Higgs physics with a $\gamma \gamma$ collider based on CLIC 1

We present the machine parameters and physics capabilities of the CLIC Higgs Experiment (CLICHE), a low-energy collider based on CLIC 1, the demonstration project for the higher-energy two-beam accelerator CLIC. CLICHE is conceived as a factory capable of producing around 20,000 light Higgs bosons per year. We discuss the requirements for the CLIC 1 beams and a laser backscattering system capable of producing a total (peak) luminosity of cm^-2s^-1 with GeV. We show how CLICHE could be used to measure accurately the mass, , WW and decays of a light Higgs boson. We illustrate how these measurements may distinguish between the Standard Model Higgs boson and those in supersymmetric and more general two-Higgs-doublet models, complement ing the measurements to be made with other accelerators. We also comment on other prospects in and physics with CLICHE. Received: 20 November 2001 / Published online: 24 March 2003     

The $Z \rightarrow \gamma \gamma,\;gg$ decays in the non-commutative standard model

On non-commutative spacetime, the standard model (SM) allows new, usually SM forbidden, triple gauge boson interactions to occur. In this letter we propose the SM strictly forbidden and decay modes coming from the gauge sector of the non-commutative standard model (NCSM) as a place where non-commutativity could be experimentally discovered. Received: 2 July 2002, Revised: 28 February 2003, Published online: 18 June 2003     

Testing non-commutative QED \gamma\gamma\gamma and \gamma\gamma\gamma\gamma couplings at LHC

In this work, we investigate the sensitivity of the process at LHC for the photonic 3- and 4-point functions that appear in non-commutative QED. We show that this process serves to study the behavior of the space-space as well as of the space-time non-commutativity. We also show that this process can probe the non-commutative scale in the range of a few TeV.Received: 9 February 2004, Revised: 27 February 2004, Published online: 8 April 2004     

Heavy charged Higgs boson production at next generation $\gamma\gamma$ colliders

We investigate the scope of all relevant production modes of charged Higgs bosons in the MSSM, with mass larger than the one of the top quark, at future Linear Colliders operating in mode at the TeV energy scale. Final states with one or two bosons are considered, as produced by both tree- and loop-level interactions. Received: 8 November 2002 / Revised version: 12 February 2003 / Published online: 13 May 2003 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: stefano.moretti@cern.ch RID="b" ID="b" e-mail: kanemu@post.kek.jp     

Yukawa coupling corrections to the decay H^+ \to W^+ A^0

We compute the fermionic radiative contributions to the decay in the framework of models with two Higgs doublets (2HDM), for the case of an on-shell and off-shell W. We show that, in the majority of the cases, current measurements of the parameter suggest and such decays could invalidate current charged Higgs searches or aid detection in the region . We find that the radiative corrections may approach 50% for small values of . Received: 22 April 1999 / Published online: 10 December 1999     

Quantisation of $\theta$-expanded non-commutative QED

We analyse two new versions of -expanded non-commutative quantum electrodynamics up to first order in and first loop order. In the first version we expand the bosonic sector using the Seiberg-Witten map, leaving the fermions unexpanded. In the second version we leave both bosons and fermions unexpanded. The analysis shows that the Seiberg-Witten map is a field redefinition at first order in . However, at higher order in the Seiberg-Witten map cannot be regarded as a field redefinition. We find that the initial action of any -expanded massless non-commutative QED must include one extra term proportional to which we identify by loop calculations. Received: 3 July 2002 / Published online: 7 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: jesper@hep.itp.tuwien.ac.at Work supported by The Danish Research Agency. RID="b" ID="b" e-mail: raimar.wulkenhaar@mis.mpg.de Schloe?mann fellow     

Search for a low mass CP-odd Higgs boson in $\mathrm{e^+e^-}$ collisions with the OPAL detector at LEP2

We have analysed the data collected by OPAL at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 209 GeV searching for Higgs boson candidates from the process followed by the decay of where is the CP-odd Higgs boson. The search is done in the region where the mass, , is below the production threshold for , and the CP-even Higgs boson mass is within the range 45-86 GeV/c ² . In this kinematic range, the decay of may be dominant and previous Higgs boson searches have very small sensitivities. This search can be interpreted within any model that predicts the existence of at least one scalar and one pseudoscalar Higgs boson. No excess of events is observed above the expected Standard Model backgrounds. Model-independent limits on the cross-section for the process are derived assuming 100% decays of the into and 100% decays of the into each of the following final states: , , , , and . The results are also interpreted in the CP-conserving no-mixing MSSM scenario, where the region and is excluded. Received: 13 March 2002 / Published online: 26 February 2003     

