Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “SPARTICLES”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records

Metastable charged sparticles and the cosmological {sup 7}Li problem

We consider the effects of metastable charged sparticles on Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN), including bound-state reaction rates and chemical effects. We make a new analysis of the bound states of negatively-charged massive particles with the light nuclei most prominent in BBN, and present a new code to track their abundances, paying particular attention to that of {sup 7}Li. Assuming, as an example, that the gravitino is the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP), and that the lighter stau slepton, τ-tilde {sub 1}, is the metastable next-to-lightest sparticle within the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (CMSSM), we analyze the possible effects on the standard BBN abundances of τ-tilde {sub 1} bound states and decays for representative values of the gravitino mass. Taking into account the constraint on the CMSSM parameter space imposed by the discovery of the Higgs boson at the LHC, we delineate regions in which the fit to the measured light-element abundances is as good as in standard BBN. We also identify regions of the CMSSM parameter space in which the bound state properties, chemistry and decays of metastable charged sparticles can solve the cosmological {sup 7}Li problem.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Dark matter, sparticle spectroscopy and muon (g - 2) in SU(4) c × SU(2) L × SU(2) R

We explore the sparticle mass spectra including LSP dark matter within the framework of supersymmetric SU(4) c × SU(2) L × SU(2) R (422) models, taking into account the constraints from extensive LHC and cold dark matter searches. The soft supersymmetry-breaking parameters at MGUT can be non-universal, but consistent with the 422 symmetry. We identify a variety of coannihilation scenarios compatible with LSP dark matter, and study the implications for future supersymmetry searches and the ongoing muon g-2 experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Higgs boson mass and sparticle spectroscopy in Yukawa unified SUSY SO(10)

We employ third family Yukawa unification, predicted by simple supersymmetric SO(10) models, to estimate the lightest MSSM Higgs boson mass. For {mu} > 0 (or {mu} < 0) and m{sub t} = 173.1GeV, the Higgs mass is estimated to lie close to 123-124 GeV. The theoretical uncertainty in this estimate is {+-}3 GeV. We highlight some LHC testable benchmark points which also display the presence of neutralino-stau coannihilation channel.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

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. The goal of the LHC at CERN, scheduled to start this year, is to discover new physics through deviations from the Standard Model (SM) predictions. After discovery of deviations from the SM, the next step will be classification of the new physics. An important first goal in this process will be establishing a mass spectrum of the new particles. One of the most challenging scenarios is pair-production of new particles which decay to invisible massive particles, giving missing energy signals. Many methods have been proposed for mass determination in such scenarios (for a recent list of references, see e.g. [1]). In this proceeding, we report the first steps in applying the Matrix Element Method (MEM) in the context of supersymmetric scenarios giving missing energy signals. After a quick review of the MEM, we will focus on squark pair production, a process where other mass determination techniques have difficulties to simultaneously determine the LSP and squark masses. Finally, we will introduce methods to extend the range of validity of the MEM, by taking into account initial state radiation (ISR) in the method.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Sparticle spectroscopy and dark matter in a U(1) B-L extension of MSSM

We consider a class of SUSY models in which the MSSM gauge group is supplemented with a gauged U(1) B-L symmetry and a global U(1) R symmetry. This extension introduces only electrically neutral states, and the new SUSY partners effectively double the number of states in the neutralino sector that now includes a blino (from B - L) and singlino from a gauge singlet superfield. If the DM density is saturated by a LSP neutralino, the model yields quite a rich phenomenology depending on the DM composition. The LSP relic density constraint provides a lower bound on the stop and gluino masses of about 3 TeV and 4 TeV respectively, which is testable in the near future collider experiments such as HL-LHC.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Confronting SUSY GUT With Dark Matter, Sparticle Spectroscopy and Muon (g - 2)

We explore the implications of LHC and cold dark matter searches for supersymmetric particle mass spectra in two different grand unified models with left-right symmetry, SO(10) and SU(4) c × SU(2) L × SU(2) R (4-2-2). We identify characteristic differences between the two scenarios, which imply distinct correlations between experimental measurements and the particular structure of the GUT group. The gauge structure of 4-2-2 enhances significantly the allowed parameter space as compared to SO(10), giving rise to a variety of coannihilation scenarios compatible with the LHC data, LSP dark matter and the ongoing muon g-2 experiment.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Detecting Heavy Neutral SUSY Higgs Bosons Decaying to Sparticles at the High-Luminosity LHC

