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     

Supersymmetric Higgs boson decays in the MSSM with explicit <Emphasis Type="Italic">CP</Emphasis> violation

Decays into neutralinos and charginos are among the most accessible supersymmetric decay modes of Higgs particles in most supersymmetric extensions of the standard model. In the presence of explicitly CP violating phases in the soft breaking sector of the theory, the couplings of Higgs bosons to charginos and neutralinos are in general complex. Based on a specific benchmark scenario of CP violation, we analyze the phenomenological impact of explicit CP violation in the minimal supersymmetric standard model on these Higgs boson decays. The presence of CP violating phases could be confirmed either directly through the measurement of a CP odd polarization asymmetry of the produced charginos and neutralinos, or through the dependence of CP even quantities (branching ratios and masses) on these phases. Received: 18 April 2002 / Published online: 26 July 2002     

Final results from DELPHI on the searches for SM and MSSM neutral Higgs bosons

These final results from DELPHI searches for the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson, together with benchmark scans of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) neutral Higgs bosons, used data taken at centre-of-mass energies between 200 and 209 GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 224 pb^-1. The data from 192 to 202 GeV are reanalysed with improved b-tagging for MSSM final states decaying to four b-quarks. The 95% confidence level lower mass bound on the Standard Model Higgs boson is 114.1 GeV/c ². Limits are also given on the lightest scalar and pseudo-scalar Higgs bosons of the MSSM.Received: 7 March 2003, Revised: 30 September 2003, Published online: 3 December 2003     

Neutral Higgs bosons in the standard model and in the minimal supersymmetric model: Searches at LEP

During the twelve years of operation of thee ⁺ e ⁻ collider LEP, the associated collaborations, ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL, have extensively searched for Higgs bosons over a broad range of masses. We present the final results from LEP for the standard model Higgs boson which are obtained from a statistical combination of the data from the four experiments. We also present preliminary combined results for neutral Higgs bosons in the minimal supersymmetric model (MSSM) where the Higgs sector is assumed to be CP invariant. Finally, we discuss an alternative MSSM scenario including CP violation in the Higgs sector.     

Hunting a light <Emphasis Type="Italic">CP</Emphasis>-violating Higgs boson via diffraction at the LHC

We study the central diffractive production of the (three neutral) Higgs bosons, with a rapidity gap on either side, in an MSSM scenario with CP-violation. We consider the and decay for the light H₁ boson and the four b-jet final state for the heavy H₂ and H₃ bosons, and discuss the corresponding backgrounds. A direct indication of the existence of CP-violation can come from the observation of either an azimuthal asymmetry in the angular distribution of the tagged forward protons (for the exclusive process) or of a contribution in the azimuthal correlation between the transverse energy flows in the proton fragmentation regions for the process with the diffractive dissociation of both incoming protons ( ). We emphasise the advantage of reactions with the rapidity gaps (that is, production by pomeron-pomeron fusion) to probe CP-parity and to determine the quantum numbers of the produced central object.Received: 16 January 2004, Published online: 31 March 2004     

Charged and neutral minimal supersymmetric standard model Higgs boson decays and measurement of tan <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis> at the compact linear collider

The minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model (MSSM) predicts the existence of new charged and neutral Higgs bosons. The pair creation of these new particles at the multi-TeV e ⁺ e ⁻ compact linear collider (CLIC), followed by decays into standard model particles, were simulated along with the corresponding background. High-energy beam-beam effects such as ISR, beamstrahlung and hadronic background were included. We have investigated the possibility of using the ratio between the number of events found in various decay channels to determine the MSSM parameter tan β and we have derived the corresponding statistical error from the uncertainties on the measured cross-sections and Higgs boson masses.      

Study of charged and neutral minimal supersymmetric standard model Higgs boson decays and measurement of tan <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis> at the compact linear collider

The minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model (MSSM) predicts the existence of new charged and neutral Higgs bosons. The pair creation of these new particles at the multi-TeV e ⁺ e ⁻ compact linear collider (CLIC), followed by decays into standard model particles, were simulated along with the corresponding background. High-energy beam-beam effects such as ISR, beamstrahlung and hadronic background were included. We have investigated the possibility of using the ratio between the number of events found in various decay channels to determine the MSSM parameter tan β and we have derived the corresponding statistical error from the uncertainties on the measured cross-sections and Higgs boson masses.      

