R-symmetric gauge mediation

We present a version of Gauge Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking which preserves an R-symmetry - the gauginos are Dirac particles, the A-terms are zero, and there are four Higgs doublets. This offers an alternative way for gauginos to acquire mass in the supersymmetry-breaking models of Intriligator, Seiberg, and Shih. We investigate the possibility of using R-symmetric gauge mediation to realize the spectrum and large sfermion mixing of the model of Kribs, Poppitz, and Weiner.Comment: 26+ pages, 3 figures, BIBTEX; v2 published version: references added, paragraph on spectrum running removed, section added on adjoint scalar masses, clarification of the meaning of Table 3 adde

Supersymmetry with a Chargino NLSP and Gravitino LSP

We demonstrate that the lightest chargino can be lighter than the lightest neutralino in supersymmetric models with Dirac gaugino masses as well as within a curious parameter region of the MSSM. Given also a light gravitino, such as from low scale supersymmetry breaking, this mass hierarchy leads to an unusual signal where every superpartner cascades down to a chargino that decays into an on-shell W and a gravitino, possibly with a macroscopic chargino track. We clearly identify the region of parameters where this signal can occur. We find it is generic in the context of the R-symmetric supersymmetric standard model, whereas it essentially only occurs in the MSSM when sign(M1) is not equal to sign(M2) = sign(\mu) and tan(beta) is small. We briefly comment on the search strategies for this signal at the LHC.Comment: 27 pages and 16 figure

QCD Corrections to K-Kbar Mixing in R-symmetric Supersymmetric Models

The leading-log QCD corrections to K-Kbar mixing in R-symmetric supersymmetric models are computed using effective field theory techniques. The spectrum topology where the gluino is significantly heavier than the squarks is motivated and focused on. It is found that, like in the MSSM, QCD corrections can tighten the kaon mass difference bound by roughly a factor of three. CP violation is also briefly considered, where QCD corrections can constrain phases to be as much as a factor of ten smaller than the uncorrected value.Comment: 11 pages, 11 pdf-figures; updated acknowledgments and references, clarified relationship to Ref[17], clarified CP-violation sectio

Possible astrophysical signatures of heavy stable neutral relics in supergravity models

We consider heavy stable neutral particles in the context of supergravity and show that a gravitationally suppressed inflaton decay can produce such particles in cosmologically interesting abundances within a wide mass range $10^3 {\rm GeV} \leq m_X \leq 10^{11} {\rm GeV}$. In gravity-mediated supersymmetry breaking models, a heavy particle can decay into its superpartner and a photon-photino pair or a gravitino. Such decays only change the identity of a possible dark matter candidate. However, for $10^3 {\rm GeV} \leq m_X \leq 10^7 {\rm GeV}$, astrophysical bounds from gamma-ray background and photodissociation of light elements can be more stringent than the overclosure bound, thus ruling out the particle as a dark matter candidate.Comment: 12 page

Structure of Fat Jets at the Tevatron and Beyond

Boosted resonances is a highly probable and enthusiastic scenario in any process probing the electroweak scale. Such objects when decaying into jets can easily blend with the cornucopia of jets from hard relative light QCD states. We review jet observables and algorithms that can contribute to the identification of highly boosted heavy jets and the possible searches that can make use of such substructure information. We also review previous studies by CDF on boosted jets and its measurements on specific jet shapes.Comment: invited review for a special "Top and flavour physics in the LHC era" issue of The European Physical Journal C, we invite comments regarding contents of the review; v2 added references and institutional preprint number

RR-symmetric Gauge Mediation With Fayet-Iliopoulos Term

We have studied $R$-symmetrc gauge mediation models with Fayet-Iliopoulos terms. We give a concrete example of hidden sector with an $U(1)_H$ gauge theory and a Fayet-Iliopoulos term, which can induce distinctive soft terms in the visible sector, and help solving fine tuning problems in models of $R$-symmetric gauge mediation.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figur

