U(1)B3−L2U(1)_{B_3-L_2} Explanation of the Neutral Current B−B-Anomalies

We investigate a speculative short-distance force, proposed to explain discrepancies observed between measurements of certain neutral current decays of $B$ hadrons and their Standard Model predictions. The force derives from a spontaneously broken, gauged $U(1)_{B_3-L_2}$ extension to the Standard Model, where the extra quantum numbers of Standard Model fields are given by third family baryon number minus second family lepton number. The only fields beyond those of the Standard Model are three right-handed neutrinos, a gauge field associated with $U(1)_{B_3-L_2}$ and a Standard Model singlet complex scalar which breaks $U(1)_{B_3-L_2}$, a `flavon'. This simple model, via interactions involving a TeV scale force-carrying $Z^\prime$ vector boson, can successfully explain the neutral current $B-$anomalies whilst accommodating other empirical constraints. In an ansatz for fermion mixing, a combination of up-to-date $B-$anomaly fits, LHC direct $Z^\prime$ search limits and other bounds rule out the domain 0.15 TeV$< M_{Z^\prime} <$ 1.9 TeV at the 95$\%$ confidence level. For more massive $Z^\prime$s, the model possesses a {\em flavonstrahlung}\ signal, where $pp$ collisions produce a $Z^\prime$ and a flavon, which subsequently decays into two Higgs bosons

Investigating Multiple Solutions in the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

Recent work has shown that the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (CMSSM) can possess several distinct solutions for certain values of its parameters. The extra solutions were not previously found by public supersymmetric spectrum generators because fixed point iteration (the algorithm used by the generators) is unstable in the neighbourhood of these solutions. The existence of the additional solutions calls into question the robustness of exclusion limits derived from collider experiments and cosmological observations upon the CMSSM, because limits were only placed on one of the solutions. Here, we map the CMSSM by exploring its multi-dimensional parameter space using the shooting method, which is not subject to the stability issues which can plague fixed point iteration. We are able to find multiple solutions where in all previous literature only one was found. The multiple solutions are of two distinct classes. One class, close to the border of bad electroweak symmetry breaking, is disfavoured by LEP2 searches for neutralinos and charginos. The other class has sparticles that are heavy enough to evade the LEP2 bounds. Chargino masses may differ by up to around 10% between the different solutions, whereas other sparticle masses differ at the sub-percent level. The prediction for the dark matter relic density can vary by a hundred percent or more between the different solutions, so analyses employing the dark matter constraint are incomplete without their inclusion.Comment: 30 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables; v2: added discussion on speed of shooting method, fixed typos, matches published versio

Non-Diagonal and Mixed Squark Production at Hadron Colliders

We calculate squared helicity amplitudes for non-diagonal and mixed squark pair production at hadron colliders, taking into account not only loop-induced QCD diagrams, but also previously unconsidered electroweak channels, which turn out to be dominant. Mixing effects are included for both top and bottom squarks. Numerical results are presented for several SUSY benchmark scenarios at both the CERN LHC and the Fermilab Tevatron, including the possibilities of light stops or sbottoms. The latter should be easily observed at the Tevatron in associated production of stops and sbottoms for a large range of stop masses and almost independently of the stop mixing angle. Asymmetry measurements for light stops at the polarized BNL RHIC collider are also briefly discussed.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figure

Z boson decay to photon plus Kaluza-Klein graviton in large extra dimensions

In the large extra dimensional ADD scenario, Z bosons undergo a one-loop decay into a photon and Kaluza-Klein towers of gravitons/gravi-scalars. We calculate such a decay width, extending previous arguments about the general form of the four-dimensional on-shell amplitude. The amplitudes calculated are relevant to processes in other extra dimensional models where the Standard Model fields are confined to a 4-brane.Comment: 47 pages, uses feynmp for diagrams. v2: typographical corrections for letter-sized paper and to correct feynmf parsing error. v3: minor error in polarisation averaging and reference corrected. v4: reflects changes for published version; arithmetic error corrected and reference updated; section on transversality conditions not present in published version retaine

Panglossian Prospects for Detecting Neutralino Dark Matter in Light of Natural Priors

