We show that, despite of the reparametrization symmetry of the Lagrangian describing the interaction between a scalar field and gauge vector bosons, the dynamics of the Higgs mechanism is really affected by the representation gauge chosen for the Higgs field. Actually, we find that, varying the parametrization for the two degrees of freedom of the complex scalar field, we obtain different expressions for the Higgs mass: in its turn this entails different expressions for the critical temperatures, ranging from zero to a maximum value, as well as different expressions for other basic thermodynamical quantities.
Symmetries play a crucial role in electroweak symmetry breaking models with non-minimal Higgs content. Within each class of these models, it is desirable to know which symmetry groups can be implemented via the scalar sector. In N-Higgs-doublet models, this classification problem was solved only for N=2 doublets. Very recently, we suggested a method to classify all realizable finite symmetry groups of Higgs-family transformations in the three-Higgs-doublet model (3HDM). Here, we present this classification in all detail together with an introduction to the theory of solvable groups, which play…
The Higgs potential of 2HDM keeps its generic form under the group of transformation GL(2,C), which is larger than the usually considered reparametrization group U(2). This reparametrization symmetry induces the Minkowski space structure in the orbit space of 2HDM. Exploiting this property, we present a geometric analysis of the number and properties of stationary points of the most general 2HDM potential. In particular, we prove that charge-breaking and neutral vacua never coexist in 2HDM and establish conditions when the most general explicitly CP-conserving Higgs potential has spontaneously…
We analyze gauge parameter dependence by using an algebraic method which relates the gauge parameter dependence of Green functions to an enlarged Slavnov-Taylor identity. In the course of the renormalization it turns out that gauge parameter dependence of physical parameters is already restricted at the level of Green functions. In a first step we consider the on-shell conditions which we find to be in complete agreement with these restrictions to all orders of perturbation theory. The fixing of the coupling, however, is much more involved outside the complete on-shell scheme. In the Abelian H…
In this paper we compute the electroweak corrections to the charged Higgs boson decay into a $W$ boson and a neutral Higgs boson in the CP-conserving NMSSM. We calculate the process in a general $R_ξ$ gauge and investigate the dependence of the loop-corrected decay width on the gauge parameter $ξ$. The gauge dependence arises from the mixing of different loop orders. Phenomenology requires the inclusion of mass and mixing corrections to the external Higgs bosons in order to match the experimentally measured mass values. As a result, we move away from a strict one-loop calculation and consequen…
The same physical reality in Two Higgs doublet model (2HDM) can be described by different Lagrangians. We call this property the reparametrization invariance (in space of Lagrangians) and study corresponding symmetry group and its subgroup describing rephasing invariance. Next we consider the $Z_2$-symmetry of the Lagrangian, which prevents a $ϕ_1\leftrightarrowϕ_2$ transitions, and the different levels of its violation, soft and hard. We argue that the 2HDM with a soft breaking of $Z_2$-symmetry is a natural model in the description of EWSB. We also consider vacuum structure of the 2HDM. We f…
We revisit the issue of the vacuum angle theta dependence in weakly coupled (Higgsed) Yang-Mills theories. Two most popular mechanisms for eliminating physical theta dependence are massless quarks and axions. Anselm and Johansen noted that the vacuum angle theta(EW), associated with the electroweak SU(2) in the Glashow-Weinberg-Salam model, is unobservable although all fermion fields obtain masses through Higgsing and there is no axion. We generalize this idea to a broad class of Higgsed Yang-Mills theories. In the second part we consider consequences of Grand Unification. We start from a unif…
The Higgs-mass dependence of the Standard Model contributions to the correlation between the gauge-boson masses is studied at the two-loop level. Exact results are given for the Higgs-dependent two-loop corrections associated with the fermions, i.e. no expansion in the top-quark and the Higgs-boson mass is made. The results for the top quark are compared with results of an expansion up to next-to-leading order in the top-quark mass. Agreement is found within 30% of the two-loop result. The remaining theoretical uncertainties in the Higgs-mass dependence of Delta r are discussed.