The heavy neutral Higgs signature in the \gamma \gamma \to Z Z process

If the standard model (SM) Higgs particle is sufficiently heavy, then its contribution to should be largely imaginary, interfering with the also predominantly imaginary SM “background” generated by the W loop. For standard model Higgs masses in the region GeV, this interference is found to be constructive and increasing the Higgs signal. In the minimal SUSY case an interference effect should also appear for the contribution of the heavier CP-even neutral Higgs boson , provided it is sufficiently heavy. The effect is somewhat reduced, though, by the smallness of the width and the and ZZ branching ratios. The interference is again found to be constructive for part of the parameter space corresponding to sfermion masses at the TeV scale and maximal stop mixing. For both the SM and the SUSY case, regions of the parameter space exist, though, where the interference may be destructive. It is therefore essential to take these effects into account when searching for possible scalar Higgs-like candidates. To this aim, we present the complete analytic expressions for both resonance and background amplitudes. Received: 20 October 2000 / Revised version: 5 January 2001 / Published online: 23 February 2001     

Radiative corrections to the decay H^+ \to W^+ A^0

Full one-loop electroweak corrections to the on-shell decay are computed in the framework of models with two Higgs doublets (THDM). Such a decay may be dominant for over a wide range of parameter space relevant at present and future colliders. We show that the corrections may approach 40% and in particular are sensitive to , which parameterizes the discrete symmetry breaking term. We suggest that a measurement of the branching ratio of may offer a possibility of measuring the magnitude of . Received:17 July 2000 / Revised version: 28 February 2001 / Published online: 3 May 2001     

Interference of Higgs boson resonances in $\mu^ + \mu^- \to\tilde{\chi}^0_i\tilde{\chi}^0_j$ with longitudinal beam polarization

We study the interference of resonant Higgs boson exchange in neutralino production in m⁺ m^-\mu^ + \mu^- annihilation with longitudinally polarized beams. We use the energy distribution of the decay lepton in the process [(c)\tilde]⁰_j ? l^± [(l)\tilde]^-±\tilde{\chi}^0_j \to \ell^{\pm} \tilde{\ell}^\mp to determine the polarization of the neutralinos. In the CP-conserving minimal supersymmetric standard model a non-vanishing asymmetry in the lepton energy spectrum is caused by the interference of Higgs boson exchange channels with different CP-eigenvalues. The contribution of this interference is large if the heavy neutral bosons H and A are nearly degenerate. We show that the asymmetry can be used to determine the couplings of the neutral Higgs bosons to the neutralinos. In particular, the asymmetry allows one to determine the relative phase of the couplings. We find large asymmetries and cross sections for a set of reference scenarios with nearly degenerate neutral Higgs bosons.     

Production of scalar Higgs and pseudoscalar Higgs in multi-Higgs doublet models at \gamma\gamma colliders

We present the effects of heavy CP-even (H) and CP-odd (A) Higgs bosons on the production cross section of the process at the energy around the mass poles of the Higgs bosons. It is found that interference between H and A with small mass gap, as well as the ones between Higgs bosons and continuum, contributes to the cross section, if the photon beams are polarized and if we observe the helicity of the top quarks. It is demonstrated in the framework of the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model that the H and A contributions can be sizable at future colliders for small values of . The methods to measure the CP-parity of the Higgs boson are also presented. The statistical significance of detecting the Higgs signals and measuring the Higgs CP-parity is evaluated. Received: 16 December 1999 / Revised version: 30 January 2000 / Published online: 6 April 2000     

Diffractive $\gamma \gamma$ production at hadron colliders

We compute the cross section for exclusive double-diffractive production at the Tevatron, , and the LHC. We evaluate both the gg and -channel exchange contributions to the process. The observation of exclusive production at the Tevatron will provide a check on the model predictions and offer an opportunity to confirm the expectations for exclusive double-diffractive Higgs production at the LHC.Received: 10 September 2004, Revised: 8 October 2004, Published online: 1 December 2004     

\pi\pi correlations in \gamma + A reactions

Preliminary differential cross-sections of the reactions and with A = ¹ H, ¹² C, and ^nat Pb are presented. A significant nuclear-mass dependence of the invariant-mass distribution is found in the channel. The dependence is not observed in the channel. The in-medium observation in the channel is consistent with an in-medium modification of the interaction in the I = J = 0 channel, changing width and pole position of a resonant state.Received: 30 September 2002, Published online: 22 October 2003PACS: 13.60.Le Meson production - 21.65. + f Nuclear matterJ.G. Messchendorp: For the TAPS and A2 Collaborations     

The processes \gamma\gamma\to Z H in SM and MSSM

The process first arises at the one loop level, and as such it provides us with remarkable tests of the structure of the electroweak Higgs sector. These tests are complementary to those in the gauge sector involving . We show that in the standard model (SM) where , as well as in the supersymmetric case where or , observables exist (like e.g. the energy dependence, angular distribution, photon polarization dependence or final Z polarization) which present rather spectacular properties. Such properties involve strong threshold effects with steps, bumps or peaks, reflecting the type of Higgs and heavy quarks and chargino masses and couplings predicted by the SM and supersymmetric models. Received: 13 March 2001 / Published online: 13 June 2001     