In most global fits of the constrained minimal supersymmetric model (CMSSM) to indirect data, the a priori likelihoods of any two points in tan beta are treated as equal, and the more fundamental mu and B Higgs potential parameters are fixed by potential minimization conditions. We find that, if instead a flat ("natural")prior measure on mu and B is placed, a strong preference exists for the focus point region from fits to particle physics and cosmological data. In particular, we find that the lightest neutralino is strongly favored to be a mixed bino-higgsino (~10% higgsino). Such mixed neutralinos have large elastic scattering cross sections with nuclei, leading to extremely promising prospects for both underground direct detection experiments and neutrino telescopes. In particular, the majority of the posterior probability distribution falls within parameter space within an order of magnitude of current direct detection constraints. Furthermore, neutralino annihilations in the sun are predicted to generate thousands of neutrino induced muon events per years at IceCube. Thus, assuming the framework of the CMSSM and using the natural prior measure, modulo caveats regarding astrophysical uncertainties, we are likely to be living in a world with good prospects for the direct and indirect detection of neutralino dark matter.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figure

Neutrino masses and mixing angles in a supersymmetric SU(4) x SU(2)L_{L} x SU(2)R_{R}model

We consider the problem of neutrino masses and mixing angles in a supersymmetric model based on the gauge group SU(4)\otimesSU(2)_L\otimesSU(2)_R broken at the scale M_X\approx 10^{16} GeV. We extend a previous operator analysis of the charged lepton and quark masses and mixing angles in this model to include the neutrino sector, assuming a universal Majorana mass M for the right-handed neutrinos. The Dirac part of the neutrino matrix is then fixed and the physical neutrino masses and magnitudes of all of the elements of the leptonic mixing matrix are then predicted in terms of the single additional parameter M. The successful ansatze predict a tau neutrino mass in the relevant range for the dark matter problem and structure formation, muon and electron neutrinos consistent with the MSW solution to the solar neutrino problem, and tau-muon neutrino mixing at a level which should soon be observed by the CHORUS and NOMAD experiments

Theoretical uncertainties in sparticle mass predictions from computational tools

We estimate the current theoretical uncertainty in sparticle mass predictions by comparing several state-of-the-art computations within the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). We find that the theoretical uncertainty is comparable to the expected statistical errors from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and significantly larger than those expected from a future e+e- Linear Collider (LC). We quantify the theoretical uncertainty on relevant sparticle observables for both LHC and LC, and show that the value of the error is significantly dependent upon the supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking parameters. We also present the theoretical uncertainty induced in fundamental-scale SUSY breaking parameters when they are fitted from LHC measurements. Two regions of the SUSY parameter space where accurate predictions are particularly difficult are examined in detail: the large tan(beta) and focus point regimes.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figures; comment added pointing out that 2-loop QCD corrections to mt are incorrect in some of the programs investigated. We give the correct formul

Fitting the Phenomenological MSSM

We perform a global Bayesian fit of the phenomenological minimal supersymmetric standard model (pMSSM) to current indirect collider and dark matter data. The pMSSM contains the most relevant 25 weak-scale MSSM parameters, which are simultaneously fit using `nested sampling' Monte Carlo techniques in more than 15 years of CPU time. We calculate the Bayesian evidence for the pMSSM and constrain its parameters and observables in the context of two widely different, but reasonable, priors to determine which inferences are robust. We make inferences about sparticle masses, the sign of the $\mu$ parameter, the amount of fine tuning, dark matter properties and the prospects for direct dark matter detection without assuming a restrictive high-scale supersymmetry breaking model. We find the inferred lightest CP-even Higgs boson mass as an example of an approximately prior independent observable. This analysis constitutes the first statistically convergent pMSSM global fit to all current data.Comment: Added references, paragraph on fine-tunin

Phenomenology of a Fluxed MSSM

We analyze the phenomenology of a set of minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) soft terms inspired by flux-induced supersymmetry (SUSY)-breaking in Type IIB string orientifolds. The scheme is extremely constrained with essentially only two free mass parameters: a parameter M, which sets the scale of soft terms, and the mu parameter. After imposing consistent radiative electro-weak symmetry breaking (EWSB) the model depends upon one mass parameter (say, M). In spite of being so constrained one finds consistency with EWSB conditions. We demonstrate that those conditions have two solutions for mu<0, and none for mu>0. The parameter tan beta results as a prediction and is approximately 3-5 for one solution, and 25-40 for the other, depending upon M and the top mass. We examine further constraints on the model coming from b->s gamma, the muon g-2, Higgs mass limits and WMAP constraints on dark matter. The MSSM spectrum is predicted in terms of the single free parameter M. The low tan beta branch is consistent with a relatively light spectrum although it is compatible with standard cosmology only if the lightest neutralino is unstable. The high tan beta branch is compatible with all phenomenological constraints, but has quite a heavy spectrum. We argue that the fine-tuning associated to this heavy spectrum would be substantially ameliorated if an additional relationship mu=-2M were present in the underlying theory.Comment: 18 pages, minor revision