We show in this work how a sub-100 GeV $Z$ in a $U(1)$ extension of the Standard Model (SM) can emerge through Higgs mediated channels at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The light $Z$ has minimal interaction with the SM sector as well as vanishing k
inetic mixing with $Z$ boson which allows it to be light and below the SM gauge boson masses. Interestingly such a light $Z$ is very difficult to observe in the standard production modes. We show that it is possible to observe such a gauge boson via scalar mediators that are responsible for the symmetry breaking mechanism of the model. The model also provides a dark matter candidate whose compatibility with the observed relic density is established due to the light $Z$. We also comment on other interesting possibilities such a light $Z$ may present for other observables.
We consider a neutrinophilic $U(1)$ extension of the standard model (SM) which couples only to SM isosinglet neutral fermions, charged under the new group. The neutral fermions couple to the SM matter fields through Yukawa interactions. The neutrinos
in the model get their masses from a standard inverse-seesaw mechanism while an added scalar sector is responsible for the breaking of the gauged $U(1)$ leading to a light neutral gauge boson ($Z$) which has minimal interaction with the SM sector. We study the phenomenology of having such a light $Z$ in the context of neutrinophilic interactions as well as the role of allowing kinetic mixing between the new $U(1)$ group with the SM hypercharge group. We show that current experimental searches allow for a very light $Z$ if it does not couple to SM fields directly and highlight the search strategies at the LHC. We observe that multi-lepton final states in the form of $(4ell + mET)$ and $(3ell + 2j + mET)$ could be crucial in discovering such a neutrinophilic gauge boson lying in a mass range of $200$--$500$ GeV.
A highly bino-like Dark Matter (DM), which is the Lightest Supersymmetric Particle (LSP), could be motivated by the stringent upper bounds on the DM direct detection rates. This is especially so when its mass is around or below 100 GeV for which such
a bound tends to get most severe. Requiring not so large a higgsino mass parameter, that would render the scenario reasonably natural, prompts such a bino-like state to be relatively light. In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), in the absence of comparably light scalars, such an excitation, if it has to be a thermal relic, is unable to meet the stringent experimental upper bound on its abundance unless its self-annihilation hits a funnel involving either the $Z$-boson or the Standard Model (SM)-like Higgs boson. We demonstrate that, in such a realistic situation, a highly bino-like DM of the popular $Z_3$-symmetric Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM) is viable over an extended range of its mass, from our targeted maximum in the vicinity of the mass of the top quark down to about 30 GeV. This is facilitated by the presence of comparably light singlet-like states that could serve as funnel (scalars) and/or coannihilating (singlino) states even as the bino-like LSP receives a minimal (but optimal) tempering triggered by suitably light higgsino states that, in the first place, evade stringent lower bounds on their masses that can be derived from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments only in the presence of a lighter singlino-like state. An involved set of blind spot conditions is derived for the DM direct detection rates by considering for the very first time the augmented system of neutralinos comprising of the bino, the higgsinos and the singlino which highlights the important roles played by the NMSSM parameters $lambda$ and $tanbeta$ in delivering a richer phenomenology.
We show that one of the simplest extensions of the Standard Model, the addition of a second Higgs doublet, when combined with a dark sector singlet scalar, allows us to: $i)$ explain the long-standing anomalies in the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Det
ector (LSND) and MiniBooNE (MB) while maintaining compatibility with the null result from KARMEN, $ii)$ obtain, in the process, a portal to the dark sector, and $iii)$ comfortably account for the observed value of the muon $g-2$. Three singlet neutrinos allow for an understanding of observed neutrino mass-squared differences via a Type I seesaw, with two of the lighter states participating in the interaction in both LSND and MB. We obtain very good fits to energy and angular distributions in both experiments. We explain features of the solution presented here and discuss the constraints that our model must satisfy. We also mention prospects for future tests of its particle content.
