A naturally light Higgs without light top partners

We demonstrate that the inclusion of a realistic lepton sector can relax significantly the upper bound on top partner masses in minimal composite Higgs models, induced by the lightness of the Higgs boson. To that extend, we present a comprehensive survey of the impact of different realizations of the fermion sectors on the Higgs potential, with a special emphasis on the role of the leptons. The non-negligible compositeness of the τ R in a general class of models that address the flavor structure of the lepton sector and the smallness of the corresponding FCNCs, can have a significant effect on the potential. We find that, with the τ R in the symmetric representation of SO(5), an increase in the maximally allowed mass of the lightest top partner of ≳ 1 TeV is possible for minimal quark setups like the MCHM 5,10 , without increasing the tuning. A light Higgs boson m H ∼ (100−200) GeV is a natural prediction of such models, which thus provide a new setup that can evade ultralight top partners without ad-hoc tuning in the Higgs mass. Moreover, we advocate a more minimal realization of the lepton sector than generally used in the literature, which still can avoid light partners due to its contributions to the Higgs mass in a different and very natural way, triggered by the seesaw mechanism. This allows to construct the most economical SO(5) / SO(4) composite Higgs models possible. Using both a transparent 4D approach, as well as presenting numerical results in the 5D holographic description, we demonstrate that, including leptons, minimality and naturalness do not imply light partners. Leptonic effects, not considered before, could hence be crucial for the viability of composite models

Lattice gauge theory without link variables

We obtain a sequence of alternative representations for the partition function of pure SU( N ) or U( N ) lattice gauge theory with the Wilson plaquette action, using the method of Hubbard-Stratonovich transformations. In particular, we are able to integrate out all the link variables exactly, and recast the partition function of lattice gauge theory as a Gaussian integral over auxiliary fields

Supersymmetric quantum mechanics on the lattice: III. Simulations and algorithms

In the fermion loop formulation the contributions to the partition function naturally separate into topological equivalence classes with a definite sign. This separation forms the basis for an efficient fermion simulation algorithm using a fluctuating open fermion string. It guarantees sufficient tunnelling between the topological sectors, and hence provides a solution to the fermion sign problem affecting systems with broken supersymmetry. Moreover, the algorithm shows no critical slowing down even in the massless limit and can hence handle the massless Goldstino mode emerging in the supersymmetry broken phase. In this paper – the third in a series of three – we present the details of the simulation algorithm and demonstrate its efficiency by means of a few examples

Dispersive approach to hadronic light-by-light scattering

Based on dispersion theory, we present a formalism for a model-independent evaluation of the hadronic light-by-light contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. In particular, we comment on the definition of the pion pole in this framework and provide a master formula that relates the effect from ππ intermediate states to the partial waves for the process γ * γ * → ππ . All contributions are expressed in terms of on-shell form factors and scattering amplitudes, and as such amenable to an experimental determination

Higgs boson gluon–fusion production at threshold in N 3 LO QCD

We present the cross-section for the threshold production of the Higgs boson at hadron-colliders at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (N 3 LO) in perturbative QCD. We present an analytic expression for the partonic cross-section at threshold and the impact of these corrections on the numerical estimates for the hadronic cross-section at the LHC. With this result we achieve a major milestone towards a complete evaluation of the cross-section at N 3 LO which will reduce the theoretical uncertainty in the determination of the strengths of the Higgs boson interactions

NNLO QCD corrections to jet production at hadron colliders from gluon scattering

We present the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD corrections to dijet production in the purely gluonic channel retaining the full dependence on the number of colours. The sub-leading colour contribution in this channel first appears at NNLO and increases the NNLO correction by around 10% and exhibits a p T dependence, rising from 8% at low p T to 15% at high p T . The present calculation demonstrates the utility of the antenna subtraction method for computing the full colour NNLO corrections to dijet production at the Large Hadron Collider

