Search

We investigate the inflationary cosmology involving an SU(5) GUT (grand unified theory) singlet scalar with non-minimal coupling to the Ricci scalar. In this scenario the scale of grand unification is set by the inflaton vev when the inflaton rolls down its potential towards its minimum $v$, thereby relating inflationary dynamics to GUT symmetry breaking with a prediction $r \simeq 0.025$ for the tensor-to-scalar ratio to be tested by the next generation CMB experiments. We show in this inflationary framework involving inflection-point how a suitable choice of parameters in $SU(5)$ leads to a bump in the scalar power spectrum with production of Primordial Blackholes (PBH) of masses $10^{17}-10^{18}$g ($ 10 - 100 M_\odot$). We derive the constraints on the self quartic and mixed quartic couplings of the inflaton in SU(5) that are consistent with the inflationary analysis. Moreover, we also show that this scenario leads to large amplitude induced second-order tensor perturbations propagating as Gravitational Waves (GW) with amplitude $\Omega_{\rm GW}h^2 \sim 10^{-17}$ and peak frequency $f_{\rm peak} \sim$ (0.1 - 1) Hz, which can be detected in the next generation GW observatories like LISA, BBO, ET, etc. Thus, we unify the $SU(5)$ framework with PBH via inflection-point inflation showing how the upcoming measurements of PBH and GW will enable us to probe the scale of $SU(5)$ symmetry breaking, and thereby complementing the laboratory based experiments. We also discuss scenarios involving the Pati-Salam and Trinification gauge groups and its impact on quartic and mixed-quartic couplings that may lead to PBH and detectable GW signals., Comment: In the revised version any inadvertent text overlap with other papers has been removed, the appendix is removed, and previous sections 5 and 6 have been merged. All results including figures and conclusions remain intact

We explore the implications of third family ($t-b-\tau$) quasi-Yukawa unification (QYU) for collider and dark matter (DM) searches within the framework of a supersymmetric $SU(4)_c \times SU(2)_L \times SU(2)_R$ model. The deviation from exact Yukawa unification is quantified through the relation $y_t : y_b : y_\tau = |1+C|:|1-C|:|1+3C|$, with $C$ being a real parameter ($|C| \leq 0.2$). We allow for the breaking of left-right symmetry both by the soft scalar and gaugino mass parameters and obtain a variety of viable solutions that predict the sparticle mass spectrum including LSP DM (whose stability is guaranteed by a $Z_2$ gauge symmetry). We highlight solutions that include an NLSP gluino with mass $\sim$ 1.3-2.5 TeV, which should be accessible at LHC Run 3. There also exist NSLP stop solutions with masses heavier than about 1.8 TeV, which are consistent with the LSP neutralino dark matter relic density through stop-neutralino coannihilation. We identify A-resonance solutions with DM mass $\sim$ 0.8 - 2 TeV, as well as bino-chargino, bino-slepton and bino-stau co-annihilation scenarios. Finally, we also identify Wino-like ($\sim99\%$) and Higgsino-like ($\sim99\%$) solutions whose masses are heavier than about 1.5 TeV and 1 TeV, respectively. These solutions are compatible with the desired dark matter relic density and testable in ongoing and future direct detection experiments., Comment: The revised draft includes Higgsino dark matter solutions and other improvements. Neutralino mixing and RGE evolutions of Yukawa couplings are corrected

We consider a $U(1)_{B-L}$ model with a $Z^\prime$ portal Dirac fermion dark matter (DM) $\chi$ of low mass which couples very weakly to the $B - L$ gauge boson $Z^\prime$. An arbitrary $B-L$ charge $Q\neq \pm1, \pm 3$ of the DM $\chi$ ensures its stability. Motivated by the sensitivity reach of forthcoming "Lifetime Frontier" experiments, we focus on the $Z^\prime$ mass, $m_{Z^\prime}$, in the sub-GeV to few GeV range. To evaluate the DM relic abundance, we examine both the freeze-out and freeze-in DM scenarios. For the freeze-out scenario, we show that the observed DM abundance is reproduced near the $Z^\prime$ resonance, $m_\chi \simeq m_{Z^\prime}/2$, where $m_\chi$ is the DM mass. For the freeze-in scenario, we focus on $m_\chi \ll m_{Z^\prime}$. We show that for a fixed value of $m_{Z^\prime}$, $g_{BL}$ values roughly scale as $1/Q$ to reproduce the observed DM abundance. For various $Q$ values in the range between $10^{-6}$ and $10^2$, we show that the gauge coupling values $g_{BL}$ needed to reproduce the observed DM abundance lie in the search reach of future planned and/or proposed experiments such as FASER, Belle-II, LDMX, and SHiP. In the freeze-in case, the $Q$ values to realize observable $g_{BL}$ values are found to be much smaller than that in the freeze-out case., Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, revised section III with new Figure 1

