CP Violation in Supersymmetric U(1)' Models

The supersymmetric CP problem is studied within superstring-motivated extensions of the MSSM with an additional U(1)' gauge symmetry broken at the TeV scale. This class of models offers an attractive solution to the mu problem of the MSSM, in which U(1)' gauge invariance forbids the bare mu term, but an effective mu parameter is generated by the vacuum expectation value of a Standard Model singlet S which has superpotential coupling of the form SH_uH_d to the electroweak Higgs doublets. The effective mu parameter is thus dynamically determined as a function of the soft supersymmetry breaking parameters, and can be complex if the soft parameters have nontrivial CP-violating phases. We examine the phenomenological constraints on the reparameterization invariant phase combinations within this framework, and find that the supersymmetric CP problem can be greatly alleviated in models in which the phase of the SU(2) gaugino mass parameter is aligned with the soft trilinear scalar mass parameter associated with the SH_uH_d coupling. We also study how the phases filter into the Higgs sector, and find that while the Higgs sector conserves CP at the renormalizable level to all orders of perturbation theory, CP violation can enter at the nonrenormalizable level at one-loop order. In the majority of the parameter space, the lightest Higgs boson remains essentially CP even but the heavier Higgs bosons can exhibit large CP-violating mixings, similar to the CP-violating MSSM with large mu parameter.Comment: 29 pp, 3 figs, 2 table

Higgs and neutrino sector, EDM and epsilon_K in a spontaneously CP and R-parity breaking supersymmetric model

We construct an extension of the supersymmetric standard model where both CP symmetry and R-parity are spontaneously broken. We study the electroweak symmetry breaking sector of the model and find minima consistent with the experimental bounds on Higgs boson masses. Neutrino masses and mixing angles are generated through both seesaw and bilinear R-parity violation. We show that the hierarchical mass pattern is obtained, and mixings are consistent with measured values. Due to the spontaneous CP and R-parity violation, the neutrino sector is CP violating, and we calculate the corresponding phase. We further restrict the parameter space to agree with the limits on the electric dipole moment of the neutron. Finally, we study the CP violation parameter epsilon_K in the kaon system and show that we obtain results consistent with the experimental value.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, submitted to EPJ

Search for a new resonance decaying to a W or Z boson and a Higgs boson in the ll/lv/vv + bb final states with the ATLAS detector

A search for a new resonance decaying to a W or Z boson and a Higgs boson in the ll/lv/vv + bb final states is performed using 20.3 fb −1 of pp collision data recorded at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The search is conducted by examining the W H / Z H invariant mass distribution for a localized excess. No significant deviation from the Standard Model background prediction is observed. The results are interpreted in terms of constraints on the Minimal Walking Technicolor model and on a simplified approach based on a phenomenological Lagrangian of Heavy Vector Triplets

Search for single production of a heavy vector-like T quark decaying to a Higgs boson and a top quark with a lepton and jets in the final state

Peer reviewe

Genome-enabled insights into the biology of thrips as crop pests

Background The western flower thrips,Frankliniella occidentalis(Pergande), is a globally invasive pest and plant virus vector on a wide array of food, fiber, and ornamental crops. The underlying genetic mechanisms of the processes governing thrips pest and vector biology, feeding behaviors, ecology, and insecticide resistance are largely unknown. To address this gap, we present theF. occidentalisdraft genome assembly and official gene set.Results We report on the first genome sequence for any member of the insect order Thysanoptera. Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Ortholog (BUSCO) assessments of the genome assembly (size = 415.8 Mb, scaffold N50 = 948.9 kb) revealed a relatively complete and well-annotated assembly in comparison to other insect genomes. The genome is unusually GC-rich (50%) compared to other insect genomes to date. The official gene set (OGS v1.0) contains 16,859 genes, of which similar to 10% were manually verified and corrected by our consortium. We focused on manual annotation, phylogenetic, and expression evidence analyses for gene sets centered on primary themes in the life histories and activities of plant-colonizing insects. Highlights include the following: (1) divergent clades and large expansions in genes associated with environmental sensing (chemosensory receptors) and detoxification (CYP4, CYP6, and CCE enzymes) of substances encountered in agricultural environments; (2) a comprehensive set of salivary gland genes supported by enriched expression; (3) apparent absence of members of the IMD innate immune defense pathway; and (4) developmental- and sex-specific expression analyses of genes associated with progression from larvae to adulthood through neometaboly, a distinct form of maturation differing from either incomplete or complete metamorphosis in the Insecta.Conclusions Analysis of theF. occidentalisgenome offers insights into the polyphagous behavior of this insect pest that finds, colonizes, and survives on a widely diverse array of plants. The genomic resources presented here enable a more complete analysis of insect evolution and biology, providing a missing taxon for contemporary insect genomics-based analyses. Our study also offers a genomic benchmark for molecular and evolutionary investigations of other Thysanoptera species.Animal science