Scalar Top Quarks Research Articles

Theoretical concepts and measurement prospects for BSM trilinear couplings: a case study for scalar top quarks

After the possible discovery of new heavy particles at the LHC, it will be crucial to determine the properties and the underlying physics of the new states. In this work, we focus on scalar trilinear couplings, employing as an example the case of the trilinear coupling of scalar partners of the top quark to the Higgs boson. We discuss possible strategies for experimentally determining the scalar top (stop) trilinear coupling parameter, which controls the stop–stop–Higgs interaction, and we demonstrate the impact of different renormalisation prescriptions for this parameter. We find that the best prospects for determining the stop trilinear coupling arise from its quantum effects entering the model prediction for the mass of the SM-like Higgs boson in comparison to the measured value. We point out that the prediction for the Higgs-boson mass has a high sensitivity to the stop trilinear coupling even for heavy masses of the non-standard particles. Regarding the renormalisation of the stop trilinear coupling we identify a renormalisation scheme that is preferred in view of the present level of accuracy and we clarify the source of potentially large logarithms that cannot be resummed with standard renormalisation group methods.

External leg corrections as an origin of large logarithms

The appearance of large logarithmic corrections is a well-known phenomenon in the presence of widely separated mass scales. In this work, we point out the existence of large Sudakov-like logarithmic contributions related to external-leg corrections of heavy scalar particles which cannot be resummed straightforwardly using renormalisation group equations. Based on a toy model, we discuss in detail how these corrections appear in theories containing at least one light and one heavy particle that couple to each other with a potentially large trilinear coupling. We show how the occurrence of the large logarithms is related to infrared singularities. In addition to a discussion at the one-loop level, we also explicitly derive the two-loop corrections containing the large logarithms. We point out in this context the importance of choosing an on-shell-like renormalisation scheme. As exemplary applications, we present results for the two-loop external-leg corrections for the decay of a gluino into a scalar top quark and a top quark in the Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model as well as for a heavy Higgs boson decay into two tau leptons in the singlet-extended Two-Higgs-Doublet Model.

Precise prediction for the mass of the light MSSM Higgs boson for the case of a heavy gluino

State-of-the-art predictions for the mass of the lightest MSSM Higgs boson usually involve the resummation of higher-order logarithmic contributions obtained within an effective-field-theory (EFT) approach, often combined with a fixed-order calculation into a hybrid result. For the phenomenologically interesting case of a significant hierarchy between the gluino mass and the masses of the scalar top quarks the predictions suffer from large theoretical uncertainties related to non-decoupling power-enhanced gluino contributions in the EFT results employing the DR‾ renormalisation scheme. We demonstrate that the theoretical predictions in the heavy gluino region are vastly improved by the introduction of a suitable renormalisation scheme for the EFT calculation. It is shown that within this scheme a recently proposed resummation of large gluino contributions is absorbed into the model parameters, resulting in reliable and numerically stable predictions in the heavy-gluino region. We also discuss the integration of the results into the public code FeynHiggs.

Theoretical uncertainties in the MSSM Higgs boson mass calculation

The remaining theoretical uncertainties from unknown higher-order corrections in the prediction for the light Higgs-boson mass of the MSSM are estimated. The uncertainties associated with three different approaches that are implemented in the publicly available code FeynHiggs are compared: the fixed-order diagrammatic approach, suitable for low SUSY scales, the effective field theory (EFT) approach, suitable for high SUSY scales, and the hybrid approach which combines the fixed-order and the EFT approaches. It is demonstrated for a simple single-scale scenario that the result based on the hybrid approach yields a precise prediction for low, intermediate and high SUSY scales with a theoretical uncertainty of up to sim 1.5,, mathrm {GeV} for large stop mixing and sim 0.5,, mathrm {GeV} for small stop mixing. The uncertainty estimate of the hybrid calculation approaches the uncertainty estimate of the fixed-order result for low SUSY scales and the uncertainty estimate of the EFT approach for high SUSY scales, while for intermediate scales it is reduced compared to both of the individual results. The estimate of the theoretical uncertainty is also investigated in scenarios with more than one mass scale. A significantly enhanced uncertainty is found in scenarios where the gluino is substantially heavier than the scalar top quarks. The uncertainty estimate presented in this paper will be part of the public code FeynHiggs.

