Brian Batell

Exploring the Higgs portal with 10 fb −1 at the LHC

A bstractWe consider the impact of new exotic colored and/or charged matter interacting through the Higgs portal on Standard Model Higgs boson searches at the LHC. Such Higgs portal couplings can induce shifts in the effective Higgs-gluon-gluon and Higgs-photon-photon couplings, thus modifying the Higgs production and decay patterns. We consider two possible interpretations of the current LHC Higgs searches based on ~ 5 fb−1 of data at each detector: 1) a Higgs boson in the mass range (124–126) GeV and 2) a hidden heavy Higgs boson which is underproduced due to the suppression of its gluon fusion production cross section. We first perform a model independent analysis of the allowed sizes of such shifts in light of current LHC data. As a class of possible candidates for new physics which gives rise to such shifts, we investigate the effects of new scalar multiplets charged under the Standard Model gauge symmetries. We determine the scalar parameter space that is allowed by current LHC Higgs searches, and compare with complementary LHC searches that are sensitive to the direct production of colored scalar states.

Higgs Couplings and Precision Electroweak Data

A bstractIn light of the discovery of a Higgs-like particle at the LHC, we revisit the status of the precision electroweak data, focusing on two discrepant observables: 1) the long-standing 2.4σ deviation in the forward-backward asymmetry of the bottom quark

New Parity-Violating Muonic Forces and the Proton Charge Radius

A_{\mathrm{FB}}^b

Dark Matter from Minimal Flavor Violation

, and 2) the 2.3σ deviation in Rb, the ratio of the

Dark discrete gauge symmetries

Z\ \to\ b\overline{b}

Flavored dark matter and R-parity violation

partial width to the inclusive hadronic width, which is now in tension after a recent calculation including new two-loop electroweak corrections. We consider possible resolutions of these discrepancies. Taking the data at face value, the most compelling scenario is that new physics directly affects

Singlet Assisted Vacuum Stability and the Higgs to Diphoton Rate

A_{\mathrm{FB}}^b

Multi-lepton Signatures of a Hidden Sector in Rare B Decays

and Rb, bringing the prediction into accord with the measured values. We propose a modified ‘Beautiful Mirrors’ scenario which contains new vector-like quarks that mix with the b quark, modifying the

Very Light Charginos and Higgs Decays

Zb\overline{b}

Low Mass WIMP Searches with a Neutrino Experiment: A Proposal for Further MiniBooNE Running

vertex and thus correcting