Search

The International Linear Collider is a planned electron-positron linear collider with its positron source producing positrons by aiming undulator radiation onto a rotating target. The resulting, highly divergent positron beam requires immediate optical matching to improve the luminosity and therefore the success of the intended collision experiments. Here, optical matching refers to the process of capturing particles and making them available for downstream beamline elements like accelerators. In the past, this has been done with sophisticated coils, but more recently the usage of a current-carrying plasma, a so-called plasma lens, has been proposed as an alternative. For the International Linear Collider idealised particle tracking simulations have already been done with the purpose of finding the optimal plasma lens design with respect to the captured positron yield. The proposed design is characterised by a linearly widened radius in beam direction. Now further research and development of this design is required, including both experiments with a prototype set-up as well as corresponding simulations modelling the hydrodynamics of the current-carrying plasma and the resulting magnetic field. The accuracy of the latter will benefit greatly from the former. In this work, first preliminary hydrodynamic simulations instil confidence into further endeavours., Comment: Talk presented at the International Workshop on Future Linear Colliders (LCWS 2023), 15-19 May 2023. C23-05-15.3

An unprecedented positron average current is required to fit the luminosity demands of future $e^+e^-$ high energy physics colliders. In addition, in order to access precision-frontier physics, these machines require positron polarization to enable exploring the polarization dependence in many HEP processes cross sections, reducing backgrounds and extending the reach of chiral physics studies beyond the standard model. The ILC has a mature plan for the polarized positron source based on conversion in a thin target of circularly polarized gammas generated by passing the main high energy e-beam in a long superconducting helical undulator. Compact colliders (CLIC, C3 and advanced accelerator-based concepts) adopt a simplified approach and currently do not plan to use polarized positrons in their baseline design, but could greatly benefit from the development of compact alternative solutions to polarized positron production. Increasing the positron current, the polarization purity and simplifying the engineering design are all opportunities where advances in accelerator technology have the potential to make a significant impact. This white-paper describes the current status of the field and provides R\&D short-term and long-term pathways for polarized positron sources., Comment: contribution to Snowmass 2021

Recently, a $\gamma\gamma$ collider based on the existing 17.5 GeV linac of the European XFEL has been proposed. High-energy photons will be generated by Compton scattering of laser photons with a wavelength of 0.5-1 $\mu$m on electrons. Such a photon collider covers the range of invariant masses $W_{\gamma\gamma} <12$ GeV. The physics program includes spectroscopy of $\mathit C$-even resonances ($c$-, $b$-quarkonia, 4-quark states, glueballs) in various $J^P$ states. Variable circular and linear polarizations will help in determining the quantum numbers. In this paper, we present a summary of measured and predicted two-photon widths of various resonances in the mass region 3-12 GeV and investigate the experimental possibility of observing these heavy two-photon resonances under the conditions of a large multi-hadron background. Registration of all final particles is assumed. The minimum values of $\Gamma_{\gamma\gamma}(W)$ are obtained at which resonances can be detected at a $5\sigma$ confidence level in one year of operation., Comment: 12 pages, 16 figures

We discuss a $\sim 3\,\sigma$ signal (local) in the light Higgs-boson search in the diphoton decay mode at $\sim 96$ GeV as reported by CMS, together with a $\sim 2\,\sigma$ excess (local) in the $b \bar b$ final state at LEP in the same mass range. We interpret this possible signal as a Higgs boson in the 2 Higgs Doublet Model type II with an additional Higgs singlet, which can be either complex (2HDMS) or real (N2HDM). We find that the lightest CP-even Higgs boson of the two models can equally yield a perfect fit to both excesses simultaneously, while the second lightest state is in full agreement with the Higgs-boson measurements at $125$ GeV, and the full Higgs-boson sector is in agreement with all Higgs exclusion bounds from LEP, the Tevatron and the LHC as well as other theoretical and experimental constraints. We derive bounds on the 2HDMS and N2HDM Higgs sectors from a fit to both excesses and describe how this signal can be further analyzed at future $e^+e^-$ colliders, such as the ILC. We analyze in detail the anticipated precision of the coupling measurements of the $96$ GeV Higgs boson at the ILC. We find that these Higgs-boson measurements at the LHC and the ILC cannot distinguish between the two Higgs-sector realizations., Comment: 38 pages, 10 figures

To realise a planned high-luminosity and high-energy $e^+e^-$-collider, as the ILC, a large amount of positrons have to be produced and the accelerated particles have to be captured and matched according to the damping ring acceptances. %There exist several technical possibilities. In this contribution a new promising alternative method for capturing positrons will be presented, the application of the plasma lens as an optical matching device. It will be compared with the current matching device proposed for the ILC, namely the quarter wave transformer. An advantage of the plasma lens is the different magnetic field component, which focuses the divergent beam in a more effective manner. Therefore it will be shown in this paper that the yield requirements could be achieved more easily. The plasma lens can actually be a promising alternative for focusing beams as soon as the technical feasibility has been approved.\\ In the simulation, a tapered active plasma lens has been optimized using the approximation of a homogeneous electric current density constant in time. The optimization process led to a plasma lens design that improves on the ILC's currently proposed optical matching device, namely the quarter wave transformer, by approximately $50-100\%$. Furthermore the design has been shown to guarantee a stable captured positron yield within $\pm1.5\%$ for single, independent parameter deviations of about $\pm10\%$., Comment: Talks presented at the International Workshop on Future Linear Colliders (LCWS2021), 15-18 March 2021. C21-03-15.1