Black probes of Schrödinger spacetimes

We consider black probes of Anti-de Sitter and Schrödinger spacetimes embedded in string theory and M-theory and construct perturbatively new black hole geometries. We begin by reviewing black string configurations in Anti-de Sitter dual to finite temperature Wilson loops in the deconfined phase of the gauge theory and generalise the construction to the confined phase. We then consider black strings in thermal Schrödinger, obtained via a null Melvin twist of the extremal D3-brane, and construct three distinct types of black string configurations with spacelike as well as lightlike separated boundary endpoints. One of these configurations interpolates between the Wilson loop operators, with bulk duals defined in Anti-de Sitter and another class of Wilson loop operators, with bulk duals defined in Schrödinger. The case of black membranes with boundary endpoints on the M5-brane dual to Wilson surfaces in the gauge theory is analysed in detail. Four types of black membranes, ending on the null Melvin twist of the extremal M5-brane exhibiting the Schrödinger symmetry group, are then constructed. We highlight the differences between Anti-de Sitter and Schrödinger backgrounds and make some comments on the properties of the corresponding dual gauge theories

A second look at gauged supergravities from fluxes in M-theory

We investigate reductions of M-theory beyond twisted tori by allowing the presence of KK6 monopoles (KKO6-planes) compatible with N $$\mathcal{N}$$ = 4 supersymmetry in four dimensions. The presence of KKO6-planes proves crucial to achieve full moduli stabilisation as they generate new universal moduli powers in the scalar potential. The resulting gauged supergravities turn out to be compatible with a weak G 2 holonomy at N $$\mathcal{N}$$ = 1 as well as at some non-supersymmetric AdS 4 vacua. The M-theory flux vacua we present here cannot be obtained from ordinary type IIA orientifold reductions including background fluxes, D6-branes (O6-planes) and/or KK5 (KKO5) sources. However, from a four-dimensional point of view, they still admit a description in terms of so-called non-geometric fluxes. In this sense we provide the M-theory interpretation for such non-geometric type IIA flux vacua

On new maximal supergravity and its BPS domain-walls

We revise the SU(3)-invariant sector of $\mathcal{N}$  = 8 supergravity with dyonic SO(8) gaugings. By using the embedding tensor formalism, analytic expressions for the scalar potential, superpotential(s) and fermion mass terms are obtained as a function of the electromagnetic phase ω and the scalars in the theory. Equipped with these results, we explore non-supersymmetric AdS critical points at ω  ≠ 0 for which perturbative stability could not be analysed before. The ω -dependent superpotential is then used to derive first-order flow equations and obtain new BPS domain-wall solutions at ω  ≠ 0. We numerically look at steepest-descent paths motivated by the (conjectured) RG flows

(Non)-dissipative hydrodynamics on embedded surfaces

We construct the theory of dissipative hydrodynamics of uncharged fluids living on embedded space-time surfaces to first order in a derivative expansion in the case of codimension-1 surfaces (including fluid membranes) and the theory of non-dissipative hydrodynamics to second order in a derivative expansion in the case of codimension higher than one under the assumption of no angular momenta in transverse directions to the surface. This construction includes the elastic degrees of freedom, and hence the corresponding transport coefficients, that take into account transverse fluctuations of the geometry where the fluid lives. Requiring the second law of thermodynamics to be satisfied leads us to conclude that in the case of codimension-1 surfaces the stress-energy tensor is characterized by 2 hydrodynamic and 1 elastic independent transport coefficient to first order in the expansion while for codimension higher than one, and for non-dissipative flows, the stress-energy tensor is characterized by 7 hydrodynamic and 3 elastic independent transport coefficients to second order in the expansion. Furthermore, the constraints imposed between the stress-energy tensor, the bending moment and the entropy current of the fluid by these extra non-dissipative contributions are fully captured by equilibrium partition functions. This analysis constrains the Young modulus which can be measured from gravity by elastically perturbing black branes