If the di-photon excess at 750 GeV hinted by the 2015 data at the LHC is explained in terms of a scalar resonance participating in the breaking of the electro-weak symmetry, this resonance must be accompanied by other scalar states for perturbative unitarity in vector boson scattering to be preserved. The simplest set-up consistent with perturbative unitarity and with the data of the di-photon excess is the Georgi-Machacek model.
If a new massive vector boson with nonzero axial couplings to fermions will be observed at LHC, then an upper limit on the scale of new physics could be derived from unitarity of $\mathcal{S}$-matrix. The new physics will involve either new massive fermions, or scalars, or even a strongly coupled sector. We derive a model independent bound on the scale of new physics. If $M_{G}/ g_{A} < 3$ TeV and the fermion is a top quark, the upper limit is 78 TeV.
We present a pedagogical case study how to combine micro-causality and unitarity based on a perturbative approach. The method we advocate constructs an analytic extrapolation of partial-wave scattering amplitudes that is constrained by the unitarity condition. Suitably constructed conformal mappings help to arrive at a systematic approximation of the scattering amplitude. The technique is illustrated at hand of a Yukawa interaction. The typical case of a superposition of strong short-range and weak long-range forces is investigated.
We study the constraints implied by partial wave unitarity on new physics in the form of spin-zero di-boson resonances at LHC. We derive the scale where the effective description in terms of the SM supplemented by a single resonance is expected to break down depending on the resonance mass and signal cross-section. Likewise, we use unitarity arguments in order to set perturbativity bounds on renormalizable UV completions of the effective description. We finally discuss under which conditions scalar di-boson resonance signals can be accommodated within weakly-coupled models.
We place perturbative unitarity constraints on both the dimensionful and dimensionless couplings in the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model Higgs Sector. These constraints, plus the requirement that the singlino and/or Higgsino constitutes at least part of the observed dark matter relic abundance, generate upper bounds on the Higgs and neutralino/chargino mass spectrum. We obtain an upper bound of 12 TeV for the charginos and neutralinos and 20 TeV for the heavy Higgses outside defined fine-tuned regions. By using the NMSSM as a template, we describe a method which replaces naturalne…
We analyze the scattering of fermions, Higgs and electroweak gauge bosons in order to obtain the partial-wave unitarity bounds on dimension-six effective operators, including those involving fermions. We also quantify whether, at the LHC energies, the dimension-six operators lead to unitarity violation after taking into account the presently available constraints on their Wilson coefficients. Our results show that for most dimension-six operators relevant for the LHC physics there is no unitarity violation at the LHC energies, and consequently, there is no need for the introduction of form fac…
Phenomena related to the non-perturbative aspects of strong interactions at the LHC are discussed with emphasis on elastic and inelastic soft and hard diffraction processes. Predictions for the global characteristics and angular distributions in proton-proton collisions with elastic and multiparticle final states are given. Potential for discovery of the novel effects related to the increasing role of the elastic scattering at the LHC energies and its physical implications in diffractive and multiparticle production processes are reviewed.
Unitarity relates the total cross section for neutrino-nucleon scattering to the neutrino-nucleon forward scattering amplitude. Assuming the validity of the perturbative expansion of the forward amplitude in the {\em weak} coupling constant, we derive a unitarity bound on the inelastic cross section. The inelastic cross section saturates this bound at a typical neutrino energy $E_ν\simeq 10^8 {\rm GeV}$. This implies that calculations of the inelastic cross section that use current parton distribution functions and lowest order weak perturbation theory are unreliable above this energy.
We present Next-to-Leading Order (NLO) predictions for $γγγγ$ final states, including the effects of photon fragmentation. Our results are calculated fully analytically using the techniques of $D$-dimensional unitarity, and we discuss some refinements to existing methods, focusing particularly on the role of three-mass triangle coefficients. Using these techniques we are able to produce a numerically stable Monto Carlo code that runs fully in double precision. We investigate the $4γ$ signal at colliders, both for Run II of the LHC and at future machines. Our results are implemented in MCFM.
