1836522
A New gauge mediation theory
We propose a class of models with gauge mediation of supersymmetry breaking, inspired by simple brane constructions, where R-symmetry is very weakly broken. The gauge sector has an extended N = 2 supersymmetry and the two electroweak Higgses form an N = 2 hypermultiplet, while quarks and leptons remain in N = 1 chiral multiplets. Supersymmetry is broken via the D-term expectation value of a secluded U(1) and it is transmitted to the Standard Model via gauge interactions of messengers in N = 2 hypermultiplets: gauginos thus receive Dirac masses. The model has several distinct experimental signatures with respect to ordinary models of gauge or gravity mediation realizations of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). First, it predicts extra states as a third chargino that can be observed at collider experiments. Second, the absence of a D-flat direction in the Higgs sector implies a lightest Higgs behaving exactly as the Standard Model one and thus a reduction of the ‘little’ fine-tuning in the low tan β region. This breaking of supersymmetry can be easily implemented in string theory models.
119097432
The light stop window
We show that a right-handed stop in the 200–400 GeV mass range, together with a nearly degenerate neutralino and, possibly, a gluino below 1.5 TeV, follows from reasonable assumptions, is consistent with present data, and offers interesting discovery prospects at the LHC. Triggering on an extra jet produced in association with stops allows the experimental search for stops even when their mass difference with neutralinos is very small and the decay products are too soft for direct observation. Using a razor analysis, we are able to set stop bounds that are stronger than those published by ATLAS and CMS.
118541613
Electroweak and supersymmetry breaking from the Higgs boson discovery
We will explore the consequences on the electroweak breaking condition, the mass of supersymmetric partners and the scale at which supersymmetry breaking is transmit- ted, for arbitrary values of the supersymmetric parameters tanand the stop mixing Xt, which follow from the Higgs discovery with a mass mH ≃ 126 GeV at the LHC. Within the present uncertainty on the top quark mass we deduce that radiative break- ing requires tan� & 8 for maximal mixing Xt ≃ √ 6, and tan� & 20 for small mixing Xt . 1.8. The scale at which supersymmetry breaking is transmitted M can be of order the unification or Planck scale only for large values of tanand negligible mixing Xt ≃ 0. On the other hand for maximal mixing and large values of tansupersymme- try should break at scales as low as M ≃ 10 5 GeV. The uncertainty in those predictions stemming from the uncertainty in the top quark mass, i.e. the top Yukawa coupling, is small (large) for large (small) values of tan�. In fact for tan� = 1 the uncertainty on the value of M is several orders of magnitude.
119113677
Cornering a hyper Higgs boson: Angular kinematics for boosted Higgs bosons with top pairs
In the wake of the Higgs discovery and over the long haul of the LHC run, one should keep a lookout for kinematic anomalies in the most massive known trio of coupled particles, $t \bar{t} h$. After surveying the scope of prior constraints on chromomagnetic dipole and Higgs-gluon kinetic couplings, we focus on surpluses of boosted-$p_T$ Higgs bosons fomented by these momentum dependent dimension-six operators in $t \bar{t} h$ final states. We uncover a number of simple, $p_T$ weighted angular variables useful for discriminating Standard Model from dimension-6 boosted Higgs distributions, and make headway arguing that one of these variables may improve the reach of existing Standard Model top-Higgs searches. The approach we take is model independent, because we just consider a set of effective operators that contribute to the same three-body final state.
15511076
Gauge coupling renormalization in RS1
Abstract We compute the 4D low energy effective gauge coupling at one-loop order in the compact Randall–Sundrum scenario with bulk gauge fields and charged matter, within controlled approximations. While such computations are subtle, they can be important for studying phenomenological issues such as grand unification. Ultraviolet divergences are cut-off using Pauli–Villars regularization so as to respect 5D gauge and general coordinate invariance. The structure of these divergences on branes and in the bulk is elucidated by a 5D position-space analysis. The remaining finite contributions are obtained by a careful analysis of the Kaluza–Klein spectrum. We comment on the agreement between our results and expectations based on the AdS/CFT correspondence, in particular logarithmic sensitivity to the 4D Planck scale.
14532761
Brane-assisted Scherk-Schwarz supersymmetry breaking in orbifolds
We have analyzed the interplay between Scherk-Schwarz supersymmetry breaking and general fermion (gaugino or gravitino) mass terms localized on the fixed point branes of the S1/2 orbifold. Analytic solutions for eigenfunctions and eigenvalues are found in all cases. All results are checked by numerical calculations that make use of regularized δ-functions. Odd and generically also even fermions are discontinuous at the brane fixed points, but in all cases the combination that couples to the brane is continuous. For CP-even brane mass terms supersymmetry restoration can take place when their effects are cancelled by those of Scherk-Schwarz compactification. However such a cancellation can not occur for CP-odd brane mass terms.
