Higgs portal dark matter and neutrino mass and mixing with a doubly charged scalar

We consider an extension of the Standard Model involving two new scalar particles around the TeV scale: a singlet neutral scalar $\phi$, to be eventually identified as the Dark Matter candidate, plus a doubly charged $SU(2)_L$ singlet scalar, $S^{++}$, that can be the source for the non-vanishing neutrino masses and mixings. Assuming an unbroken $Z_2$ symmetry in the scalar sector, under which only the additional neutral scalar $\phi$ is odd, we write the most general (renormalizable) scalar potential. The model may be regarded as a possible extension of the conventional Higgs portal Dark Matter scenario which also accounts for neutrino mass and mixing. This framework cannot completely explain the observed positron excess. However a softening of the discrepancy observed in conventional Higgs portal framework can be obtained, especially when the scale of new physics responsible for generating neutrino masses and lepton number violating processes is around 2 TeV.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

CP violation with a dynamical Higgs

We determine the complete set of independent gauge and gauge-Higgs CP-odd effective operators for the generic case of a dynamical Higgs, up to four derivatives in the chiral expansion. The relation with the linear basis of dimension six CP-odd operators is clarified. Phenomenological applications include bounds inferred from electric dipole moment limits, and from present and future collider data on triple gauge coupling measurements and Higgs signals.Comment: 41 pages, 3 figures; V2: citations added, typos corrected, version published on JHE

Quantum channels in random spin chains

We study the entanglement between pairs of qubits in a random antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 chain at zero temperature. We show that some very distant pairs of qubits are highly entangled, being almost pure Bell states. Furthermore, the probability to obtain such spin pairs is proportional to the chain disorder strenght and inversely proportional to the square of their separation.Comment: v1: 4 pages, 2 eps figures; v2: discussion about the effect of temperature added, v3: 1 eps figure added, enlarged discussions, 6 pages, published versio

Higgs ultraviolet softening

We analyze the leading effective operators which induce a quartic momentum dependence in the Higgs propagator, for a linear and for a non-linear realization of electroweak symmetry breaking. Their specific study is relevant for the understanding of the ultraviolet sensitivity to new physics. Two methods of analysis are applied, trading the Lagrangian coupling by: i) a "ghost" scalar, after the Lee-Wick procedure; ii) other effective operators via the equations of motion. The two paths are shown to lead to the same effective Lagrangian at first order in the operator coefficients. It follows a modification of the Higgs potential and of the fermionic couplings in the linear realization, while in the non-linear one anomalous quartic gauge couplings, Higgs-gauge couplings and gauge-fermion interactions are induced in addition. Finally, all LHC Higgs and other data presently available are used to constrain the operator coefficients; the future impact of $pp\to\text{4 leptons}$ data via off-shell Higgs exchange and of vector boson fusion data is considered as well. For completeness, a summary of pure-gauge and gauge-Higgs signals exclusive to non-linear dynamics at leading-order is included.Comment: 31 pages, 3 figures, 7 table

Decoupling Properties of MSSM particles in Higgs and Top Decays

We study the supersymmetric (SUSY) QCD radiative corrections, at the one-loop level, to $h^0$, $H^{\pm}$ and t quark decays, in the context of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) and in the decoupling limit. The decoupling behaviour of the various MSSM sectors is analyzed in some special cases, where some or all of the SUSY mass parameters become large as compared to the electroweak scale. We show that in the decoupling limit of both large SUSY mass parameters and large CP-odd Higgs mass, the $\Gamma (h^0\to b \bar b)$ decay width approaches its Standard Model value at one loop, with the onset of decoupling being delayed for large $\tan\beta$ values. However, this decoupling does not occur if just the SUSY mass parameters are taken large. A similar interesting non-decoupling behaviour, also enhanced by $\tan\beta$, is found in the SUSY-QCD corrections to the $\Gamma (H^+\to t \bar b)$ decay width at one loop. In contrast, the SUSY-QCD corrections in the $\Gamma (t\to W^+ b)$ decay width do decouple and this decoupling is fast.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures. Invited talk presented by M.J.Herrero at the 5th International Symposium on Radiative Corrections (RADCOR 2000) Carmel CA, USA, 11-15 September, 200