Low lying scalar resonances emerge as a necessary part to adjust chiral perturbation theory to experimental data once unitarity constraint is taken into consideration. I review recent progress made in this direction in a model independent approach. Also I briefly review studies on the odd physical properties of these low lying scalar resonances, including in the $γγ\toπ^+π^-, π^0π^0$ processes.
We determine the constraints on the isospin and hypercharge of a scalar electroweak multiplet from partial-wave unitarity of tree-level scattering diagrams. The constraint from SU(2)_L interactions yields T <= 7/2 (i.e., n <= 8) for a complex scalar multiplet and T <= 4 (i.e., n <= 9) for a real scalar multiplet, where n = 2T+1 is the number of isospin states in the multiplet.
There are nowadays strong experimental constraints on supersymmetric theories from the Higgs measurements as well as from the null results in Sparticle searches. However, even the parameter spaces which are in agreement with experimental data can be further constrained by using theoretical considerations. Here, we discuss for the MSSM and NMSSM the impact of perturbative unitarity as well as of the stability of the one-loop effective potential. We find in the case of the MSSM, that vacuum stability is always the stronger constraint. On the other side, the situation is more diverse in the NMSSM…
We propose a Vector-like quark (VLQ) model constrained by the requirement of perturbative unitarity. In this scenario, the neutral and charged couplings of the new heavy VLQs to SM quarks and bosons are strictly related. We derive the corresponding sum rules and display the definite structure of the couplings. We analyse, qualitatively, the phenomenological consequences of this model in terms of expected width, production mechanism and decay channels. We show that the upcoming LHC run 3 could have sensitivity to such particles but the search strategy should be adapted to cover wide resonances …
We study the compatibility of the unitarity bound and the 8TeV LHC on the effective theory of the scalar dark matter. In several signals of effective interactions, mono-jet with missing energy events are studied. We found that, at least, if the dark matter mass is about 800GeV or heavier, contributions of events violating the unitarity are not negligible. The unitarity conditions in the 14TeV LHC are also calculated.
We place perturbative unitarity constraints on both the dimensionful and dimensionless parameters in the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM) Higgs Sector. These constraints, plus the requirement that the singlino and/or Higgsino constitutes at least part of the observed dark matter relic abundance, generate upper bounds on the Higgs, neutralino and chargino mass spectrum. Requiring higher order corrections to be no more than 41% of the tree-level value, we obtain an upper bound of 20 TeV for the heavy Higgses and 12 TeV for the charginos and neutralinos outside defined fine-t…
A crucial test of the Standard Model is the measurement of electroweak gauge-boson scattering. In this paper, we describe a generic parameterization aimed at a realistic simulation of weak-boson scattering at the LHC. The parameterization implements resonances of all possible spin and isospin combinations, properly matched to the low-energy effective (chiral) Lagrangian, includes leading higher-order effects and contains a minimal unitarization scheme. We implement the parameterization in the Monte-Carlo event generator WHIZARD and present results for complete partonic cross-section integratio…
We discuss the lineshape of a heavy Higgs boson, and the behaviour well above resonance. Previous studies concluded that the energy-dependent Higgs width should be used in the resonance region, but must not be used well away from it. We derive the full result and show that it smoothly extrapolates these limits. It is extremely simple, and would be straightforward to implement in existing calculations.
