Next-to-leading-logarithmic PanScales showers for Deep Inelastic Scattering and Vector Boson Fusion

We introduce the first family of parton showers that achieve next-to-leading logarithmic (NLL) accuracy for processes involving a $t$-channel exchange of a colour-singlet, and embed them in the PanScales framework. These showers are applicable to processes such as deep inelastic scattering (DIS), vector boson fusion (VBF), and vector boson scattering (VBS). We extensively test and verify the NLL accuracy of the new showers at both fixed order and all orders across a wide range of observables. We also introduce a generalisation of the Cambridge-Aachen jet algorithm and formulate new DIS observables that exhibit a simple resummation structure. The NLL showers are compared to a standard transverse-momentum ordered dipole shower, serving as a proxy for the current state-of-the-art leading-logarithmic showers available in public codes. Depending on the observable, we find discrepancies at NLL of the order of $15\%$. We also present some exploratory phenomenological results for Higgs production in VBF. This work enables, for the first time, to resum simultaneously global and non-global observables for the VBF process at NLL accuracy.Comment: 34 pages + 10 pages of Appendices, 13 figure

The case for 100 GeV bino dark matter: A dedicated LHC tri-lepton search

Global fit studies performed in the pMSSM and the photon excess signal originating from the Galactic Center seem to suggest compressed electroweak supersymmetric spectra with a $\sim$100 GeV bino-like dark matter particle. We find that these scenarios are not probed by traditional electroweak supersymmetry searches at the LHC. We propose to extend the ATLAS and CMS electroweak supersymmetry searches with an improved strategy for bino-like dark matter, focusing on chargino plus next-to-lightest neutralino production, with a subsequent decay into a tri-lepton final state. We explore the sensitivity for pMSSM scenarios with $\Delta m = m_{\rm NLSP} - m_{\rm LSP} \sim (5 - 50)$ GeV in the $\sqrt{s} = 14$ TeV run of the LHC. Counterintuitively, we find that the requirement of low missing transverse energy increases the sensitivity compared to the current ATLAS and CMS searches. With 300 fb$^{-1}$ of data we expect the LHC experiments to be able to discover these supersymmetric spectra with mass gaps down to $\Delta m \sim 9$ GeV for DM masses between 40 and 140 GeV. We stress the importance of a dedicated search strategy that targets precisely these favored pMSSM spectra.Comment: Published in JHE

Comparing Galactic Center MSSM dark matter solutions to the Reticulum II gamma-ray data

Observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) indicate a possible small photon signal originating from the dwarf galaxy Reticulum II that exceeds the expected background between 2 GeV and 10 GeV. We have investigated two specific scenarios for annihilating WIMP dark matter within the phenomenological Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (pMSSM) framework as a possible source for these photons. We find that the same parameter ranges in pMSSM as reported by an earlier paper to be consistent with the Galactic center excess, is also consistent with the excess observed in Reticulum II, resulting in a J-factor of $\log_{10}(J(\alpha_{int}=0.5 deg)) \simeq (20.3-20.5)^{+0.2}_{-0.3}$. This J-factor is consistent with $\log_{10}(J(\alpha_{int}=0.5 deg)) = 19.5^{+1.0}_{-0.6}$ GeV$^2$cm$^{-5}$, which is derived using an optimized spherical Jeans analysis of kinematic data obtained from the Michigan/Magellan Fiber System (M2FS).Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted in JCA

Higgs, di-Higgs and tri-Higgs production via SUSY processes at the LHC with 14 TeV

We have systematically investigated the production of a Higgs boson with a mass of about $125$ GeV in the decays of supersymmetric particles within the phenomenological MSSM (pMSSM). We find regions of parameter space that are consistent with all world data and that predict a sizeable rate of anomalous Higgs, di-Higgs and even tri-Higgs events at the 14 TeV LHC. All relevant SUSY production processes are investigated. We find that Higgs bosons can be produced in a large variety of SUSY processes, resulting in a large range of different detector signatures containing missing transverse momentum. Such Higgs events are outstanding signatures for new physics already for the early 14 TeV LHC data. SUSY processes are also important to interprete deviations found in upcoming Standard Model Higgs and di-Higgs production measurements.Comment: Version submitted to JHE

Supersymmetry with Dark Matter is still natural

We identify the parameter regions of the phenomenological minimal supersymmetric standard model (pMSSM) with the minimal possible fine-tuning. We show that the fine-tuning of the pMSSM is not large, nor under pressure by LHC searches. Low sbottom, stop and gluino masses turn out to be less relevant for low fine-tuning than commonly assumed. We show a link between low fine-tuning and the dark matter relic density. Fine-tuning arguments point to models with a dark matter candidate yielding the correct dark matter relic density: a bino-higgsino particle with a mass of $35-155$ GeV. Some of these candidates are compatible with recent hints seen in astrophysics experiments such as Fermi-LAT and AMS-02. We argue that upcoming direct search experiments, such as XENON1T, will test all of the most natural solutions in the next few years due to the sensitivity of these experiments on the spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross section.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, published versio

The current status of fine-tuning in supersymmetry

In this paper, we minimize and compare two different fine-tuning measures in four high-scale supersymmetric models that are embedded in the MSSM. In addition, we determine the impact of current and future dark matter direct detection and collider experiments on the fine-tuning. We then compare the low-scale electroweak measure with the high-scale Barbieri-Giudice measure, which generally do not agree. However, we find that they do reduce to the same value when the higgsino parameter drives the degree of fine-tuning. Depending on the high-scale model and fine-tuning definition, we find a minimal fine-tuning of $3-38$ (corresponding to $\mathcal{O}(10-1)\%$) for the low-scale measure, and $63-571$ (corresponding to $\mathcal{O}(1-0.1)\%$) for the high-scale measure. In addition, minimally fine-tuned spectra give rise to a dark matter relic density that is between $10^{-3} < \Omega h^2 < 1$, when $\mu$ determines the minimum of the fine-tuning. We stress that it is too early to conclude on the fate of supersymmetry, based only on the fine-tuning paradigm

Dark matter, fine-tuning and (g−2)μ(g-2)_μ in the pMSSM

In this paper we analyze spectra in the phenomenological supersymmetric Standard Model that simultaneously result in the right dark-matter relic density $\Omega_{\rm DM} h^2$, offer an explanation for the $(g-2)_{\mu}$ discrepancy $\Delta a_{\mu}$ and are minimally fine-tuned. We discuss the LHC phenomenology resulting from these spectra and the sensitivity of dark-matter direct detection experiments to these spectra. We find that the latter type of experiments with sensitivity to the spin-dependent dark-matter-nucleon scattering cross section $\sigma_{\rm SD,p}$ will probe all of our found solutions