Beyond the Standard Model

Six major frameworks have emerged attempting to describe particle physics beyond the Standard Model. Despite their different theoretical genera, these frameworks have a number of common phenomenological features and problems. While it will be possible (and desirable) to conduct model-independent searches for new physics at the LHC, it is equally important to develop robust methods to discriminate between BSM 'look-alikes'.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, Lectures given at the 2009 European School of High-Energy Physics, Bautzen, Germany, 14-27 Jun 200

The Standard Model: Alchemy and Astrology

An brief unconventional review of Standard Model physics, containing no plots.Comment: 12 pages, 0 figures, review talk from "Physics at LHC", Krakow, 3-8 July 200

Moriond Electroweak 2006: Theory Summary

A concise look at the big picture of particle physics, including the status of the Standard Model, neutrinos, supersymmetry, extra dimensions and cosmology. Based upon the theoretical summary presented at the XLIst Rencontres de Moriond on Electroweak Interactions and Unified Theories, La Thuile, 11-18 March 2006.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

New and Improved Superstring Phenomenology

Recent developments in string theory have important implications for cosmology. Topics discussed here are inflation, the cosmological constant, smoothing of cosmological singularities, and dark matter from parallel universes. Talk presented at the International Workshop on Particle Physics and the Early Universe (COSMO-98), 15-20 Nov, Asilomar, Monterey, CA.Comment: 9 page

Coupling spans of the Higgs-like boson

Using the LHC and Tevatron data, we set upper and lower limits on the total width of the Higgs-like boson. The upper limit is based on the well-motivated assumption that the Higgs coupling to a W or Z pair is not much larger than in the Standard Model. These width limits allow us to convert the rate measurements into ranges for the Higgs couplings to various particles. A corollary of the upper limit on the total width is an upper limit on the branching fraction of exotic Higgs decays. Currently, this limit is 47% at the 95% CL if the electroweak symmetry is broken only by doublets.Comment: 18 pages, 2 figures; v2: Minor clarifications, references adde