Search for pair-produced resonances decaying to quark pairs in proton-proton collisions at s=13 TeV

A general search for the pair production of resonances, each decaying to two quarks, is reported. The search is conducted separately for heavier resonances (masses above 400 GeV), where each of the four final-state quarks generates a hadronic jet resulting in a four-jet signature, and for lighter resonances (masses between 80 and 400 GeV), where the pair of quarks from each resonance is collimated and reconstructed as a single jet resulting in a two-jet signature. In addition, a b-tagged selection is applied to target resonances with a bottom quark in the final state. The analysis uses data collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$, from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The mass spectra are analyzed for the presence of new resonances, and are found to be consistent with standard model expectations. The results are interpreted in the framework of $R$-parity-violating supersymmetry assuming the pair production of scalar top quarks decaying via the hadronic coupling $\lambda_{312}''$ or $\lambda_{323}''$, and upper limits on the cross section as a function of the top squark mass are set. These results probe a wider range of masses than previously explored at the LHC, and extend the top squark mass limits in the $\widetilde{\mathrm{t}}$ $\to$ qq$'$ scenario.

CP-odd Higgs boson production in eγ collisions

We investigate the CP-odd Higgs boson production via two-photon processes in eγ collisions. The CP-odd Higgs boson, which we denote as A0, is expected to appear in the Two-Higgs Doublet Models (2HDM) as a minimal extension of Higgs sector for which the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) is a special case. The scattering amplitude for eγ→eA0 is evaluated at the electroweak one-loop level. The dominant contribution comes from top-quark loops when A0 boson is rather light and tan⁡β is not large. There are no contributions from the W-boson and Z-boson loops nor the scalar top-quark (stop) loops. The differential cross section for the A0 production is analyzed.

Enhanced Higgs associated production with a top quark pair in the NMSSM with light singlets

Precision measurements of the 125 GeV Higgs resonance recently discovered at the LHC have determined that its properties are similar to the ones of the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson. However, the current uncertainties in the determination of the Higgs boson couplings leave room for significant deviations from the SM expectations. In fact, if one assumes no correlation between the top-quark and gluon couplings to the Higgs, the current global fit to the Higgs data lead to central values of the Higgs couplings to the bottom-quark and the top-quark that are about 2 σ away from the SM predictions. In a previous work, we showed that such a scenario could be realized in the Next to Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the SM (NMSSM), for heavy singlets and light MSSM-like Higgs bosons and scalar top quarks, but for couplings that ruined the perturbative consistency of the theory up to the GUT scale. In this work we show that a perturbative consistent scenario, for somewhat heavier stops, may be obtained in the presence of light singlets. An interesting bonus of this scenario is the possibility of explaining an excess of events observed in CP-even Higgs searches at LEP2.

Higgs-stoponium mixing near the stop-antistop threshold

Supersymmetric extensions of the standard model contain additional heavy neutral Higgs bosons that are coupled to heavy scalar top quarks (stops). This system exhibits interesting field theoretic phenomena when the Higgs mass is close to the stop-antistop production threshold. Existing work in the literature has examined the digluon-to-diphoton cross section near threshold and has focused on enhancements in the cross section that might arise either from the perturbative contributions to the Higgs-to-digluon and Higgs-to-diphoton form factors or from mixing of the Higgs boson with stoponium states. Near threshold, enhancements in the relevant amplitudes that go as inverse powers of the stop-antistop relative velocity require resummations of perturbation theory and/or nonperturbative treatments. We present a complete formulation of threshold effects at leading order in the stop-antistop relative velocity in terms of nonrelativistic effective field theory. We give detailed numerical calculations for the case in which the stop-antistop Green's function is modeled with a Coulomb-Schr\"odinger Green's function. We find several general effects that do not appear in a purely perturbative treatment. Higgs-stop-antistop mixing effects displace physical masses from the threshold region, thereby rendering the perturbative threshold enhancements inoperative. In the case of large Higgs-stop-antistop couplings, the displacement of a physical state above threshold substantially increases its width, owing to its decay width to a stop-antistop pair, and greatly reduces its contribution to the cross section.

Search for Scalar Top-Quark Production in the all Hadronic Channel at 13 TeV

A search for supersymmetry in all-hadronic events with missing transverse momentum is presented. The data were collected in proton-proton collisions at a center-of- mass energy of 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 fb-1. Search regions are defined using the properties of reconstructed jets, the presence of b quark and t quark candidates, and missing transverse momentum. No statistically significant excess of events above the expected contribution from standard model processes is observed. Exclusion limits are set on the masses of potential new particles in the context of simplified models of direct and gluino-mediated top squark production.

