Ultraviolet Complete Theory Research Articles

Iteration on the Higgs portal for vector dark matter and its effective field theory description

We reanalyze the effective field theory (EFT) approach for the scenario in which the particles that account for the dark matter (DM) in the universe are vector states that interact only through the Standard Model-like Higgs boson. These DM particles are searched for in direct and indirect detection in astrophysical experiments and in invisible Higgs decays at the LHC. The constraints obtained in these two search types are complementary and correlated. In recent years, it has been advocated that the EFT approach is problematic for small DM mass and that it does not capture all the aspects of vector DM; one should thus rather interpret the searches in ultraviolet complete theories that are more realistic. In this paper, we show that a more appropriate definition of the EFT with the introduction of an effective new physics scale parameter, can encompass such issues. We illustrate this by matching the EFT to two examples of ultraviolet completions for it: the U(1) model with a dark photon and a model that was recently adopted by the LHC experiments in which vectorlike fermions generate an effective interaction between the Higgs and the DM states at the one-loop level. Additionally, we find that the region of parameter space that is relevant for DM phenomenology is well inside the range of validity of the EFT. It thus provides a general parametrization of the effects of any ultraviolet model in the regime under exploration, making it the ideal framework for model-independent analyses of the vector DM Higgs-portal. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

The chiral Lagrangian of CP-violating axion-like particles

We discuss the construction of the most general CP-violating chiral Lagrangian for an axion-like particle (ALP). Starting with an effective Lagrangian containing light quarks and gluons, we provide its matching onto a chiral effective Lagrangian at O\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{O} $$\\end{document}(p2) described in terms of mesons and baryons, identifying the correspondence between the Jarlskog invariants of the two theories. After deriving the ALP interactions with mesons and baryons, we analyse a few relevant phenomenological implications such as the permanent electric dipole moments of nucleons and the CP-violating ALP and kaon decays. This work provides the necessary tools for further phenomenological analyses connecting low-energy observables with the couplings of the underlying ultraviolet complete theory.

TT¯ deformed soft theorem

In this paper, we derive a $T\bar{T}$ deformed soft graviton theorem in the context of celestial holography. As a concrete example, it illustrates that a two-dimensional irrelevant deformation can be applied to a four-dimensional theory at the level of amplitudes. We argue that the $T\bar{T}$ deformation has a close relation to the loop-correction from the amplitude side which could provide an alternative way to construct an ultraviolet complete quantum theory of gravity.

I-Love-Q relations in Hořava-Lifshitz gravity

Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz gravity is an alternative theory to general relativity which breaks Lorentz invariance in order to achieve an ultraviolet complete and power-counting renormalizable theory of gravity. In the low energy limit, Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz gravity coincides with a vector-tensor theory known as khronometric gravity. The deviation of khronometric gravity from general relativity can be parametrized by three coupling constants: $\alpha$, $\beta$, and $\lambda$. Solar system experiments and gravitational wave observations impose stringent bounds on $\alpha$ and $\beta$, while $\lambda$ is still relatively unconstrained ($\lambda\lesssim 0.01$). In this paper, we study whether one can constrain this remaining parameter with neutron star observations through the universal I-Love-Q relations between the moment of inertia (I), the tidal Love number (Love), and the quadrupole moment (Q), which are insensitive to details in the nuclear matter equation of state. To do so, we perturbatively construct slowly-rotating and weakly tidally-deformed neutron stars in khronometric gravity. We find that the I-Love-Q relations are independent of $\lambda$ in the limit $(\alpha,\beta) \to 0$. Although some components of the field equations depend on $\lambda$, we show through induction and a post-Minkowskian analysis that slowly-rotating neutron stars do not depend on $\lambda$ at all. Tidally deformed neutron stars, on the other hand, are modified in khronometric gravity (though the usual Love number is not modified, as mentioned earlier), and there are potentially new, non-GR Love numbers, though their observability is unclear. These findings indicate that it may be difficult to constrain $\lambda$ with rotating/tidally-deformed neutron stars.