We examine the gauge dependence of lower bounds on the Higgs mass obtained from the requirement that the electroweak vacuum be the global minimum of the effective potential. We study a simple model, the spontaneously-broken Abelian Higgs model coupled to a chiral quark doublet in a two-parameter gauge and demonstrate that the lower bounds on the Higgs mass obtained in this model are dependent on the choice of gauge parameters. We discuss the significance of this result for calculations in the Standard Model.
We present the analytic computation of all the planar master integrals which contribute to the two-loop scattering amplitudes for Higgs$\to 3$ partons, with full heavy-quark mass dependence. These are relevant for the NNLO corrections to fully inclusive Higgs production and to the NLO corrections to Higgs production in association with a jet, in the full theory. The computation is performed using the differential equations method. Whenever possible, a basis of master integrals that are pure functions of uniform weight is used. The result is expressed in terms of one-fold integrals of polylogar…
In this paper we consider the production of top quark pairs close to threshold and compute the dependence on the Higgs boson mass to order $αα_s$. This requires the evaluation of the matching coefficient of the vector current to two-loop level and the inclusion of Higgs mass dependent operators in the non-relativistic effective theory. For Higgs boson masses below 200 GeV moderate contributions to the top quark mass and the peak cross section are observed. We also provide additional information to the on-shell wave function renormalization which is relevant for the matching coefficient.
The result for the Higgs-dependent electroweak two-loop bosonic contributions to the effective leptonic mixing angle of the $Z$-boson in the Standard Model is presented. Together with the previously calculated fermionic contributions it yields the complete dependence of $\sin^2θ_{\rm eff}$ on the Higgs-boson mass $M_H$. Compared to the fermionic contributions, the bosonic contributions are found to be smaller and have the opposite sign, compensating part of the fermionic contributions.
We present the analytic computation of a family of non-planar master integrals which contribute to the two-loop scattering amplitudes for Higgs plus one jet production, with full heavy-quark mass dependence. These are relevant for the NNLO corrections to inclusive Higgs production and for the NLO corrections to Higgs production in association with a jet, in QCD. The computation of the integrals is performed with the method of differential equations. We provide a choice of basis for the polylogarithmic sectors, that puts the system of differential equations in canonical form. Solutions up to we…
We follow up on our discussion of the exact quark-mass dependence of the Higgs-gluon form factor at three loops in QCD (arXiv:2001.03008) and turn our attention to the closely related Higgs-photon form factor. Similarly to our previous work, we intend to examine the form factor for the decay of a Higgs-boson with variable mass into two photons at the three-loop level in QCD. The set of master integrals is known numerically due to prior work on the Higgs-gluon form factor and is exploited to obtain expansions around the threshold as well as in the high-energy limit. Our results may be utilised …
Cold electroweak baryogenesis was proposed as a scenario to bypass generic problems of electroweak baryogenesis within the Standard Model. In this scenario, baryogenesis takes place during an electroweak symmetry breaking transition, which is also responsible for preheating after inflation. In the simplest modelling of the scenario, only two parameters remain undetermined: The Higgs mass and the strength of CP violation. Using full real-time lattice simulations, we compute the dependence of the asymmetry on these parameters.
We compute three-loop corrections to the Higgs-gluon form factor, incorporating the top quark mass dependence. Our method is based on the combination of expansions around the top threshold and for large top quark mass, using conformal mapping and Padé approximation to describe the form factor over the full kinematic range.
The high-temperature limit of the 2-loop effective potential for the Higgs field is calculated from an effective 3d theory, in a general covariant gauge. It is shown explicitly that a gauge-independent result can be extracted for the equation of state from the gauge-dependent effective potential. The convergence of perturbation theory is estimated in the broken phase, utilizing the gauge dependence of the effective potential.