Dark pion is a promising candidate for the strongly interacting massive particle dark matter. A large pion self-coupling $m_π/f_π$ tends to be required for correct relic abundance, and hence the partial-wave amplitudes can violate the perturbative unitarity even for the coupling within naïve perturbative regime. We improve the partial-wave amplitudes in order to satisfy the optical theorem. We demonstrate that the improvement is relevant only for semi-relativistic pions, and thus this does not affect the self-scattering cross section at the cosmic structures. We also discuss the impact of the …
Perturbative unitarity is a powerful tool for inferring the range of validity of a given effective field theory. Here, we study such a bound in the parameter space of dimension-5 and dimension-6 effective operators that arise in a scenario of fermion compositeness. These operators are routinely used in experimental searches at the LHC to constraint contact and gauge interactions between ordinary Standard Model fermions and excited states of mass $M$. We derive the unitarity bound for the production process of an excited neutrino, then we implement such bound and compare it with the recent expe…
We study the perturbative unitarity bound given by dimension six derivative interactions consisting of Higgs doublets. These operators emerge from kinetic terms of composite Higgs models or integrating out heavy particles that interact with Higgs doublets. They lead to new phenomena beyond the Standard Model. One of characteristic contributions by derivative interactions appear in vector boson scattering processes. Longitudinal modes of massive vector bosons can be regarded as Nambu Goldstone bosons eaten by each vector field with the equivalence theorem. Since their effects become larger and …
For MSSM phenomenology, soft SUSY breaking dimension-three operators are important, in particular the couplings between Higgs bosons and squarks. In scattering processes, perturbative unitarity is violated at modest center-of-mass energy if these couplings are much larger than the masses of the scalar particles involved. Assuming perturbative unitarity, constraints on the trilinear couplings can be determined using a computer program that we have developed.
Anticipating improved determinations of $m_t$, $|V_{cb}|$, $|V_{ub}/V_{cb}|$, $B_K$ and $F_B \sqrt{B_B}$ in the next five years we make an excursion into the future in order to find a possible picture of the unitarity triangle, of quark mixing and of CP violation around the year~2000. We then analyse what impact on this picture will result from the measurements of the four possibly cleanest quantities: $BR(K^+ \to π^+ ν\barν)$, $x_d/x_s$, $\sin(2α)$ and $\sin(2β)$. In the course of our investigations we extend the analysis of the unitarity triangle beyond the leading order in the Wolfenstein p…
We consider the relationship between renormalizability and unitarity at a Lifshitz point in d dimensions. We test tree unitarity for theories containing only scalars and fermions, and for pure gauge theory. In both cases, we find the requirement of weighted power-counting renormalizability is equivalent to that of tree unitarity.
Encouraged by a hint in a search for right-handed $W$ bosons at the LHC, we investigate whether the unitarity of a right-handed quark mixing matrix and the equality of the left- and right-handed quark mixing matrices could be tested at the LHC. We propose a particular test, involving counting the numbers of $b$-tags in the final state, and simulate the test at the event level with Monte-Carlo tools for the forthcoming $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV LHC run. We find that testing unitarity with 20/fb will be challenging; our test successfully rejects unitarity if the right-handed quark mixing matrix is non-u…
The perturbative unitarity bound is studied in the monojet process at LHC. The production of the dark matter is described by the low-energy effective theory. The analysis of the dark matter signal is not validated, if the unitarity condition is violated. It is shown that the current LHC analysis the effective theory breaks down, at least, when the dark matter is lighter than O(100) GeV. Future prospects for $\sqrt{s}$ = 14 TeV are also discussed. The result is independent of physics in high energy scales.
We investigate unitarity within the Complex-Mass Scheme, a convenient universal scheme for perturbative calculations involving unstable particles in Quantum Field Theory which guarantees exact gauge invariance. Since this scheme requires to introduce complex masses and complex couplings, the Cutkosky cutting rules, which express perturbative unitarity in theories of stable particles, are no longer valid. We derive corresponding rules for scalar theories with unstable particles based on Veltman's Largest-Time Equation and prove unitarity in this framework.
We derive cutting rules for loop integrals containing propagators with complex masses. Using a field-theoretical model of a heavy vector boson interacting with a light fermion, we demonstrate that the complex-mass scheme respects unitarity order by order in a perturbative expansion provided that the renormalized coupling constant remains real.
We compute all of the one-loop corrections that are enhanced, $O(λ_i λ_j / 16 π^2)$, in the limit $s \gg |λ_i | v^2 \gg M_{W}^2$, $s \gg m_{12}^2$ to all the $2 \to 2$ longitudinal vector boson and Higgs boson scattering amplitudes in the $CP$-conserving two-Higgs doublet model with a softly broken $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry. In the two simplified scenarios we study, the typical bound we find is $|λ_i(s)| \lessapprox 4$.