Roadmap to explore vectorlike quarks decaying to a new scalar or pseudoscalar

The current experimental data allow for a sub-TeV colourless weak-singlet scalar or pseudoscalar. If such a singlet field is present together with TeV-range vectorlike top and bottom partners, there is a possibility that the heavy quarks decay dominantly to the singlet state and a third-generation quark, and the singlet state decays to quark and boson pairs. Such a possibility may arise in various models but it has not been explored experimentally, especially in the context of vectorlike-quark searches. We consider some minimal models, covering the possible weak representations of the top and bottom partners, that can be mapped to many well-motivated ultraviolet-complete theories. We chart out the possible interesting and unexplored signatures of the exotic decay of vectorlike quarks and identify benchmark points representing different signal topologies for the high luminosity LHC. We perform a general scan of the parameter space with the relevant direct search bounds and find that large regions, which do not require any fine-tuning, remain open for the unexplored channels. We also perform a simple projection study in the cleanest channel and indicate how other new but experimentally challenging channels can be used to probe more regions of the parameter space.

Complex saddles and Euclidean wormholes in the Lorentzian path integral

We study complex saddles of the Lorentzian path integral for 4D axion gravity and its dual description in terms of a 3-form flux, which include the Giddings-Strominger Euclidean wormhole. Transition amplitudes are computed using the Lorentzian path integral and with the help of Picard-Lefschetz theory. The number and nature of saddles is shown to qualitatively change in the presence of a bilocal operator that could arise, for example, as a result of considering higher-topology transitions. We also analyze the stability of the Giddings-Strominger wormhole in the 3-form picture, where we find that it represents a perturbatively stable Euclidean saddle of the gravitational path integral. This calls into question the ultimate fate of such solutions in an ultraviolet-complete theory of quantum gravity.

Geometric structure of multi-form-field isotropic inflation and primordial fluctuations

An inflationary scenario is expected to be embedded into an ultraviolet (UV) complete theory such as string theory. The effect of UV complete theories may appear as nontrivial kinetic terms in the low energy effective field theory, which provides a nontrivial geometry in field space. In this paper, we study the effect of the geometry of multi-form-field space on an inflationary scenario. In particular, we focus on the geometric destabilization mechanism which induces the phase transition from the conventional slow-roll inflation to a novel inflationary scenario. Anisotropic inflation is a typical example of the new phase. To conform to observations, we restrict us to isotropic configuration of form fields. We clarify the conditions for the onset of the destabilization and reveal the geometric structure of attractors after the destabilization. We classify the viable models from the observational point of view. We also investigate the features of the primordial fluctuations and find the similarity to hyperbolic inflation. By calculating the power spectrum, we make several phenomenological predictions which are useful to discriminate our models from others inflation models. We found the scalar-to-tensor r will be suppressed by large one-form gauge fields, while it has the same order as the slow roll parameter r ∼ \U0001d4aa(1)ϵ for large two-from gauge fields.

Natural inflation, strong dynamics, and the role of generalized anomalies

We revisit models of natural inflation and show that the single-field effective theory described by the potential $V(a)\sim \cos\frac{a}{f}$ breaks down as the inflaton $a$ makes large-field excursions, even for values of $f$ smaller than the Planck scale. In order to remedy the problem, we modify the potential in order to account for the heavy degrees of freedom (hadrons) that become intertwined with the light inflaton as the latter rolls down its potential. By embedding the low energy degrees of freedom into an ultraviolet complete gauge theory, we argue that the intertwining between the two scales can be explained as the result of a generalized mixed 't Hooft anomaly between the discrete chiral symmetry and background fractional fluxes in the baryon number, color, and flavor directions. Further, we study the multi-field inflation and show that it entertains rich dynamics. Inflating near the hilltop excites the hadrons and spoils the slow-roll parameters, in contradistinction with the expectations in the single-field inflation. Nevertheless, we identify a safe zone where inflation can proceed successfully. We determine the conditions under which the Universe inflates by at least $60$ e-foldings and inflation leads to a power spectrum and tensor to scalar ratio that are consistent with the Cosmic Microwave Background data.