Forward elastic scattering of light on light, \gamma+\gamma\rightarrow\gamma+\gamma

The forward elastic scattering of light on light, i.e., the reaction in the forward direction, is analyzed utilizing real analytic amplitudes. We calculate , the ratio of the real to the imaginary portion of the forward scattering amplitude, by fitting the total cross section data in the high energy region 5 GeV GeV, assuming a cross section that rises asymptotically as ln² s. We then compare , the ratio of the even portions of the pp and forward scattering amplitudes, as well as to [1], the value for Compton scattering. Within errors, we find that the three -values in the c.m.s. energy region 5 GeV 130 GeV are the same, as predicted by a factorization theorem of Block and Kaidalov [2]. Received: 18 June 2002 / Published online: 9 August 2002     

The \gamma \gamma \to Z Z process and the search for virtual SUSY effects at a \gamma \gamma Collider

We study the helicity amplitudes of the process in the Standard Model at high energy. These amplitudes receive contributions from the W and charged quark and lepton loops, analogous to those encountered in the cases studied before. But also receives contributions from the Higgs s-channel poles involving the effective Higgs- vertex. At energies , the amplitudes in all three processes are mainly helicity-conserving and almost purely imaginary; which renders them a very useful tool in searching for New Physics. As an example, a SUSY case is studied, and the signatures due to the virtual effects induced by a chargino-, charged slepton- or a lightest stop-loop in , are explored. These signatures, combined with the analogous ones in and , should help identifying the nature of possible New Physics particles. Received: 3 September 1999 / Published online: 3 February 2000     

Heavy charged Higgs boson production at next generation e^\pm\gamma colliders

We assess the potential of future electron-positron linear colliders operating in the mode in detecting charged Higgs bosons with mass around and larger than the top quark mass, using Compton back-scattered photons from laser light. We compare the pair production mode, , to a variety of channels involving only one charged Higgs scalar in the final state, such as the tree-level processes ( and ) and ( and ) as well as the loop-induced channel . We show that, when the charged Higgs boson mass is smaller than or comparable to half the collider energy, , single production cross sections are of the same size as the pair production rate, whereas, for charged Higgs boson masses larger than , all processes are heavily suppressed. In general, production cross sections of charged Higgs bosons via scatterings are smaller than those induced at an collider and the latter represents a better option to produce and analyse such particles. Received: 29 August 2001 / Published online: 23 November 2001     

Towards a model-independent determination of the $\phi\to \gamma f_0$ coupling

A guide to the composition of the enigmatic f ₀(980) and a ₀(980) states is their formation in -radiative decays. Precision data are becoming available from the KLOE experiment at the DA NE machine at Frascati, as well as results from SND and CMD-2 at VEPP-2M at Novosibirsk. We show how the coupling of the f ₀(980) to this channel can be extracted from these, independently of the background provided by production. To do this we use the fact that the behaviour of both the f ₀(980) and cannot be determined by these data alone, but is strongly constrained by experimental results from other hadronic processes as required by unitarity. We find that the resulting coupling for the is GeV with a background that is quite unlike that assumed if unitarity is neglected. This provides an object lesson in how unitarity teaches us to add resonances. Not surprisingly the result is crucially dependent on the pole position of the f ₀(980), for which there are still sizeable uncertainties. At present this leads to an uncertainty in the branching ratio which can only be fixed by further precision data on the f ₀(980). Nevertheless, the is now the same order of magnitude as the experimental .Received: 25 March 2003, Published online: 5 September 2003     

Rare decay B\rightarrow X_sl^+l^- in a CP spontaneously broken two-Higgs doublet model

The Higgs boson mass spectrum and couplings of the neutral Higgs bosons to the fermions are worked out in a CP spontaneously broken two-Higgs doublet model in the large case. The differential branching ratio, forward-backward asymmetry, CP asymmetry and lepton polarization for are computed. It is shown that the effects of neutral Higgs bosons are quite significant when is large. Especially, the CP violating normal polarization can be as large as several percents. Received: 15 October 2001 / Revised version: 5 March 2002 / Published online: 26 July 2002     

The b \to X_s \gamma rate and Higgs boson limits in the constrained minimal supersymmetric model

New NLO calculations have become available using resummed radiative corrections. Using these calculations we perform a global fit of the supergravity inspired constrained minimal supersymmetric model. We find that the resummed calculations show similar constraints as the LO calculations, namely that only with a relatively heavy supersymmetric mass spectrum of (1 TeV) the b– Yukawa unification and the rate can coexist in the large scenario. The resummed calculations are found to reduce the renormalization scale uncertainty considerably. The low scenario is excluded by the present Higgs limits from LEP II. The constraint from the Higgs limit in the plane is severe, if the trilinear coupling at the GUT scale is fixed to zero, but is considerably reduced for . The relatively heavy SUSY spectrum required by corresponds to a Higgs mass of GeV in the CMSSM. Received: 14 February 2001 / Revised version: 22 March 2001 / Published online: 29 June 2001