Effective Field Theory (EFT) extensions of the Standard Model are tools to compute observables $\big(e.g.$ cross sections with partonic center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{\hat{s}}\,\big)$ as a systematically improvable expansion suppressed by a new physics scale $M$. If one is interested in EFT predictions in the parameter space where $M<\sqrt{\hat{s}}$, concerns of self-consistency emerge, which can manifest as a violation of perturbative partial-wave unitarity. However, when we search for the effects of an EFT at a hadron collider with center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$ using an inclusive strategy, …
In this paper we present the partial wave unitarity bound in the parameter space of dimension-5 and dimension-6 effective operators that arise in a compositeness scenario. These are routinely used in experimental searches at the LHC to constraint contact and gauge interactions between ordinary Standard Model fermions and excited (composite) states of mass $M$. After deducing the unitarity bound for the production process of a composite neutrino, we implement such bound and compare it with the recent experimental exclusion curves for Run 2, the High-Luminosity and High-Energy configurations of …
Unitarity cannot be perserved order by order in ordinary perturbation theory because the constraint $UU^\dagger=\1$ is nonlinear. However, the corresponding constraint for $K=\ln U$, being $K=-K^\dagger$, is linear so it can be maintained in every order in a perturbative expansion of $K$. The perturbative expansion of $K$ may be considered as a non-abelian generalization of the linked-cluster expansion in probability theory and in statistical mechanics, and possesses similar advantages resulting from separating the short-range correlations from long-range effects. This point is illustrated in …
We explore the possibility of a beyond the standard model scalar ($ϕ$) as a possible explanation of the diphoton resonance at 750~GeV invariant mass reported by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations at the large hadron collider (LHC). We first present in a model-independent way the scalar-gluon-gluon and scalar-photon-photon effective couplings needed for obtaining the required diphoton cross-section at the LHC for different total widths. We investigate here two new-physics possibilities that can generate these effective couplings, namely, (i) the 2-Higgs-doublet model (2HDM) in the alignment limit…
We calculate an $s$-wave amplitude matrix for all the possible 2--to--2 body scalar boson elastic scatterings in models with three scalar doublets, including contributions from the longitudinal component of weak gauge bosons via the Equivalence Theorem Approximation. Specifically, we concentrate on the two cases with two[one] active plus one[two] inert doublet fields, referred to as I(1+2)HDM[I(2+1)HDM], under CP conservation. We obtain three analytically irreducible sub-matrices with the $3\times 3$ form and eighteen eigenvalues for the amplitude matrix as an independent set, where the same f…
We show that it is possible to accommodate the observed size of the phase in $B^0_s$--$\bar B^0_s$, mixing in the framework of a model with violation of $3\times 3$ unitarity. This violation is associated to the presence of a new $Q=2/3$ isosinglet quark $T$, which mixes both with $t$ and $c$ and has a mass not exceeding 500 GeV. The crucial point is the fact that this framework allows for $χ\equiv\arg(-V_{ts}V_{cb}V_{tb}^*V_{cs}^*)$ of order $λ$, to be contrasted with the situation in the Standard Model, where $χ$ is constrained to be of order $λ^2$. We point out that this scenario implies ra…
We investigate the importance of unitarity corrections to parton evolution in heavy flavor production at the LHC. The gluon distribution is determined with a fit to HERA data applying a unified BFKL-DGLAP approach, in which the non-linear evolution is described by the Balitsky-Kovchegov equation. First we estimate b anti-b production at CDF and D0. Then, cross sections for heavy quark production at various LHC experiments are estimated, tracing the impact of the unitarity corrections.
It has long been known that perturbative calculations in scalar multi-particle production could break down since fast growing amplitudes appear. A recent calculation in the regime $ λn \gg 1$, where $ n $ is the multiplicity and $ λ$ is the self-coupling, gives an amplitude which grows exponentially with the energy, resulting in a divergent propagator and leading to the violation of perturbative unitarity. In this paper the transition rate is calculated from the solution of the self-consistent Schwinger-Dyson equation in spectral representation. We get an amplitude growing quadratically with t…
Perturbative probability conservation provides a strong constraint on the presence of new interactions of the Higgs boson. In this work we consider CP violating Higgs interactions in conjunction with unitarity constraints in the gauge-Higgs and fermion-Higgs sectors. Injecting signal strength measurements of the recently discovered Higgs boson allows us to make concrete and correlated predictions of how CP-violation in the Higgs sector can be directly constrained through collider searches for either characteristic new states or tell-tale enhancements in multi-Higgs processes.
