Flavor constraints on two-Higgs-doublet models with general diagonal Yukawa couplings

We consider constraints from flavor physics on two-Higgs-doublet models (2HDM) with general, flavor-diagonal, Yukawa couplings. Analyzing the charged Higgs contribution to different observables, we find that $b\to s\gamma$ transitions and $\Delta M_{B_d}$ restrict the coupling $\lambda_{tt}$ of the top quark (corresponding to $\cot\beta$ in models with a $Z_2$ symmetry) to $|\lambda_{tt}|<1$ for $m_{H^+}\lesssim 500$ GeV. Stringent constraints from $B$ meson decays are obtained also on the other third generation couplings $\lambda_{bb}$ and $\lambda_{\tau\tau}$, but with stronger dependence on $m_{H^+}$. For the second generation, we obtain constraints on combinations of $\lambda_{ss}$, $\lambda_{cc}$, and $\lambda_{\mu\mu}$ from leptonic $K$ and $D_s$ decays. The limits on the general couplings are translated to the common 2HDM types I -- IV with a $Z_2$ symmetry, and presented on the $(m_{H^+},\tan\beta)$ plane. The flavor constraints are most excluding in the type II model which lacks a decoupling limit in $\tan\beta$. We obtain a lower limit $m_{H^+}\gtrsim 300$ GeV in models of type II and III, while no lower bound on $m_{H^+}$ is found for types I and IV.Comment: 24 pages, 11 figures. v2: Minor changes to text and numerics, results and conclusions unchanged. References adde

Charged Higgs bosons in Minimal Supersymmetry: Updated constraints and experimental prospects

We discuss the phenomenology of charged Higgs bosons in the MSSM with minimal flavor violation. In addition to the constrained MSSM (CMSSM) with universal soft supersymmetry breaking mass parameters at the GUT scale, we explore non-universal Higgs mass models (NUHM) where this universality condition is relaxed. To identify the allowed parameter space regions, we apply constraints from direct searches, low energy observables, and cosmology. We find that values of the charged Higgs mass as low as $m_{H^+}\simeq~135$ GeV can be accommodated in the NUHM models, but that several flavor physics observables disfavor large $H^+$ contributions, associated with high $\tan\beta$, quite independently of MSSM scenario. We confront the constrained scenarios with the discovery potentials reported by ATLAS and CMS, and find that the current exclusion by indirect constraints is similar to the expected LHC discovery reach with 30 fb$^{-1}$ of data. Finally, we evaluate the sensitivity of the presented discovery potential to the choice of MSSM benchmark scenario. This sensitivity is found to be higher in the case of a light ($m_{H^+}<m_t$) charged Higgs.Comment: 33 pages, 17 figures, v2: Minor revision, agrees with published versio

ELVIS - ELectromagnetic Vector Information Sensor

The ELVIS instrument was recently proposed by the authors for the Indian Chandrayaan-1 mission to the Moon and is presently under consideration by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The scientific objective of ELVIS is to explore the electromagnetic environment of the moon. ELVIS samples the full three-dimensional (3D) electric field vector, E(x,t), up to 18 MHz, with selective Nyqvist frequency bandwidths down to 5 kHz, and one component of the magnetic field vector, B(x,t), from a few Hz up to 100 kHz.As a transient detector, ELVIS is capable of detecting pulses with a minimum pulse width of 5 ns. The instrument comprises three orthogonal electric dipole antennas, one magnetic search coil antenna and a four-channel digital sampling system, utilising flexible digital down conversion and filtering together with state-of-the-art onboard digital signal processing.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to the DGLR Int. Symposium "To Moon and Beyond", Bremen, Germany, 2005. Companion paper to arXiv:astro-ph/050921

Prospects for Lunar Satellite Detection of Radio Pulses from Ultrahigh Energy Neutrinos Interacting with the Moon

The Moon provides a huge effective detector volume for ultrahigh energy cosmic neutrinos, which generate coherent radio pulses in the lunar surface layer due to the Askaryan effect. In light of presently considered lunar missions, we propose radio measurements from a Moon-orbiting satellite. First systematic Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the detectability of Askaryan pulses from neutrinos with energies above 10^{20} eV, i.e. near and above the interesting GZK limit, at the very low fluxes predicted in different scenarios.Comment: RevTeX (4 pages, 2 figures). v2 includes updated results and extended discussio

Prospects for GMRT to Observe Radio Waves from UHE Particles Interacting with the Moon

Ultra high energy (UHE) particles of cosmic origin impact the lunar regolith and produce radio signals through Askaryan effect, signals that can be detected by Earth based radio telescopes. We calculate the expected sensitivity for observation of such events at the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), both for UHE cosmic rays (CR) and UHE neutrino interactions. We find that for 30 days of observation time a significant number of detectable events is expected above $10^{20}$ eV for UHECR or neutrino fluxes close to the current limits. Null detection over a period of 30 days will lower the experimental bounds on UHE particle fluxes by magnitudes competitive to both present and future experiments at the very highest energies.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figure