess anomaly by CDF modifies these parameters in a significant way. By performing the global fit with the CDF new W mass measurement data, we obtain $S=0.03 \pm 0.03$, $T=0.06 \pm 0.02$ and $U=0.16 \pm 0.03$ (or $S=0.14 \pm 0.03$, $T=0.24 \pm 0.02$ with $U=0$) which is significantly away from zero as SM would predict. The CDF excess strongly indicates the need of new physics beyond SM. We carry out a global fit to study the influence of two different cases of simple extensions by a hyper-charge $Y=1$ triplet scalar $\Delta$ (corresponding to the type-II seesaw model) and a $Y=0$ real triplet scalar $\Sigma$ on electroweak precision tests to determine parameter space in these models to solve the W mass anomaly and discuss the implications. We find that these triplets can affect the oblique parameters significantly at the tree and loop levels.

Effective limits on single scalar extensions in the light of recent LHC data

In this paper, we work with 16 different single scalar particle extensions of the Standard Model. We present the sets of dimension-six effective operators and the associated Wilson coefficients as functions of model parameters after integrating out the heavy scalars up to one loop, including the heavy-light mixing, for each such scenario. Using the correspondence between the effective operators and the observables at the electroweak scale, and employing Bayesian statistics, we compute the allowed ranges of new physics parameters that are further translated and depicted in two-dimensional Wilson coefficient space in light of the latest CMS and ATLAS data up to 137 and $139\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, respectively. We also adjudge the status of those new physics extensions that offer similar sets of relevant effective operators. In addition, we provide a model-independent fit of 23 Standard Model effective field theory Wilson coefficients using electroweak precision observables, single- and di-Higgs data, as well as kinematic distributions of diboson production.

Phenomenological and cosmological implications of a scotogenic three-loop neutrino mass model

We propose a scotogenic model for generating neutrino masses through a three-loop seesaw. It is a minimally extended inert doublet model with a spontaneously broken global symmetry U(1)′ and a preserved ℤ2 symmetry. The three-loop suppression allows the new particles to have masses at the TeV scale without fine-tuning the Yukawa couplings. The model leads to a rich phenomenology while satisfying all the current constraints imposed by neutrinoless double-beta decay, charged-lepton flavor violation, and electroweak precision observables. The relatively large Yukawa couplings lead to sizable rates for charged lepton flavor violation processes, well within future experimental reach. The model could also successfully explain the W mass anomaly and provides viable fermionic or scalar dark matter candidates.

Singlet vector-like T quark production in association with Wb at the CLIC

In a simplified model including an SU(2) singlet vector-like top quark T (VLT) with charge 2/3, we investigate the associated production of Wb with VLT at a Compact Linear Collider (CLIC). Focusing on the T → Wb decay channel, we discuss two decay models: and . In this paper, we consider recent experimental limits including the electroweak precision observables, the width of the top quark, and the direct LHC searches. Through a detailed detector simulation, we show the exclusion and discovery capability on the T at 3 TeV CLIC, where the initial state radiation effect has also been considered. The results show that it is promising to detect the VLT at future high-energy e + e − colliders.

Search for the singlet vector-like top quark in the channel with at hadron colliders* *Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC) (11705048), the National Research Project Cultivation Foundation of Henan Normal University (2020PL16, 2021PL10), the Startup Foundation for Doctors of Henan Normal University (qd18115) and also powered by the High Performance Computing Center of Henan Normal University

Based on a simplified model including a singlet vector-like top quark T with charge |Q|=, we analyze the prospects of observing T via the single T production in the channel with Z decaying to neutrinos at the hadron-hadron colliders. This simplified model only includes two free parameters, the coupling constant and the T quark mass . To investigate the observability of the single T production, we perform a detailed background analysis and detector simulation for the collision energies 14 TeV, 27 TeV, and 100 TeV. We scan the parameter space and show the exclusion and discovery capabilities on the T quark with the highest integrated luminosity designed at these colliders. Moreover, the limits from the narrow-width approximation and electroweak precision observables are considered.

Partial compositeness under precision scrutiny

We revisit the impact of top partial compositeness on electroweak precision observables in the misaligned vacuum basis. We identify a new source for S in the singlet mixing case, and for S-T in the bi-doublet mixing, stemming from misalignment in the gauge couplings of the top partners. Hence, a positive shift in T can be obtained in both cases, as preferred by the recent CDF measurement of the W mass. These results, obtained for the minimal fundamental coset SU(4)/Sp(4), apply to any composite Higgs model with top partial compositeness.