Hidden Sector Dark Matter and LHC Signatures

We discuss the implications of a gauged Abelian hidden-sector communicating with the Standard Model (SM) fields via kinetic mixing with the SM hypercharge gauge field, or via the Higgs quartic interaction. We discuss signatures of the hidden-sector gauge boson at the LHC in the four-lepton channel. We show that a hidden-sector fermion can be a natural dark-matter candidate with the correct relic-density, discuss direct-detection prospects, and show how Higgs signatures may be altered at the LHC.Comment: 4 pages, SUSY 2009 conference proceeding

Extra dimensions vs. supersymmetric interpretation of missing energy events at a linear collider

The photon plus missing energy signature is a primary handle on two important classes of theories. Theories with large extra dimensions predict the production of photons in association with Kaluza-Klein excitations of the graviton. In supersymmetric theories with superlight gravitinos, photons can be produced in association with gravitino pairs. The signatures for these two theories are compared, and it is found that they can be distinguished by studying the photon energy distributions and scaling of the cross section with center-of-mass energy. Both these methods fail, however, if there are six extra dimensions. In that case, additional phenomena predicted by the theories would be required to narrow down the underlying causes of the photon plus missing energy signal. We also study the ability of these measurements to determine the number of extra dimensions.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Contributed to APS / DPF / DPB Summer Study on the Future of Particle Physics (Snowmass 2001), Snowmass, Colorado, 30 Jun - 21 Jul 200

Effective Theory for Baryogenesis with a Majorana Fermion Pair Coupled to Quarks

With a goal toward explaining the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe, we extend the standard model (SM) by adding a vector-vector dimension-six effective operator coupling a new Dirac fermion $\chi$, uncharged under the SM gauge symmetries but charged under baryon number, to a quark-like up-type fermion and two identical down-type fermions. We introduce baryon number violation by adding Majorana masses to $\chi$, which splits the Dirac fermion into two Majorana fermions with unequal masses. We speculate on the origin of the effective operator, the Majorana mass, and the new physics sector connection to the SM, by considering some ultraviolet completion examples. In addition to the baryon number violation, we show that $C$ and $CP$ invariances can be violated in the theory, and the interference between tree and loop amplitudes with on-shell intermediate states can lead to a baryon asymmetry in $\chi$ decay and scattering processes. We provide numerical estimates for the baryon asymmetry generated, and for the neutron-antineutron oscillation rate.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figure

Higgs boson decays to four fermions through an abelian hidden sector

We consider a generic abelian hidden sector that couples to the Standard Model only through gauge-invariant renormalizable operators. This allows the exotic Higgs boson to mix with the Standard Model Higgs boson, and the exotic abelian gauge boson to mix with the Standard Model hypercharge gauge boson. One immediate consequence of spontaneous breaking of the hidden sector gauge group is the possible decay of the lightest Higgs boson into four fermions through intermediate exotic gauge bosons. We study the implications of this decay for Higgs boson phenomenology at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider and the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Our emphasis is on the four lepton final state.We consider a generic abelian hidden sector that couples to the Standard Model only through gauge-invariant renormalizable operators. This allows the exotic Higgs boson to mix with the Standard Model Higgs boson, and the exotic abelian gauge boson to mix with the Standard Model hypercharge gauge boson. One immediate consequence of spontaneous breaking of the hidden sector gauge group is the possible decay of the lightest Higgs boson into four fermions through intermediate exotic gauge bosons. We study the implications of this decay for Higgs boson phenomenology at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider and the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Our emphasis is on the four lepton final state