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     

Experimental signatures of fermiophobic Higgs bosons

The most general Two Higgs Doublet Model potential without explicit CP violation depends on 10 real independent parameters. Excluding spontaneous CP violation results in two 7 parameter models. Although both models give rise to 5 scalar particles and 2 mixing angles, the resulting phenomenology of the scalar sectors is different. If flavour changing neutral currents at tree level are to be avoided, one has, in both cases, four alternative ways of introducing the fermion couplings. In one of these models the mixing angle of the CP even sector can be chosen in such a way that the fermion couplings to the lightest scalar Higgs boson vanishes. At the same time it is possible to suppress the fermion couplings to the charged and pseudo-scalar Higgs bosons by appropriately choosing the mixing angle of the CP odd sector. We investigate the phenomenology of both models in the fermiophobic limit and present the different branching ratios for the decays of the scalar particles. We use the present experimental results from the LEP collider to constrain the models. Received: 21 July 1999 / Revised version: 6 September 1999 / Published online: 3 November 1999     

Strangephilic Higgs bosons in the MSSM

We suggest a new CPX-derived scenario for the search for strangephilic MSSM Higgs bosons at the Tevatron and the LHC, in which all neutral and charged Higgs bosons decay predominantly into pairs of strange quarks and into a strange and a charm quark, respectively. The proposed scenario is realized within a particular region of the MSSM parameter space and requires large values of tan?β, where threshold radiative corrections are significant to render the effective strange-quark Yukawa coupling dominant. Experimental searches for neutral Higgs bosons based on the identification of b-quark jets or τ leptons may miss a strangephilic Higgs boson and its existence could be inferred indirectly by searching for hadronically decaying charged Higgs bosons. Potential strategies and experimental challenges to search for strangephilic Higgs bosons at the Tevatron and the LHC are discussed.     

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.     

Yukawa coupling quantum corrections to the self-couplings of the lightest MSSM Higgs boson

A detailed analysis of the top-quark/squark quantum corrections to the lightest CP-even Higgs boson self-couplings is presented in the MSSM. By considering the leading one-loop Yukawa-coupling contributions of , we discuss the decoupling behavior of these corrections when the top squarks are heavy compared to the electroweak scale. As shown analytically and numerically, the large corrections can almost completely be absorbed into the -boson mass. Our conclusion is that the self-couplings remain similar to the coupling of the SM Higgs boson for the heavy top-squark sector. Received: 15 November 2001 / Published online: 25 January 2002     

Masses and couplings of the lightest Higgs bosons in (M + 1)SSM

We study the upper limits on the mass of the lightest and second lightest CP even Higgs bosons in the (M + 1)SSM, the MSSM extended by a gauge singlet. The dominant two loop contributions to the effective potential are included, which reduce the Higgs masses by GeV. Since the coupling R of the lightest Higgs scalar to gauge bosons can be small, we study in detail the relations between the masses and couplings of both lightest scalars. We present upper bounds on the mass of a ”strongly” coupled Higgs (R < 1/2) as a function of lower experimental limits on the mass of a ”weakly” coupled Higgs (R < 1/2). With the help of these results, the whole parameter space of the model can be covered by Higgs boson searches. Received: 7 September 1999 / Published online: 12 July 2002     

BSM Higgs physics in the exclusive forward proton mode at the LHC

We investigate the prospects for Central Exclusive Diffractive (CED) production of BSM Higgs bosons at the LHC using forward proton detectors installed at 220 m and 420 m distance around ATLAS and/or CMS. We update a previous analysis for the MSSM taking into account improvements in the theoretical calculations and the most recent exclusion bounds from the Tevatron. We extend the MSSM analysis to new benchmark scenarios that are in agreement with the cold dark matter relic abundance and other precision measurements. We analyze the exclusive production of Higgs bosons in a model with a fourth generation of fermions. Finally, we comment on the determination of Higgs spin–parity and coupling structures at the LHC and show that the forward proton mode could provide crucial information on the CP\mathcal{CP} properties of the Higgs bosons.     

MSSM Higgs boson searches at the Tevatron and the LHC: Impact of different benchmark scenarios

The Higgs boson search has shifted from LEP2 to the Tevatron and will subsequently move to the LHC. The current limits from the Tevatron and the prospective sensitivities at the LHC are often interpreted in specific MSSM scenarios. For heavy Higgs boson production and subsequent decay into or τ⁺τ^–, the present Tevatron data allow one to set limits in the M_A–tan β plane for small M_A and large tan β values. Similar channels have been explored for the LHC, where the discovery reach extends to higher values of M_A and smaller tan β. Searches for MSSM charged Higgs bosons, produced in top decays or in association with top quarks, have also been investigated at the Tevatron and the LHC. We analyze the current Tevatron limits and prospective LHC sensitivities. We discuss how robust they are with respect to variations of the other MSSM parameters and possible improvements of the theoretical predictions for Higgs boson production and decay. It is shown that the inclusion of supersymmetric radiative corrections to the production cross sections and decay widths leads to important modifications of the present limits on the MSSM parameter space. The impact on the region where only the lightest MSSM Higgs boson can be detected at the LHC is also analyzed. We propose to extend the existing benchmark scenarios by including additional values of the higgsino mass parameter μ. This affects only slightly the search channels for a SM-like Higgs boson, while having a major impact on the searches for non-standard MSSM Higgs bosons.     

