119113213
Strongly First-Order Electroweak Phase Transition and Classical Scale Invariance
In this work, we examine the possibility of realizing a strongly first-order electroweak phase transition within the minimal classically scale invariant extension of the standard model (SM), previously proposed and analyzed as a potential solution to the hierarchy problem. By introducing one complex singlet scalar and three right-handed Majorana neutrinos, the scenario was successfully capable of achieving a radiative breaking of the electroweak symmetry (Coleman-Weinberg Mechanism), inducing non-zero masses for the SM neutrinos (seesaw mechanism), presenting a pseudoscalar dark matter candidate, and predicting the existence of a second $CP$-even boson in addition to the 125 GeV scalar. We construct the full finite-temperature one-loop effective potential of the model, including the resummed thermal daisy loops, and demonstrate that finite-temperature effects induce a first-order electroweak phase transition. Requiring the thermally-driven first-order phase transition to be sufficiently strong further constrains the model's parameter space; in particular, an $\mathcal O(0.01)$ fraction of the dark matter in the universe may be simultaneously accommodated with a strongly first-order electroweak phase transition. Moreover, such a phase transition disfavors right-handed Majorana neutrino masses above several hundreds of GeV, confines the pseudoscalar dark matter masses to $\sim 1$-2 TeV, predicts the mass of the second $CP$-even scalar to be $\sim 100$-300 GeV, and requires the mixing angle between the $CP$-even components of the SM doublet and the complex singlet to lie within the range $0.2 \lesssim \sin\omega \lesssim 0.4$. The obtained results are displayed in comprehensive exclusion plots, identifying the viable regions of the parameter space. Many of these predictions lie within the reach of the next LHC run.
55815188
Probing Gravitational Dark Matter
So far all evidences of dark matter (DM) come from astrophysical and cosmological observations, due to gravitational interactions of the DM. It is possible that the true DM particle in the universe joins gravitational interactions only, but nothing else. Such a Gravitational DM (GDM) may act as a weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP), which is conceptually simple and attractive. In this work, we explore this direction by constructing the simplest scalar GDM particle s . It is a Z 2 odd singlet under the standard model (SM) gauge group, and naturally joins the unique dimension-4 interaction with Ricci curvature, s 2 R , where s is the dimensionless nonminimal coupling. We demonstrate that this gravitational interaction s 2 R , together with Higgs-curvature nonminimal coupling term h H y HR , induces eective couplings between 2 and SM elds, and can account for the observed DM thermal relic abundance. We analyze the annihilation cross sections of GDM particles and derive the viable parameter space for realizing the DM thermal relic density. We further study the direct/indirect detections and the collider signatures of such a scalar GDM. These turn out to be highly predictive and testable.
118390911
Hadron collider production of massive color-octet vector bosons at next-to-leading order
This paper completes the study of the next-to-leading-order QCD corrections to massive color-octet vector boson production at the LHC and Tevatron. The massive color-octet vector bosons are generically referred to as colorons. Building on our previous calculation of quark-initiated coloron production at next-to-leading order, we use the pinch technique to investigate coloron production via gluon fusion. We demonstrate that this one-loop production amplitude is finite and find that its numerical contribution to coloron production is typically 4 orders of magnitude smaller than the contribution from quark annihilation. Coloron production via gluon fusion is therefore relevant only if the colorons are (nearly) fermiophobic. We then present extensive plots and tables of our full results for next-to-leading-order coloron production at the Tevatron and the LHC.
119298728
Gravitational Interaction of Higgs Boson and Weak Boson Scattering
With the LHC discovery of a 125 GeV Higgs-like boson, we study the gravitational interaction of the Higgs boson via the unique dimension-four operator involving the Higgs doublet and scalar curvature, xi HyHR, with nonminimal coupling xi. This Higgs portal term can be transformed away in the Einstein frame and induces gauge-invariant effective interactions in the Higgs sector. We study the weak boson scattering in the Einstein frame and explicitly demonstrate the longitudinal-Goldstone boson equivalence theorem in the presence of xi coupling. With these, we derive a perturbative unitarity bound on the Higgs gravitational coupling xi in the Einstein frame, which is stronger than that inferred from the LHC Higgs measurements. We further study xi -dependent weak boson scattering cross sections at the TeV scale and propose a new LHC probe of Higgs-gravity coupling xi via weak boson scattering experiments.
118713106
Technicolor in the LHC Era
LHC searches for the standard model Higgs Boson in \gamma\gamma\ or \tau\tau\ decay modes place strong constraints on the light technipion state predicted in technicolor models that include colored technifermions. Compared with the standard Higgs Boson, the technipions have an enhanced production rate (largely because the technipion decay constant is smaller than the weak scale) and also enhanced branching ratios into di-photon and di-tau final states (largely due to the suppression of WW decays of the technipions). Recent ATLAS and CMS searches for Higgs bosons exclude the presence of technipions with masses from 110 GeV to nearly 2m_t in technicolor models that (a) include colored technifermions (b) feature topcolor dynamics and (c) have technicolor groups with three or more technicolors (N_{TC} > 3).
