Dissecting the Wjj Anomaly: Diagnostic Tests of a Leptophobic Z'

We examine the scenario where a leptophobic Z' boson accounts for the excess of events in the Wjj channel as observed by CDF. We assume generation independent couplings for the Z' and obtain allowed regions for the four hadronic couplings using the cross section range quoted by CDF as well as constraints from dijet production at UA2. These coupling regions translate into well-determined rates for the associated production of Z/\gamma+Z' at the Tevatron and LHC, as well as W+Z' at the LHC,that are directly correlated with the Wjj rate observed at the Tevatron. The Wjj rate at the LHC is large and this channel should be observed soon once the SM backgrounds are under control. The rates for Z/\gamma+Z' associated production are smaller, and these processes should not yet have been observed at the Tevatron given the expected SM backgrounds. In addition, we also show that valuable coupling information is obtainable from the distributions of other kinematic variables, e.g., M_{WZ'}, p_T^W, and \cos \theta_W^*. Once detected, these associated production processes and the corresponding kinematic distributions examined here will provide further valuable information on the Z' boson couplings.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures. Analysis and discussion update

Bulk Gauge Fields in the Randall-Sundrum Model

We explore the consequences of placing the Standard Model gauge fields in the bulk of the recently proposed localized gravity model of Randall and Sundrum. We find that the Kaluza Klein excitations of these fields are necessarily strongly coupled and we demonstrate that current precision electroweak data constrain the lowest states to lie above $\simeq 23$ TeV. Taking the weak scale to be $\sim 1$ TeV, the resulting implications on the model parameters force the bulk curvature, $R_5$, to be larger than the higher dimensional Planck scale, $M$, violating the consistency of the theory. In turn, to preserve |R_5|\lsim M^2, the weak scale must be pushed to \gsim 100 TeV. Hence we conclude that it is disfavored to place the Standard Model gauge fields in the bulk of this model as it is presently formulated.Comment: Improved results, 14 pages, Latex fil

Bounds on Dark Matter Interactions with Electroweak Gauge Bosons

We investigate scenarios in which dark matter interacts with the Standard Model primarily through electroweak gauge bosons. We employ an effective field theory framework wherein the Standard Model and the dark matter particle are the only light states in order to derive model-independent bounds. Bounds on such interactions are derived from dark matter production by weak boson fusion at the LHC, indirect detection searches for the products of dark matter annihilation and from the measured invisible width of the $Z^0$. We find that limits on the UV scale, $\Lambda$, reach weak scale values for most operators and values of the dark matter mass, thus probing the most natural scenarios in the WIMP dark matter paradigm. Our bounds suggest that light dark matter (m_{\chi}\lsim m_Z/2 or m_{\chi}\lsim 100-200\gev, depending on the operator) cannot interact only with the electroweak gauge bosons of the Standard Model, but rather requires additional operator contributions or dark sector structure to avoid overclosing the universe.Comment: 45 pages, 26 figure

SUSY Without Prejudice at the 7 and 8 TeV LHC: Gravitino LSPs

We have examined the capability of the LHC, running at both 7 and 8 TeV, to explore the 19(20)-dimensional parameter space of the pMSSM with neutralino(gravitino) LSPs and soft masses up to 4 TeV employing the ATLAS SUSY analysis suite. Here we present some preliminary results for the gravitino model set, following the ATLAS analyses whose data were publically available as of mid-September 2012. We find that the impact of the reduced MET, resulting from models with gravitino LSPs on sparticle searches is more than off-set by the detectability of the many possible long-lived NLSPs.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures; contibution to ICHEP 201

