Probing MSSM Higgs Sector with Explicit CP Violation at a Photon Linear Collider

The CP properties of Higgs bosons can be probed through their s-channel resonance productions via photon-photon collisions by use of circularly and/or linearly polarized backscattered laser photons at a TeV-scale linear e^+ e^- collider. Exploiting this powerful tool, we investigate in detail the Higgs sector of the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model with explicit CP violation.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures. Some comments added and typos corrected. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Tau-Sleptons and Tau-Sneutrino in the MSSM with Complex Parameters

We present a phenomenological study of tau-sleptons stau_1,2 and tau-sneutrino in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model with complex parameters A_tau, mu and M_1. We analyse production and decays of stau_1,2 and tau-sneutrino at a future e^+ e^- collider. We present numerical predictions for the important decay rates, paying particular attention to their dependence on the complex parameters. The branching ratios of the fermionic decays of stau_1 and tau-sneutrino show a significant phase dependence for tan(beta) < 10. For tan(beta) > 10 the branching ratios for the stau_2 decays into Higgs bosons depend very sensitively on the phases. We show how information on the phase phi(A_tau) and the other fundamental stau parameters can be obtained from measurements of the stau masses, polarized cross sections and bosonic and fermionic decay branching ratios, for small and large tan(beta) values. We estimate the expected errors for these parameters. Given favorable conditions, the error of A_tau is about 10% to 20%, while the errors of the remaining stau parameters are in the range of approximately 1% to 3%. We also show that the induced electric dipole moment of the tau-lepton is well below the current experimental limit.Comment: LaTex, 25 pages, 11 figures (included); v2: extended discussion on error determination, version to appear in Phys.Rev.

Probing the MSSM Higgs Boson Sector with Explicit CP Violation through Third Generation Fermion Pair Production at Muon Colliders

We perform a systematic study of the production of a third-generation fermion-pair, $\mu^+\mu^-\to f\bar{f}$ for $f=\tau^-,b$, and t in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) with explicit CP violation, which is induced radiatively by soft trilinear interactions related to squarks of the third generation. We classify all the observables for probing the CP property of the Higgs bosons constructed by the initial muon beam polarization along with the unpolarized final fermions and with the final-fermion polarization configuration of equal helicity, respectively. The observables allow for complete determination of CP property of the neutral Higgs bosons. The interference between the Higgs boson and gauge boson contributions also could provide a powerful method for the determination of the CP property of two heavy Higgs bosons in the top-quark pair production near the energy region of the Higgs-boson resonances. For the lightest Higgs-boson mass there is no sizable interference between scalar and vector contributions for the determination of the CP property of the lightest Higgs boson. We give a detailed numerical analysis to show how the radiatively-induced CP violation in the Higgs sector of the MSSM can be measured.Comment: 30 pages, 7 figures including 5 eps ones. Typos corrected and references added. To appear in Phys. Rev.

s-Channel Production of MSSM Higgs Bosons at a Muon Collider with Explicit CP Violation

A muon collider with controllable energy resolution and transverse beam polarization provides a powerful probe of the Higgs sector in the minimal supersymmetric standard model with explicit CP violation, through s-channel production of Higgs bosons. The production rates and the CP-even and CP-odd transverse-polarization asymmetries are complementary in diagnosing CP violation in the Higgs sector.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures. Some statements for clarity and references added. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Neutralino Pair Production and 3-Body Decays at e+e−e^+e^- Linear Colliders as Probes of CP Violation in the Neutralino System

In the CP-invariant supersymmetric theories, the steep S-wave (slow P-wave) rise of the cross section for any non-diagonal neutralino pair production in $e^+ e^-$ annihilation, $e^+e^- \to \tilde{\chi}^0_i \tilde{\chi}^0_j$ ($i \neq j$), near threshold is accompanied by the slow P-wave (steep S-wave) decrease of the fermion invariant mass distribution of the 3-body neutralino decay, $\tilde{\chi}^0_i \to \tilde{\chi}^0_j f\bar{f}$ ($f=l$ or $q$), near the end point. These selection rules, unique to the neutralino system due to its Majorana nature, guarantee that the observation of simultaneous sharp S-wave excitations of the production cross section near threshold and the lepton and quark invariant mass distribution near the end point is a qualitative, unambiguous evidence for CP violation in the neutralino system.Comment: 11 pages, 1 eps figure, a reference adde

