Supernova Constraints on Massive (Pseudo)Scalar Coupling to Neutrinos

In this paper we derive constraints on the emission of a massive (pseudo)scalar $S$ from annihilation of neutrinos in the core of supernovae through the dimension-4 coupling $\nu\nu S$, as well as the effective dimension-5 operator $\frac{1}{\Lambda}(\nu\nu)(SS)$. While most of earlier studies have focused on massless or ultralight scalars, our analysis involves scalar with masses of order $\mathrm{eV- GeV}$ which can be copiously produced during the explosion of supernovae, whose core temperature is generally of order $T\sim \mathcal{O}(10)$ MeV. From the luminosity and deleptonization arguments regarding the observation of SN1987A, we exclude a large range of couplings $10^{-12} \lesssim {|g_{\alpha\beta}|}\lesssim 10^{-5}$ for the dimension-4 case, depending on the neutrino flavours involved and the scalar mass. In the case of dimension-5 operator, for a scalar mass from MeV to 100 MeV the coupling $h_{\alpha\beta}$ get constrained from $10^{-6}$ to $10^{-2}$, with the cutoff scale explicitly set $\Lambda = 1$ TeV. We finally show that if the neutrino burst of a nearby supernova explosion is detected by Super-Kamiokande and IceCube, the constraints will be largely reinforced.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, version to appear in JCA

Vacuum Stability and Higgs Diphoton Decay Rate in the Zee-Babu Model

Although recent Higgs data from ATLAS and CMS are compatible with a Standard Model (SM) signal at $2\sigma$ level, both experiments see indications for an excess in the diphoton decay channel, which points to new physics beyond the SM. Given such a low Higgs mass $m_H \sim 125 {\rm GeV}$, another sign indicating the existence of new physics beyond the SM is the vacuum stability problem, i.e., the SM Higgs quartic coupling may run to negative values at a scale below the Planck scale. In this paper, we study the vacuum stability and enhanced Higgs diphoton decay rate in the Zee-Babu model, which was used to generate tiny Majorana neutrino masses at two-loop level. We find that it is rather difficult to find overlapping regions allowed by the vacuum stability and diphoton enhancement constraints. As a consequence, it is almost inevitable to introduce new ingredients into the model, in order to resolve these two issues simultaneously.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figure

TeV Scale Universal Seesaw, Vacuum Stability and Heavy Higgs

We discuss the issue of vacuum stability of standard model by embedding it within the TeV scale left-right universal seesaw model (called SLRM in the text). This model has only two coupling parameters $(\lambda_1, \lambda_2)$ in the Higgs potential and only two physical neutral Higgs bosons $(h, H)$. We explore the range of values for $(\lambda_1, \lambda_2)$ for which the light Higgs boson mass $M_h=126$ GeV and the vacuum is stable for all values of the Higgs fields. Combining with the further requirement that the scalar self couplings remain perturbative till typical GUT scales of order $10^{16}$ GeV, we find (i) an upper and lower limit on the second Higgs $(H)$ mass to be within the range: $0.4 \leq \frac{M_H}{v_R}\leq 0.7$, where the $v_R$ is the parity breaking scale and (ii) that the heavy vector-like top, bottom and $\tau$ partner fermions ($P_3, N_3, E_3$) mass have an upper bound $M_{P_3, N_3, E_3} \leq v_R$. We discuss some phenomenological aspects of the model pertaining to LHC.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, some typos corrected and references updated, accepted for publication in JHE

LHC Accessible Second Higgs Boson in the Left-Right Model

A second Higgs doublet arises naturally as a parity partner of the standard model (SM) Higgs, once SM is extended to its left-right symmetric version (LRSM) to understand the origin of parity violation in weak interactions as well as to accommodate small neutrino masses via the seesaw mechanism. The flavor changing neutral Higgs (FCNH) effects in the minimal version of this model (LRSM), however, push the second Higgs mass to more than 15 TeV making it inaccessible at the LHC. Furthermore since the second Higgs mass is directly linked to the $W_R$ mass, discovery of a "low" mass $W_R$ ($M_{W_R}\leq 5-6$ TeV) at the LHC would require values for some Higgs self couplings larger than one. In this paper we present an extension of LRSM by adding a vector-like $SU(2)_R$ quark doublet which weakens the FCNH constraints allowing the second Higgs mass to be near or below TeV and a third neutral Higgs below 3 TeV for a $W_R$ mass below 5 TeV. It is then possible to search for these heavier Higgs bosons at the LHC, without conflicting with FCNH constraints. A right handed $W_R$ mass in the few TeV range is quite natural in this class of models without having to resort to large scalar coupling parameters. The CKM mixings are intimately linked to the vector-like quark mixings with the known quarks, which is the main reason why the constraints on the second Higgs mass is relaxed. We present a detailed theoretical and phenomenological analysis of this extended LR model and point out some tests as well as its potential for discovery of a second Higgs at the LHC. Two additional features of the model are: (i) a 5/3 charged quark and (ii) a fermionic top partner with masses in the TeV range.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures, lots of stuff moved to the appendices, errors and typos corrected, version to appear in PR