119019620
Pre-main sequence stars in open clusters - I. The DAY-I catalogue
Context. We present the basic ideas and first results from the project we are carrying out at present, the search for and characterisation of pre-main sequence (PMS) stars among the members of Galactic young clusters. The observations of 10 southern clusters, nine of them located in the Carina-Sagittarius spiral arm of the Milky Way are presented. Aims. We aim at listing candidate PMS member stars in young clusters. The catalogued stars will serve as a basis for future spectroscopic studies of individual objects to determine the properties of stellar formation in the last phases before the main sequence stage. Properties such as the presence of residual envelopes or disks, age spread among PMS members, and the possible presence of several episodes of star formation in the clusters, are to be addressed. Methods. Multicolour photometry in the $UBVR_{\rm C}I_{\rm C}$ system has been obtained for 10 southern young clusters in the fourth Galactic quadrant, located between Galactic longitudes l = 238° and l = 310°. For six clusters in the sample, the observations presented here provide the first published study based on CCD photometry. A quantitative comparison is performed with post-MS isochrones, and PMS isochrones from three different evolutionary models are used in the photometric membership analysis for possible PMS stars. Results. The observations produce photometric indices in the Johnson-Cousins photometric systems for a total of 26 962 stars. The matching of our pixel coordinates with corresponding fields in the 2MASS data base provides astrometric calibration for all cataloged stars and JHK 2MASS photometric indices for 60% of them. Post-MS cluster ages range from 4 to 60 Myr, whereas the photometric membership analysis assigns PMS membership to a total of 842 stars, covering an age range between 1 and 10 Myr. This information on the PMS candidate members has been collected into a catalogue, named DAY-I, which contains 16 entries for 842 stars in the field of 10 southern clusters.
16422495
A young double stellar cluster in a HII region, emerging from its parent molecular cloud ⋆
Aims. We investigate the star formation occurring in the region towards IRAS 07141-0920 contained in the HII region Sh2-294 (S294). We report the discovery ��� of a new young double stellar cluster, and we describe its properties. Methods. High-resolution optical UBVRI and Hα images obtained with ALFOSC mounted on the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT), near-infrared JHKS images obtained with NOTCam at the Nordic Optical Telescope, and VLT/ISAAC images obtained through the H2 (2.12 µm) filter were all used to make photometric and morphological studies of the point sources and the nebula seen towards Sh2-294. Identification of PMS members was done using three different methods: comparison with isochrones in optical colour−magnitude diagrams and detection of either near-IR excess or Hα emission. Results. The optical images reveal an emission nebula rich in morphological details. The nebula is composed mainly of ultraviolet scattered light and of Hα emission with local morphological features conveying an impression of strong dynamical complexity. Contrasting with the bright parts of the nebula, opaque patches are seen. They appear elongated, filamentary, or clumpy. Our optical photometry confirms that the identification of the illuminator of the nebula is likely to be a B0.5V star located at a distance of about 3.2 kpc. Our high-resolution near-IR images reveal an embedded cluster, extending about 2 pc and exhibiting sub-clustering: a denser, more condensed, subcluster surrounding the optical high-mass B0.5V illuminator star; and a more embedded, optically invisible, subcluster located towards the eastern, dark part of the nebula and including the luminous MSX source G224.1880+01.2407, a massive protostellar candidate that could be the origin of jets and extended features seen at 2.12 µm. The double cluster appears to be clearing the remaining molecular material of the parent cloud, creating patches of lower extinction and allowing some of the least reddened members to be detected in the optical images. We find 12 main-sequence (MS) and 143 pre-main sequence(PMS) members. The most massive star fits a 4 Myr, post-MS isochrone. The age of the optically selected PMS population is estimated to be 7− 8M yr. The IR-excess population shows sub-clustering on scales as small as 0.23 pc and is probably much younger.
15082396
Multiwavelength Analysis of the Young Open Cluster NGC 2362
We present a multiwavelength analysis of the young open cluster NGC 2362; UBVRCIC CCD photometric observations, together with available data in the Chandra database, near-infrared data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), and recently published Hα spectroscopy were used to get information about the evolutionary stage of the cluster and the main physical properties of its stellar content. Cluster membership is estimated for every individual star by means of zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) and isochrone fitting. The cluster is confirmed to host a rich population of pre-main-sequence (PMS) objects and to contain a large number of X-ray-emitting stars, which reach from the PMS members of GK spectral type up to the most luminous OB main-sequence (MS) members. The PMS cluster members show no significant age spread, and the comparison to both PMS and post-MS isochrones suggests an homogeneous age for all cluster members. The analysis allows us to assess the validity of currently used PMS evolutionary models and supports the suggestion of a well-defined positive correlation of the X-ray emission from PMS stars with their bolometric luminosity. Clear differences are found between the X-ray activity properties of MS and PMS cluster members, both in the relation between X-ray luminosity and bolometric luminosity, and in spectral properties as well.
73684220
Analysis of the stellar population in the central area of the HII region Sh 2-284
Context. There is a lack of state-of-the-art information on very young open clusters with implications for determining the structure of the Galaxy. Aims. Our main objective is to study the timing and location of the star formation processes which yielded the generation of the giant HII region Sh 2-284. This includes the determination of different physical variables of the stars, such as distance, reddening, age and evolutionary stage, including pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars. Methods. The analysis is based on UBVRCIC CCD measurements of a field of 6.5 � × 6.5 � containing the cluster, and JHKs photometry in the 3.5 � × 3.5 � subfield, centered in the apparent higher condensation. The determination of cluster distance, reddening and age is carried out through a comparison with ZAMS, post-MS and PMS isochrones. The reference lines used are obtained from theoretical post-MS and PMS isochrones from the Geneva and Yale groups for a metallicity of Z = 0.004, which agrees with the spectroscopic metallicity determination published for several cluster members. Results. The results amount to E(B −V) = 0.78 ± 0.02, DM = 12.8 ± 0.2 (3.6 kpc), Log Age(yr) = 6.51 ± 0.07 (3.2 Myr). The distance result critically depends on the use of low metallicity ZAMS and isochrones. A PMS member sequence is proposed, with an age of Log Age(yr) = 6.7 ± 0.2 (4.7 Myr) which is therefore coeval within the errors with the post-MS cluster age. The mass function for this