We study the low energy implications of a trinification model based on the gauge symmetry $$G= SU(3)_c \times SU(3)_L \times SU(3)_R$$ G = S U ( 3 ) c × S U ( 3 ) L × S U ( 3 ) R , without imposing gauge coupling unification. A minimal model requires two Higgs multiplets that reside in the bi-fundamental representation of G, and this is shown to be adequate for accommodating the Standard Model (SM) fermion masses and generate, via loop corrections and seesaw mechanism, suitable masses for the heavy neutral leptons as well as the observed SM neutrinos. We estimate a lower bound of around 15 TeV for the masses of the new down- type quarks that are required by the $$SU(3)_L \times SU(3)_R$$ S U ( 3 ) L × S U ( 3 ) R symmetry. We examine the resonant production at the LHC of the new gauge bosons, which leads to a lower bound of 16 TeV for the symmetry breaking scale of G. We also show how the muon $$g-2$$ g - 2 anomaly can be resolved in the presence of these new gauge bosons and the heavy charged leptons present in the model. Finally, the model predicts the presence of a topologically stable monopole carrying three quanta $$(6 \pi /e)$$ ( 6 π / e ) of Dirac magnetic charge and mass $$\gtrsim 160$$ ≳ 160 TeV. If new matter fields lying in the fundamental representations of G are included, the model predicts the presence of exotic leptons, mesons and baryons carrying fractional electric charges such as $$\pm e/3$$ ± e / 3 and $$\pm 2e/3$$ ± 2 e / 3 , fully compatible with the Dirac quantization condition.

We explore the implications of resolving the muon $$g-2$$ g - 2 anomaly in a $$SU(4)_c \times SU(2)_L \times SU(2)_R$$ S U ( 4 ) c × S U ( 2 ) L × S U ( 2 ) R model, where the soft supersymmetry breaking scalar and gaugino masses break the left-right (LR) symmetry. A 2 $$\sigma $$ σ resolution of the anomaly requires relatively light sleptons, chargino and LSP neutralino. The stau turns out to be the NLSP of mass $$m_{\tilde{\tau }}\lesssim 400$$ m τ ~ ≲ 400 GeV, and the sleptons from the first two families can be as heavy as about 800 GeV. The chargino is also required to be lighter than about 600 GeV to accommodate the muon $$g-2$$ g - 2 solutions consistent with the dark matter relic density constraint. The dominant right-handed nature of the light slepton states suppress the sensitivity of possible signals which can be probed in Run3 experiments at the LHC. We also discuss the impact of accommodating the Higgs boson mass and the vacuum stability of the scalar potential for these solutions. Although a light stau can be compatible with the stability of the scalar potential, the Higgs boson mass constraint has a strong impact on the solutions with $$\tan \beta $$ tan β bounded from above, namely $$\tan \beta \lesssim 20$$ tan β ≲ 20 . The Higgsinos are heavier than about 4 TeV, and the LSP neutralino has the correct relic density if it is Bino-like. We identify stau–neutralino coannihilation as the dominant mechanism for realizing the desired dark matter relic density, with sneutrino–neutralino coannihiliation playing a minor role. These bino-like dark matter solutions can yield a spin-independent scattering cross-section on the order of $$10^{-13}$$ 10 - 13 pb which hopefully, can be expected to be tested in the near future.