Spontaneous conformal symmetry breaking in fishnet CFT

Quantum field theories with exact but spontaneously broken conformal invariance have an intriguing feature: their vacuum energy (cosmological constant) is equal to zero. Up to now, the only known ultraviolet complete theories where conformal symmetry can be spontaneously broken were associated with supersymmetry (SUSY), with the most prominent example being the N=4 SUSY Yang-Mills. In this Letter we show that the recently proposed conformal “fishnet” theory supports at the classical level a rich set of flat directions (moduli) along which conformal symmetry is spontaneously broken. We demonstrate that, at least perturbatively, some of these vacua survive in the full quantum theory (in the planar limit, at the leading order of 1/Nc expansion) without any fine tuning. The vacuum energy is equal to zero along these flat directions, providing the first non-SUSY example of a four-dimensional quantum field theory with “natural” breaking of conformal symmetry.

Softly broken conformal symmetry with higher curvature terms

In a scalar-coupled-gravity model, the quadratically divergent counter term appearing in the mass renormalization of the scalar fields must inherit corrections arising out of gravitational interactions. In this work we have explicitly demonstrated that there are no such corrections of gravitational origin to the quadratic divergences in the mass counter terms. This statement holds true irrespective of the nature of the gravitational interaction, i.e., whether gravity is described by general relativity or f(R) theory. Interestingly, it also turns out that the one loop effective action of scalar-coupled-gravity system will be well-behaved \emph{if and only if} the $f(R)$ theory is free from ghosts. In particular, the results derived in the context of f(R) theory are shown to be in exact agreement with the corresponding results derived from the equivalent scalar-tensor representation. Our analysis suggests the tantalizing possibility that the masses of the scalar fields can be consistently kept smaller than some Ultra Violet (UV) cutoff scale and is independent of the nature of the gravity theory, which may involve higher curvature corrections. All these will be true provided the matter fields and the gravity theory can be embedded consistently into a UV complete theory at the Planck scale.

Towards a Unitary, Renormalizable, and Ultraviolet-Complete Quantum Theory of Gravity

For any fundamental quantum field theory, unitarity, renormalizability, and relativistic invariance are considered to be essential properties. Unitarity is inevitably connected to the probabilistic interpretation of the quantum theory, while renormalizability guarantees its completeness. Relativistic invariance, in turn, is a symmetry which derives from the structure of spacetime. So far, the perturbative attempt to formulate a fundamental local quantum field theory of gravity based on the metric field seems to be in conflict with at least one of these properties. In quantum Ho\v{r}ava gravity, a quantum Lifshitz field theory of gravity characterized by an anisotropic scaling between space and time, unitarity and renormalizability can be retained while Lorentz invariance is sacrificed at high energies and must emerge only as approximate symmetry at low energies. I review various approaches to perturbative quantum gravity with a particular focus on recent progress in the quantization of Ho\v{r}ava gravity, supporting its theoretical status as a unitary, renormalizable and ultraviolet-complete quantum theory of gravity.

Fakeons and microcausality: light cones, gravitational waves and the Hubble constant

The concept of a fake particle, or ‘fakeon’, allows us to make sense of quantum gravity as an ultraviolet complete theory, by renouncing causality at very small distances. We investigate whether the violation of microcausality can be amplified or detected in the most common settings. We show that it is actually short range for all practical purposes. Due to our experimental limitations, the violation does not propagate along the light cones or by means of gravitational waves. In some cases, the Universe even conspires to make the effect disappear. For example, the positivity of the Hubble constant appears to be responsible for the direction of time in the early Universe.