In a series of papers, we examine the physical unitarity in a massive Yang-Mills theory without the Higgs field in which the color gauge symmetry is not spontaneously broken and kept intact. For this purpose, we use a new framework proposed in the previous paper Kondo [arXiv:1208.3521] based on a nonperturbative construction of a non-Abelian field describing a massive spin-one vector boson field, which enables us to perform the perturbative and nonperturbative studies on the physical unitarity. In this paper, we present a new perturbative treatment for the physical unitarity after giving the g…
The Littlest Higgs Model is constrained using the tree-level perturbative arguments, similar to those employed to obtain the Higgs mass bound. It is found that the perturbative unitaity violations set in at energy scales $\sim 1.5χf$, where $f$ is the analog of pion decay constant and sets the scale for the masses in the theory and also the strong interaction scale and $χ$ is a dimensionless parameter which together with $f$ sets the mass scale of heavy scalars in the theory.
We study the quantum information storage capacity of solitons and baryons in renormalizable quantum field theories that do not include gravity. We observe that a 't Hooft-Polyakov magnetic monopole saturates the Bekenstein bound on information when the theory saturates the bound on perturbative unitarity. In this very limit the monopole entropy assumes the form of an area-law, strikingly similar to a black hole entropy in gravity. The phenomenon appears universal and takes place for other solitons and non-perturbative objects. We observe the same behaviour of entropy of a baryon in QCD with la…
Renormalization of Hamiltonian field theory is usually a rather painful algebraic or numerical exercise. By combining a method based on the coupled cluster method, analysed in detail by Suzuki and Okamoto, with a Wilsonian approach to renormalization, we show that a powerful and elegant method exist to solve such problems. The method is in principle non-perturbative, and is not necessarily unitary.
We study bounds from perturbative unitarity in a Composite 2-Higgs Doublet Model (C2HDM) based on the spontaneous breakdown of a global symmetry $SO(6)\to SO(4)\times SO(2)$ at the compositeness scale $f$. The eight pseudo Nambu-Goldstone Bosons (pNGBs) emerging from such a dynamics are identified as two isospin doublet Higgs fields. We calculate the $S$-wave amplitude for all possible 2-to-2-body elastic (pseudo)scalar boson scatterings at energy scales $\sqrt{s}$ reachable at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and beyond it, including the longitudinal components of weak gauge boson states as th…
We study perturbative unitarity constraints on generic Yukawa interactions where the involved fields have arbitrary quantum numbers under an $\prod_i SU(N_i) \otimes U(1)$ group. We derive compact expressions for the bounds on the Yukawa couplings for the cases where the fields transform under the trivial, fundamental or adjoint representation of the various $SU(N)$ factors. We apply our results to specific models formulated to explain the anomalous measurements of $(g-2)_μ$ and of the charged- and neutral-current decays of the $B$ mesons. We show that, while these models can generally still e…
The scalar field associated with fluctuations in the positions of the two branes, the ``radion'', plays an important role determining the cosmology and collider phenomenology of the Randall-Sundrum solution to the hierarchy problem. It is now well known that the radion mass is of order the weak scale, and that its couplings to standard model fields are order 1/TeV to the trace of the energy momentum tensor. We calculate longitudinal vector boson scattering amplitudes to explore the constraints on the radion mass and its coupling from perturbative unitarity. The scattering cross section can ind…
We argue that the tree-level graviton-scalar scattering in the Regge limit is unitarized by non-perturbative effects within General Relativity. At Planckian energy the back reaction of the incoming graviton on the background geometry produces a non-perturbative plane wave which, in turn, softens the UV-behavior. Our amplitude then interpolates between the perturbative graviton-scalar scattering at low energy and scattering on a classical plane wave in the Regge limit.
