Pato, M., Baudis, L., Bertone, G., Ruiz de Austri, R., Strigari, L. E., & Trotta, R. (2011). Complementarity of dark matter direct detection targets. Phys. Rev. D, 83(8), 083505–11pp.
Abstract: We investigate the reconstruction capabilities of the dark matter mass and spin-independent cross section from future ton-scale direct detection experiments using germanium, xenon, or argon as targets. Adopting realistic values for the exposure, energy threshold, and resolution of dark matter experiments which will come online within 5 to 10 years, the degree of complementarity between different targets is quantified. We investigate how the uncertainty in the astrophysical parameters controlling the local dark matter density and velocity distribution affects the reconstruction. For a 50 GeV WIMP, astrophysical uncertainties degrade the accuracy in the mass reconstruction by up to a factor of similar to 4 for xenon and germanium, compared to the case when astrophysical quantities are fixed. However, the combination of argon, germanium, and xenon data increases the constraining power by a factor of similar to 2 compared to germanium or xenon alone. We show that future direct detection experiments can achieve self-calibration of some astrophysical parameters, and they will be able to constrain the WIMP mass with only very weak external astrophysical constraints.
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Cabrera, M. E., Casas, J. A., Ruiz de Austri, R., & Trotta, R. (2011). Quantifying the tension between the Higgs mass and (g-2)(mu) in the constrained MSSM. Phys. Rev. D, 84(1), 015006–7pp.
Abstract: Supersymmetry has often been invoked as the new physics that might reconcile the experimental muon magnetic anomaly, a(mu), with the theoretical prediction (basing the computation of the hadronic contribution on e(+)e(-) data). However, in the context of the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model (CMSSM), the required supersymmetric contributions (which grow with decreasing supersymmetric masses) are in potential tension with a possibly large Higgs mass (which requires large stop masses). In the limit of very large m(h) supersymmetry gets decoupled, and the CMSSM must show the same discrepancy as the standard model with a(mu). But it is much less clear for which size of m(h) does the tension start to be unbearable. In this paper, we quantify this tension with the help of Bayesian techniques. We find that for m(h) >= 125 GeV the maximum level of discrepancy given the current data (similar to 3.2 sigma) is already achieved. Requiring less than 3 sigma discrepancy, implies m(h) less than or similar to 120 GeV. For a larger Higgs mass we should give up either the CMSSM model or the computation of a(mu) based on e(+)e(-); or accept living with such an inconsistency.
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Feroz, F., Cranmer, K., Hobson, M., Ruiz de Austri, R., & Trotta, R. (2011). Challenges of profile likelihood evaluation in multi-dimensional SUSY scans. J. High Energy Phys., 06(6), 042–23pp.
Abstract: Statistical inference of the fundamental parameters of supersymmetric theories is a challenging and active endeavor. Several sophisticated algorithms have been employed to this end. While Markov-Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and nested sampling techniques are geared towards Bayesian inference, they have also been used to estimate frequentist confidence intervals based on the profile likelihood ratio. We investigate the performance and appropriate configuration of MULTINEST, a nested sampling based algorithm, when used for profile likelihood-based analyses both on toy models and on the parameter space of the Constrained MSSM. We find that while the standard configuration previously used in the literarture is appropriate for an accurate reconstruction of the Bayesian posterior, the profile likelihood is poorly approximated. We identify a more appropriate MULTINEST configuration for profile likelihood analyses, which gives an excellent exploration of the profile likelihood (albeit at a larger computational cost), including the identification of the global maximum likelihood value. We conclude that with the appropriate configuration MULTINEST is a suitable tool for profile likelihood studies, indicating previous claims to the contrary are not well founded.
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Gunion, J. F., Lopez-Fogliani, D. E., Roszkowski, L., Ruiz de Austri, R., & Varley, T. A. (2011). Next-to-minimal supersymmetric model Higgs scenarios for partially universal GUT scale boundary conditions. Phys. Rev. D, 84(5), 055026–17pp.
Abstract: We examine the extent to which it is possible to realize the NMSSM “ideal Higgs” models espoused in several papers by Gunion et al. in the context of partially universal GUT scale boundary conditions. To this end we use the powerful methodology of nested sampling. We pay particular attention to whether ideal-Higgs-like points not only pass LEP constraints but are also acceptable in terms of the numerous constraints now available, including those from the Tevatron and B-factory data, (g – 2)(mu) and the relic density Omega h(2). In general for this particular methodology and range of parameters chosen, very few points corresponding to said previous studies were found, and those that were found were at best 2 sigma away from the preferred relic density value. Instead, there exist a class of points, which combine a mostly singlet-like Higgs with a mostly singlino-like neutralino coannihilating with the lightest stau, that are able to effectively pass all implemented constraints in the region 80 < m(h) < 100. It seems that the spin-independent direct detection cross section acts as a key discriminator between ideal Higgs points and the hard to detect singlino-like points.
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Fidalgo, J., Lopez-Fogliani, D. E., Muñoz, C., & Ruiz de Austri, R. (2011). The Higgs sector of the μnu SSM and collider physics. J. High Energy Phys., 10(10), 020–33pp.
Abstract: The μnu SSM is a supersymmetric standard model that accounts for light neutrino masses and solves the μproblem of the MSSM by simply using right-handed neutrino superfields. Since this mechanism breaks R-parity, a peculiar structure for the mass matrices is generated. The neutral Higgses are mixed with the right- and left-handed sneutrinos producing 8x8 neutral scalar mass matrices. We analyse the Higgs sector of the μnu SSM in detail, with special emphasis in possible signals at colliders. After studying in general the decays of the Higges, we focus on those processes that are genuine of the μnu SSM, and could serve to distinguish it form other supersymmetric models. In particular, we present viable benchmark points for LHC searches. For example, we find decays of a MSSM-like Higgs into two lightest neutralinos, with the latter decaying inside the detector leading to displaced vertices, and producing final states with 4 and 8 b-jets plus missing energy. Final states with leptons and missing energy are also found.
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