In supersymmetry (SUSY) models with low electroweak naturalness (natSUSY), which have been suggested to be the most likely version of SUSY to emerge from the string landscape, higgsinos are expected at the few hundred GeV scale, whilst electroweak gauginos inhabit the TeV scale. For TeV-scale heavy neutral SUSY Higgs bosons H and A, as currently required by LHC searches, the dominant decay modes of H,A are gaugino plus higgsino provided these decays are kinematically open. The light higgsinos decay to soft particles, so are largely invisible, whilst the gauginos decay to W, Z or h plus missing transverse energy (ET). Thus, we examine the viability of H,A→W+ET, Z+ET and h+ET signatures at the high luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) in light of large standard model (SM) backgrounds from (mainly) tt¯, VV and Vh production (where V=W,Z). We also examine whether these signal channels can be enhanced over backgrounds by requiring the presence of an additional soft lepton from the decays of the light higgsinos. We find significant regions in the vicinity of mA∼1–2 TeV of the mA vs. tanβ plane, which can be probed at the high luminosity LHC, using these dominant signatures by HL-LHC at 5σ and at the 95% confidence level (CL).

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The hierarchy solution to the LHC inverse problem

Supersymmetric (SUSY) models, even those described by relatively few parameters, generically allow many possible SUSY particle (sparticle) mass hierarchies. As the sparticle mass hierarchy determines, to a great extent, the collider phenomenology of a model, the enumeration of these hierarchies is of the utmost importance. We therefore provide a readily generalizable procedure for determining the number of sparticle mass hierarchies in a given SUSY model. As an application, we analyze the gravity-mediated SUSY breaking scenario with various combinations of GUT-scale boundary conditions involving different levels of universality among the gaugino and scalar masses. For each of the eight considered models, we provide the complete list of forbidden hierarchies in a compact form. Lastly, our main result is that the complete (typically rather large) set of forbidden hierarchies among the eight sparticles considered in this analysis can be fully specified by just a few forbidden relations involving much smaller subsets of sparticles.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

General search for supersymmetric particles in scenarios with compressed mass spectra using proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

A general search is presented for supersymmetric particles (sparticles) in scenarios featuring compressed mass spectra using proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC. The analyzed data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . A wide range of potential sparticle signatures are targeted, including pair production of electroweakinos, sleptons, and top squarks. The search focuses on events with a high transverse momentum system from initial-state-radiation jets recoiling against a potential sparticle system with significant missing transverse momentum. Events are categorized based on their lepton multiplicity, jet multiplicity, number of 𝑏-tagged jets, and kinematic variables sensitive to the sparticle masses and mass splittings. The sensitivity extends to higher parent sparticle masses than previously probed at the LHC for production of pairs of electroweakinos, sleptons, and top squarks with mass spectra featuring small mass splittings (compressed mass spectra). The observed results demonstrate agreement with the predictions of the background-only model. Lower mass limits are set at 95% confidence level on production of pairs of electroweakinos, sleptons, and top squarks that extend to 325, 275, and 780 GeV, respectively, for the most favorable compressed mass regime cases.

Hadron colliders↗

SUSY searches at the Tevatron

The Tevatron collider has provided the CDF and D0 collaborations with large datasets as input to a rich program of physics beyond the standard model. The results presented here are from recent searches for SUSY particles using up to 6 fb{sup -1} of data. Supersymmetry (SUSY) [1] is one of the most favored theories beyond the standard model (SM). Each SM particle is associated to a sparticle whose spin differs by one half unit. This boson-fermion symmetry is obviously broken by some unknown mechanism. Even in the minimal supersymmetric extension of the SM (MSSM [2]) there are a large number of free parameters. To reduce this number one can introduce new assumptions on the symmetry breaking mechanism and build models based on minimal supergravity (as mSUGRA [3]) or on a Gauge Mediated Symmetry Breaking scenario (GMSB [4]), a top-down approach. Another possibility is to make phenomenological assumptions to reduce the number of particles accessible to the experiment while keeping some of the properties of the above models (bottom-up approach). As the sparticles are heavy, to produce them one has to make collisions at the highest center of mass energy. The Tevatron was the best place for discovery until the start of LHC. In the near term, Tevatron experiments and their large datasets remain competitive in areas like production of third generation squarks and of non-coloured sparticles. I will report on recent results from the CDF and D0 collaborations, assuming R-parity is conserved, i.e the sparticles are produced in pairs, and the lightest of them (LSP) is stable, neutral, weakly interacting, and detected as missing transverse energy, E{sub T}.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The pMSSM10 after LHC run 1