In this thesis, higher-order corrections to the perturbative expansions of scattering amplitudes involving the Higgs boson in the framework of Quantum Chromodynamics are evaluated, where we focus on processes that are mediated through heavy-quark loops. First, we derive the third-order corrections to the form factor describing the Yukawa coupling of a Higgs boson to a pair of bottom quarks. Furthermore, we compute the two-loop corrections to the $H\to Z\,γ$ decay width by retaining the full dependence on the internal quark mass. Finally, we describe the calculation of the planar Master Integra…
By means of the Green's function method, we computed the spectral indices up to third order in the slow-roll approximation for a general scalar-tensor theory in both the Einstein and Jordan frames. Using quantities which are invariant under the conformal rescaling of the metric and transform as scalar functions under the reparametrization of the scalar field, we showed that the frames are equivalent up to this order due to the underlying assumptions. Nevertheless, care must be taken when defining the number of $e$-folds.
The full, explicit, scale dependence of the inclusive N3LO cross section for single Higgs hadroproduction is obtained by calculating the convolutions of collinear splitting kernels with lower-order partonic cross sections. We provide results for all convolutions of splitting kernels and lower-order partonic cross sections to the order in epsilon needed for the full N3LO computation, as well as their expansions around the soft limit. We also discuss the size of the total scale uncertainty at N3LO that can be anticipated with existing information.
We determine the three-loop form factor parameterising the amplitude for the production of an off-shell Higgs boson in gluon fusion in QCD with a single massive quark. The result is obtained via a numerical solution of a system of differential equation for the occurring master integrals. The solution is also used to determine the high-energy and threshold expansions of the form factor. Our findings may be used for the evaluation of virtual corrections generated by top-quark and b-quark loops in Higgs boson hadroproduction cross sections at next-to-next-to-leading order.
We study the effects of the exact top-quark mass dependent two-loop corrections to Higgs boson pair production by gluon fusion at the LHC and at a 100 TeV hadron collider. We perform a detailed comparison of the full next-to-leading order result to various approximations at the level of differential distributions and also analyse non-standard Higgs self-coupling scenarios. We find that the different next-to-leading order approximations differ from the full result by up to 50 percent in relevant differential distributions. This clearly stresses the importance of the full NLO result.
The search for MSSM Higgs bosons will be an important goal at the LHC. In order to analyze the search reach of the CMS experiment for the charged MSSM Higgs bosons, we combine the latest results for the CMS experimental sensitivities based on full simulation studies with state-of-the-art theoretical predictions of MSSM Higgs-boson production and decay properties. The experimental analyses are done assuming an integrated luminosity of 30 fb^-1 for the two cases M_H+- < m_t and M_H+- > m_t. The results are interpreted as 5 sigma discovery contours in M_H+- - tan_beta planes of the MSSM for vario…
We present the first combination of NLO QCD matrix elements for di-Higgs production, retaining the full top quark mass dependence, with a parton shower. Results are provided within both the POWHEG-BOX and MadGraph5_aMC@NLO Monte Carlo frameworks. We assess in detail the theoretical uncertainties and provide differential results. We find that, as expected, the shower effects are relatively large for observables like the transverse momentum of the Higgs boson pair, which are sensitive to extra radiation. However, these shower effects are still much smaller than the differences between the Born-i…
We review the analysis of the 5 sigma discovery contours for the charged MSSM Higgs boson at the CMS experiment with 30 fb^-1 for the two cases M_H+ < m_t and M_H+ > m_t. Latest results for the CMS experimental sensitivities based on full simulation studies are combined with state-of-the-art theoretical predictions of MSSM Higgs-boson production and decay properties. Special focus is put on the SUSY parameter dependence of the 5 sigma contours. The variation of mu can shift the prospective discovery reach in tan_beta by up to Delta tan_beta = 40. We furthermore discuss various theory uncertain…
