PHASE - An event generator for six fermion physics at the LHC

PHASE is a Monte Carlo event generator, under construction, for all Standard Model processes with six fermions in the final state at the LHC. It employs the full set of tree level Feynman diagrams, taking into account fermion masses for b quarks. The program can generate unweighted events for any subset of all six fermion final states in a single run, by making use of dedicated pre-samples. An interface to hadronization is provided.Comment: 4 pages, Latex, 1 figure. Talk given by E. Accomando at the IX International Workshop on Advanced Computing and Analysis Techniques in Physics Research (ACAT03), KEK, Tsukuba, December 1-5, 200

Electroweak corrections and anomalous triple gauge-boson couplings in WW and WZ production at the LHC

We have analysed the production of WW and WZ vector-boson pairs at the LHC. These processes give rise to four-fermion final states, and are particularly sensitive to possible non-standard trilinear gauge-boson couplings. We have studied the interplay between the influence of these anomalous couplings and the effect of the complete logarithmic electroweak O(\alpha) corrections. Radiative corrections to the Standard Model processes in double-pole approximation and non-standard terms due to trilinear couplings are implemented into a Monte Carlo program for p p -> 4f (+\gamma) with final states involving four or two charged leptons. We numerically investigate purely leptonic final states and find that electroweak corrections can fake new-physics signals, modifying the observables by the same amount and shape, in kinematical regions of statistical significance.Comment: 19 pages, LaTex, 12 eps figure

Boson Fusion and Higgs production at the LHC in six fermion final states with one charged lepton pair

Boson boson scattering and Higgs production in boson boson fusion will be actively investigated at the LHC. We have performed a parton level study of all processes of the type $q_1 q_2 \to q_3 q_4 q_5 q_6 l^+l^-$ using for the first time a full fledged six fermion Monte Carlo event generator which employs exact matrix elements at \O(\alpha_{em}^6). We have examined Higgs production in vector boson fusion followed by the decay chain $H\to ZZ\to l^+l^-jj$, including exactly all electroweak irreducible backgrounds. In the high mass region we have compared the case of a relatively light Higgs with the no-Higgs case. The integrated cross section for the latter case is more than twice that in the former for a minimum invariant mass of the $ZV$ pair of about 800 \GeV. We find, in a preliminary anlysis at parton level that, summing up the muon and the electron channels, about 30 events are expected in the light Higgs case for L=100 $fb^{-1}$.Comment: Final version published in Phys.Rev.

AFBA_{FB} as a discovery tool for Z′Z^\prime bosons at the LHC

The Forward-Backward Asymmetry (AFB) in $Z^\prime$ physics is commonly only perceived as the observable which possibly allows one to interpret a $Z^\prime$ signal by distinguishing different models of such (heavy) spin-1 bosons. In this article, we examine the potential of AFB in setting bounds on or even discovering a $Z^\prime$ at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and show that it might be a powerful tool for this purpose. We analyze two different scenarios: $Z^\prime$s with a narrow and wide width, respectively. We find that in both cases AFB can complement the cross section in accessing $Z^\prime$ signals.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1503.0267

Boson-boson scattering and Higgs production at the LHC from a six fermion point of view: four jets + lν\nu processes at \O(\alpha_{em}^6)

Boson-boson scattering and Higgs production in boson-boson fusion hold the key to electroweak symmetry breaking. In order to analyze these essential features of the Standard Model we have performed a partonic level study of all processes $q_1 q_2 \to q_3 q_4 q_5 q_6 l \nu$ at the LHC using the exact matrix elements at \O(\alpha_{em}^6) provided by \Phase, a new MC generator. These processes include also three boson production and the purely electroweak contribution to \toptop production as well as all irreducible backgrounds. Kinematical cuts have been studied in order to enhance the VV scattering signal over background. \Phase has been compared with different Monte Carlo's showing that a complete calculation is necessary for a correct description of the process.Comment: 26 pages, 19 figure

Next-to-leading order QCD corrections to W+W- production via vector-boson fusion

Vector-boson fusion processes constitute an important class of reactions at hadron colliders, both for signals and backgrounds of new physics in the electroweak interactions. We consider what is commonly referred to as W+W- production via vector-boson fusion (with subsequent leptonic decay of the Ws), or, more precisely, e+ nu_e mu- nubar_mu + 2 jets production in proton-proton scattering, with all resonant and non-resonant Feynman diagrams and spin correlations of the final-state leptons included, in the phase-space regions which are dominated by t-channel electroweak-boson exchange. We compute the next-to-leading order QCD corrections to this process, at order alpha^6 alpha_s. The QCD corrections are modest, changing total cross sections by less than 10%. Remaining scale uncertainties are below 2%. A fully-flexible next-to-leading order partonic Monte Carlo program allows to demonstrate these features for cross sections within typical vector-boson-fusion acceptance cuts. Modest corrections are also found for distributions.Comment: 29 pages, 14 figure

PHASE, a Monte Carlo event generator for six-fermion physics at the LHC

PHASE is a new event generator dedicated to the study of Standard Model processes with six fermions in the final state at the LHC. The code is intended for analyses of vector boson scattering, Higgs search, three gauge boson production, and top physics. This first version of the program describes final states characterized by the presence of one neutrino, $pp\to 4q +l\nu_l$, at O($\alpha^6$). PHASE is based on a new iterative-adaptive multichannel technique, and employs exact leading order matrix elements. The code can generate unweighted events for any subset of all available final states. The produced parton-level events carry full information on their colour and flavour structure, enabling the evolution of the partons into fully hadronised final states. An interface to hadronization packages is provided via the Les Houches Protocol.Comment: 27 pages, Latex, 6 figure