Erratum to: Search for direct pair production of scalar top quarks in the single- and dilepton channels in proton-proton collisions at s = 8 $$ \sqrt{s}=8 $$ TeV

Citation: The, C. M. S. c., Khachatryan, V., Sirunyan, A. M., Tumasyan, A., Adam, W., Asilar, E., . . . Woods, N. (2016). Erratum to: Search for direct pair production of scalar top quarks in the single- and dilepton channels in proton-proton collisions at ?s = 8 TeV (JHEP, (2016) 7, (027), 10.1007/JHEP07(2016)027). Journal of High Energy Physics, 2016(9). doi:10.1007/JHEP09(2016)056

Natural NMSSM after LHC Run I and the Higgsino dominated dark matter scenario

We investigate the impact of the direct searches for SUSY at LHC Run I on the naturalness of the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM). For this end, we first scan the vast parameter space of the NMSSM to get the region where the fine tuning measures $\Delta_Z$ and $\Delta_h$ at the electroweak scale are less than about 50, then we implement by simulations the constraints of the direct searches on the parameter points in the region. Our results indicate that although the direct search experiments are effective in excluding the points, the parameter intervals for the region and also the minimum reaches of $\Delta_Z$ and $\Delta_h$ are scarcely changed by the constraints, which implies that the fine tuning of the NMSSM does not get worse after LHC Run I. Moreover, based on the results we propose a natural NMSSM scenario where the lightest neutralino $\tilde{\chi}_1^0$ as the dark matter (DM) candidate is Higgsino-dominated. In this scenario, $\Delta_Z$ and $\Delta_h$ may be as low as 2 without conflicting with any experimental constraints, and intriguingly $\tilde{\chi}_1^0$ can easily reach the measured DM relic density due to its significant Singlino component. We exhibit the features of the scenario which distinguish it from the other natural SUSY scenario, including the properties of its neutralino-chargino sector and scalar top quark sector. We emphasize that the scenario can be tested either through searching for $3 l + E_T^{miss}$ signal at 14 TeV LHC or through future DM direct detection experiments.

Search for direct pair production of scalar top quarks in the single- and dilepton channels in proton-proton collisions at s = 8 $$ \sqrt{s}=8 $$ TeV

Results are reported from a search for the top squark, the lighter of the two supersymmetric partners of the top quark. The data sample corresponds to 19.7 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The search targets top squark to b chi+/- and top squark to t(*) chi0 decay modes, where chi+/- and chi0 are the lightest chargino and neutralino, respectively. The reconstructed final state consists of jets, b jets, missing transverse energy, and either one or two leptons. Leading backgrounds are determined from data. No significant excess in data is observed above the expectation from standard model processes. The results exclude a region of the two-dimensional plane of possible top squark and chi0 masses. The highest excluded top squark and chi0 masses are about 700 GeV and 250 GeV, respectively.

High Precision Prediction for Mh in the MSSM

The new particle discovered at the LHC can be interpreted as the lightest CP-even Higgs boson of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), where Mh denotes its mass. The experimental precision of this mass has reached the level below ∼ 500 MeV. In the MSSM Mh can directly be predicted from the other parameters of the model. The accuracy of this prediction should at least match the one of the experimental result. The relatively high mass value of about 125 GeV has led to many investigations where the scalar top quarks are in the multi-TeV range. We review the recent improvement in the prediction for Mh in the MSSM that has been reached by combining the existing fixed-order result, comprising the full one-loop and leading and subleading two-loop corrections, with a resummation of the leading and subleading logarithmic contributions from the scalar top sector to all orders.

Enhanced Higgs mass in Compact Supersymmetry

The current LHC results make weak scale supersymmetry difficult due to relatively heavy mass of the discovered Higgs boson and the null results of new particle searches. Geometrical supersymmetry breaking from extra dimensions, Scherk-Schwarz mechanism, is possible to accommodate such situations. A concrete example, the Compact Supersymmetry model, has a compressed spectrum ameliorating the LHC bounds and large mixing in the top and scalar top quark sector with $|A_t|\sim 2m_{\tilde{t}}$ which radiatively raises the Higgs mass. While the zero mode contribution of the model has been considered, in this paper we calculate the Kaluza-Klein tower effect to the Higgs mass. Although such contributions are naively expected to be as small as a percent level for 10 TeV Kaluza-Klein modes, we find the effect significantly enhances the radiative correction to the Higgs quartic coupling by from 10 to 50 %. This is mainly because the top quark wave function is pushed out from the brane, which makes the top mass depend on higher powers in the Higgs field. As a result the Higgs mass is enhanced up to 15 GeV from the previous calculation. We also show the whole parameter space is testable at the LHC run II.

Search for pair-produced resonances decaying to jet pairs in proton–proton collisions at [formula omitted

Results are reported of a general search for pair production of heavy resonances decaying to pairs of hadronic jets in events with at least four jets. The study is based on up to 19.4 fb−1 of integrated luminosity from proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC. Limits are determined on the production of scalar top quarks (top squarks) in the framework of R-parity violating supersymmetry and on the production of color-octet vector bosons (colorons). First limits at the LHC are placed on top squark production for two scenarios. The first assumes decay to a bottom quark and a light-flavor quark and is excluded for masses between 200 and 385 GeV, and the second assumes decay to a pair of light-flavor quarks and is excluded for masses between 200 and 350 GeV at 95% confidence level. Previous limits on colorons decaying to light-flavor quarks are extended to exclude masses from 200 to 835 GeV.