In this paper, we study non-decoupling $μ$ - $e$ transition effects by Higgs-mediated contribution in the MSSM, when some SUSY mass parameters are much greater than TeV. In order to treat CP-odd Higgs mass $m_{A^{0}}$ as a free parameter, we consider the non-universal Higgs mass model (NUHM), and assume the only left- or right-handed sleptons had flavor-mixing mass terms. If both Higgs-mediated and ordinary SUSY contribution are significant, the ratio of branching ratios $\BR(\meg) / \BR(\maleal)$ becomes sensitive to SUSY mass parameters. We investigated these mass-sensitive regions and the b…
In the production of the Higgs through a bottom-quark loop, the transverse momentum distribution of the Higgs at large $P_T$ is complicated by its dependence on two other important scales: the bottom quark mass $m_b$ and the Higgs mass $m_H$. A strategy for simplifying the calculation of the cross section at large $P_T$ is to calculate only the leading terms in its expansion in $m_b^2/P_T^2$. In this paper, we consider the bottom-quark-loop contribution to the parton process $q\bar{q}\to H+g$ at leading order in $α_s$. We show that the leading power of $1/P_T^2$ can be expressed in the form of…
The connection between gauge and Higgs sectors makes supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model predictive frameworks for the derivation of Higgs masses. In this paper, we study the contamination of such predictions by field-renormalization constants, in the MSSM with two-loop gaugeless corrections of $\mathcal{O}{\left(α_{t,b}\,α_s,\,α_{t,b}^2\right)}$ and full momentum dependence, and demonstrate how strict perturbative expansions allow to systematically neutralize the dependence on such unphysical objects. On the other hand, the popular procedure consisting in an iterative pole search …
We consider the prescription dependence of the Higgs effective potential under the presence of general nonminimal couplings. We evaluate the fermion loop correction to the effective action in a simplified Higgs-Yukawa model whose path integral measure takes simple form either in the Jordan or Einstein frame. The resultant effective action becomes identical in both cases when we properly take into account the quartically divergent term coming from the change of measure. Working in the counterterm formalism, we clarify that the difference between the prescriptions I and II comes from the counter…
Precise predictions for Higgs production via vector-boson fusion play an important role when testing the properties of the Higgs boson and probing new-physics effects. While the inclusive cross section changes little when including NNLO and N3LO QCD corrections, a differential NNLO calculation with typical VBF cuts shows large corrections of up to 10% in distributions. In this article, we investigate the dependence of the differential NNLO QCD calculation on the jet definition. Starting from the known results at a fixed jet clustering choice, we use the electroweak H+3 jets production cross se…
The transverse momentum distribution of the Higgs at large $P_T$ is complicated by its dependence on three important energy scales: $P_T$, the top quark mass $m_t$, and the Higgs mass $m_H$. A strategy for simplifying the calculation of the cross section at large $P_T$ is to calculate only the leading terms in its expansion in $m_t^2/P_T^2$ and/or $m_H^2/P_T^2$. The expansion of the cross section in inverse powers of $P_T$ is complicated by logarithms of $P_T$ and by mass singularities. In this paper, we consider the top-quark loop contribution to the subprocess $q\bar{q}\to H+g$ at leading or…
The recently proposed de Sitter swampland conjecture excludes local extrema of a scalar potential with a positive energy density in a low energy effective theory. Under the conjecture, the observed dark energy cannot be explained by the cosmological constant. The local maximum of the Higgs potential at the symmetric point also contradicts with the conjecture. In order to make the Standard Model consistent with the conjecture, it has been proposed to introduce a quintessence field, $Q$, which couples to the cosmological constant and the local maximum of the Higgs potential. In this paper, we sh…
We present the calculation of the cross section and invariant mass distribution for Higgs boson pair production in gluon fusion at next-to-leading order (NLO) in QCD. Top-quark masses are fully taken into account throughout the calculation. The virtual two-loop amplitude has been generated using an extension of the program GoSam supplemented with an interface to Reduze for the integral reduction. The occurring integrals have been calculated numerically using the program SecDec. Our results, including the full top-quark mass dependence for the first time, allow us to assess the validity of vari…
The Higgs-mass dependence of the two-loop contributions to muon decay is analyzed at the two-loop level. Exact results are given for the Higgs-dependent two-loop corrections associated with the fermions, i.e. no expansion in the top-quark and the Higgs-boson mass is made. The remaining theoretical uncertainties in the Higgs-mass dependence of $Δr$ are discussed.
