We explore the prospects for probing new physics (NP) beyond the Standard Model (SM) at the future lepton colliders through precision measurements of $\textit{e}$ $\textit{e}$ → $$ f\overline{f} $$ observables off the $\textit{Z}$ resonance. We consider the interference between the SM contributions and those arising from the dimension-6 four-fermion effective operators that encode the effects of NP, yielding a linear dependence on the latter. This linear dependence in general increases with the collision energy offset from the $\textit{Z}$ pole. We consider a variety of asymmetries in order to enhance the NP sensitivity while reducing the experimental systematic and theoretical SM uncertainties: the inclusive above- and below-$\textit{Z}$-resonance cross section asymmetry ($\textit{A}$ ) as well as the conventional forward-backward ($\textit{A}$ ) and polarization ($\textit{A}$ ) asymmetries. Based on the projected statistical uncertainties at the Circular Electron-Positron Collider (CEPC), we find that the measurement of $\textit{A}$ could extend the sensitivity to the NP mass scale by as much as a factor of ~ 7 compared to the present reach obtained with the CERN Large Electron Positron Collider. The projected systematic theoretical SM uncertainties substantially reduce this sensitivity gain. For $\textit{A}$ , the experimental systematic uncertainties has a marginal impact on the gain in NP reach, whereas the SM theoretical uncertainties remain a significant barrier to realizing the full NP sensitivity. Analogous conclusions apply to the CERN Future Circular Collider (FCC-ee) and International Linear Collider (ILC).

China

Shao-Feng Ge

Zhuoni Qian

United States

Michael Ramsey-Musolf

Jia Zhou

New physics off the $\textit{Z}$-pole: $\textit{e}$

We investigate the possibility of a strong first-order electroweak phase transition (FOEWPT) during the early universe within the framework of the gauged two-Higgs doublet model (G2HDM) and explore its detectability through stochastic gravitational wave signals. The G2HDM introduces a dark replica of the Standard Model electroweak gauge group, inducing an accidental symmetry which not only leads to a simple scalar potential at tree-level but also offers a compelling vectorial dark matter candidate. Using the high temperature expansion in the effective potential that manifests gauge invariance, we find a possible two-step phase transition pattern in the model with a strong first-order transition occurring in the second step at the EW scale temperature. Collider data from the LHC plays a crucial role in constraining the parameter space conducive to this two-step transition. Furthermore, satisfying the nucleation condition necessitates the masses of scalar bosons in the hidden sector to align with the electroweak scale, potentially probed by future collider detectors. The stochastic gravitational wave energy spectrum associated with the phase transition is computed. The results indicate that forthcoming detectors such as BBO, LISA, DECIGO, TianQin and Taiji could potentially detect the gravitational wave signals generated by the FOEWPT. Additionally, we find that the parameter space probed by gravitational waves can also be searched for in future dark matter direct detection experiments, in particular those designed for dark matter masses in the sub-GeV range using the superfluid Helium target detectors.

Taiwan

Vietnam

Van Tran

Tzu-Chiang Yuan

Gravitational waves and dark matter in the gauged two-Higgs doublet model

High-intensity neutron beams, such as those available at the European Spallation Source (ESS), provide new opportunities for fundamental discoveries. Here, we discuss a novel Ramsey neutron-beam experiment to search for ultralight axion dark matter through its coupling to neutron spins, which would cause the neutron spins to rotate about the velocity of the neutrons relative to the dark matter halo. We estimate that experiments at the HIBEAM beamline with a 50 m free flight path at the ESS can improve the sensitivity to the axion-neutron coupling compared to the current best laboratory limits by up to 2–3 orders of magnitude over the axion mass range <math><mrow><msup><mrow><mn>10</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>22</mn></mrow></msup><mtext> </mtext><mtext> </mtext><mi>eV</mi><mi>–</mi><msup><mrow><mn>10</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>16</mn></mrow></msup><mtext> </mtext><mtext> </mtext><mi>eV</mi></mrow></math>.

Germany

P. Fierlinger

Sweden

M. Holl

D. Milstead

V. Santoro

W. M. Snow

Australia

Y. V. Stadnik

Proposal for a Ramsey Neutron-Beam Experiment to Search for Ultralight Axion Dark Matter at the European Spallation Source

The Standard Model extended with a complex singlet scalar (cxSM) can admit a strong first order electroweak phase transition (SFOEWPT) as needed for electroweak baryogenesis and provide a dark matter (DM) candidate. The presence of both a DM candidate and a singlet-like scalar that mixes with the Standard Model Higgs boson leads to the possibility of a   <math> <mi>b</mi> <mover> <mi>b</mi> <mo>¯</mo> </mover> </math>  $$ b\overline{b} $$  + MET final state in pp collisions. Focusing on this channel, we analyze the prospective reach at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for a heavy singlet-like scalar in regions of cxSM parameter space compatible with a SFOEWPT and DM phenomenology. We identify this parameter space while implementing current constraints from electroweak precision observable and Higgs boson property measurements as well as those implied by LHC heavy resonance searches. Implementing a proposed search strategy, we find that the heavy scalar and DM candidate can be probed up to 1 TeV and 450 GeV at 2σ level respectively.