We present a frequentist analysis of the parameter space of the pMSSM10, in which the following ten soft SUSY-breaking parameters are specified independently at the mean scalar top mass scale M SUSY ≡ √m $\tilde{t}$ 1 m $\tilde{t}$ 2 : the gaugino masses M 1,2,3 , the first-and second-generation squark masses m $\tilde{q}$ 1 = m $\tilde{q}$ 2 , the third-generation squark mass m $\tilde{q}$ 3 , a common slepton mass m $\tilde{ℓ}$ and a common trilinear mixing parameter A , as well as the Higgs mixing parameter μ , the pseudoscalar Higgs mass M A and tanβ , the ratio of the two Higgs vacuum expectation values. We use the MultiNest sampling algorithm with ~ 1.2 ×10 9 points to sample the pMSSM10 parameter space. A dedicated study shows that the sensitivities to strongly interacting sparticle masses of ATLAS and CMS searches for jets, leptons + E-slash T signals depend only weakly on many of the other pMSSM10 parameters. With the aid of the Atom and Scorpion codes, we also implement the LHC searches for electroweakly interacting sparticles and light stops, so as to confront the pMSSM10 parameter space with all relevant SUSY searches. In addition, our analysis includes Higgs mass and rate measurements using the HiggsSignals code, SUSY Higgs exclusion bounds, the measurements of BR(B s →μ + μ - ) by LHCb and CMS, other B -physics observables, electroweak precision observables, the cold dark matter density and the XENON100 and LUX searches for spin-independent dark matter scattering, assuming that the cold dark matter is mainly provided by the lightest neutralino χ-tilde 1 0 . We show that the pMSSM10 is able to provide a supersymmetric interpretation of (g-2) μ , unlike the CMSSM, NUHM1 and NUHM2. As a result, we find (omitting Higgs rates) that the minimum χ2=20.5 with 18 degrees of freedom (d.o.f.) in the pMSSM10, corresponding to a χ2 probability of 30.8 %, to be compared with χ2/d.o.f.=32.8/24(31.1/23)(30.3/22) in the CMSSM (NUHM1) (NUHM2). We display the one-dimensional likelihood functions for sparticle masses, and we show that they may be significantly lighter in the pMSSM10 than in the other models, e.g., the gluino may be as light as ~ 1250 GeV at the 68 % CL, and squarks, stops, electroweak gauginos and sleptons may be much lighter than in the CMSSM, NUHM1 and NUHM2. We discuss the discovery potential of future LHC runs, e + e - colliders and direct detection experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Supersymmetric models in light of improved Higgs mass calculations

We discuss the parameter spaces of supersymmetry (SUSY) scenarios taking into account the improved Higgs-mass prediction provided by FeynHiggs 2.14.1. Among other improvements, this prediction incorporates three-loop renormalization-group effects and two-loop threshold corrections, and can accommodate three separate mass scales: $m_{\tilde{q}}$ (for squarks), $m_{\tilde{g}}$(for gluinos) and $m_{\tilde{\chi }}$ (for electroweakinos). Furthermore, it contains an improved treatment of the $\overline{\mathrm {DR}}$ scalar top parameters avoiding problems with the conversion to on-shell parameters, that yields more accurate results for large SUSY-breaking scales. We first consider the CMSSM, in which the soft SUSY-breaking parameters $m_0$ and $m_{1/2}$ are universal at the GUT scale, and then sub-GUT models in which universality is imposed at some lower scale. In both cases, we consider the constraints from the Higgs-boson mass $M_h$ in the bulk of the $(m_0, m_{1/2})$ plane and also along stop coannihilation strips where sparticle masses may extend into the multi-TeV range. We then consider the minimal anomaly-mediated SUSY-breaking scenario, in which large sparticle masses are generic. In all these scenarios the substantial improvements between the calculations of $M_h$ in FeynHiggs 2.14.1 and FeynHiggs 2.10.0, which was used in an earlier study, change significantly the preferred portions of the models’ parameter spaces. Finally, we consider the pMSSM11, in which sparticle masses may be significantly smaller and we find only small changes in the preferred regions of parameter space.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