Neutrino mass patterns, R-parity violating supersymmetry and associated phenomenology

Motivated by the recent SuperKamiokande results on atmospheric neutrinos, we incorporate massive neutrinos, with large angle oscillation between the second and third generations, in a theory with R-parity violating supersymmetry. The general features of such a theory are briefly reviewed. We emphasize its testability through the observation of comparable numbers of muons and taus, produced together with the W-boson, in decays of the lightest neutralino. A distinctly measurable decay gap is another remarkable feature of such a scenario.Comment: 7 pages, latex, talk delivered at the Discussion Meeting on Neutrino Physics, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India, February 2-4, 199

High-scale validity of a two Higgs doublet scenario: metastability included

We make an attempt to identify regions in a Type II Two-Higgs Doublet Model, which correspond to a metastable electroweak vacuum with lifetime larger than the age of the universe. We analyse scenarios which retain perturbative unitarity up to Grand unification and Planck scales. Each point in the parameter space is restricted using Data from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) as well as flavor and precision electroweak constraints. We find that substantial regions of the parameter space are thus identified as corresponding to metastability, which compliment the allowed regions for absolute stability, for top quark mass at the high as well as low end of its currently allowed range. Thus, a two-Higgs doublet scenario with the electroweak vacuum, either stable or metastable, can sail through all the way up to the Planck scale without facing any contradictions

Some Signals for a Light Neutralino

If a light gaugino sector exists in the supersymmetric standard model then the mass of lightest neutralino may be of the order of 1 GeV or less. As a consequence of neutral flavor violation in supersymmetric theories $B_s$-meson may decay into a pair of lightest neutralinos in such a case. It is found that the parameter space for such light neutralinos can be appreciably constrained by looking for such decays. We also show how a rare B-decays ($B \longrightarrow K(K^{*}) + invisible$ channels) can help us in probing a light neutralino in B-factories in a reasonably model- independent manner. Finally, we observe that that the decay of a tau-lepton into a muon and a pair of light neutralinos can cause a violation of weak universality which is larger in magnitude than that from any source known so far.Comment: LaTex File, 6 Pages, Two Figures (available from authors by request). Presented at the International Workshops on Particle Theory and Phenomenology, IITAP, Iowa State University, USA, May 17-26, 199

Scalar three-body decays and signals for new physics

If massive invisible particles are pair-produced in a three-body decay, then the energy distribution of the other (visible) product is sensitive to the mass of the invisible pair. We use this fact in the context of a Higgs boson decaying into (i)a Z-boson and two massive neutrinos of a fourth generation, and (ii)a Z and two lightest particles in the minimal supersymmetric standard model. We discuss how the Z-energy spectrum in each case can reflect the values of the parameters in such models. (3 figures, hard copies available from authers on request).Comment: 11 pages, latex, MRI-PHY/8/9

Same-sign trileptons as a signal of sneutrino lightest supersymmetric partlcle

Contrary to common expectation, a left-sneutrinos can occasionally be the lightest supersymmet- ric particle. This has important implications in both collider and dark matter studies. We show that same-sign tri-lepton (SS3L) events at the Large Hadron Collider, with any lepton having opposite sign vetoed, distinguish such scenarios, up to gluino masses exceeding 2 TeV. The jets + M ET signal rate is somewhat suppressed in this case, thus enhancing the scope of leptonic signals.Comment: Version published in Phys.Lett.

Higher dimensional operators and LHC Higgs data : the role of modified kinematics

The inclusion of higher-dimensional gauge invariant operators induces new Lorentz structures in Higgs couplings with electroweak gauge boson pairs. This in principle affects the kinematics of Higgs production and decay, thereby modifying the efficiencies of the experimental cuts compared to what simulations based on the standard model interactions yield. Taking some sample cases, we perform a rigorous analysis of how the efficiencies differ for various strengths of the additional operator vis-a-vis the standard model interactions, scanning over the values of both of them. While the response to cuts can be markedly different in some regions, we find that the sensitivity to new operator structures is relatively limited, so long as we remain confined to the 2-sigma regions around the best fit signal strengths measured at the Large Hadron Collider. We also show modifications to certain kinematical distributions including the new operators in the diphoton final state.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures; v2: Some numerical factors corrected, conclusions unchanged. Comments and references added. Version to be published in Phys.Rev.