Fakeons, unitarity, massive gravitons, and the cosmological constant

We give a simple proof of perturbative unitarity in gauge theories and quantum gravity using a special gauge that allows us to separate the physical poles of the free propagators, which are quantized by means of the Feynman prescription, from the poles that belong to the gauge-trivial sector, which are quantized by means of the fakeon prescription. The proof applies to renormalizable theories, including the ultraviolet complete theory of quantum gravity with fakeons formulated recently, as well as low-energy (nonrenormalizable) theories. We clarify a number of subtleties related to the study of scattering processes in the presence of a cosmological constant Λ. The scattering ampli- tudes, defined by expanding the metric around flat space, obey the optical theorem up to corrections due to Λ, which are negligible for all practical purposes. Problems of interpretation would arise if such corrections became important. In passing, we obtain local, unitary (and “almost” renormalizable) theories of massive gravitons and gauge fields, which violate gauge invariance and general covariance explicitly.

Spontaneous CP violation and the strong CP problem in left-right symmetric theories

We study spontaneous CP violation as a solution to the strong CP problem in left-right symmetric theories. The discrete CP symmetry is broken by a complex vacuum expectation value of a right-handed Higgs doublet. Heavy vectorlike down-type quarks mix with the Standard Model quarks introducing the known CP violation - realizing a variant of the Nelson-Barr mechanism. A nonvanishing QCD vacuum angle is generated at loop level. The implementation in the ultraviolet complete theory of trinification at low scales is discussed. We further comment on the phenomenology and future testability of the model.

A theory of R(D*, D) anomaly with right-handed currents

We present an ultraviolet complete theory for the R(D*) and R(D) anomaly in terms of a low mass WR± gauge boson of a class of left-right symmetric models. These models, which are based on the gauge symmetry SU(3)c × SU(2)L × SU(2)R × U(1)B − L, utilize vector-like fermions to generate quark and lepton masses via a universal seesaw mechanism. A parity symmetric version as well as an asymmetric version are studied. A light sterile neutrino emerges naturally in this setup, which allows for new decay modes of B-meson via right-handed currents. We show that these models can explain R(D*) and R(D) anomaly while being consistent with LHC and LEP data as well as low energy flavor constraints arising from {K}_L-{K}_S,kern0.5em {B}_{d,s}-{overline{B}}_{d,s},kern0.5em D-overline{D} mixing, etc., but only for a limited range of the WR mass: 1.2 (1.8) TeV ≤ {M}_{W_R} ≤ 3 TeV for parity asymmetric (symmetric) Yukawa sectors. The ratio R(D)/R(D*) is predicted to be ≃ 1.16, which is the same as in the Standard Model. The light sterile neutrinos predicted by the model may be relevant for explaining the MiniBoone and LSND neutrino oscillation results. The parity symmetric version of the model provides a simple solution to the strong CP problem without relying on the axion. It also predicts an isospin singlet top partner with a mass MT = (1.5 − 2.5) TeV.

The ultraviolet landscape of two-Higgs doublet models

We study the predictions of generic ultraviolet completions of two-Higgs doublet models. We assume that at the matching scale between the two-Higgs doublet model and an ultraviolet complete theory – which can be anywhere between the TeV and the Planck scale – arbitrary but perturbative values for the quartic couplings are present. We evaluate the couplings down from the matching scale to the weak scale and study the predictions for the scalar mass spectrum. In particular, we show the importance of radiative corrections which are essential for both an accurate Higgs mass calculation as well as determining the stability of the electroweak vacuum. We study the relation between the mass splitting of the heavy Higgs states and the size of the quartic couplings at the matching scale, finding that only a small class of models exhibit sizeable mass splittings between the heavy scalars at the weak scale. Moreover, we find a clear correlation between the maximal size of the couplings and the considered matching scale.