Two of the most widely studied extensions of the Standard Model (SM) are $a)$ the addition of a new $U(1)$ symmetry to its existing gauge groups, and $b)$ the expansion of its scalar sector to incorporate a second Higgs doublet. We show that when com
bined, they allow us to understand the electron-like event excess seen in the MiniBooNE (MB) experiment as well as account for the observed anomalous values of the muon magnetic moment. A light $Z$ associated with an additional $U(1)$ coupled to baryons and to the dark sector, with flavor non-universal couplings to leptons, in conjunction with a second Higgs doublet is capable of explaining the MB excess. The $Z$ obtains its mass from a dark singlet scalar, which mixes with the two Higgs doublets. Choosing benchmark parameter values, we show that $U(1)_{B-3L_tau}$, which is anomaly-free, and $U(1)_B$, both provide (phenomenologically) equally good solutions to the excess. We also point out the other (anomaly-free) $U(1)$ choices that may be possible upon fuller exploration of the parameter space. We obtain very good matches to the energy and angular distributions for neutrinos and anti-neutrinos in MB. The extended Higgs sector has two light CP-even scalars, $h$ and $H$, and their masses and couplings are such that in principle, both contribute to help explain the MB excess as well as the present observed values of the muon and electron $g-2$. We discuss the constraints on our model as well as future tests. Our work underlines the role that light scalars may play in understanding present-day low-energy anomalies. It also points to the possible existence of portals to the dark sector, i.e., a light gauge boson field $(Z)$ and a dark neutrino which mixes with the active neutrinos, as well as a dark sector light scalar which mixes with the extended Higgs sector.
In this work, we discuss two component fermionic FIMP dark matter (DM) in a popular $B-L$ extension of the standard model (SM) with inverse seesaw mechanism. Due to the introduced $mathbb{Z}_{2}$ discrete symmetry, a keV SM gauge singlet fermion is s
table and can be a warm DM candidate. Also, this $mathbb{Z}_{2}$ symmetry helps the lightest right-handed neutrino, with mass of order GeV, to be a long-lived or stable particle by choosing a corresponding Yukawa coupling to be very small. Firstly, in the absence of a GeV DM component (i.e., without tuning its corresponding Yukawa coupling), we consider only a keV DM as a single component DM produced by the freeze-in mechanism. Secondly, we study a two component FIMP DM scenario and emphasize that the correct ballpark DM relic density bound can be achieved for a wide parameter space.
We report on the status of efforts to improve the reinterpretation of searches and measurements at the LHC in terms of models for new physics, in the context of the LHC Reinterpretation Forum. We detail current experimental offerings in direct search
es for new particles, measurements, technical implementations and Open Data, and provide a set of recommendations for further improving the presentation of LHC results in order to better enable reinterpretation in the future. We also provide a brief description of existing software reinterpretation frameworks and recent global analyses of new physics that make use of the current data.
In this work, we explore soft leptogenesis in the NMSSM framework extended by a right-handed neutrino superfield. We calculate the CP asymmetry, $varepsilon$, and find it to be non-zero at tree-level without using thermal effects for the final state
particles. This is in contrast to soft leptogenesis in the MSSM extended by a right-handed neutrino superfield where thermal effects are essential. The difference arises due to the presence of a 3-body decay of the sneutrino in the NMSSM that violates lepton number at tree-level. Apart from this, we also find that $varepsilon eq 0$ if the additional singlet scalar has a complex vacuum expectation value while all the other NMSSM parameters including the soft SUSY breaking ones relevant for CP asymmetry remain real. We estimate the order of magnitudes of these parameters to produce sufficient baryon asymmetry of the Universe.
Inspired by the fact that relatively small values of the effective higgsino mass parameter of the $Z_3$-symmetric Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM) could render the scenario `natural, we explore the plausibility of having relative
ly light neutralinos and charginos (the electroweakinos or the ewinos) in such a scenario with a rather light singlino-like Lightest Supersymmetric Particle (LSP), which is a Dark Matter (DM) candidate, and singlet-dominated scalar excitations. By first confirming the indications in the existing literature that finding simultaneous compliance with results from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and those from various DM experiments with such light states is, in general, a difficult ask, we proceed to demonstrate, with the help of a few representative benchmark points, how exactly and to what extent could such a highly motivated `natural setup with a singlino-like DM candidate still remains plausible.