Displaced vertex signatures of doubly charged scalars in the type-II seesaw and its left-right extensions

The type-II seesaw mechanism with an isospin-triplet scalar $\Delta_L$ provides one of the most compelling explanations for the observed smallness of neutrino masses. The triplet contains a doubly-charged component $H_L^{\pm\pm}$, which dominantly decays to either same-sign dileptons or to a pair of $W$ bosons, depending on the size of the triplet vacuum expectation value. However, there exists a range of Yukawa couplings $f_L$ of the triplet to the charged leptons, wherein a relatively light $H_L^{\pm\pm}$ tends to be long-lived, giving rise to distinct displaced-vertex signatures at the high-energy colliders. We find that the displaced vertex signals from the leptonic decays $H_L^{\pm\pm} \to \ell_\alpha^\pm \ell_\beta^\pm$ could probe a broad parameter space with $10^{-10} \lesssim |f_L| \lesssim 10^{-6}$ and 45.6 GeV $< M_{H_L^{\pm\pm}} \lesssim 200$ GeV at the high-luminosity LHC. Similar sensitivity can also be achieved at a future 1 TeV $e^+e^-$ collider. The mass reach can be extended to about 500 GeV at a future 100 TeV proton-proton collider. Similar conclusions apply for the right-handed triplet $H_R^{\pm\pm}$ in the TeV-scale left-right symmetric models, which provide a natural embedding of the type-II seesaw. We show that the displaced vertex signals are largely complementary to the prompt same-sign dilepton pair searches at the LHC and the low-energy, high-intensity/precision measurements, such as neutrinoless double beta decay, charged lepton flavor violation, electron and muon anomalous magnetic moments, muonium oscillation and M{\o}ller scattering.Comment: 49 pages, 25 figures and 2 tables, minor changes, version to appear in JHE

Prospects for Triple Gauge Coupling Measurements at Future Lepton Colliders and the 14 TeV LHC

The $WW$ production is the primary channel to directly probe the triple gauge couplings. We first analyze the $e^+ e^- \rightarrow W^+ W^-$ process at the future lepton collider, China's proposed Circular Electron-Positron Collider (CEPC). We use the five kinematical angles in this process to constrain the anomalous triple gauge couplings and relevant dimension six operators at the CEPC up to the order of magnitude of $10^{-4}$. The most sensible information is obtained from the distributions of the production scattering angle and the decay azimuthal angles. We also estimate constraints at the 14 TeV LHC, with both 300 fb$^{-1}$ and 3000 fb$^{-1}$ integrated luminosity from the leading lepton $p_T$ and azimuthal angle difference $\Delta \phi_{ll}$ distributions in the di-lepton channel. The constrain is somewhat weaker, up to the order of magnitude of $10^{-3}$. The limits on the triple gauge couplings are complementary to those on the electroweak precision observables and Higgs couplings. Our results show that the gap between sensitivities of the electroweak and triple gauge boson precision can be significantly decreased to less than one order of magnitude at the 14 TeV LHC, and that both the two sensitivities can be further improved at the CEPC.Comment: 36 pages, 5 figures, 8 tables, version to appear in JHE

CP violation effects in the diphoton spectrum of heavy scalars

In a class of new physics models, an extended Higgs sector and new CP-violating sources are simultaneously present in order to explain the baryon asymmetry in the Universe. The aim of this work is to study the implications of beyond the Standard Model (SM) CP violation for the searches of heavy scalars at the LHC. In particular, we focus on the diphoton channel searches in the CP-violating two-Higgs-doublet model (CPV 2HDM). To have a sizable CPV in the scalar sector, the two heavy neutral scalars in 2HDM tend to be nearly degenerate. The theoretical constraints of unitarity, perturbativity and vacuum stability are considered, which requires that the heavy scalars $M_H \lesssim 1$ TeV in a large region of the parameter space. The experimental limits are also taken into account, including the direct searches of heavy neutral scalars in the final state of the SM $h$, $W$ and $Z$ bosons, the differential $t\bar{t}$ data, those from the charged scalar sector which is implied by the oblique $T$ parameter, as well as the precise measurements of the electric dipole moments of electron and mercury. The quantum interference effects between the resonances and the SM background are crucially important for the diphoton signals, and the CPV mixing of the quasi-degenerate heavy scalars could enhance significantly the resonance peak. With an integrated luminosity of 3000 fb$^{-1}$ at the LHC, almost the whole parameter space of CPV 2HDM could be probed in the diphoton channel, and the CPV could also be directly detected via the diphoton spectrum.Comment: 32 pages (two columns), 20 figures, 1 table, minor changes, version to appear in PR