We reconsider perturbative unitarity in quantum field theory and upgrade several arguments and results. The minimum assumptions that lead to the largest time equation, the cutting equations and the unitarity equation are identified. Using this knowledge and a special gauge, we give a new, simpler proof of perturbative unitarity in gauge theories and generalize it to quantum gravity, in four and higher dimensions. The special gauge interpolates between the Feynman gauge and the Coulomb gauge without double poles. When the Coulomb limit is approached, the unphysical particles drop out of the cut…
We study perturbative unitarity in the scalar sector of the Myers-Pospelov model. The model introduces a preferred four-vector $n$ which breaks Lorentz symmetry and couples to a five-dimension operator. When the preferred four-vector is chosen in the pure timelike or lightlike direction, the model becomes a higher time derivative theory, leading to a cubic dispersion relation. Two of the poles are shown to be perturbatively connected to the standard ones, while a third pole, which we call the Lee-Wick-like pole, is associated to a negative metric, in Hilbert space, threatening the preservation…
We study perturbative unitarity constraints on general W' models by considering the high energy behavior of fermion scattering into gauge bosons. In most cases we survey, a Z' boson with a comparable mass must be present for the theory to be consistent, with fixed couplings to the standard model gauge bosons and fermions. Applying these results to a class of W' models which explains the top quark forward-backward asymmetry observed at the Tevatron, we find that a Z' must exist with a mass below 7-8 TeV and sizable coupling to the light quarks. While such a Z' is strongly constrained by existin…
The role of data analysis in the formation of recent unitarity models is discused and evaluated. It is claimed that present support for multi Pomeron enhancement beyond the zero order is marginal and should be checked at LHC and Auger.
The ultraviolet structure of $s$-channel mediator dark matter simplified models at hadron colliders is considered. In terms of commonly studied $s$-channel mediator simplified models it is argued that at arbitrarily high energies the perturbative description of dark matter production in high energy scattering at hadron colliders will break down in a number of cases. This is analogous to the well documented breakdown of an EFT description of dark matter collider production. With this in mind, to diagnose whether or not the use of simplified models at the LHC is valid, perturbative unitarity of …
We study the observability of new interactions which modify Higgs-pair production via vector-boson fusion processes at the LHC and at future proton-proton colliders. In an effective-Lagrangian approach, we explore in particular the effect of the operator $h^2 W_{μν}^a W^{a,μν}$, which describes the interaction of the Higgs boson with transverse vector-boson polarization modes. By tagging highly boosted Higgs bosons in the final state, we determine projected bounds for the coefficient of this operator at the LHC and at a future 27 TeV or 100 TeV collider. Taking into account unitarity constrain…
We investigate perturbative unitarity constraints in a model for a singlet scalar dark matter candidate. Considering elastic two particle scattering processes of the Higgs particle and the dark matter candidate, a real Klein-Gordon scalar field, perturbative unitarity constrains the self-couplings of the scalar fields.
Dark matter that was once in thermal equilibrium with the Standard Model is generally prohibited from obtaining all of its mass from the electroweak phase transition. This implies a new scale of physics and mediator particles to facilitate dark matter annihilation. In this work, we focus on dark matter that annihilates through a generic gauge boson portal. We show how partial wave unitarity places upper bounds on the dark gauge boson, dark Higgs and dark matter masses. Outside of well-defined fine-tuned regions, we find an upper bound of 9 TeV for the dark matter mass when the dark Higgs and d…
A method of deriving bounds on the weak meson form factors, based on perturbative QCD, analyticity and unitarity, is generalized in order to fully exploit heavy quark spin symmetry in the ground state $(L=0)$ doublet of pseudoscalar $(B)$ and vector $(B^*)$ mesons. All the relevant form factors of these mesons are taken into account in the unitarity sum. They are treated as independent functions along the timelike axis, being related by spin symmetry only near the zero recoil point. Heavy quark vacuum polarisation up to three loops in perturbative QCD and the experimental cross sections $σ(e^+…
