New Physics and novel Higgs signals

We review some of the results of our recent work dealing with the novel type of Higgs signals that arise when one considers extensions of the standard model. We discuss first possible deviations on the Higgs couplings due to heavy particles, in the context of the MSSM and with large extra-dimensions. Then, we present several models where it is possible to induce flavor violating Higgs couplings, and probe them at future hadron colliders through the LFV Higgs decay h-> tau mu or with rare top decays.Comment: Talk given at the X Mexican School of Particles and Fields, Playa del Carmen, Mexico, 200

Top-Quark FCNC Decay t->cgg in Topcolor-assisted Technicolor Model

The topcolor-assisted technicolor (TC2) model predicts several pseudo-scalars called top-pions and at loop level they can induce the FCNC top quark decay t->cgg which is extremely suppressed in the Standard Model (SM). We find that in the allowed parameter space the TC2 model can greatly enhance such a FCNC decay and push the branching ratio up to 10^{-3}, which is much larger than the predictions in the SM (10^{-9}) and in the minimal supersymmetric model (10^{-4}). We also compare the result with the two-body FCNC decay t-> cg and find that the branching ratio of t-> cgg is slightly larger than t-> cg. Such enhanced FCNC top quark decays may serve as a good probe of TC2 model at the future top quark factory.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Clouds, Gravity, and Metallicity in Blue L Dwarfs: The Case of 2MASS J11263991–5003550

Optical and near-infrared spectroscopy of the newly discovered peculiar L dwarf 2MASS J11263991–5003550 are presented. Folkes et al. classified this source as a high proper motion L9±1 dwarf based on its strong H2O absorption at 1.4 μ m . We find that the optical spectrum of 2MASS J1126–5003 is in fact consistent with that of a normal L4.5 dwarf with notably enhanced FeH absorption at 9896 Å. However, its near-infrared spectrum is unusually blue, with strong H2O and weak CO bands similar in character to several recently identified "blue L dwarfs." Using 2MASS J1126–5003 as a case study, and guided by trends in the condensate cloud models of Burrows et al. and Marley et al., we find that the observed spectral peculiarities of these sources can be adequately explained by the presence of thin and/or large-grained condensate clouds as compared to normal field L dwarfs. Atypical surface gravities or metallicities alone cannot reproduce the observed peculiarities, although they may be partly responsible for the unusual condensate properties. We also rule out unresolved multiplicity as a cause for the spectral peculiarities of 2MASS J1126–5003. Our analysis is supported by examination of Spitzer mid-infrared spectral data from Cushing et al. which show that bluer L dwarfs tend to have weaker 10 μ m absorption, a feature tentatively associated with silicate oxide grains. With their unique spectral properties, blue L dwarfs like 2MASS J1126–5003 should prove useful in studying the formation and properties of condensates and condensate clouds in low-temperature atmospheres

A bottom-up approach to the strong CP problem

The strong CP problem is one of many puzzles in the theoretical description of elementary particle physics that still lacks an explanation. While top-down solutions to that problem usually comprise new symmetries or fields or both, we want to present a rather bottom-up perspective. The main problem seems to be how to achieve small CP violation in the strong interactions despite large CP violation in weak interactions. Observation of CP violation is exclusively through the Higgs--Yukawa interactions. In this paper, we show that with minimal assumptions on the structure of mass (Yukawa) matrices they do not contribute to the strong CP problem and thus we can provide a pathway to a solution of the strong CP problem within the structures of the Standard Model and no extension at the electroweak scale is needed. However, to address the flavor puzzle, models based on minimal SU(3) flavor groups leading to the proposed flavor matrices are favored. Though we refrain from an explicit a UV completion of the Standard Model, we provide a simple requirement those models should have to intrinsically not show a strong CP problem.Comment: 12 pages; v2: extended discussion, title changed to be more genera