Probing Color Octet Electrons at the LHC

Models with quark and lepton compositeness predict the existence of colored partners of the Standard Model leptons. In this paper we study the LHC phenomenology of a charged colored lepton partner, namely the color octet electron, $e_8$ in an effective theory framework. We explore various mechanisms for resonant production of $e_8$'s. With the pair production channel the 14 TeV LHC can probe $e_8$'s with masses up to 2.5 TeV (2.8 TeV) with 100 fb$^{-1}$ (300 fb$^{-1}$) of integrated luminosity. A common feature in all the resonant production channels is the presence of two high $p_T$ electrons and at least one high $p_T$ jet in the final state. Using this feature, we implement a search method where the signal is a combination of pair and single production events. This method has potential to increase the LHC reach significantly. Using the combined signal we estimate the LHC discovery potential for the $e_8$'s. Our analysis shows that the LHC with 14 TeV center-of-mass energy and 100 fb$^{-1}$ (300 fb$^{-1}$) of integrated luminosity can probe $e_8$'s with masses up to 3.4 TeV (4 TeV) for the compositeness scale of 5 TeV.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures and 2 tables. Typos fixed, reference added. The version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Coupling Extraction From Off-Shell Cross-sections

In this note, we present a novel method of extracting the couplings of a new heavy particle to the Standard Model states. Contrary to the usual discovery process which involves studying the on-shell production, we look at regions away from resonance to take advantage of the simple scaling of the cross-section with the couplings. We apply the procedure to the case of a heavy quark as an illustration.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, Journal accepted versio

On a boundary-localized Higgs boson in 5D theories

In the context of a simple five-dimensional (5D) model with bulk matter coupled to a brane-localized Higgs boson, we point out a new non-commutativity in the 4D calculation of the mass spectrum for excited fermion towers: the obtained expression depends on the choice in ordering the limits, N->infinity (infinite Kaluza-Klein tower) and epsilon->0 (epsilon being the parameter introduced for regularizing the Higgs Dirac peak). This introduces the physical question of which one is the correct order; we then show that the two possible orders of regularization (called I and II) are physically equivalent, as both can typically reproduce the measured observables, but that the one with less degrees of freedom (I) could be uniquely excluded by future experimental constraints. This conclusion is based on the exact matching between the 4D and 5D analytical calculations of the mass spectrum - via the regularizations of type I and II. Beyond a deeper insight into the Higgs peak regularizations, this matching also allows us to confirm the validity of the usual 5D mixed-formalism and to clarify the UV cut-off procedure. All the conclusions, deduced from regularizing the Higgs peak through a brane shift or a smoothed square profile, are expected to remain similar in realistic models with a warped extra-dimension.Comment: 29 pages, 2 table

Single Productions of Colored Particles at the LHC: An Example with Scalar Leptoquarks

Current LHC searches for new colored particles generally focus on their pair production channels and assume any single production to be negligible. We argue that such an assumption may be unnecessary in some cases. Inclusion of model dependent single productions in pair production searches (or vice versa) can give us new information about model parameters or better exclusion limits. Considering the example of the recent CMS search for first generation scalar leptoquarks in the pair production channel, we illustrate how single productions can be systematically included in the signal estimations and demonstrate how it can affect the mass exclusion limits and give new bounds on leptoquark-lepton-quark couplings. We also estimate the effect of the pair production in the more recent CMS search for scalar leptoquarks in single production channels.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables. References added. Comments added on LQ single production search by CMS. Journal versio

Effect of Anomalous Couplings on the Associated Production of a Single Top Quark and a Higgs Boson at the LHC

We consider the production of a single top quark in association with a Higgs boson at the LHC. In particular, we compute the cross sections for the processes $p p \to t h j$, $t h b$, $t h W$, $t h j j$, $t h j b$, $t h W j$, $t h W b$ in the presence of the anomalous $Wtb, WWh$ and $tth$ couplings. We find that the anomalous $Wtb$ and $tth$ couplings can enhance the cross sections significantly. We also analyze a few signatures and show that, if these couplings are indeed anomalous, then with enough data, one should be able to observe the production of the Higgs boson in association with single top quark.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, 5 tables. Typos fixed, reference added. Journal versio

Pair Production of Scalar Leptoquarks at the LHC to NLO Parton Shower Accuracy

We present the scalar leptoquark pair production process at the LHC computed at the next-to-leading order in QCD, matched to the PYTHIA parton shower using the MC@NLO formalism. We consider the leading order decay of a leptoquark to a lepton ($e,\mu,\tau$ or $\nu_e,\nu_\mu,\nu_\tau$) and a jet and observe the effects of parton shower on the final states. For demonstration, we display the kinametical distributions of a selection of observables along with their scale uncertainties for the 13 TeV LHC. We also present pair production cross sections and $K$-factors using massless five-quark flavor scheme for different LHC center-of-mass energies. The complete stand-alone code is available online.Comment: 9 pages, 2 tables, 6 figures. Typos fixed. Similar to the PRD version. Analysis/program extended to all generation

Non-relativistic matter and Dark energy in a quantum conformal model

We consider a generalization of the standard model which respects quantum conformal invariance. This model leads to identically zero vacuum energy. We show how non-relativistic matter and dark energy arises in this model. Hence the model is shown to be consistent with observations.Comment: 12 page

Scale Invariance as a Solution to the Cosmological Constant Problem

We show that scale invariance provides a solution to the fine tuning problem of the cosmological constant. We construct a generalization of the standard model of particle physics which displays exact quantum scale invariance. The matter action is invariant under global scale transformations in arbitrary dimensions. However the gravitational action breaks scale invariance explicitly. The scale symmetry is broken spontaneously in the matter sector of the theory. We show that the contribution to the vacuum energy and hence the cosmological constant is identically zero from the matter sector within the full quantum theory. However the gravitational sector may give non-zero contributions to the cosmological constant at loop orders. No fine tuning may be required at loop orders since the matter sector gives zero contribution to the cosmological constant. We also show that we do not require full scale invariance in order to constrain the vacuum energy from the matter sector. We only require invariance under pseudoscale transformations. Using this idea and motivated by the concept of unimodular gravity we propose an alternative model. In this case also we show that matter sector gives exactly zero contribution to the vacuum energy.Comment: 12 pages, no figure

LHC Signatures of a Vector-like b'

Many beyond the standard model extensions predict the existence of heavy vector-like fermions. We study the LHC signatures of one such heavy vector-like fermion, called b', with electromagnetic charge -1/3 like the SM b-quark, but which could generically have different SU(2)_L and U(1)_Y quantum numbers. Our emphasis will be on the phenomenology due to b b' mass-mixing, present after electroweak symmetry breaking. We focus on aspects which distinguish a vector-like b' from a chiral b' and include tree-level decays of the b' into t W, b Z and b h final states. While our analysis is largely model-independent, we take as a motivating example warped-space models in which a vector-like b' appears as the custodial partner of the top-quark.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figures, minor changes, reference added, journal versio