We present the next-to-leading order QCD corrections to the production of a Higgs boson in association with one jet at the LHC including the full top-quark mass dependence. The mass of the bottom quark is neglected. The two-loop integrals appearing in the virtual contribution are calculated numerically using the method of Sector Decomposition. We study the Higgs boson transverse momentum distribution, focusing on the high $p_{t,\mathrm{H}}$ region, where the top-quark loop is resolved. We find that the next-to-leading order QCD corrections are large but that the ratio of the next-to-leading or…
We present the Higgs boson pair production cross section at next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD within the large top-mass approximation. Numerical results for the LHC are provided, finding an increase of O(20%) with respect to the previous order prediction and a substantial reduction in the scale dependence. We normalize our results using the full top- and bottom-mass dependence at leading order.
We consider Higgs boson production by gluon fusion in hadron collisions. We study the doubly-differential transverse-momentum (q_T) and rapidity (y) distribution of the Higgs boson in perturbative QCD. In the region of small q_T (q_T << M_H, M_H being the mass of the Higgs boson), we include the effect of logarithmically-enhanced contributions due to multiparton radiation to all perturbative orders. We use the impact parameter and double Mellin moments to implement and factorize the multiparton kinematics constraint of transverse- and longitudinal-momentum conservation. The logarithmic terms a…
The type-I region of phase transitions at finite temperature of the U(1)-Higgs theory in 3+1 dimensions is investigated in detail using a Wilsonian renormalisation group. We consider in particular the quantitative effects induced through the cross-over of the scale-dependent Abelian charge from the Gaussian to a non-trivial Abelian fixed point. As a result, the strength of the first-order phase transition is weakened. Analytical solutions to approximate flow equations are obtained, and all characteristics of the phase transition are discussed and compared to the results obtained from perturbat…
In this talk we discuss recent computations of the top quark mass dependence of QCD amplitudes describing Higgs boson production in gluon fusion. We compute terms in the expansion for a large top quark mass, which reduces the Feynman diagrams to products of massless integrals and massive tadpole integrals which contain the top mass dependence. In particular we discuss the real and virtual corrections to double Higgs production at NNLO, and the virtual corrections to single Higgs production at N3LO.
In this work, we present a study of the neutral Higgs bosons in the two Higgs doublet model (2HDM) in terms of their production processes and decay channels as a function of the model parameters. The analysis is performed for all four types of the 2HDM and the most promising processes and decay channels are identified for each type of the model. Several Higgs boson mass scenarios below and above the threshold of decay to gauge boson pair are introduced and the corresponding categories of final states are analyzed. The event analysis including collider beam spectrum and detector simulation show…
The first computation of Higgs production in association with three jets at NLO in QCD has recently been performed using the effective theory, where the top quark is treated as an infinitely heavy particle and integrated out. This approach is restricted to the regions in phase space where the typical scales are not larger than the top quark mass. Here we investigate this statement at a quantitative level by calculating the leading-order contributions to the production of a Standard Model Higgs boson in association with up to three jets taking full top-quark and bottom-quark mass dependence int…
We respond to some criticism questioning the validity of the current Standard Model Higgs exclusion limits at the Tevatron, due to the significant dependence of the dominant production cross section from gluon-gluon fusion on the choice of parton distribution functions (PDFs) and the strong coupling (alpha_S). We demonstrate the ability of the Tevatron jet data to discriminate between different high-x gluon distributions, performing a detailed quantitative comparison to show that fits not explicitly including these data fail to give a good description. In this context we emphasise the importan…
We consider the time-dependence of the Higgs vacuum expectation value (vev) given by the dynamics of the Standard Model and study the non-adiabatic production of both bosons and fermions, which is intrinsically non-perturbative. In the Hartree approximation, we analyse the general expressions that describe the dissipative dynamics due to the back-reaction of the produced particles. In particular, we solve numerically some relevant cases for the Standard Model phenomenology in the regime of relatively small oscillations of the Higgs vev.
