The Higgs sector of supersymmetric theories and the implications for high-energy colliders

One of the main motivations for low-energy supersymmetric theories is their ability to address the hierarchy and naturalness problems in the Higgs sector of the standard model. In these theories, at least two doublets of scalar fields are required to break the electroweak symmetry and to generate the masses of the elementary particles, resulting in a rather rich Higgs spectrum. The search for the Higgs bosons of supersymmetry and the determination of their basic properties is one of the major goals of high-energy colliders and, in particular, the LHC, which will soon start operation. We review the salient features of the Higgs sector of the minimal supersymmetric standard model and of some of its extensions and summarize the prospects for probing them at the LHC and at the future ILC. In memoriam of Julius Wess, 1934–2007.     

Analytics of heteroclinic bifurcation in a 3:1 subharmonic resonance

Analytical approximation of heteroclinic bifurcation in a 3:1 subharmonic resonance is given in this paper. The system we consider that produces this bifurcation is a harmonically forced and self-excited nonlinear oscillator. This bifurcation mechanism, resulting from the disappearance of a stable slow flow limit cycle at the bifurcation point, gives rise to a synchronization phenomenon near the 3:1 resonance. The analytical approach used in this study is based on the collision criterion between the slow flow limit cycle and the three saddles involved in the bifurcation. The amplitudes of the 3:1 subharmonic response and of the slow flow limit cycle are approximated and the collision criterion is applied leading to an explicit analytical condition of heteroclinic connection. Numerical simulations are performed and compared to the analytical finding for validation.