Exact solution of the neutralino mass matrix

The eigenvalue problem for the neutralino mass matrix has been solved exactly and the eigenvalues are expressed in terms of thev ₁/v ₂, chargino and gluino masses which are directly measurable. An analytical formula for the lightest neutralino mass as a function of the above parameters is obtained. Formulae for the photino, zino and neutral higgsino contents of each of the physical neutralino mass eigenstates states have been found. Taking into account these formulae it has been possible to predict the upper (lower) bound on the mass of zino (photino) dominant neutralino states, including the lightest one. The neutralino-gluino and neutralino-chargino mass planes have also been constrained by using the latest LEP data.     

Cherenkov effect in the weak interactions generated by the neutrinos and new approach for estimation of neutrino mass

It is shown that if weak interactions can generate masses and polarize matter, then the Cherenkov effect induced by these interactions at v _v > c/n appears. The effect of (resonance) enhancement of neutrino oscillations in matter (v _v < c/n) and the Cherenkov (v _v > c/n) effect are competitive processes and at definite neutrino energies the effect of (resonance) enhancement of neutrino oscillations in matter will change to the Cherenkov effect. Then neutrino vacuum oscillations will regenerate and we obtain an excellent possibility of estimating neutrino masses. And knowing estimation of mass for one (electron) neutrino we can obtain masses of the rest neutrinos by using the values for mass differences for neutrinos obtained in oscillation experiments.     

Mass bounds on a very light neutralino

Within the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) we systematically investigate the bounds on the mass of the lightest neutralino. We allow for non-universal gaugino masses and thus even consider massless neutralinos, while assuming in general that R-parity is conserved. Our main focus is on laboratory constraints. We consider collider data, precision observables, and also rare meson decays to very light neutralinos. We then discuss the astrophysical and cosmological implications. We find that a massless neutralino is allowed by all existing experimental data and astrophysical and cosmological observations.     

Particle mass limits in minimal and nonminimal supersymmetric models

A review of the Higgs and neutralino sector of supersymmetric models is presented. This includes the upper limit on the mass of the lightest Higgs boson in the minimal supersymmetric standard model, as well as models based on the standard model gauge groupSU(2) _L xU(l) _Y with extended Higgs sectors. We then discuss the Higgs sector of left-right supersymmetric models, which conserveR-parity as a consequence of gauge invariance, and present a calculable upper bound on the mass of the lightest Higgs boson in these models. We also discuss the neutralino sector of general supersymmetric models based on the SM gauge group. We show that, as a consequence of gauge coupling unification, an upper bound on the mass of the lightest neutralino as a function of the gluino mass can be obtained.     

Masses of charginos and neutralinos in a left-right supersymmetric model

We consider chargino and neutralino masses in an extension of the supersymmetric standard model to the supersymmetricSU(2) _L ×SU(2) _R ×U(1) _B-L model. After mixing of gauginos with higgsinos in addition to four charginos there are three neutralinos generated from the first symmetry breaking, and four neutralinos generated from the second symmetry breaking. In the minimal supersymmetry and left-right supersymmetry models, these mixings can be parameterized in terms of a few parameters. We find analytical expressions and numerical solutions for the mass eigenstates with some restrictions on theL-R parameters.     

On fermion mass hirerachies in MSSM-like quiver models with stringy corrections

Using instanton effects, we discuss the problem of fermion mass hierarchies in an MSSM-like Type IIA orientifolded model with U(3) × Sp(1) × U(1) × U(1) gauge symmetry obtained from intersecting D6-branes. In the corresponding four-stack quiver, the different scales of the generated superpotential couplings offer a partial solution to fermion mass hierarchies. Using the known data with neutrino masses m_vt <~2 eVm_{v_\tau } \lesssim 2 eV, we give the magnitudes of the relevant scales.     