We comprehensively evaluate renormalized Higgs boson couplings at one-loop level in non-minimal Higgs models such as the Higgs Singlet Model (HSM) and the four types of Two Higgs Doublet Models (THDMs) with a softly-broken $Z_2$ symmetry. The renormalization calculation is performed in the on-shell scheme improved by using the pinch technique to eliminate the gauge dependence in the renormalized couplings. We first review the pinch technique for scalar boson two-point functions in the Standard Model (SM), the HSM and the THDMs. We then discuss the difference in the results of the renormalized …
Reaching a theoretical accuracy in the prediction of the lightest MSSM Higgs-boson mass, M_h, at the level of the current experimental precision requires the inclusion of momentum-dependent contributions at the two-loop level. Recently two groups presented the two-loop QCD momentum-dependent corrections to Mh [1,2], using a hybrid on-shell--DRbar scheme, with apparently different results. We show that the differences can be traced back to a different renormalization of the top-quark mass, and that the claim in [2] of an inconsistency in [1] is incorrect. We furthermore compare consistently the…
e have investigated the gauge parameter dependence of the Higgs pole masses in the multi-Higgs model in two different types of the gauge fixing conditions. It turns out that the Higgs pole masses of the multi-Higgs model when expressed in terms of the Lagrangian parameters, are independent of the gauge parameter for both cases.
We extend the analysis of \cite{Bezrukov:2008ej} of the Standard Model Higgs inflation accounting for two-loop radiative corrections to the effective potential. As was expected, higher loop effects result in some modification of the interval for allowed Higgs masses m_min<m_H<m_max, which somewhat exceeds the region in which the Standard Model can be considered as a viable effective field theory all the way up to the Planck scale. The dependence of the index n_s of scalar perturbations on the Higgs mass is computed in two different renormalization procedures, associated with the Einstein (I) a…
The threshold dependence and angular correlations of Higgs-strahlung in e+e- collisions can be used to demonstrate the spinless nature of the Standard Model Higgs boson. This method, and its possible extention to heavy neutral MSSM Higgs bosons, is discussed.
We study the parametrization and gauge dependences in the Higgs field coupled to gravity in the context of asymptotic safety. We use the exponential parametrization to derive the fixed points for the cosmological constant, Planck mass, Higgs mass and its coupling, keeping arbitrary gauge parameters $α$ and $β$, and compare the results with the linear split. We find that the beta functions for the Higgs potential are expressed in terms of redefined Planck mass such that the apparent gauge dependence is absent. Only the trace mode of the gravity fluctuations couples to the Higgs potential and it…
In view of a recently renewed interest to production of multiple Higgs bosons the amplitude for such process at the threshold of $n$ particles is considered. An explicit calculation is done for the loop corrections to the amplitude arising from interaction with a heavy fermion (e.g. top quark) and also with a heavy scalar. It is shown that such corrections generally break the scaling dependence on the number $n$ and the Higgs self coupling, which dependence is known from the past studies of models with one field. The correction due to the top quark loop is also found to be numerically large an…
In the Higgs Triplet Model and the neutrinophilic Two-Higgs-Doublet Model the observed neutrinos obtain mass from a vacuum expectation value which is much smaller than the vacuum expectation value of the Higgs boson in the Standard Model. Both models contain a singly charged Higgs boson (H^-) whose Yukawa coupling is directly related to the neutrino mass (i.e. a "neutrinophilic charged Higgs"). The partial decay widths of H^- into a charged lepton and a neutrino (H^- to l^- nu) depend identically on the neutrino masses and mixings in the two models. We quantify the impact of the recent measure…
We consider the production and two-photon decay of the $CP$-even Higgs bosons ($h^0$ and $H^0$) of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) at the Large Hadron Collider. We study in detail the dependence of the cross section on various parameters of the MSSM, especially the dependence on the mixing effects in the squark sector due to the Higgs bilinear parameter $μ$ and the soft supersymmetry breaking parameter $A$. We find that the cross section for the production of these Higgs bosons has a significant dependence on the parameters which determine the chiral mixing in the squark secto…
We propose a novel method for the treatment of top-quark mass effects in the production of $H^{(*)}$, $HH$, $HZ$ and $ZZ$ final states in gluon fusion. We show that it is possible to reconstruct the full top-quark mass dependence of the virtual amplitudes from the corresponding large-$m_t$ expansion and the non-analytic part of the amplitude near the top-quark threshold $\hat{s}=4m_t^2$ with a Padé ansatz. The reliability of our method is clearly demonstrated by a comparison with the recent NLO result for Higgs pair production with full top-quark mass dependence.