Implications of the precision data for very light Higgs Boson scenarios in 2HDM(II)

We present an up-to-date analysis of the constraints the precision data impose on the (CP-conserving) Two Higgs Doublet Model of type II with emphasis on the possible existence of very light neutral (pseudo)scalar Higgs boson with mass below 20–30 GeV. We show that even in the presence of such light particles, the 2HDM(II) can describe the electroweak data with the precision comparable to that given by the SM. Particularly interesting lower limits on the mass of the lighter neutral CP-even scalar are obtained in the scenario with light CP-odd Higgs boson and large . Received: 8 June 1999 / Published online: 14 October 1999     

Search for neutral minimal supersymmetric standard model Higgs bosons decaying to tau pairs produced in association with b quarks in pp collisions at √s = 1.96 TeV

We report results from a search for neutral Higgs bosons produced in association with b quarks using data recorded by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 7.3 fb(-1). This production mode can be enhanced in several extensions of the standard model (SM) such as in its minimal supersymmetric extension (MSSM) at high tanβ. We search for Higgs bosons decaying to tau pairs with one tau decaying to a muon and neutrinos and the other to hadrons. The data are found to be consistent with SM expectations, and we set upper limits on the cross section times branching ratio in the Higgs boson mass range from 90 to 320 GeV/c(2). We interpret our result in the MSSM parameter space, excluding tanβ values down to 25 for Higgs boson masses below 170 GeV/c(2).     

Search for neutral MSSM Higgs bosons at LEP

The four LEP collaborations, ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL, have searched for the neutral Higgs bosons which are predicted by the Minimal Supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). The data of the four collaborations are statistically combined and examined for their consistency with the background hypothesis and with a possible Higgs boson signal. The combined LEP data show no significant excess of events which would indicate the production of Higgs bosons. The search results are used to set upper bounds on the cross-sections of various Higgs-like event topologies. The results are interpreted within the MSSM in a number of “benchmark” models, including CP-conserving and CP-violating scenarios. These interpretations lead in all cases to large exclusions in the MSSM parameter space. Absolute limits are set on the parameter cosβ and, in some scenarios, on the masses of neutral Higgs bosons.     

Search for Higgs bosons in {\rm e^+e^-} collisions at 183 GeV

The data collected by the OPAL experiment at GeV were used to search for Higgs bosons which are predicted by the Standard Model and various extensions, such as general models with two Higgs field doublets and the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of approximately 54 pb. None of the searches for neutral and charged Higgs bosons have revealed an excess of events beyond the expected background. This negative outcome, in combination with similar results from searches at lower energies, leads to new limits for the Higgs boson masses and other model parameters. In particular, the 95% confidence level lower limit for the mass of the Standard Model Higgs boson is 88.3 GeV. Charged Higgs bosons can be excluded for masses up to 59.5 GeV. In the MSSM, GeV and GeV are obtained for , no and maximal scalar top mixing and soft SUSY-breaking masses of 1 TeV. The range is excluded for minimal scalar top mixing and GeV. More general scans of the MSSM parameter space are also considered. Received: 27 October 1998 / Published online: 19 February 1999     

Distinguishing a SM-like MSSM Higgs boson from SM Higgs boson at muon collider

We explore the possibility of distinguishing the SM-like MSSM Higgs boson from the SM Higgs boson via Higgs boson pair production at future muon collider. We study the behavior of the production cross-section in SM and MSSM with Higgs boson mass for various MSSM parameters tan β and m _A . We observe that at fixed CM energy, in the SM, the total cross-section increases with the increase in Higgs boson mass whereas this trend is reversed for the MSSM. The changes that occur for the MSSM in comparison to the SM predictions are quantified in terms of the relative percentage deviation in cross-section. The observed deviations in cross-section for different choices of Higgs boson masses suggest that the measurements of the cross-section could possibly distinguish the SM-like MSSM Higgs boson from the SM Higgs boson.