Gravitational Laser Back-Scattering

A possible way of producing gravitons in the laboratory is investigated. We evaluate the cross section electron + photon $\rightarrow$ electron + graviton in the framework of linearized gravitation, and analyse this reaction considering the photon coming either from a laser beam or from a Compton back-scattering process.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures (available upon request), RevTeX, IFT-P.03/9

Identifying the Higgs Boson in Electron--Photon Collisions

We analyze the production and detection of the Higgs boson in the next generation of linear $e^+e^-$ colliders operating in the $e\gamma$ mode. In particular, we study the production mechanism $e + \gamma \rightarrow e \gamma \gamma \rightarrow e + H$, where one photon is generated via the laser backscattering mechanism, while the other is radiated via the usual bremsstrahlung process. We show that this is the most important mechanism for Higgs boson production in a $500$ GeV $e\gamma$ collider for M_H\raisebox{-.4ex}{\rlap{\sim}} \raisebox{.4ex}{>}140 GeV. We also study the signals and backgrounds for detection of the Higgs in the different decay channels, $b \bar b$, $W^+W^-$, and $ZZ$, and suggest kinematical cuts to improve the signature of an intermediate mass Higgs boson.Comment: (REVTEX 2.0, 12 pages and 9 figures available upon request, Preprint MAD/PH/753

Quartic Anomalous Couplings in γγ\gamma\gamma Colliders

We study the constraints on the vertices $W^+W^- Z\gamma$, $W^+W^-\gamma\gamma$, and $ZZ\gamma\gamma$ that can be obtained from triple-gauge-boson production at the next generation of linear $e^+e^-$ colliders operating in the $\gamma\gamma$ mode. We analyze the processes $\gamma\gamma \to W^+W^-V$ ($V=Z$, or $\gamma$) and show that these reactions increase the potential of $e^+e^-$ machines to search for anomalous four-gauge-boson interactions.Comment: 15 pages, Latex file using ReVteX, 4 uufiled figures include

Discriminating New Physics Scenarios at NLC: The Role of Polarization

We explore the potential of the Next Linear Collider (NLC), operating in the $e\gamma$ mode, to disentangle new physics scenarios on single $W$ production. We study the effects related with the exchange of composite fermion in the reaction $e\gamma \to W \nu_e$, and compare with those arising from trilinear gauge boson anomalous couplings. We stress the role played by the initial state polarization to increase the reach of this machine and to discriminate the possible origin of the new phenomena.Comment: 26 pages, LaTeX file using ReVTeX. 10 Figure

Anomalous g^5_z coupling at γγ\gamma\gamma colliders

We study the constraints on the anomalous coupling $g^Z_5$ that can be obtained from the analysis of the reaction $\gamma\gamma \rightarrow W^+ W^- Z$ at future linear $e^+e^-$ colliders. We find out that a $0.5$ ($1$) TeV $e^+e^-$ collider operating in the $\gamma\gamma$ mode can probe values of $g_5^Z$ of the order of $0.15$ ($4.5 \times 10^{-2}$) for an integrated luminosity of $10$ fb$^{-1}$. This shows that the ability to search for this anomalous interaction of the $\gamma\gamma$ mode is better than the one of the usual $e^+e^-$ mode, and it is similar to the ability of the $e\gamma$ mode.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures as uudecoded ps file

Excited Leptonic States in Polarized e^-\gamma and e^+ e^- Collisions

We analyze the capability of the next generation of linear electron--positron colliders to unravel the spin and couplings of excited leptons predicted by composite models. Assuming that these machines will be able to operate both in the $e^+e^-$ and $e^-\gamma$ modes, we study the effects of the excited electrons of spin $\frac{1}{2}$ and $\frac{3}{2}$ in the reactions $e^-\gamma \rightarrow e^-\gamma$ and $e^+e^- \rightarrow \gamma\gamma$. We show how the use of polarized beams is able not only to increase the reach of these machines, but also to determine the spin and couplings of the excited states.Comment: 22 pages, RevTeX, 8 figure

Threshold Effects on Heavy Quark Production in γγ\gamma\gamma Interactions

The exchange of gluons between heavy quarks produced in $e^+e^-$ interactions results in an enhancement of their production near threshold. We study QCD threshold effects in $\gamma\gamma$ collisions. The results are relevant to heavy quark production by beamstrahlung and laser back-scattering in future linear collider experiments. Detailed predictions for top, bottom and charm production are presented.Comment: 26 pages, 12 figures available in ps upon request, revtex, MAD/PH/701 (revised version

Measuring the gamma gamma coupling of the Higgs boson at linear colliders

Observing the production of the Higgs particle in the γ γ mode of a linear e + e − collider allows for the measurement of the H γ γ coupling. We point out that for the intermediate Higgs mass range this measurement is considerably more challenging than previously believed. The b ¯ b signature receives a large background from the production of heavy quark pairs by resolved photons. We quantify the experimental requirements needed to make a meaningful measurement in the presence of this background