Abstract: We assess the coverage properties of confidence and credible intervals on the CMSSM parameter space inferred from a Bayesian posterior and the profile likelihood based on an ATLAS sensitivity study. In order to make those calculations feasible, we introduce a new method based on neural networks to approximate the mapping between CMSSM parameters and weak-scale particle masses. Our method reduces the computational effort needed to sample the CMSSM parameter space by a factor of similar to 10(4) with respect to conventional techniques. We find that both the Bayesian posterior and the profile likelihood intervals can significantly over-cover and identify the origin of this effect to physical boundaries in the parameter space. Finally, we point out that the effects intrinsic to the statistical procedure are conflated with simplifications to the likelihood functions from the experiments themselves.

Abstract: We explore the implications of LHC and cold dark matter searches for supersymmetric particle mass spectra in two different grand unified models with left-right symmetry, SO(10) and SU(4)(c) x SU(2)(L) x SU(2)(R) (4-2-2). We identify characteristic differences between the two scenarios, which imply distinct correlations between experimental measurements and the particular structure of the GUT group. The gauge structure of 4-2-2 enhances significantly the allowed parameter space as compared to SO(10), giving rise to a variety of coannihilation scenarios compatible with the LHC data, LSP dark matter and the ongoing muon g-2 experiment.

Abstract: We analyze relevant signals expected at the LHC for a left sneutrino as the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP). The discussion is carried out in the “mu from nu” supersymmetric standard model (mu nu SSM), where the presence of R-parity breaking couplings involving right-handed neutrinos solves the μproblem and reproduces neutrino data. The sneutrinos are pair produced via a virtual W, Z or gamma in the s channel. From the prompt decay of a pair of left sneutrinos LSPs of any family, a significant diphoton signal plus missing transverse energy (MET) from neutrinos can be present in the mass range 118-132 GeV, with 13 TeV center-of-mass energy and an integrated luminosity of 100 fb(-1). In addition, in the case of a pair of tau left sneutrinos LSPs, given the large value of the tau Yukawa coupling diphoton plus leptons and/or multileptons can appear. We find that the number of expected events for the multilepton signal, together with properly adopted search strategies, is sufficient to give a significant evidence for a sneutrino of mass in the range 130-310 GeV, even with the integrated luminosity of 20 fb(-1). In the case of the signal producing diphoton plus leptons, an integrated luminosity of 100 fb(-1) is needed to give a significant evidence in the mass range 95-145 GeV. Finally, we discuss briefly the presence of displaced vertices and the associated range of masses.

Abstract: Stop searches in supersymmetric frameworks with R-parity conservation usually assume the lightest neutralino to be the lightest supersymmetric particle. In this paper we consider an alternative scenario in which the left-handed tau sneutrino is lighter than neutralinos and stable at collider scales, but possibly unstable at cosmological scales. Moreover the (mostly right-handed) stop (t) over tilde is lighter than all electroweakinos, and heavier than the scalars of the third generation lepton doublet, whose charged component, (T) over tilde, is heavier than the neutral one, (v) over tilde. The remaining supersymmetric particles are decoupled from the stop phenomenology. In most of the parameter space, the relevant stop decays are only into t (T) over tildeT, t (v) over tildev and b (v) over tildeT via off-shell electroweakinos. We constrain the branching ratios of these decays by recasting the most sensitive stop searches. Due to the “double invisible” kinematics of the (t) over tilde -> t (v) over tildev process, and the low efficiency in tagging the t (T) over tildeT decay products, light stops are generically allowed. In the minimal supersymmetric standard model with similar to 100 GeV sneutrinos, stops with masses as small as similar to 350 GeV turn out to be allowed at 95% CL.

Abstract: There exists a vast literature examining the electroweak (EW) fine-tuning problem in supersymmetric scenarios, but little concerned with the dark matter (DM) one, which should be combined with the former. In this paper, we study this problem in an, as much as possible, exhaustive and rigorous way. We have considered the MSSM framework, assuming that the LSP is the lightest neutralino, chi(0)(1), and exploring the various possibilities for the mass and composition of chi(0)(1), as well as different mechanisms for annihilation of the DM particles in the early Universe (well-tempered neutralinos, funnels and co-annihilation scenarios). We also present a discussion about the statistical meaning of the fine-tuning and how it should be computed for the DM abundance, and combined with the EW fine-tuning. The results are very robust and model-independent and favour some scenarios (like the h-funnel when M-chi 10 is not too close to m(h)/2) with respect to others (such as the pure wino case). These features should be taken into account when one explores “natural SUSY” scenarios and their possible signatures at the LHC and in DM detection experiments.