Authors: Patrick J Fox David TuckerSmith Neal Weiner
Publish Date: 2011/06/28
Volume: 2011, Issue: 6, Pages: 127-
Abstract
We consider the possibility of “Higgs counterfeits” scalars that can be produced with cross sections comparable to the SM Higgs and which decay with identical relative observable branching ratios but which are nonetheless not responsible for electroweak symmetry breaking We also consider a related scenario involving “Higgs friends” fields similarly produced through gg fusion processes which would be discovered through diboson channels WW ZZ γγ or even γZ potentially with larger cross sections times branching ratios than for the Higgs The discovery of either a Higgs friend or a Higgs counterfeit rather than directly pointing towards the origin of the weak scale would indicate the presence of new colored fields necessary for the sizable production cross section and possibly new colorless but electroweakly charged states as well in the case of the diboson decays of a Higgs friend These particles could easily be confused for an ordinary Higgs perhaps with an additional generation to explain the different cross section and we emphasize the importance of vector boson fusion as a channel to distinguish a Higgs counterfeit from a true Higgs Such fields would naturally be expected in scenarios with “effective Z′s” where heavy states charged under the SM produce effective charges for SM fields under a new gauge force We discuss the prospects for discovery of Higgs counterfeits Higgs friends and associated charged fields at the LHCThis article is published under an open access license Please check the Copyright Information section for details of this license and what reuse is permitted If your intended use exceeds what is permitted by the license or if you are unable to locate the licence and reuse information please contact the Rights and Permissions team
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