Singlet-doublet fermion and triplet scalar dark matter with radiative neutrino masses

We present a detailed study of a combined singlet-doublet fermion and triplet scalar model for dark matter. These models have only been studied separately in the past. Together, they form a simple extension of the Standard Model that can account for dark matter and explain the existence of neutrino masses, which are generated radiatively. This holds even if singlet-doublet fermions and triplet scalars never contribute simultaneously to the dark matter abundance. However, this also implies the existence of lepton flavour violating processes. In addition, this particular model allows for gauge coupling unification. The new fields are odd under a new $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry to stabilise the dark matter candidate. We analyse the dark matter, neutrino mass and lepton flavour violation aspects both separately and in conjunction, exploring the viable parameter space of the model. This is done using a numerical random scan imposing successively the neutrino mass and mixing, relic density, Higgs mass, direct detection, collider and lepton flavour violation constraints. We find that dark matter in this model is fermionic for masses below about 1 TeV and scalar above. The narrow mass regions found previously for the two separate models are enlarged by their coupling. While coannihilations of the weak isospin partners are sizeable, this is not the case for fermions and scalars despite their often similar masses due to the relatively small coupling of the two sectors, imposed by the small neutrino masses. We observe a high degree of complementarity between direct detection and lepton flavour violation experiments, which should soon allow to fully probe the fermionic dark matter sector and at least partially the scalar dark matter sector.Comment: 24 pages, 12 figures; version accepted by and published in JHE

Singlet-doublet/triplet dark matter and neutrino masses

In these proceedings, we present a study of a combined singlet--doublet fermion and triplet scalar model for dark matter (DM). Together, these models form a simple extension of the Standard Model (SM) that can account for DM and explain the existence of neutrino masses, which are generated radiatively. However, this also implies the existence of lepton flavour violating (LFV) processes. In addition, this particular model allows for gauge coupling unification. The new fields are odd under a new $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry to stabilise the DM candidate. We analyse the DM, neutrino mass and LFV aspects, exploring the viable parameter space of the model. This is done using a numerical random scan imposing successively the neutrino mass and mixing, relic density, Higgs mass, direct detection, collider and LFV constraints. We find that DM in this model is fermionic for masses below about 1 TeV and scalar above. We observe a high degree of complementarity between direct detection and LFV experiments, which should soon allow to fully probe the fermionic DM sector and at least partially the scalar DM sector.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; contribution to the 2019 EW session of the 54th Rencontres de Moriond (summary of arXiv:1812.11133

Photon-induced contributions to di-lepton production at the LHC Run II

We report on recent studies of photon-induced (PI) contributions to di-lepton production and their implications for Beyond Standard Model (BSM) $Z^\prime$-bosons searches at the LHC.Comment: Proceedings of XXV International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects, 3-7 April 2017, University of Birmingham, U

Real and virtual photons effects in di-lepton production at the LHC

We show the SM prediction of di-lepton production at the LHC where to the usual Drell-Yan production we add the contribution from Photon-Initiated processes. We discuss the effects of the inclusion of photon interactions in the high invariant mass region (TeV region) and their consequences on BSM heavy Z'-boson searches.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, Proceeding of Les Rencontres de Physique de la Vall\'ee d'Aoste, La Thuile 201

The effect of real and virtual photons in the di-lepton channel at the LHC

We present a study of di-lepton production at the CERN Large Hadron Collider with a particular focus on the contribution resulting from both real and virtual photons in the initial state. We discuss the region of phase space in which the invariant mass of the lepton pair is of the order of several TeV, where searches for new physics phenomena yielding a di-lepton signature are presently carried out. We study both the yield and associated uncertainties for all possible topologies in photon-induced di-lepton production and compare these with what is expected in the standard Drell-Yan channel, where quark-antiquark pairs are responsible for the production of lepton pairs. We analyse the impact of these QED contributions on the expected Standard Model background and on searches for new physics. In this latter case, we use the production of an extra heavy $Z^\prime$-boson predicted by the Sequential Standard Model (SSM) as a benchmark process.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Complementarity of Forward-Backward Asymmetry for discovery of Z' bosons at the Large Hadron Collider

The Forward-Backward Asymmetry (AFB) in Z' physics is commonly only thought of as an observable which possibly allows one to profiling a Z' signal by distinguishing different models embedding such (heavy) spin-1 bosons. In this brief review, we examine the potential of AFB in setting bounds on or even discovering a Z' at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and proof that it might be a powerful tool for this purpose. We analyse two different scenarios: Z's with a narrow and wide width, respectively. We find that, in both cases, AFB can complement the conventional searches in accessing Z' signals traditionally based on cross section measurements only.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1504.0316