QCD corrections to massive color-octet vector boson pair production

This paper describes the calculation of the next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD corrections to massive color-octet vector boson pair production at hadron colliders. As a concrete framework, a two-site coloron model with an internal parity is chosen, which can be regarded as an effective low-energy approximation of Kaluza-Klein gluon physics in universal extra dimensions. The renormalization procedure involves several subtleties, which are discussed in detail. The impact of the NLO corrections is relatively modest, amounting to a reduction of 11-14% in the total cross-section, but they significantly reduce the scale dependence of the LO result

Anti-B --> X(s) gamma in two universal extra dimensions

We calculate the leading order corrections to the anti-B --> X(s) gamma decay in the standard model with two large flat universal extra dimensions. We find that the contributions involving the exchange of Kaluza-Klein modes of the physical scalar field a^+-_(kl) depend logarithmically on the ultraviolet cut-off scale Lambda. We emphasize that all flavor-changing neutral current transitions suffer from this problem. Although the ultraviolet sensitivity weakens the lower bound on the inverse compactification radius 1/R that follows from anti-B --> X(s) gamma, the constraint remains stronger than any other available direct measurement. After performing a careful study of the potential impact of cut-off and higher-order effects, we find 1/R > 650 GeV at 95% confidence level if errors are combined in quadrature. Our limit is at variance with the parameter region 1/R <~ 600 GeV preferred by dark matter constraints.Comment: RevTeX4, 11p

Renormalization and ultraviolet sensitivity of gauge vertices in universal extra dimensions

When computing radiative corrections in models with compactified extra dimen- sions, one has to sum over the entire tower of Kaluza-Klein excitations inside the loops. The loop corrections generate a difference between the coupling strength of a zero-mode gauge boson and the coupling strength of its Kaluza-Klein excitation, although both originate from the same higher-dimensional gauge interaction. Furthermore, this dis- crepancy will in general depend on the cutoff scale and assumptions about the UV completion of the extra-dimensional theory. In this article, these effects are studied in detail within the context of the minimal universal extra dimension model (MUED). The broad features of the cutoff scale dependence can be captured through the so- lution of the functional flow equation in five-dimensional space. However, an explicit diagrammatic calculation reveals some modifications due to the compactification of the extra dimension. Nevertheless, when imposing a physical renormalization condition, one finds that the UV sensitivity of the effective Kaluza-Klein gauge-boson vertex is relatively small and not very important for most phenomenological purposes. Similar conclusions should hold in a larger class of extra-dimensional models besides MUED.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure

Radiative corrections to masses and couplings in Universal Extra Dimensions

Models with an orbifolded universal extra dimension receive important loop-induced corrections to the masses and couplings of Kaluza-Klein (KK) particles. The dominant contributions stem from so-called boundary terms which violate KK number. Previously, only the parts of these boundary terms proportional to $\ln(\Lambda R)$ have been computed, where $R$ is the radius of the extra dimension and $\Lambda$ is cut-off scale. However, for typical values of $\Lambda R \sim 10 \cdots 50$, the logarithms are not particularly large and non-logarithmic contributions may be numerically important. In this paper, these remaining finite terms are computed and their phenomenological impact is discussed. It is shown that the finite terms have a significant impact on the KK mass spectrum. Furthermore, one finds new KK-number violating interactions that do not depend on $\ln(\Lambda R)$ but nevertheless are non-zero. These lead to new production and decay channels for level-2 KK particles at colliders.Comment: V2: KK-top (mass and decays) updated, correcting a mistake in the literatur

Measuring Sparticles with the Matrix Element

We apply the Matrix Element Method (MEM) to mass determination of squark pair production with direct decay to quarks and LSP at the LHC, showing that simultaneous mass determination of squarks and LSP is possible. We furthermore propose methods for inclusion of QCD radiation effects in the MEM.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. To appear in the proceedings of SUSY09, the 17th International Conference on Supersymmetry and the Unification of Fundamental Interactions. Figures replaced (corrected y axis labels

Integrating in the Higgs Portal to Fermion Dark Matter

Fermion dark matter (DM) interacting with the standard model through a Higgs portal requires non-renormalizable operators, signaling the presence of new mediator states at the electroweak scale. Collider signatures that involve the mediators are a powerful tool to experimentally probe the Higgs portal interactions, providing complementary information to strong constraints set by direct DM detection searches. Indirect detection experiments are less sensitive to this scenario. We investigate the collider reach for the mediators using three minimal renormalizable models as examples, and requiring the fermion DM to be a thermal relic. The Large Hadron Collider in its high-energy, high-luminosity phase can probe most scenarios if DM is lighter than about 200 GeV. Beyond this scale, future high-energy experiments such as an electron-positron collider or a 100-TeV proton-proton collider, combined with future direct detection experiments, are indispensable to conclusively test these models.Comment: 23 pages; v2: references added and correction of direct detection limits in section VI.