Characterizing Higgs portal dark matter models at the ILC

We study the Dark Matter (DM) discovery prospect and its spin discrimination in the theoretical framework of gauge invariant and renormalizable Higgs portal DM models at the ILC with $\sqrt{s} = 500$ GeV. In such models, the DM pair is produced in association with a $Z$ boson. In case the singlet scalar DM, the mediator is just the SM Higgs boson, whereas for the fermion or vector DM there is an additional singlet scalar mediator that mixes with the SM Higgs boson, which produces significant observable differences. After careful investigation of the signal and backgrounds both at parton level and at detector level, we find the signal with hadronically decaying $Z$ boson provides a better search sensitivity than the signal with leptonically decaying $Z$ boson. Taking the fermion DM model as a benchmark scenario, when the DM-mediator coupling $g_\chi$ is relatively small, the DM signals are discoverable only for benchmark points with relatively light scalar mediator $H_2$. And the spin discriminating from scalar DM is always promising while it is difficult to discriminate from vector DM. As for $g_\chi$ approaching the perturbative limit, benchmark points with the mediator $H_2$ in the full mass region of interest are discoverable. And the spin discriminating from both the scalar and fermion DM are quite promising.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures, version accepted for publication in EPJ

Probing Light Nonthermal Dark Matter at the LHC

This paper investigates the collider phenomenolgy of a minimal nonthermal dark matter model with a 1-GeV dark matter candidate, which naturally explain baryongensis. Since the light dark matter is not parity-protected, it can be singly produced at the LHC. This leads to large missing energy associated with an energetic jet whose transverse momentum distribution is featured by a Jacobian-like shape. The monojet, dijet, paired dijet and 2 jets + missing energy channels are studied. Currently existing data at Tevatron and LHC offer significant bounds on our model.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Heavy Neutrino Search via the Higgs boson at the LHC

In the inverse see-saw model the effective neutrino Yukawa couplings can be sizable due to a large mixing angle between the light $(\nu)$and heavy neutrinos $(N)$. When the right handed neutrino $(N)$ can be lighter than the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson $(h)$. It can be produced via the on-shell decay of the Higgs, $h\to N\nu$ at a significant branching fraction at the LHC. In such a process $N$ mass can be reconstructed in its dominant $N\rightarrow W \ell$ decays. We perform an analysis on this channel and its relevant backgrounds, among which the $W+$jets background is the largest. Considering the existing mixing constraints from the Higgs and electroweak precision data, the best sensitivity of the heavy neutrino search is achieved for benchmark $N$ mass at 100 and 110 GeV for upcoming high luminosity LHC runs.Comment: 22 pages, 7 Figures, updated analysis, model part extended, matched journal version in EPJ

Prospects for discovery and spin discrimination of dark matter in Higgs portal DM models and their extensions at 100 TeV pppp collider

We study the discovery and discriminating prospects of the Higgs portal dark matter (DM) models for scalar, fermion and vector DM and their extensions in proton-proton ($pp$) collisions. The $t\bar{t}+$DM associated production in dileptonic final states is considered, in which the stransverse mass of two leptons is found to be effective in suppressing the Standard Model backgrounds along with the missing transverse energy and the angle between two leptons. The distributions of missing transverse energy and polar angle between two leptons are used for a discrimination of the spin nature of DM. For the proposed benchmark points, the discovery/exclusion can be made with an integrated luminosity less than 1 ab$^{-1}$ given a 1\% systematic uncertainty, while the spin discrimination require integrated luminosity of a few O(10) ab$^{-1}$ given a 0.5\% systematic uncertainty. The DM phenomenology is also discussed. A consistent DM candidate can be obtained either by extending our model where the Higgs portal couples to excited dark states that decay into DM, or modifying the coupling form into pseudoscalar.Comment: 25 pages, 13 figures; discussions of systematic uncertainty added; matches the published versio

Exploring the Jet Multiplicity in the 750 GeV Diphoton Excess

The recent diphoton excess at the LHC has been explained tentatively by a Standard Model (SM) singlet scalar of 750 GeV in mass, in the association of heavy particles with SM gauge charges. These new particles with various SM gauge charges induce loop-level couplings of the new scalar to $WW$, $ZZ$, $Z\gamma$, $\gamma\gamma$, and $gg$. We show that the strength of the couplings to the gauge bosons also determines the production mechanism of the scalar particle via $WW,\, ZZ,\, Z\gamma,\, \gamma\gamma,\, gg$ fusion which leads to individually distinguishable jet distributions in the final state where the statistics will be improved in the ongoing run. The number of jets and the leading jet's transverse momentum distribution in the excess region of the diphoton signal can be used to determine the coupling of the scalar to the gauge bosons arising from the protons which subsequently determine the charges of the heavy particles that arise from various well-motivated models.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Searching for Top Squarks at the LHC in Fully Hadronic Final State

We pursue a scenario where the lighter top squark (stop) mass is accessible for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in the near future, while gluinos and first two generation squarks are heavier. At $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV, we investigate the identification of stops which decay predominantly into a top quark and the stable lightest supersymmetric particle. We use a simple kinematical variable, $M3$, to reconstruct two top quarks which are pair-produced from the stops, in the fully hadronic channel. The dominant Standard Model (SM) background for this signal stems from $t\bar t$ plus jets, with one top quark decaying into $bl\nu$, where the lepton is undetected and the $\nu$ produces missing transverse momentum. The lepton identification efficiency is thus crucial in order to estimate the background correctly. We identify kinematical variables to reduce the SM background. We find that it is possible to achieve signal and background cross-section at similar levels for stop masses around $350 - 500$ GeV for a neutralino mass of 100 GeV.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Exploring the Doubly Charged Higgs of the Left-Right Symmetric Model using Vector Boson Fusion-like Events at the LHC

This paper studies the pair production of the doubly charged Higgs boson of the left-right symmetric models using multilepton final state in the vector boson fusion (VBF)-like processes. The study is performed in the framework consistent with the model's correction to the standard model $\rho_{EW}$ parameter. VBF topological cuts, number of leptons in the final state and $p_T$ cuts on the leptons are found to be effective in suppressing the background. Significant mass reach can be achieved for exclusion/discovery of the doubly charge Higgs boson for the upcoming LHC run with a luminosity of $\mathcal{O}(10^3)$ fb$^{-1}$.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables; Version 2:Journal matched versio

Top Squark Searches Using Dilepton Invariant Mass Distributions and Bino-Higgsino Dark Matter at the LHC

Pair production of light top squarks at the 8-TeV LHC can be used to probe the gaugino-Higgsino sector of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. The case where the lightest neutralino is a mixture of Bino and Higgsino, satisfying the thermal dark matter relic density, is investigated. In such a scenario, the lightest top squark decays mostly into $(i)$ a top quark plus the second or third lightest neutralino, and $(ii)$ a bottom quark plus the lightest chargino, instead of a decay scenario of the lightest top squark into a top quark and the lightest neutralino. Final states with $\geq 2$ jets, dileptons, and missing energy are expected in a subsequent decay of the second or third lightest neutralinos into the lightest neutralino via an intermediate slepton ("light sleptons" case) or $Z$ boson ("heavy sleptons" case). The opposite-sign same flavor dilepton mass distribution after subtracting the opposite-sign different flavor distribution shows a clear edge in the case of light sleptons. The significance for discovering such a scenario is calculated with optimized cuts in both light and heavy sleptons cases.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. Version accepted in Phys. Rev.