Electroweak Symmetry Breaking and Higgs Physics

An introduction to electroweak symmetry breaking and Higgs physics is presented for the Standard Model and its supersymmetric extensions. A brief overview will also be given on strong interactions of the electroweak gauge bosons in alternative scenarios. In addition to the theoretical basis, the present experimental status of Higgs physics and implications for future experiments at the LHC and $e^+e^-$ linear colliders are discussed.Comment: 70 pages, latex, 30 figure

Measuring Hidden Higgs and Strongly-Interacting Higgs Scenarios

Higgs couplings can be affected by physics beyond the Standard Model. We study modifications through interactions with a hidden sector and in specific composite Higgs models accessible at the LHC. Both scenarios give rise to congruent patterns of universal, or partially universal, shifts. In addition, Higgs decays to the hidden sector may lead to invisible decay modes which we also exploit. Experimental bounds on such potential modifications will measure the concordance of an observed Higgs boson with the Standard Model.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures; version to be published in Phys. Lett.

Higgs Bosons: Intermediate Mass Range at e+e- Colliders

We elaborate on the production of the Standard Model Higgs particle at high-energy $e^+e^-$ colliders through the reaction $e^+e^- \rightarrow ZH$. Particular emphasis is put on the intermediate mass range. In addition to the signal we discuss in detail the background processes. Angular distributions which are sensitive to the spin and parity of the Higgs particle are analyzed.Comment: Standard Latex. 15 pages. 11 figures available by fax or regular mail. MAD/PH/749, DESY 93-064, UdeM-LPN-TH-93-143, NUHEP-TH-93-1

Higgs-strahlung and WWWW fusion in e+e−e^+e^- collisions

Higgs-strahlung $e^+e^-\to ZH$ and $WW$ fusion $e^+e^-\to\bar\nu_e\nu_e H$ are the most important mechanisms for the production of Higgs bosons in $e^+e^-$ collisions at LEP2 and future $e^+e^-$ linear colliders. We have calculated the cross sections and energy/angular distributions of the Higgs boson for these production mechanisms. When the $Z$ boson decays into (electron-)neutrinos, the two production amplitudes interfere. In the cross-over region between the two mechanisms the interference term is positive and of the same size as the individual cross sections, thus enhancing the production rate.Comment: 9 pages LaTeX2e (using standard graphicx package), 8 figure

Production of Charged Higgs Boson Pairs in Gluon-Gluon Collisions

The search for charged Higgs bosons, which are predicted in supersymmetric theories, is difficult at hadron colliders if the mass is large. In this paper we present the theoretical set-up for the production of charged Higgs boson pairs at the LHC in gluon-gluon collisions: $pp -> gg -> H^+ H^-$. When established experimentally, the trilinear couplings between charged and neutral CP-even Higgs bosons, $H^+ H^- h^0$ and $H^+ H^- H^0$, can be measured

Heavy flavours and CP violation

The lectures are divided into three parts : 1. Heavy flavours at LEP : test of the Standard Model and the physics beyond. 2. Top quarks at the LHC and high energy e+ e- colliders. 3. CP violation in the standard model and predictions for the b-quark sector.Lectures on CP violations, heavy flavours and the standard mode