A "Littlest Higgs" Model with Custodial SU(2) Symmetry

In this note, a ``littlest higgs'' model is presented which has an approximate custodial SU(2) symmetry. The model is based on the coset space $SO(9)/(SO(5)\times SO(4))$. The light pseudo-goldstone bosons of the theory include a {\it single} higgs doublet below a TeV and a set of three $SU(2)_W$ triplets and an electroweak singlet in the TeV range. All of these scalars obtain approximately custodial SU(2) preserving vacuum expectation values. This model addresses a defect in the earlier $SO(5)\times SU(2)\times U(1)$ moose model, with the only extra complication being an extended top sector. Some of the precision electroweak observables are computed and do not deviate appreciably from Standard Model predictions. In an S-T oblique analysis, the dominant non-Standard Model contributions are the extended top sector and higgs doublet contributions. In conclusion, a wide range of higgs masses is allowed in a large region of parameter space consistent with naturalness, where large higgs masses requires some mild custodial SU(2) violation from the extended top sector.Comment: 22 pages + 8 figures; JHEP style, added references and extra discussion on size of T contributions, as well as some other minor clarifications. Version to appear in JHE

Bounds from Primordial Black Holes with a Near Critical Collapse Initial Mass Function

Recent numerical evidence suggests that a mass spectrum of primordial black holes (PBHs) is produced as a consequence of near critical gravitational collapse. Assuming that these holes formed from the initial density perturbations seeded by inflation, we calculate model independent upper bounds on the mass variance at the reheating temperature by requiring the mass density not exceed the critical density and the photon emission not exceed current diffuse gamma-ray measurements. We then translate these results into bounds on the spectral index n by utilizing the COBE data to normalize the mass variance at large scales, assuming a constant power law, then scaling this result to the reheating temperature. We find that our bounds on n differ substantially (\delta n > 0.05) from those calculated using initial mass functions derived under the assumption that the black hole mass is proportional to the horizon mass at the collapse epoch. We also find a change in the shape of the diffuse gamma-ray spectrum which results from the Hawking radiation. Finally, we study the impact of a nonzero cosmological constant and find that the bounds on n are strengthened considerably if the universe is indeed vacuum-energy dominated today.Comment: 24 pages, REVTeX, 5 figures; minor typos fixed, two refs added, version to be published in PR

Electroweak Symmetry Breaking via UV Insensitive Anomaly Mediation

Anomaly mediation solves the supersymmetric flavor and CP problems. This is because the superconformal anomaly dictates that supersymmetry breaking is transmitted through nearly flavor-blind infrared physics that is highly predictive and UV insensitive. Slepton mass squareds, however, are predicted to be negative. This can be solved by adding D-terms for U(1)_Y and U(1)_{B-L} while retaining the UV insensitivity. In this paper we consider electroweak symmetry breaking via UV insensitive anomaly mediation in several models. For the MSSM we find a stable vacuum when tanbeta < 1, but in this region the top Yukawa coupling blows up only slightly above the supersymmetry breaking scale. For the NMSSM, we find a stable electroweak breaking vacuum but with a chargino that is too light. Replacing the cubic singlet term in the NMSSM superpotential with a term linear in the singlet we find a stable vacuum and viable spectrum. Most of the parameter region with correct vacua requires a large superpotential coupling, precisely what is expected in the ``Fat Higgs'' model in which the superpotential is generated dynamically. We have therefore found the first viable UV complete, UV insensitive supersymmetry breaking model that solves the flavor and CP problems automatically: the Fat Higgs model with UV insensitive anomaly mediation. Moreover, the cosmological gravitino problem is naturally solved, opening up the possibility of realistic thermal leptogenesis.Comment: 27 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Shifts in the Properties of the Higgs Boson from Radion Mixing

We examine how mixing between the Standard Model Higgs boson, $h$, and the radion present in the Randall-Sundrum model of localized gravity modifies the expected properties of the Higgs boson. In particular, we demonstrate that the total and partial decay widths of the Higgs, as well as the $h\to gg$ branching fraction, can be substantially altered from their Standard Model expectations. The remaining branching fractions are modified less than \lsim 5% for most of the parameter space volume.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figs., LaTex; revised versio