Using Covariant Polarisation Sums in QCD

Covariant gauges lead to spurious, non-physical polarisation states of gauge bosons. In QED, the use of the Feynman gauge, $$\sum _{\lambda } \varepsilon _\mu ^{(\lambda )}\varepsilon _\nu ^{(\lambda )*} = -\eta _{\mu \nu }$$ ∑ λ ε μ ( λ ) ε ν ( λ ) ∗ = - η μ ν , is justified by the Ward identity which ensures that the contributions of non-physical polarisation states cancel in physical observables. In contrast, the same replacement can be applied only to a single external gauge boson in squared amplitudes of non-abelian gauge theories like QCD. In general, the use of this replacement requires to include external Faddeev–Popov ghosts. We present a pedagogical derivation of these ghost contributions applying the optical theorem and the Cutkosky cutting rules. We find that the resulting cross terms $$\mathcal {A}(c_1,\bar{c}_1;\ldots )\mathcal {A}(\bar{c}_1,c_1;\ldots )^*$$ A ( c 1 , c ¯ 1 ; … ) A ( c ¯ 1 , c 1 ; … ) ∗ between ghost amplitudes cannot be transformed into $$(-1)^{n/2}|\mathcal {A}(c_1,\bar{c}_1;\ldots )|^2$$ ( - 1 ) n / 2 | A ( c 1 , c ¯ 1 ; … ) | 2 in the case of more than two ghosts. Thus the Feynman rule stated in the literature holds only for two external ghosts, while it is in general incorrect.

Closing the window on WIMP Dark Matter

We study scenarios where Dark Matter is a weakly interacting particle (WIMP) embedded in an ElectroWeak multiplet. In particular, we consider real SU(2) representations with zero hypercharge, that automatically avoid direct detection constraints from tree-level Z-exchange. We compute for the first time all the calculable thermal masses for scalar and fermionic WIMPs, including Sommerfeld enhancement and bound states formation at leading order in gauge boson exchange and emission. WIMP masses of few hundred TeV are shown to be compatible both with s-wave unitarity of the annihilation cross-section, and perturbativity. We also provide theory uncertainties on the masses for all multiplets, which are shown to be significant for large SU(2) multiplets. We then outline a strategy to probe these scenarios at future experiments. Electroweak 3-plets and 5-plets have masses up to about 16 TeV and can efficiently be probed at a high energy muon collider. We study various experimental signatures, such as single and double gauge boson emission with missing energy, and disappearing tracks, and determine the collider energy and luminosity required to probe the thermal Dark Matter masses. Larger multiplets are out of reach of any realistic future collider, but can be tested in future $$\gamma $$ γ -ray telescopes and possibly in large-exposure liquid Xenon experiments.

Bremsstrahlung Calculations of Single Gauge-Boson Production on Linear Colliders in Context of "New Physics" Searching

Differential and total cross sections of single gauge boson production in high energy electron-photon collisions obtained within the Standard Model in leading order and next-to-leading order are presented. Soft photon bremsstrahlung as well as hard photon bremsstrahlung parts were considered using the dimensional regularization procedure. Special features of receiving the hard bremsstrahlung convergent contribution are discussed. The corresponding anomalous gauge boson couplings were studied in the effective Lagrangian approach. Best conditions for registration of effects beyond the Standard Model are determined.

Higgs production in association with a dark-Z at future electron positron colliders

In recent years there have been many proposals for new electron-positron colliders, such as the Circular Electron-Positron Collider, the International Linear Collider, and the Future Circular Collider in electron-positron mode. Much of the motivation for these colliders is precision measurements of the Higgs boson and searches for new electroweak states. Hence, many of these studies are focused on energies above the h Z threshold. However, there are proposals to run these colliders at the lower WW threshold and Z-pole energies. In this paper, we study a new search for Higgs physics accessible at lower energies: e+e− → h Zd, where Zdis a new light gauge boson such as a dark photon or dark-Z. Such searches can be conducted at the WW threshold, i.e. energies below the h Z threshold where exotic Higgs decays can be searched for in earnest. Additionally, due to very good angular and energy resolution at future electron-positron colliders, these searches will be sensitive to Zd masses below 1 GeV, which is lower than the current direct LHC searches. We will show that at √s = 160 GeV with 10 ab−1, a search for e+e− → h Zd is sensitive to h −Z −Zd couplings of δ ∼ 9 × 10−3and cross sections of ∼ 2 − 3 ab for Zd masses below 1 GeV. The results are similar at √s = 240 GeV with 5 ab−1.

Proca Q-balls and Q-shells

Non-topological solitons such as Q-balls and Q-shells have been studied for scalar fields invariant under global and gauged U(1) symmetries. We generalize this frame-work to include a Proca mass for the gauge boson, which can arise either from spontaneous symmetry breaking or via the Stückelberg mechanism. A heavy (light) gauge boson leads to solitons reminiscent of the global (gauged) case, but for intermediate values these Proca solitons exhibit completely novel features such as disconnected regions of viable parameter space and Q-shells with unbounded radius. We provide numerical solutions and excellent analytic approximations for both Proca Q-balls and Q-shells. These allow us to not only demonstrate the novel features numerically, but also understand and predict their origin analytically.

Axiogenesis from SU(2)R phase transition

The baryon asymmetry of the universe may be explained by rotations of the QCD axion in field space and baryon number violating processes. We consider the minimal extension of the Standard Model by a non-Abelian gauge interaction, SU(2)R, whose sphaleron process violates baryon number. Assuming that axion dark matter is also created from the axion rotation by the kinetic misalignment mechanism, the mass scale of the SU(2)R gauge boson is fixed as a function of the QCD axion decay constant, and vise versa. Significant portion of the parameter space has already been excluded by new gauge boson searches, and the high-luminocity LHC will further probe the viable parameter space.

New heavy gauge bosons decaying to pair of electroweak bosons: prospect studies at Run 3 and HL-LHC with ATLAS

The expected ATLAS Run 3 data set with time-integrated luminosity of 300 fb-1 and HL-LHC option of the LHC with L = 3000 fb-1 in the diboson channels in semileptonic final states are used to probe a simple benchmark model with an extended gauge sector, proposed by Altarelli et al. This model accommodates new charged W' and neutral Z' vector bosons with modified trilinear Standard Model gauge couplings, decaying into electroweak gauge boson pairs WZ or WW , where W / Z decay semileptonically. We present upper limits on the mixing parameters, W - W' and Z- Z ' , by using the expected Run 3 data and HL-LHC options of the LHC.

The Bs0 meson decaying into τe mediated by Z′ gauge bosons

We calculate bounds for the branching ratio of the [Formula: see text] decay, for the first time, in the context of flavor changing neutral currents mediated by a [Formula: see text] gauge boson, which can arise from five extended models. In this sense, by using experimental measurements on the [Formula: see text] decay and the [Formula: see text] process, we look for constraints of the [Formula: see text] coupling, where the more restrictive bound is offered by the last one. On the other hand, by employing the experimental restriction on the [Formula: see text] decay, the strength of the [Formula: see text] coupling is estimated. Our analysis is based on the more recent experimental results on searches for the [Formula: see text] gauge boson in ATLAS and CMS detectors. In addition, we revisited the [Formula: see text] meson decays by using different approaches not previously reported. The strengths of the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] couplings were estimated by employing experimental restrictions on the [Formula: see text] decay and the [Formula: see text] conversion rate, respectively. Thus, we predict the following upper bounds: [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].