118752433
Higgs Partner Searches and Dark Matter Phenomenology in a Classically Scale Invariant Higgs Boson Sector
In a previous work, a classically scale invariant extension of the standard model was proposed, as a potential candidate for resolving the hierarchy problem, by minimally introducing a complex gauge singlet scalar, and generating radiative electroweak symmetry breaking by means of the Coleman- Weinberg Mechanism. Postulating the singlet sector to respect the CP-symmetry, the existence of a stable pseudoscalar dark matter candidate with a mass in the TeV range was demonstrated. More- over, the model predicted the presence of another physical CP-even Higgs boson (with suppressed tree-level couplings), in addition to the 125 GeV scalar discovered by the LHC. The viable region of the parameter space was determined by various theoretical and experimental considerations. In this work, we continue to examine the phenomenological implications of the proposed minimal sce- nario by considering the constraints from the dark matter relic density, as determined by the Planck collaboration, as well as the direct detection bounds from the LUX experiment. Furthermore, we investigate the implications of the collider Higgs searches for the additional Higgs boson. Our results are comprehensively demonstrated in unified exclusion plots, which analyze the viable region of the parameter space from all relevant angles, demonstrating the testability of the proposed scenario.
122941988
Neutrino Oscillations in the de Sitter and the Anti-de Sitter Space-Time
General expressions of the neutrino oscillation phase in the generally static space-time with spherical symmetry are given. The effect of the gravitational field on the oscillation length is embodied in the gravitational red shift factor. We find that a blue shift of the oscillation length takes place when the neutrino travels out of the gravitational field. Then, we discuss the variation of the oscillation length influenced by the cosmological constant. In the de Sitter space-time, the positive cosmological constant prolongs the oscillation length. And, in the anti-de Sitter space-time, the negative cosmological constant shortens it as expected.
119057266
Equation of State for Neutralino Star as a Form of Cold Dark Matter
In order to study the structure of neutralino star and dark galaxy, we consider dynamical interactions due to boson-exchange in the neutralino matter. Taking into account interactions of neutralinos with bosons, we derive the equation of state (EOS) of neutralino stars in terms of the relativistic mean field approach. Then we apply the resulting EOS to investigate properties of the neutralino star such as its density profile and mass limit. For example, if the neutralino mass is around 1 TeV, the Oppenheimer mass limit of the neutralino star is obtained as $6.06\times 10^{-7}M_\odot$, and the corresponding radius is about 7.8 mm. Actually, due to an increasing annihilation rate as indicated by our calculation, this dense state can never be realized in practice. Our results also show that the low density neutralino star may be a possible aggregation of the cold dark matter.
119368144
DARK VISCOUS FLUID DESCRIBED BY A UNIFIED EQUATION OF STATE IN COSMOLOGY
We generalize the ΛCDM model by introducing a unified EOS to describe the Universe contents modeled as dark viscous fluid, motivated by the fact that a single constant equation of state (EOS) p = -p0 (p0 > 0) reproduces the ΛCDM model exactly. This EOS describes the perfect fluid term, the dissipative effect, and the cosmological constant in a unique framework and the Friedmann equations can be analytically solved. Especially, we find a relation between the EOS parameter and the renormalizable condition of a scalar field. We develop a completely numerical method to perform a χ2 minimization to constrain the parameters in a cosmological model directly from the Friedmann equations, and employ the SNe data with the parameter $\mathcal{A}$ measured from the SDSS data to constrain our model. The result indicates that the dissipative effect is rather small in the late-time Universe.
119037865
Analytic quantum critical points from holography
We find exact, analytic solutions of the Klein-Gordon equation for a scalar field in the background of the extremal Reissner-Nordstrom-AdS_5 black hole. The Green's function near a quantum critical point for a strongly coupled system can be extracted holographically from an exact solution for the scalar at zero frequency (\omega), but arbitrary momentum (k), mass, and charge. By examining the Green's function near \omega=0, there are two types of instability: the first one is triggered by a zero mode, and gives a hybridized critical point; the second one is triggered by the instability of the IR geometry, and gives a bifurcating critical point. The two types of instability can happen at the same time, and give a mixed critical point. Without tuning an extra parameter, only the second type of instability can happen at k=0. At the critical point with the superfluid velocity, the scalar can develop either type of instability, depending on the parameters. The zero mode can also be obtained by tuning a double trace deformation. The phase diagrams can be analytically drawn.
120550582
Hawking radiation via tunnelling from black holes with topological defects
In this paper, we extend Parikh's recent work to two kinds of the black holes whose ADM mass is no longer identical to its mass parameter, each with a topological defect, one being a global monopole black hole and another a cosmic string black hole. We view Hawking radiation as a tunnelling process across the event horizon and calculate the tunnelling probability. From the tunnelling probability we also find a leading correction to the semiclassical emission rate. The results are consistent with an underlying unitary theory.