The suppression of neutralino annihilation into Zh

The indirect detection of neutralino dark matter is most promising through annihilation channels producing a hard energy spectrum for the detected particles, such as neutralino annihilation into Zh. A cancellation however makes this particular annihilation channel generically subdominant in the huge parameter space of supersymmetric models. This cancellation requires non-trivial relations between neutralino mixings and masses, which we derive from gauge independence and unitarity of the MSSM. To show how the cancellation overshoots leaving only a subdominant result, we use a perturbative expansion in powers of the electroweak/supersymmetry breaking ratio m_Z/m_χ.     

Nuclear responses for neutrinos and neutrino studies by double beta decays and inverse beta decays

This is a brief report on recent studies of nuclear responses for neutrinos (v) by charge exchange reactions, v masses by double beta (ββ) decays and of solar and supernova v’s by inverse β decays. Subjects discussed include (1) v studies in nuclear micro-laboratories, (2) v masses studied by ββ decays of ¹⁰⁰Mo and nuclear responses for ββ — v, (3) solar and supernova v’s by inverse β decays and v responses for ⁷¹Ga and ¹⁰⁰Mo, and (4) MOON (molybdenum observatory of neutrinos) for spectroscopic studies of Majorana v masses with sensitivity of m _v ∼ 0.03 eV by ββ decays of ¹⁰⁰Mo and real-time studies of low energy solar and supernova v’s by inverse β decays of ¹⁰⁰Mo.     

Search for chargino and neutralino production at \sqrt{s} = 181–184 GeV at LEP

A search for charginos and neutralinos, predicted by supersymmetric theories, has been performed using a data sample of 57 pb at centre-of-mass energies of 181–184 GeV taken with the OPAL detector at LEP. No evidence for chargino or neutralino production has been found. Upper limits on chargino and neutralino pair production (, ) cross-sections are obtained as a function of the chargino mass (), the lightest neutralino mass () and the second lightest neutralino mass (). For large chargino masses the limits have been improved with respect to the previous analyses at lower centre-of-mass energies. Exclusion regions at 95% confidence level (C.L.) of parameters of the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model are determined for the case of a large universal scalar mass, , implying heavy scalar fermions, and for the case of a small resulting in light scalar fermions and giving the worst-case limits. Within this framework and for GeV the 95% C.L. lower limits on for GeV are 90.0 and 90.2 GeV for and 35 respectively. These limits for all (the worst-case) are 69.1 and 65.2 GeV for and 35 respectively. Exclusion regions are also presented for neutralino masses, including an absolute lower limit at 95% C.L. for the mass of the lightest neutralino of 30.1 GeV for GeV (24.2 GeV for all ), with implications for experimental searches for the lightest neutralino as a dark matter candidate. Received: 19 August 1998 / Published online: 11 March 1999     

On measuring Split-SUSY neutralino and chargino masses at the LHC

In Split-Supersymmetry models, where the only non-Standard Model states produceable at LHC-energies consist of a gluino plus neutralinos and charginos, it is conventionally accepted that only mass differences among these latter are measurable at the LHC. The present work shows that application of a simple ‘Kinematic Selection’ technique allows for full reconstruction of neutralino and chargino masses from one event, in principle. A Monte Carlo simulation demonstrates the feasibility of using this technique at the LHC.     

Search for charginos,neutralinos and gravitinos in e+e− interactions at s=183 GeV

An update of the searches for charginos and neutralinos is presented, based on a data sample corresponding to the 53.9 pb⁻¹ recorded by the DELPHI detector in 1997, at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. No evidence for a signal was found. The lower mass limits are 4–5 GeV/c² higher than those obtained at a centre-of-mass energy of 172 GeV. The (μ,M₂) domain excluded by combining the neutralino and chargino searches implies a limit on the mass of the lightest neutralino which, for a heavy sneutrino, is constrained to be above 29.1 GeV/c² for tanβ≥ 1.     

Phenomenology of non-universal gaugino masses and implications for the Higgs boson decay

Grand unified theories (GUTs) can lead to non-universal gaugino masses at the unification scale. We study the implications of such non-universal gaugino masses for the composition of the lightest neutralino in supersymmetric (SUSY) theories based on SU(5) gauge group. We also consider the phenomenological implications of non-universal gaugino masses for the phenomenology of Higgs bosons in the context of large hadron collider.      

<Emphasis Type="Italic">SU</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis></Subscript>(4)×<Emphasis Type="Italic">U</Emphasis>(1) model for electroweak unification and sterile neutrinos

Some of the basic problems in neutrino physics, such as new energy scales, the enormous gap between the neutrino masses and the lightest charged fermion mass, and the possible existence of sterile neutrinos in the eV mass range are studied in the local gauge group SU _L (4)×U(1) for electroweak unification, which does not contain fermions with exotic electric charges. It is shown that the neutrino mass spectrum can be decoupled from that of the other fermions. The further normal seesaw mechanism for neutrinos, with right-handed neutrino Majorana masses of order M≫M _weak as well a new eV-scale can be accommodated. The eV-scale seesaw may manifest itself in experiments like the Liquid Scintillation Neutrino Detector (LSND) and MiniBooNE (MB) experimental results and future neutrino experiments.     

SO(18) unification of fermion generations

We discuss the mass spectrum of light fermions in a recently proposed SO(18) model for family unification. We find that an intermediate B-L violating scale in the range of 10³ TeV provides a proper understanding of light neutrino (v_e, v_μ, v_τ, …) masses as well as the masses of their mirror partners. In this scenario, we expect at most four mirror neutrinos in the 2–10 GeV range, which could contribute to the width of the Z boson.     

A large scale double beta and dark matter experiment: On the physics potential of GENIUS

The physics potential of GENIUS, a recently proposed double beta decay and dark matter experiment is discussed. The experiment will allow to probe neutrino masses down to 10^?(2–3) eV. GENIUS will test the structure of the neutrino mass matrix, and therefore implicitly neutrino oscillation parameters comparable or superior in sensitivity to the best proposed dedicated terrestrial neutrino oscillation experiments. If the 10^-3 eV level is reached, GENIUS will even allow to test the large angle MSW solution of the solar neutrino problem. Even in its first stage GENIUS will confirm or rule out degenerate or inverted neutrino mass scenarios, which have been widely discussed in the literature as a possible solution to current hints on finite neutrino masses and also test the ν_e ? ν_μ hypothesis of the atmospheric neutrino problem. GENIUS would contribute to the search for R-parity violating SUSY and right-handed W-bosons on a scale similar or superior to LHC. In addition, GENIUS would largely improve the current 0νββ decay searches for R-parity conserving SUSY and leptoquarks. Concerning cold dark matter (CDM) search, the low background anticipated for GENIUS would, for the first time ever, allow to cover the complete MSSM neutralino parameter space, making GENIUS competitive to LHC in SUSY discovery. If GENIUS could find SUSY CDM as a by-product it would confirm that R-parity must be conserved exactly. GENIUS will thus be a major tool for future non-accelerator particle physics.     

Constrained supersymmetric flipped SU(5) GUT phenomenology

We explore the phenomenology of the minimal supersymmetric flipped SU(5) GUT model (CFSU(5)), whose soft supersymmetry-breaking (SSB) mass parameters are constrained to be universal at some input scale, M _in , above the GUT scale, M _GUT. We analyze the parameter space of CFSU(5) assuming that the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) provides the cosmological cold dark matter, paying careful attention to the matching of parameters at the GUT scale. We first display some specific examples of the evolutions of the SSB parameters that exhibit some generic features. Specifically, we note that the relationship between the masses of the lightest neutralino χ and the lighter stau [(t)\tilde]₁{\tilde{\tau}_{1}} is sensitive to M _in , as is the relationship between m _χ and the masses of the heavier Higgs bosons A,H. For these reasons, prominent features in generic (m _1/2,m ₀) planes such as coannihilation strips and rapid-annihilation funnels are also sensitive to M _in , as we illustrate for several cases with tan β=10 and 55. However, these features do not necessarily disappear at large M _in , unlike the case in the minimal conventional SU(5) GUT. Our results are relatively insensitive to neutrino masses.     