Wenxing Zhang

Yizhou Cai

Lei Zhang

Testing complex singlet scalar cosmology at the Large Hadron Collider

We investigate the response of a Ramsey-type experiment on an additional oscillating magnetic field. This superimposed field is oriented in the same direction as the static main magnetic field and causes a modulation of the original Larmor spin precession frequency. The observable magnitude of this modulation decreases at higher frequencies of the oscillating field. It disappears completely if the interaction time of the particles matches the oscillation period, which we call resonant cancellation. We present an analytical approach that describes the effect and compare it to a measurement using a monochromatic cold neutron beam.

Switzerland

Ivo Schulthess

Ivan Calic

Estelle Chanel

Anastasio Fratangelo

Philipp Heil

Christine Klauser

Gjon Markaj

Marc Persoz

Ciro Pistillo

Jacob Thorne

Florian M. Piegsa

Resonant cancellation effect in Ramsey-type nuclear magnetic resonance experiments

We investigate the prospects for resonant di-Higgs and heavy Higgs production searches at the 14 TeV HL-LHC in the combination of bbγγ and 4l channels, as a probe of a possible first order electroweak phase transition in real singlet scalar extension of the Standard Model. Event selection follows those utilized in the bbγγ and 4l searches by the ATLAS Collaboration, applied to simulation using benchmark parameters that realize a strong first order electroweak phase transition. The output of discriminant analysis is implemented by numerical calculation, optimised by the joint restriction from the two channels. The prospective reach for bbγγ/4l channel could be more competitive in probing the electroweak phase transition at lower/higher resonance masses. With 3 ab  −1 integrated luminosity, the combination of the bbγγ and 4l channels can discover/exclude a significant portion of the viable parameter space that realizes a strong first order phase transition when the resonance mass is heavier than 500 GeV.

Belgium

Hao-Lin Li

Kun Liu

Yonghao Zeng

Suntharan Arunasalam

Probing electroweak phase transition in the singlet Standard Model via bbγγ and 4l channels

We investigate neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay rates in minimal left-right symmetric models in presence of relatively light right-handed neutrinos. By use of an effective field theory approach, we systematically include all contributions in the model as well as the dependence of the decay amplitude on the masses of right-handed neutrinos. In type-I and type-II seesaw scenarios, we analyze the impact of right-handed neutrinos heavier than about 10 MeV, showing that this effect can lead to a detection of 0νββ decay in the next-generation experiments even for the normal hierarchy and a relatively large right-handed scale set by the mass of hypothetical right-handed gauge bosons. Finally, we comment on a possible connection between light right-handed neutrinos and the strong CP problem.

Netherlands

Jordy Vries

Gang Li

Juan Vasquez

Light sterile neutrinos, left-right symmetry, and 0νββ decay

∆L = 2 lepton number violation (LNV) at the TeV scale could provide an alternative interpretation of positive signal(s) in future neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay experiments. An interesting class of models from this point of view are those that at low energies give rise to dimension-9 vector operators and a dimension-7 operator, both of whose 0νββ-decay rates are “chirally suppressed”. We study and compare the sensitivities of 0νββ-decay experiments and LHC searches to a simplified model in this class of TeV-scale LNV that is also SU(2) L  × U(1) Y  gauge invariant. The searches for 0νββ decay, which are here diluted by a chiral suppression of the vector operators, are found to be less constraining than LHC searches whose reach is increased by the assumed kinematic accessibility of the mediator particles. For the chirally suppressed dimension-7 operator generated by TeV-scale mediators, in contrast, 0νββ-decay searches place strong constraints on the size of the new Yukawa coupling. Signals of this model at the LHC and 0νββ-decay experiments are entirely uncorrelated with the observed neutrinos masses, as these new sources of LNV give negligible contributions to the latter. We find the prospects for the high-luminosity LHC and ton-scale 0νββ-decay experiments to uncover the chirally-suppressed mechanism with TeV-scale LNV to be promising. We also comment on the sensitivity of the 0νββ-decay lifetime to certain unknown low-energy constants that in the case of dimension-9 scalar operators are expected to be large due to non-perturbative renormalization.

Michael Graesser

Tianyang Shen

Sebastián Urrutia-Quiroga

Uncovering a chirally suppressed mechanism of 0νββ decay with LHC searches

We formulate a procedure to obtain a gauge-invariant tunneling rate at zero temperature using the recently developed tunneling potential approach. This procedure relies on a consistent power counting in gauge coupling and a derivative expansion. The tunneling potential approach, while numerically more efficient than the standard bounce solution method, inherits the gauge-dependence of the latter when naïvely implemented. Using the Abelian Higgs model, we show how to obtain a tunneling rate whose residual gauge-dependence arises solely from the polynomial approximations adopted in the tunneling potential computation.

Tunneling potentials for the tunneling action: gauge invariance

A gauge-invariant framework for computing bubble nucleation rates at finite temperature in the presence of radiative barriers was presented and advocated for model-building and phenomenological studies in an accompanying article [1]. Here, we detail this computation using the Abelian Higgs Model as an illustrative example. Subsequently, we recast this approach in the dimensionally-reduced high-temperature effective field theory for nucleation. This allows for including several higher order thermal resummations and furthermore delineate clearly the approach’s limits of validity. This approach provides for robust perturbative treatments of bubble nucleation during possible first-order cosmic phase transitions, with implications for electroweak baryogenesis and production of a stochastic gravitational wave background. Furthermore, it yields a sound comparison between results of perturbative and non-perturbative computations.

Finland

Joonas Hirvonen

Johan Löfgren

Philipp Schicho

Tuomas Tenkanen

Computing the gauge-invariant bubble nucleation rate in finite temperature effective field theory