Probing radiative neutrino mass generation through monotop production

We present a generalization of a model where the right-handed up-type quarks serve as messengers for neutrino mass generation and as a portal for dark matter. Within this framework the Standard Model is extended with a single Majorana neutrino, a coloured electroweak-singlet scalar and a coloured electroweak-triplet scalar. We calculate the relic abundance of dark matter and show that we can match the latest experimental results. Furthermore, the implications from the scattering between nuclei and the dark matter candidate are studied and we implement the latest experimental constraints arising from flavour changing interactions, Higgs production and decay and LHC collider searches for a single jet and jets plus missing energy. In addition, we implement constraints arising from scalar top quark pair-production. We also study the production of a single top in association with missing energy and calculate the sensitivity of the LHC to the top quark semileptonic decay mode with the current $20$ fb$^{-1}$ data set at a centre of mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV. Furthermore, we carry out the analysis to centre of mass energies of $\sqrt{s}=14$ TeV with $30$ and $300$ fb$^{-1}$ of data.

Search for strong production of supersymmetric particles in final states with missing transverse momentum and at least three b-jets at s = 8 $$ \sqrt{s} = 8 $$ TeV proton-proton collisions with the ATLAS detector

This paper reports the results of a search for strong production of supersymmetric particles in 20.1 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The search is performed separately in events with either zero or at least one high $p_\mathrm{T}$ lepton (electron or muon), large missing transverse momentum, high jet multiplicity and at least three jets identified as originated from the fragmentation of a b-quark. No excess is observed with respect to the Standard Model predictions. The results are interpreted in the context of several supersymmetric models involving gluinos and scalar top and bottom quarks, as well as a mSUGRA/CMSSM model. Gluino masses up to 1340 GeV are excluded, depending on the model, significantly extending the previous ATLAS limits.

High-precision predictions for the light CP-even Higgs boson mass of the minimal supersymmetric standard model.

For the interpretation of the signal discovered in the Higgs searches at the LHC it will be crucial in particular to discriminate between the minimal Higgs sector realized in the standard model (SM) and its most commonly studied extension, the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). The measured mass value, having already reached the level of a precision observable with an experimental accuracy of about 500 MeV, plays an important role in this context. In the MSSM the mass of the light CP-even Higgs boson, Mh, can directly be predicted from the other parameters of the model. The accuracy of this prediction should at least match the one of the experimental result. The relatively high mass value of about 126 GeV has led to many investigations where the scalar top quarks are in the multi-TeV range. We improve the prediction for Mh in the MSSM by combining the existing fixed-order result, comprising the full one-loop and leading and subleading two-loop corrections, with a resummation of the leading and subleading logarithmic contributions from the scalar top sector to all orders. In this way for the first time a high-precision prediction for the mass of the light CP-even Higgs boson in the MSSM is possible all the way up to the multi-TeV region of the relevant supersymmetric particles. The results are included in the code FEYNHIGGS.

Vacuum stability and the MSSM Higgs mass

In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV can be obtained with moderately heavy scalar top superpartners provided they are highly mixed. The source of this mixing, a soft trilinear stop-stop-Higgs coupling, can result in the appearance of charge- and color-breaking minima in the scalar potential of the theory. If such a vacuum exists and is energetically favorable, the Standard Model-like vacuum can decay to it via quantum tunnelling. In this work we investigate the conditions under which such exotic vacua arise, and we compute the tunnelling rates to them. Our results provide new constraints on the scalar top quarks of the MSSM.

Higgcision in the two-Higgs doublet models

We perform global fits to general two-Higgs doublet models (2HDMs) with generalized couplings using the most updated data from ATLAS, CMS, and Tevatron. We include both scenarios with CP-conserving and CP-violating couplings. By relaxing the requirement on the discrete symmetries that are often imposed on the Yukawa couplings, we try to see which of the 2HDMs is preferred. We found that (i) Higgcision in 2HDMs can be performed efficiently by using only 4 parameters including the charged Higgs contributions to the Higgs couplings to two photons, (ii) the differences among various types of 2HDMs are very small with respect to the chi-square fits, (iii) tan β is constrained to be small, (iv) the p-values for various fits in 2HDMs are worse than that of the standard model. Finally, we put emphasis on our findings that future precision measurements of the Higgs coupling to the scalar top-quark bilinear $ \left( {C_u^S} \right) $ and tan β may endow us with the discriminating power among various types of 2HDMs especially when $ C_u^S $ deviates from its SM value 1.