We explore the implications of resolving the muon g-2 anomaly in a SU(4)c×SU(2)L×SU(2)R model, where the soft supersymmetry breaking scalar and gaugino masses break the left-right (LR) symmetry. A 2s resolution of the anomaly requires relatively light sleptons, chargino and LSP neutralino. The stau turns out to be the NLSP of mass mt~?400 GeV, and the sleptons from the first two families can be as heavy as about 800 GeV. The chargino is also required to be lighter than about 600 GeV to accommodate the muon g-2 solutions consistent with the dark matter relic density constraint. The dominant right-handed nature of the light slepton states suppress the sensitivity of possible signals which can be probed in Run3 experiments at the LHC. We also discuss the impact of accommodating the Higgs boson mass and the vacuum stability of the scalar potential for these solutions. Although a light stau can be compatible with the stability of the scalar potential, the Higgs boson mass constraint has a strong impact on the solutions with tanß bounded from above, namely tanß?20 . The Higgsinos are heavier than about 4 TeV, and the LSP neutralino has the correct relic density if it is Bino-like. We identify stau–neutralino coannihilation as the dominant mechanism for realizing the desired dark matter relic density, with sneutrino–neutralino coannihiliation playing a minor role. These bino-like dark matter solutions can yield a spin-independent scattering cross-section on the order of 10-13 pb which hopefully, can be expected to be tested in the near future., This work is supported in part by the United States Department of Energy grant DE-SC0013880 (QS and AT). The research of MEG and CSU is supported in part by the Spanish MICINN, under grant PID2019-107844GB-C22. We acknowledge Information Technologies (IT) resources at the University Of Delaware, specifically the high performance computing resources for the calculation of results presented in this paper

We propose a simple non-supersymmetric grand unified theory (GUT) based on the gauge group $$SO(10) \times U(1)_\psi $$ SO(10)×U(1)ψ . The model includes 3 generations of fermions in $$\mathbf{16}$$ 16 ($$+1$$ +1 ), $$\mathbf{10}$$ 10 ($$-2$$ -2 ) and $$\mathbf{1}$$ 1 ($$+4$$ +4 ) representations. The $$\mathbf{16}$$ 16 -plets contain Standard Model (SM) fermions plus right-handed neutrinos, and the $$\mathbf{10}$$ 10 -plet and the singlet fermions are introduced to make the model anomaly-free. Gauge coupling unification at $$M_{GUT} \simeq 5 \times 10^{15}{-}10^{16}$$ MGUT≃5×1015-1016 GeV is achieved by including an intermediate Pati–Salam breaking at $$M_{I} \simeq 10^{12}{-}10^{11}$$ MI≃1012-1011 GeV, which is a natural scale for the seesaw mechanism. For $$M_{I} \simeq 10^{12}{-}10^{11}$$ MI≃1012-1011 , proton decay will be tested by the Hyper-Kamiokande experiment. The extra fermions acquire their masses from $$U(1)_\psi $$ U(1)ψ symmetry breaking, and a $$U(1)_\psi $$ U(1)ψ Higgs field drives a successful inflection-point inflation with a low Hubble parameter during inflation, $$H_{inf} \ll M_{I}$$ Hinf≪MI . Hence, cosmologically dangerous monopoles produced from SO(10) and PS breakings are diluted away. This is the first SO(10) model we are aware of in which relatively light intermediate mass ($$\sim 10^{10}{-}10^{12}$$ ∼1010-1012 GeV) primordial monopoles can be adequately suppressed. The reheating temperature after inflation can be high enough for successful leptogenesis. With the Higgs field contents of our model, a $$\mathbf{Z}_2$$ Z2 symmetry remains unbroken after GUT symmetry breaking, and the lightest mass eigenstate among linear combinations of the $$\mathbf{10}$$ 10 -plet and the singlet fermions serves as a Higgs-portal dark matter (DM). We identify the parameter regions to reproduce the observed DM relic density while satisfying the current constraint from the direct DM detection experiments. The present allowed region will be fully covered by the future direct detection experiments such as LUX-ZEPLIN DM experiment. In the presence of the extra fermions, the SM Higgs potential is stabilized up to $$M_{I}$$ MI .