LHC luminosity and energy upgrades confront natural supersymmetry models

The electroweak fine-tuning measure ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{\mathrm{EW}}$ allows for correlated supersymmetry (SUSY) soft terms as are expected in any ultraviolet complete theory. Requiring no less than 3% electroweak fine-tuning implies upper bounds of about 360 GeV on all Higgsinos, while top squarks are lighter than $\ensuremath{\sim}3\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$ and gluinos are bounded by $\ensuremath{\sim}6--9\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$. We examine the reach for SUSY of the planned high luminosity (HL: $3\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{ab}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 14 TeV) and the proposed high energy (HE: $15\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{ab}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 27 TeV) upgrades of the LHC via four LHC collider search channels relevant for natural SUSY: 1. gluino pair production followed by gluino decay to third generation (s)quarks, 2. top squark pair production followed by decay to third generation quarks and light Higgsinos, 3. neutral Higgsino pair production with QCD jet radiation (resulting in monojet events with soft dileptons), and 4. wino pair production followed by decay to light Higgsinos leading to same-sign diboson production. We confront our reach results with upper limits on superpartner masses in four natural SUSY models: natural gravity mediation via the 1. two- and 2. three-extra-parameter nonuniversal Higgs models, 3. natural minilandscape models with generalized mirage mediation and 4. natural anomaly mediation We find that while the HL-LHC can probe considerable portions of natural SUSY parameter space in all these models, the HE-LHC will decisively cover the entire natural SUSY parameter space with better than 3% fine-tuning.

Non-Locality and Late-Time Cosmic Acceleration from an Ultraviolet Complete Theory †

A local phenomenological model that reduces to a non-local gravitational theory giving dark energy is proposed. The non-local gravity action is known to fit the data as well as Λ-CDM thereby demanding a more fundamental local treatment. It is seen that the scale-invariant higher-derivative scalar-tensor theory of gravity, which is known to be ultraviolet perturbative renormalizable to all loops and where ghosts become innocuous, generates non-locality at low energies. The local action comprises of two real scalar fields coupled non-minimally with the higher-derivative gravity action. When one of the scalar acquiring the Vacuum Expectation Value (VEV) induces Einstein–Hilbert gravity, generates mass for fields, and gets decoupled from system, it leaves behind a residual theory which in turn leads to a non-local gravity generating dark energy effects.

Scattering unitarity with effective dimension-6 operators

The effects of physics beyond the Standard Model (SM) may be parametrized by a set of higher-dimensional operators leading to an effective theory. The introduction of these operators makes the theory nonrenormalizable, and one may reasonably expect a violation of unitarity in scattering processes, depending on the values of the Wilson coefficients (WC) of the higher dimensional operators. Bounds on these coefficients may be obtained from demanding that there be no such unitarity violation below the scale of the effective theory. We show, at the lowest level, how the new operators affect the scattering amplitudes with longitudinal gauge bosons, scalars, and in the final state, and find that one may expect a violation of unitarity even at the LHC energies with small values of some of the new WC. For most of the others, such a violation needs large coefficients, indicating nonperturbative physics for the ultraviolet-complete theory, although a proper treatment necessitates the inclusion of even higher-dimensional operators. However, deviations from the SM expectations may be observed with even smaller values for these coefficients. We find that , , and scatterings are the best possible channels to probe unitarity violations.

Light axial vector bosons, nuclear transitions, and the Be8 anomaly

New hidden particles could potentially be emitted and discovered in rare nuclear transitions. In this work we investigate the production of hidden vector bosons with primarily axial couplings to light quarks in nuclear transitions, and we apply our results to the recent anomaly seen in $^8$Be decays. The relevant matrix elements for $^8{\rm Be}^*(1^+) \rightarrow ^8{\rm Be} (0^+)$ transitions are calculated using ${\it ab \, initio}$ methods with inter-nucleon forces derived from chiral effective field theory and the in-medium similarity renormalization group. We find that the emission of a light axial vector with mass $m_X \simeq 17\, {\rm MeV}$ can account for the anomaly seen in the $1^+\to 0^+$ isoscalar transition together with the absence of a significant anomaly in the corresponding isovector transition. We also show that such an axial vector can be derived from an anomaly-free ultraviolet-complete theory that is consistent with current experimental data.