Trilinear Higgs couplings in the two Higgs doublet model with CP violation

We carry out a detailed analysis of the general two Higgs doublet model with CP violation. We describe two different parametrizations of this model, and then study the Higgs boson masses and the trilinear Higgs couplings for these two parametrizations. Within a rather general model, we find that the trilinear Higgs couplings have a significant dependence on the details of the model, even when the lightest Higgs boson mass is taken to be a fixed parameter. We include radiative corrections in the one-loop effective potential approximation in our analysis of the Higgs boson masses and the Higgs trilinear couplings. The one-loop corrections to the trilinear couplings of the two Higgs doublet model also depend significantly on the details of the model, and can be rather large. We study quantitatively the trilinear Higgs couplings, and show that these couplings are typically several times larger than the corresponding Standard Model trilinear Higgs coupling in some regions of the parameter space. We also briefly discuss the decoupling limit of the two Higgs doublet model.Comment: 23 pages, 15 figures. v2: References added, version to appear in PR

Constraining the Two-Higgs-Doublet-Model parameter space

We confront the Two-Higgs-Doublet Model with a variety of experimental constraints as well as theoretical consistency conditions. The most constraining data are the \bar B\to X_s\gamma decay rate (at low values of M_{H^\pm}), and \Delta\rho (at both low and high M_{H^\pm}). We also take into account the B\bar B oscillation rate and R_b, or the width \Gamma(Z\to b\bar b) (both of which restrict the model at low values of \tan\beta), and the B^-\to\tau\nu_\tau decay rate, which restricts the model at high \tan\beta and low M_{H^\pm}. Furthermore, the LEP2 non-discovery of a light, neutral Higgs boson is considered, as well as the muon anomalous magnetic moment. Since perturbative unitarity excludes high values of \tan\beta, the model turns out to be very constrained. We outline the remaining allowed regions in the \tan\beta-M_{H^\pm} plane for different values of the masses of the two lightest neutral Higgs bosons, and describe some of their properties.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figure

Neutral Higgs-pair production at Linear Colliders within the general 2HDM: quantum effects and triple Higgs boson self-interactions

The pairwise production of neutral Higgs bosons is analyzed in the context of the future linear colliders, such as the ILC and CLIC, within the general Two-Higgs-Doublet Model (2HDM). The corresponding cross-sections are computed at the one-loop level in full compliance with the current phenomenological bounds and the stringent theoretical constraints inherent to the consistency of the model. We uncover regions across the 2HDM parameter space, mainly for low tan\beta near 1 and moderate values of the relevant lambda_5 parameter, wherein the radiative corrections to the Higgs-pair production cross sections can comfortably reach 50% This behavior can be traced back to the enhancement capabilities of the trilinear Higgs self-interactions -- a trademark feature of the 2HDM, with no counterpart in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. Interestingly enough, the quantum effects are positive for energies around 500 GeV, thereby producing a significant enhancement in the expected number of events precisely around the fiducial startup energy of the ILC. The Higgs-pair production rates can be substantial, typically amounting to a few thousand events per 500 inverse femtobarn of integrated luminosity. In contrast, the corrections are negative in the highest energy range (1 TeV). We also compare the exclusive pairwise production of Higgs bosons with the inclusive gauge boson fusion channels leading to 2H+X finals states, and also with the exclusive triple Higgs boson production. We find that these multiparticle final states can be highly complementary in the overall Higgs bosons search strategy.Comment: 42 pages, 23 figures, 10 tables. Accepted in Phys. Rev. D (the published version is shorter

Probing the scalar-pseudoscalar mixing in the 125 GeV Higgs particle with current data

LHC has found hints for a Higgs particle of 125 GeV. We investigate the possibility that such a particle is a mixture of scalar and pseudoscalar states. For definiteness, we concentrate on a two Higgs doublet model with explicit CP violation and soft Z2 violation. Including all Higgs production mechanisms, we determine the current constraints obtained by comparing h -> gamma gamma with h -> V V*, and comment on the information which can be gained by measurements of h -> b \bar{b}. We find bounds |s_2| < 0.83 at one sigma, where |s_2|=0 (|s_2|=1) corresponds to a pure scalar (pure pseudoscalar) state.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Probing the charged Higgs boson at the LHC in the CP-violating type-II 2HDM

We present a phenomenological study of a CP-violating two-Higgs-doublet Model with type-II Yukawa couplings at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In the light of recent LHC data, we focus on the parameter space that survives the current and past experimental constraints as well as theoretical bounds on the model. Once the phenomenological scenario is set, we analyse the scope of the LHC in exploring this model through the discovery of a charged Higgs boson produced in association with a W boson, with the former decaying into the lightest neutral Higgs and a second W state, altogether yielding a b\bar b W^+W^- signature, of which we exploit the W^+W^- semileptonic decays.Comment: 37 pages, 16 figures; v2 updated treatment of LHC constraint

Real-time and non-invasive measurements of cell mechanical behaviour with optical coherence phase microscopy

There is an unmet need in tissue engineering for non-invasive, label-free monitoring of cell mechanical behaviour in their physiological environment. Here, we describe a novel optical coherence phase microscopy (OCPM) set-up which can map relative cell mechanical behaviour in monolayers and 3D systems non-invasively, and in real-time. 3T3 and MCF-7 cells were investigated, with MCF-7 demonstrating an increased response to hydrostatic stimulus indicating MCF-7 being softer than 3T3, demonstrating the ability to provide qualitative data on cell mechanical behaviour. Quantitative measurements of 6% agarose beads have been taken with commercial Cell Scale Microsquisher® system demonstrating that their mechanical properties are in the same order of magnitude of cells, indicating that this is an appropriate test sample for the novel method desctibed