We propose a SU(5)×U(1)X×U(1)PQ model, where U(1)X is the generalization of the B−L (baryon minus lepton number) gauge symmetry and U(1)PQ is the global Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry. There are four fermions families in 5¯+10 representations of SU(5), a mirror family in 5+10¯ representations, and three SU(5) singlet Majorana fermions. The U(1)X related anomalies all cancel in the presence of the Majorana neutrinos. The SU(5) symmetry is broken at MGUT≃(6–9)×1015 GeV and the proton lifetime τp is estimated to be well within the expected sensitivity of the future hyper-Kamiokande experiment, τp≲1.3×1035 years. The SU(5) breaking also triggers the breaking of the PQ symmetry, resulting in axion dark matter (DM), with the axion decay constant fa of order MGUT or somewhat larger. The CASPEr experiment can search for such an axion DM candidate. The Hubble parameter during inflation must be low, Hinf≲109 GeV, in order to successfully resolve the axion domain wall, axion DM isocurvature and SU(5) monopole problems. With the identification of the U(1)X breaking Higgs field with the inflaton field, we implement inflection-point inflation, which is capable of realizing the desired value for Hinf. The vectorlike fermions in the model are essential for achieving successful unification of the SM gauge couplings as well as the phenomenological viability of both axion DM and inflation scenario.

The gauge symmetry SU(5)×U(1)χ is the unique maximal subgroup of SO(10) which retains manifest unification at MGUT of the Standard Model gauge couplings, especially if low scale supersymmetry is present. The spontaneous breaking of U(1)χ at some intermediate scale leaves unbroken a Z2 symmetry which is precisely “matter” parity. This yields a stable supersymmetric dark matter particle as well as topologically stable cosmic strings. Motivated by the weak gravity conjecture we impose unification of SU(5) and U(1)χ at an ultraviolet cutoff Λ∼αΛ1/2MP≈5×1017 GeV, where αΛ denotes the SU(5) gauge coupling at Λ and MP≈2.4×1018 GeV is the reduced Planck scale. The impact of dimension five operators suppressed by Λ on gauge coupling unification, proton lifetime estimates and b−τ Yukawa unification is discussed. In particular, the modified proton lifetime estimate for decay into e+π0 can be tested at Hyper-Kamiokande. We also discuss how the intermediate scale strings may survive inflation while the SU(5) monopoles are inflated away. The unbroken Z2 symmetry provides an intriguing link between dark matter, black holes carrying “quantum hair” and cosmic strings.

The gauge symmetry $SU(5) \times U(1)_\chi$ is the unique maximal subgroup of SO(10) which retains manifest unification at $M_{GUT}$ of the Standard Model gauge couplings, especially if low scale supersymmetry is present. The spontaneous breaking of $U(1)_\chi$ at some intermediate scale leaves unbroken a $Z_2$ symmetry which is precisely `matter' parity. This yields a stable supersymmetric dark matter particle as well as topologically stable cosmic strings. Motivated by the weak gravity conjecture we impose unification of $SU(5)$ and $U(1)_\chi$ at an ultraviolet cutoff $\Lambda \sim \alpha_\Lambda ^{1/2} M_{P} \approx 5 \times 10^{17}$ GeV, where $\alpha_\Lambda$ denotes the $SU(5)$ gauge coupling at $\Lambda$ and $M_P \approx 2.4 \times 10^{18}$ GeV is the reduced Planck Scale. The impact of dimension five operators suppressed by $\Lambda$ on gauge coupling unification, proton lifetime estimates and $b-\tau$ Yukawa unification is discussed. In particular, the gauge boson mediated proton decay into $e^+\pi^0$ can lie within the $2-\sigma$ sensitivity of HyperKamiokande. We also discuss how the intermediate scale strings may survive inflation while the $SU(5)$ monopoles are inflated away. The unbroken $Z_2$ symmetry provides an intriguing link between dark matter, black holes carrying `quantum hair' and cosmic strings., Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures

Motivated by the ongoing searches for new physics at the LHC, we explore the low energy consequences of a D-brane inspired $ SU(4)_C\times SU(2)_L \times SU(2)_R$ (4-2-2) model. The Higgs sector consists of an $SU(4)$ adjoint, a pair $H+\bar H$ in $(4,1,2)+(\bar 4,1,2)$, and a bidoublet field in $h(1,2,2)$. With the $SU(4)$ adjoint the symmetry breaks to a left-right symmetric $SU(3)_C\times U(1)_{B-L} \times SU(2)_L \times SU(2)_R$ model. A missing partner mechanism protects the $SU(2)_R$ Higgs doublets in $H,\bar H$, which subsequently break the symmetry to the Standard Model at a few TeV scale. An inverse seesaw mechanism generates masses for the observed neutrinos and also yields a sterile neutrino which can play the r\^ole of dark matter if its mass lies in the keV range. Other phenomenological implications including proton decay are briefly discussed., Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure