Searches for Gauge-Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking topologies in e^+e^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies up to \sqrt{s}=209 \mathrm{GeV}

Searches were performed for topologies predicted by gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking models (GMSB). All possible lifetimes of the next-to-lightest SUSY particle (NLSP), either the lightest neutralino or slepton, decaying into the lightest SUSY particle, the gravitino, were considered. No evidence for GMSB signatures was found in the OPAL data sample collected at centre-of-mass energies up to $\sqrt{s}=209 \mathrm{GeV}$ at LEP. Limits on the product of the production cross-sections and branching fractions are presented for all search topologies. To test the impact of the searches, a complete scan over the parameters of the minimal model of GMSB was performed. NLSP masses below $53.5 \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$ in the neutralino NLSP scenario, below $87.4 \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$ in the stau NLSP scenario and below $91.9 \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$ in the slepton co-NLSP scenario are excluded at 95% confidence level for all NLSP lifetimes. The scan determines constraints on the universal SUSY mass scale Λ from the direct SUSY particle searches of Λ>40, 27, 21, 17, $15 \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$ for messenger indices N=1,2,3,4,5 for all NLSP lifetimes.     

Fine-tuning favors mixed axion/axino cold dark matter over neutralinos in the minimal supergravity model

Over almost all of minimal supergravity (mSUGRA or CMSSM) model parameter space, there is a large overabundance of neutralino cold dark matter (CDM). We find that the allowed regions of mSUGRA parameter space which match the measured abundance of CDM in the universe are highly fine-tuned. If instead we invoke the Peccei–Quinn–Weinberg–Wilczek solution to the strong CP problem, then the SUSY CDM may consist of an axion/axino admixture with an axino mass of order the MeV scale, and where mixed axion/axino or mainly axion CDM seems preferred. In this case, fine-tuning of the relic density is typically much lower, showing that axion/axino CDM ( $a\tilde{a}$ CDM) is to be preferred in the paradigm model for SUSY phenomenology. For mSUGRA with $a\tilde{a}$ CDM, quite different regions of parameter space are now DM-favored as compared to the case of neutralino DM. Thus, rather different SUSY signatures are expected at the LHC in the case of mSUGRA with $a\tilde{a}$ CDM, as compared to mSUGRA with neutralino CDM.     

Wino and zino production inp\bar p collisions: first order supersymmetric QCD corrections

We compute the first order supersymmetric QCD correction to wino \((\tilde W)\) and zino \((\tilde Z)\) production in \(p\bar p\) collisions via subprocesses involving two massless partons inside the nucleon or one massless parton and a massive SUSY parton (squark or gluino). The first order SQCD corrections to the rapidity dependence at CERN collider and Tevatron energies are found large (K～2). The rates are important (～10^?2 nb at \(\sqrt s = 630\) GeV and ～10^?1 nb at \(\sqrt s = 2\) TeV), as soon as the \((\tilde W)\) and \((\tilde Z)\) production by squarks is allowed. Transverse momentum distributions are also given and their shape is found very sensitive to the presence of SUSY partons inside the nucleon.     

Pseudo goldstones at future colliders from the extended BESS model

Decays and branching ratios of light neutralino production in $Z_R^0 \to \tilde \chi _i^0 \tilde \chi _j^0 $ in the left-right super-symmetric model are considered. We study in detail the signatures of one and two sided events in $Z_R^0 \to \tilde \chi _1^0 \tilde \chi _2^0 $ and $Z_R^0 \to \tilde \chi _2^0 \tilde \chi _2^0 $ respectively, and their dependence on the parameters of the light neutralino mixing matrix.     

On cascade decays of squarks at the LHC in NLO QCD

In this paper we present an analysis at NLO QCD of the contribution from squark-squark production to the experimental signature $2j+l^{+}l^{-}+ \displaystyle{\not}E_T (+X)$ with opposite-sign same flavor leptons, taking into account decays and experimental cuts. We consider the case in which one squark decays directly into the lightest neutralino $\tilde{\chi}^{0} _{1}$ and the other one into the second lightest neutralino and subsequently into $l^{+}l^{-} \tilde{\chi}^{0} _{1}$ via an intermediate slepton. On the one hand we study the effects of the NLO corrections on invariant mass distributions which can be used for future parameter determination. On the other hand we analyze the impact on predictions for cut-and-count searches using the given experimental signature.     

Simulating spin-\frac{3}{2} particles at colliders

Support for interactions of spin- $\frac{3}{2}$ particles is implemented in the FeynRules and ALOHA packages and tested with the MadGraph 5 and CalcHEP event generators in the context of three phenomenological applications. In the first, we implement a spin- $\frac{3}{2}$ Majorana gravitino field, as in local supersymmetric models, and study gravitino and gluino pair-production. In the second, a spin- $\frac{3}{2}$ Dirac top-quark excitation, inspired from compositeness models, is implemented. We then investigate both top-quark excitation and top-quark pair-production. In the third, a general effective operator for a spin- $\frac{3}{2}$ Dirac quark excitation is implemented, followed by a calculation of the angular distribution of the s-channel production mechanism.     

Resolving Fermi, PAMELA and ATIC anomalies in split supersymmetry without R-parity

A long-lived decaying dark matter as a resolution to Fermi, PAMELA and ATIC anomalies is investigated in the framework of split supersymmetry (SUSY) without R-parity, where the neutralino is regarded as the dark matter and the extreme fine-tuned couplings for the long-lived neutralino are naturally evaded in the usual approach. The energy spectra of electron and positron are from not only the direct neutralino decays denoted by χ→e ⁺ e ^? ν, but also the decaying chains such as $\chi\to e^{+}\nu\mu(\to \nu_{\mu}e\bar{\nu}_{e})$ . We find that with a proper lifetime of the neutralino, slepton-mediated effects could explain the ATIC and PAMELA data well, but an inconsistence occurs to the Fermi and PAMELA data without considering the ATIC one. However, by a suitable combination of χ→e ⁺ e ^? ν and $\chi\to e^{+}\nu \mu(\to\nu_{\mu}e\bar{\nu}_{e})$ , the sneutrino-mediated effects could simultaneously account for the Fermi and PAMELA data.     

Direct chargino–neutralino production at the LHC: interpreting the exclusion limits in the complex MSSM

We re-assess the exclusion limits on the parameters describing the supersymmetric (SUSY) electroweak sector of the MSSM obtained from the search for direct chargino–neutralino production at the LHC. We start from the published limits obtained for simplified models, where for the case of heavy sleptons the relevant branching ratio, $\mathrm {BR}(\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{2} \to \tilde{\chi}^{0}_{1} Z)$ , is set to one. We show how the decay mode $\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{2} \to \tilde{\chi}^{0}_{1} h$ , which cannot be neglected in any realistic model once kinematically allowed, substantially reduces the excluded parameter region. We analyze the dependence of the excluded regions on the phase of the gaugino soft SUSY-breaking mass parameter, M ₁, on the mass of the light scalar tau, $m_{{\tilde{\tau}_{1}}}$ , on tanβ as well as on the squark and slepton mass scales. Large reductions in the ranges of parameters excluded can be observed in all scenarios. The branching ratios of charginos and neutralinos are evaluated using a full NLO calculation for the complex MSSM. The size of the effects of the NLO calculation on the exclusion bounds is investigated. We furthermore assess the potential reach of the experimental analyses after collecting 100 fb^?1 at the LHC running at 13 TeV.     

High-p T direct photon production inpp collisions

Direct photon and neutral-pion production have been measured inpp collisions at the CERN ISR for 30< \(\sqrt s \) <63 GeV and transverse momenta up to 12 GeV/c. The direct photon signal relative to neutral-pion production increases withp _T and shows little \(\sqrt s \) -dependence. Results are reported from a variety of running conditions, and details are given on the method of analysis and on the evaluation of systematic errors for the inclusive cross-section of single-photon and neutral-pion production.     

Measurement of CP asymmetries in neutralino production at the ILC

We study the prospects to measure the CP-sensitive triple-product asymmetries in neutralino production \(e^{+} e^{-} \to\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{i}\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{1}\) and subsequent leptonic two-body decays \(\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{i} \to \tilde{\ell}_{R} \ell\), \(\tilde{\ell}_{R} \to \tilde{\chi}^{0}_{1} \ell\), for ?=e,μ, within the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. We include a full detector simulation of the International Large Detector for the International Linear Collider. The simulation was performed at a center-of-mass energy of \(\sqrt{s}=500\) GeV, including the relevant Standard Model background processes, a realistic beam energy spectrum, beam backgrounds and a beam polarization of 80% and ?60% for the electron and positron beams, respectively. In order to effectively disentangle different signal samples and reduce SM and SUSY backgrounds we apply a method of kinematic reconstruction. Assuming an integrated luminosity of 500 fb^?1 collected by the experiment and the performance of the current ILD detector, we arrive at a relative measurement accuracy of 10% for the CP-sensitive asymmetry in our scenario. We demonstrate that our method of signal selection using kinematic reconstruction can be applied to a broad class of scenarios and it allows disentangling processes with similar kinematic properties.     

Prospects for constrained supersymmetry at $$\sqrt{s}={33}\,\text {TeV} $$ and $$\sqrt{s}={100}\,\text {TeV} $$ proton–proton super-colliders

Successful models of pure gravity mediation (PGM) with radiative electroweak symmetry breaking can be expressed with as few as two free parameters, which can be taken as the gravitino mass and \(\tan \beta \) . These models easily support a 125–126 GeV Higgs mass at the expense of a scalar spectrum in the multi-TeV range and a much lighter wino as the lightest supersymmetric particle. In these models, it is also quite generic that the Higgs mixing mass parameter, \(\mu \) , which is determined by the minimization of the Higgs potential is also in the multi-TeV range. For \(\mu >0\) , the thermal relic density of winos is too small to account for the dark matter. The same is true for \(\mu <0\) unless the gravitino mass is of order 500 TeV. Here, we consider the origin of a multi-TeV \(\mu \) parameter arising from the breakdown of a Peccei–Quinn (PQ) symmetry. A coupling of the PQ-symmetry breaking field, \(P\) , to the MSSM Higgs doublets, naturally leads to a value of \(\mu \sim \langle P \rangle ^2 /M_P \sim {\mathcal O}(100)\) TeV and of the order that is required in PGM models. In this case, axions make up the dark matter or some fraction of the dark matter with the remainder made up from thermal or non-thermal winos. We also provide solutions to the problem of isocurvature fluctuations with axion dark matter in this context.     

Photon gluon fusion cross sections at HERA energy

We present cross sections for heavy flavour production through photon gluon fusion in electron proton collisions at HERA energy. The electron photon vertex is taken into account explicitly, and theQ ² of the exchanged photon ranges from nearly zero (almost real photon) to the kinematically allowed maximum. In our approach the scale is set by the mass of the produced quarks. Our formalism is also applicable to the production of light quarks as long as the invariant mass of the pair is sufficiently high, so we also give cross sections for \(u\bar u,d\bar d\) and \(s\bar s\) production.     

Diquark production inep collisions

We examine the production of single diquarks (D) and diquark pairs \((D\bar D)\) inep collisions using the effective photon approximation. Cross-sections for both mechanisms are found to be quite sensitive to the assumed charged of the diquark but can lead to significant production rates in all cases at HERA and futureep colliders. Backgrounds from QCD jet production are found to be potentially significant in the case of singleD production where the signal to background is approximately one-to-one whereas the production of \(D\bar D\) pairs is relatively back-ground free.     

Light scalar mesons as manifestation of spontaneously broken chiral symmetry

Attention is paid to the production mechanisms of light scalars that reveal their nature. We reveal the chiral shielding of the σ(600) meson. We show that the kaon loop mechanism of the φ radiative decays, ratified by experiment, points to the four-quark nature of light scalars. We show also that the light scalars are produced in the two photon collisions via four-quark transitions in contrast to the classic P wave tensor q $ \bar q $ mesons that are produced via two-quark transitions γγ → q $ \bar q $ . The history of spontaneous breaking of symmetry in quantum physics is discussed in Appendix.     

Quark-antiquark pair production via γW fusion at high energye + e − colliders

We calculate numerically the cross section for the process \(e^ + e^ - \to ve^ + Q_d \bar Q_u \) using the Weizsäcker-Williams approximation for the virtual photon. This process is a possible background for the detection of an “intermediate” Higgs via its decay into \(Q\bar Q\) pairs. The comparison with the signal allows us to conclude that actually it is not a problem for the Higgs search at high energye ⁺ e ^? colliders.     

Gaugino-Higgsino mixing in selectron and sneutrino pair production

We study \(e^ + e^ - \to \tilde e^ + \tilde e^ - \) together with \(\tilde e^ \pm \) decay emphasizing the importance of neutralino mixing in thet-channel at energies above theZ ⁰ resonance. This illustrated in three different mixing scenarios. Formulae for \(e^ + e^ - \to \bar \tilde v_e \tilde v_e \) are also given.     

e^ + e^ - \to b\bar bW^ + W^ - events at the next linear collider: colour structure of top signal and irreducible backgroundevents at the next linear collider: colour structure of top signal and irreducible background

We examine the colour structure and charged particle yield for both the $t\bar t$ signal and the irreducible background processes contributing to $e^ + e^ - \to b\bar bW^ + W^ - $ production close to the $t\bar t$ threshold. The charged particle multiplicity for the various components of the cross section is computed as a function of several kinematic variables. Our study may have important implications for recently proposed studies of interconnection phenomena in $t\bar t$ production at high-energye ⁺ e ^? colliders.     

The energy dependence of the hard exclusive diffractive processes in pQCD as the function of momentum transfer

We predict the dependence on energy of photo (electro) production processes: γ(γ ^*)+p→V+X with large rapidity gap at small x and large momentum ?t transferred to V in pQCD. Here V is a heavy quarkonium (J/ψ,?) or longitudinally polarized light vector meson (in the electroproduction processes), etc. In the kinematics of HERA we calculate the dependence on energy of cross sections of these processes as the function of momentum transfer t, photon virtuality Q ² and/or quarkonium mass. In the kinematical region $Q_{0}^{2}\le -t\ll Q^{2}+M^{2}_{V}$ the nontrivial energy dependence of the cross section for the vector meson production due to the photon scattering off a parton follows within QCD from the summing of the double logarithmic terms. In the second regime $-t\ge Q^{2}+M^{2}_{V}$ within DGLAP approximation in all orders of perturbation theory the $q\bar{q}$ -parton elastic cross section is energy independent. We show that the correct account of the double logarithmic terms and of the gluon radiation including kinematical constraints removes the disagreement between pQCD calculations and recent HERA experimental data. The explicit formula for the dependence of the differential cross section $\frac{d^{2}\sigma}{dt\,dx_{J}}$ of these processes on $s_{\gamma^{*}N}$ is obtained. We show that perturbative Pomeron type behavior may reveal itself only at energies significantly larger than those available at HERA. In addition we evaluate the energy dependence of DVCS processes.     

Study of single weak boson production in electron-positron scattering

The studies of the week boson production in electron-positron scattering are reviewed. At the lowest order of the Weinberg-Salam gauge theory, the cross sections for the various processes of the single weak boson production are computed by paying an attention on the gauge invariance at the high energies, or by calculating all the relevant Feynman diagrams, some of which have been neglected in the studies so far. A formulation is presented to compute the cross sections for the various processes,e ⁺ e ^?→WUD, whereW is the weak boson,WUD stands for \(W^ + \bar U D\) , or \(W^ - U \bar D\) , andU(D) represents the up (down) state of theSU(2) _L doublet. Also the upper bound of the contributions from the single weak boson production via the two photon process is estimated by using the real photon approximation.     

Photon Asymmetries in {nd\rightarrow} 3 Hγ Using EFT({/\!\!\!\pi}) Approach

The parity-violating Lagrangian of the weak nucleon-nucleon (NN) interaction in the pionless effective field theory (EFT( \({/\!\!\!\pi}\) )) approach contains five independent unknown low-energy coupling constants (LECs). The photon asymmetry with respect to neutron polarization in \({np\rightarrow d\gamma A_\gamma^{np}}\) , the circular polarization of outgoing photon in \({np\rightarrow d\gamma P_\gamma^{np}}\) , the neutron spin rotation in hydrogen \({\frac{1}{\rho}\frac{d\phi^{np}}{dl}}\) , the neutron spin rotation in deuterium \({\frac{1}{\rho}\frac{d\phi^{nd}}{dl}}\) and the circular polarization of γ-emission in \({nd\rightarrow}\) ³ Hγ \({P^{nd}_\gamma}\) are the parity-violating observables which have been recently calculated in terms of parity-violating LECs in the EFT( \({/\!\!\!\pi}\) ) framework. We obtain the LECs by matching the parity-violating observables to the Desplanques, Donoghue, and Holstein (DDH) best value estimates. Then, we evaluate photon asymmetry with respect to the neutron polarization \({a^{nd}_\gamma}\) and the photon asymmetry in relation to deuteron polarization \({A^{nd}_\gamma}\) in \({nd\rightarrow}\) ³ Hγ process. We finally compare our EFT( \({/\!\!\!\pi}\) ) photon asymmetries results with the experimental values and the previous calculations based on the DDH model.