Search for neutral heavy leptons produced in Z decays

Weak isosinglet Neutral Heavy Leptons (v _m) have been searched for using data collected by the DELPHI detector corresponding to 3.3 × 10⁶ hadronic Z⁰ decays at LEP1. Four separate searches have been performed, for short-lived v _m production giving monojet or acollinear jet topologies, and for long-lived v _m giving detectable secondary vertices or calorimeter clusters. No indication of the existence of these particles has been found, leading to an upper limit for the branching ratio BR(Z⁰ → v _m ?) of about 1.3 × 10^?6 at 95% confidence level for v _m masses between 3.5 and 50 GeV/c². Outside this range the limit weakens rapidly with the v _m mass. The results are also interpreted in terms of limits for the single production of excited neutrinos.     

Single and multi-photon events with missing energy in eecollisions at = 189 GeV

Single and multi-photon events with missing energy are analysed using data collected with the L3 detector at LEP at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV, for a total of 176 pb of integrated luminosity. The cross section of the process e⁺e⁻ → γ(γ) is measured and the number of light neutrino flavours is determined to be N_ν=3.011±0.077 including lower energy data. Upper limits on cross sections of supersymmetric processes are set and interpretations in supersymmetric models provide improved limits on the masses of the lightest neutralino and the gravitino. Graviton-photon production in low scale gravity models with extra dimensions is searched for and limits on the energy scale of the model are set exceeding 1 TeV for two extra dimensions.     

Likelihood functions for supersymmetric observables in?frequentist analyses of the CMSSM and NUHM1

On the basis of frequentist analyses of experimental constraints from electroweak precision data, (g−2) _μ , B-physics and cosmological data, we investigate the parameters of the constrained MSSM (CMSSM) with universal soft supersymmetry-breaking mass parameters, and a model with common non-universal Higgs masses (NUHM1). We present χ ² likelihood functions for the masses of supersymmetric particles and Higgs bosons, as well as BR(b→s γ), BR(B _s →μ ⁺ μ ⁻) and the spin-independent dark-matter scattering cross section, σ _p ^SI. In the CMSSM we find preferences for sparticle masses that are relatively light. In the NUHM1 the best-fit values for many sparticle masses are even slightly smaller, but with greater uncertainties. The likelihood functions for most sparticle masses are cut off sharply at small masses, in particular by the LEP Higgs mass constraint. Both in the CMSSM and the NUHM1, the coannihilation region is favored over the focus-point region at about the 3-σ level, largely but not exclusively because of (g−2) _μ . Many sparticle masses are highly correlated in both the CMSSM and NUHM1, and most of the regions preferred at the 95% C.L. are accessible to early LHC running, though high-luminosity running would be needed to cover the regions allowed at the 3-σ levels. Some slepton and chargino/neutralino masses should be in reach at the ILC. The masses of the heavier Higgs bosons should be accessible at the LHC and the ILC in portions of the preferred regions in the (M _A ,tan β) plane. In the CMSSM, the likelihood function for BR(B _s →μ ⁺ μ ⁻) is peaked close to the Standard Model value, but much larger values are possible in the NUHM1. We find that values of σ _p ^SI>10⁻¹⁰ pb are preferred in both the CMSSM and the NUHM1. We study the effects of dropping the (g−2) _μ , BR(b→s γ), Ω _χ h ² and M _h constraints, demonstrating that they are not in tension with the other constraints.     

A neutrino-dominated universe

Relic neutrinos produced during the early evolution of the universe will be abundant today (n _v n ) and, if they have a small mass (3 <m _v < 10 eV), may supply the dominant contribution to the total mass density. We review the data on the mass on various scales galaxies, binaries, small groups, large clusters) and conclude that ordinary matter (nucleons) is capable of accounting for the inferred mass on all scales except that of clusters of galaxies. Were the mass in clusters mainly in nucleons, too much helium and too little deuterium would have been produced during primordial nucleosynthesis. Relic neutrinos withm _v > 3 eV are heavy enough to collapse into clusters of galaxies; form _v < 10 eV they are too light to collapse along with binaries and small groups. Such neutrinos would supply the dominant contribution to the mass in the universe.This essay received the first award from the Gravity Research Foundation for the year 1980-Ed.