MSSM Higgs sector CP violation at photon colliders: Revisited

We present a comprehensive analysis on the MSSM Higgs sector CP violation at photon colliders including the chargino contributions as well as the contributions of other charged particles. The chargino loop contributions can be important for the would-be CP odd Higgs production at photon colliders. Polarization asymmetries are indispensable in determining the CP properties of neutral Higgs bosons.Comment: 24 pages, 40 figure

MSSM Higgs-Boson Production at Hadron Colliders with Explicit CP Violation

Gluon fusion is the main production mechanism for Higgs bosons with masses up to several hundred GeV in $pp$ collisions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. We investigate the effects of the CP-violating phases on the fusion process including both the sfermion-loop contributions and the one-loop induced CP-violating scalar-pseudoscalar mixing in the minimal supersymmetric standard model. With a universal trilinear parameter assumed, every physical observable involves only the sum of the phases of the universal trilinear parameter $A$ and the higgsino mass parameter $\mu$. The phase affects the lightest Higgs-boson production rate significantly through the neutral Higgs-boson mixing and, for the masses around the lightest stop-pair threshold, it also changes the production rate of the heavy Higgs bosons significantly through both the stop and sbottom loops and the neutral Higgs-boson mixing.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures. Some references and comments added. Typos corrected. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Loop-Induced CP Violation in the Gaugino and Higgsino Sectors of Supersymmetric Theories

We show that the gaugino and higgsino sectors of supersymmetric theories can naturally acquire observable CP violation through radiative effects which originate from large CP-violating trilinear couplings of the Higgs bosons to the third-generation scalar quarks. These CP-violating loop effects are not attainable by evolving the supersymmetric renormalization-group equations from a higher unification scale down to the electroweak one. We briefly discuss the phenomenological consequences of such a scenario, and as an example, calculate the two-loop contribution to the neutron electric dipole moment generated by the one-loop chromo-electric dipole moment of the gluino.Comment: 9 pages, as to appear in Physical Review

CP Phases in Correlated Production and Decay of Neutralinos in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

We investigate the associated production of neutralinos $e^+e^-\to\tilde{\chi}^0_1\tilde{\chi}^0_2$ accompanied by the neutralino leptonic decay $\tilde{\chi}^0_2\to\tilde{\chi}^0_1 \ell^+\ell^-$, taking into account initial beam polarization and production-decay spin correlations in the minimal supersymmetric standard model with general CP phases but without generational mixing in the slepton sector. The stringent constraints from the electron EDM on the CP phases are also included in the discussion. Initial beam polarizations lead to three CP--even distributions and one CP--odd distribution, which can be studied independently of the details of the neutralino decays. We find that the production cross section and the branching fractions of the leptonic neutralino decays are very sensitive to the CP phases. In addition, the production--decay spin correlations lead to several CP--even observables such as lepton invariant mass distribution, and lepton angular distribution, and one interesting T--odd (CP--odd) triple product of the initial electron momentum and two final lepton momenta, the size of which might be large enough to be measured at the high--luminosity future electron--positron collider or can play a complementary role in constraining the CP phases with the EDM constraints.Comment: Revtex, 37 pages, 12 eps figure

Predicting emotions and meta-emotions at the movies

Audiences are attracted to dramas and horror movies even though negative and ambivalent emotions are likely to be experienced. Research into the seemingly paradoxical enjoyment of this kind of media entertainment has typically focused on gender- and genre-specific needs and viewing motivations. Extending this line of research, the authors focus the role of the need for affect as a more general, gender- and genre-independent predictor of individual differences in the experience of emotions and meta-emotions (i.e., evaluative thoughts and feelings about one’s emotions). The article discusses a field study of moviegoers who attended the regular screening of a drama or a horror film. Results support the assumption that individuals high in need for affect experience higher levels of negative and ambivalent emotions and evaluate their emotions more positively on the level of meta-emotions. Controlling for the Big Five personality factors does not alter these effects. The results are discussed within an extended meta-emotion framework