Higgs Properties in the Fourth Generation MSSM: Boosted Signals Over the 3G Plan

The generalization of the MSSM to the case of four chiral fermion generations (4GMSSM) can lead to significant changes in the phenomenology of the otherwise familiar Higgs sector. In most of the 3GMSSM parameter space, the lighter CP-even $h$ is $\sim 115-125$ GeV and mostly Standard Model-like while $H,A,H^\pm$ are all relatively heavy. Furthermore, the ratio of Higgs vevs, $\tan \beta$, is relatively unconstrained. In contrast to this, in the 4GMSSM, heavy fourth generation fermion loops drive the masses of $h,H,H^\pm$ to large values while the CP-odd boson, $A$, can remain relatively light and $\tan \beta$ is restricted to the range 1/2 \lsim \tan \beta \lsim 2 due to perturbativity requirements on Yukawa couplings. We explore this scenario in some detail, concentrating on the collider signatures of the light CP-odd Higgs at both the Tevatron and LHC. We find that while $gg \to A$ may lead to a potential signal in the $\tau^+\tau^-$ channel at the LHC, $A$ may first be observed in the $\gamma \gamma$ channel due to a highly loop-enhanced cross section that can be more than an order of magnitude greater than that of a SM Higgs for $A$ masses of $\sim 115-120$ and $\tan\beta<1$. We find that the CP-even states $h,H$ are highly mixed and can have atypical branching fractions. Precision electroweak constraints, particularly for the light $A$ parameter space region, are examined in detail.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures; typos fixed, refs adde

Collider phenomenology of Higgs bosons in Left-Right symmetric Randall-Sundrum models

We investigate the collider phenomenology of a left-right symmetric Randall-Sundrum model with fermions and gauge bosons in the bulk. We find that the model is allowed by precision electroweak data as long as the ratio of the (unwarped) Higgs vev to the curvature scale is $v/k \le 1/4$. In that region there can be substantial modifications to the Higgs properties. In particular, the couplings to $WW$ and $ZZ$ are reduced, the coupling to gluons is enhanced, and the coupling to $\gamma\gamma$ can receive shifts in either direction. The Higgs mass bound from LEP II data can potentially be relaxed to $m_H \gtrsim 80$ GeV.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures. Minor changes to numerics; replaced with published versio

Leptoquarks at Future Lepton Colliders

In this talk I summarize the capability of future lepton colliders to discover leptoquarks and to determine their electroweak quantum numbers. This analysis is an updated discussion based on the results presented in the Snowmass 1996 New Phenomena Working Group report as well as some more recent work that has appeared in the literature as a result of the HERA high-$Q^2$ excess.Comment: 12 pages, 3 Figs. Uses e-e-ijmpa.sty. To appear in the Proceedings of the $2^{nd}$ International Workshop on $e^-e^-$ Interactions at TeV Energies}, Santa Cruz, CA, 22-24 September 199

Probing Exotic Higgs Sectors in ℓ−ℓ−\ell^-\ell^- Collisions

I review extended Higgs sectors and constraints thereon arising from $\rho=1$, gauge-coupling unification and b\to s\gam. The couplings and decays of the Higgs boson eigenstates are outlined for triplet representations. Direct experimental probes of exotic Higgs bosons are reviewed with a focus on the important role that would be played by an $e^-e^-$ or $\mu^-\mu^-$ collider.Comment: 21 pages, full postscript file is available via anonymous ftp at ftp://ucdhep.ucdavis.edu/gunion/emem97.ps; one reference adde

Gluino decays with heavier scalar superpartners

We compute gluino decay widths in supersymmetric theories with arbitrary flavor and CP violation angles. Our emphasis is on theories with scalar superpartner masses heavier than the gluino such that tree-level two-body decays are not allowed, which is relevant, for example, in split supersymmetry. We compute gluino decay branching fractions in several specific examples and show that it is plausible that the only accessible signal of supersymmetry at the LHC could be four top quarks plus missing energy. We show another example where the only accessible signal for supersymmetry is two gluon jets plus missing energy.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures. Added references and minor typos and errors corrected (no change in numerical results

Transverse Polarization Signatures of Extra Dimensions at Linear Colliders

If significant longitudinal polarization of both the electrons and positrons becomes feasible at a future linear collider(LC), it may be possible to use spin rotators to produce transversely polarized beams. Using the transverse polarization of both beams, new azimuthal spin asymmetries can be formed which will be sensitive probes for new physics beyond the Standard Model. Here we demonstrate that these asymmetries are particularly sensitive to the exchange of Kaluza-Klein towers of gravitons, or other spin-2 fields, that are predicted to exist in higher dimensional theories which address the hierarchy problem. These new asymmetries are shown to be able to extend the search reach for such new physics by more than a factor of two, provide an additional tool for isolating the signatures for spin-2 exchange up to mass scales in excess of $10\sqrt s$, and can be used to help differentiate among the proposed solutions to the hierarchy problem below the production threshold for new particles.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figs. LaTe