The CMS collaboration reported a $\sim 3 \, \sigma$ (local) excess at $96\;$GeV in the search for light Higgs-boson decaying into two photons. This mass coincides with a $\sim 2 \, \sigma$ (local) excess in the $b\bar b$ final state at LEP. We show an interpretation of these possible signals as the lightest Higgs boson in the 2 Higgs Doublet Model with an additional complex Higgs singlet (2HDMS). The interpretation is in agreement with all experimental and theoretical constraints. We concentrate on the 2HDMS type II, which resembles the Higgs and Yukawa structure of the Next-to Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. We discuss the experimental prospects for constraining our explanation at future $e^+e^-$ colliders, with concrete analyses based on the ILC prospects., Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure. Talks presented at the International Workshop on Future Linear Colliders (LCWS2021), 15-18 March 2021. C21-03-15.1. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2002.06904

The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) is a mature option for the future of high energy physics. It combines the benefits of the clean environment of $e^+e^-$ colliders with operation at high centre-of-mass energies, allowing to probe scales beyond the reach of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for many scenarios of new physics. This places the CLIC project at a privileged spot in between the precision and energy frontiers, with capabilities that will significantly extend knowledge on both fronts at the end of the LHC era. In this report we review and revisit the potential of CLIC to search, directly and indirectly, for physics beyond the Standard Model., Comment: 282 pages, 128 Figures, 55 Tables and 732 citations. Editors: J. de Blas, R. Franceschini, F. Riva, P. Roloff, U. Schnoor, M. Spannowsky, J. D. Wells, A. Wulzer and J. Zupan. Version published in CERN Yellow Report Monographs

The particle discovered in the Higgs boson searches at the LHC with a mass of about 125 GeV is compatible within the present uncertainties with the Higgs boson predicted in the Standard Model (SM), but it could also be identified with one of the neutral Higgs bosons in a variety of Beyond the SM (BSM) theories with an extended Higgs sector. The possibility that an additional Higgs boson (or even more than one) could be lighter than the state that has been detected at 125 GeV occurs generically in many BSM models and has some support from slight excesses that were observed above the background expectations in Higgs searches at LEP and at the LHC. The couplings between additional Higgs fields and the electroweak gauge bosons in BSM theories could be probed by model-independent Higgs searches at lepton colliders. We present a generator-level extrapolation of the limits obtained at LEP to the case of a future $e^+e^-$ collider, both for the search where the light Higgs boson decays into a pair of bottom quarks and for the decay-mode-independent search utilising the recoil method. We find that at the ILC with a c.m. energy of 250 GeV, an integrated luminosity of 500 fb^{-1} and polarised beams, the sensitivity to a light Higgs boson with reduced couplings to gauge bosons is improved by more than an order of magnitude compared to the LEP limits and goes much beyond the projected indirect sensitivity of the HL-LHC with 3000 fb^{-1} from the rate measurements of the detected state at 125 GeV., Comment: Minor changes, version to appear in EPJC, 13 pages, 4 figures

The use of polarized beams enhance the possibility of the precision measurements at the International Linear Collider (ILC). In order to preserve the degree of polarization during beam transport spin rotators are included in the current TDR ILC Lattice. In this report some advantages of using a combined spin rotator/spin flipper are discussed. A few possible lattice designs of spin flipper developed at DESY in 2012 are presented., Comment: Talk presented at the International Workshop on Future Linear Colliders (LCWS15), Whistler, Canada, 2-6 November 2015

A comprehensive review of physics at an e+e- Linear Collider in the energy range of sqrt{s}=92 GeV--3 TeV is presented in view of recent and expected LHC results, experiments from low energy as well as astroparticle physics.The report focuses in particular on Higgs boson, Top quark and electroweak precision physics, but also discusses several models of beyond the Standard Model physics such as Supersymmetry, little Higgs models and extra gauge bosons. The connection to cosmology has been analyzed as well., Comment: 179 pages, plots and references updated, version to be published at EPJC

High energy e+e- linear colliders are the next large scale project in particle physics. They need intense sources to achieve the required luminosity. In particular, the positron source must provide about 10E+14 positrons per second. The positron source for the International Linear Collider (ILC) is based on a helical undulator passed by the electron beam to create an intense circularly polarized photon beam. With these photons a longitudinally polarized positron beam is generated; the degree of polarization can be enhanced by collimating the photon beam. However, the high photon beam intensity causes huge thermal load in the collimator material. In this paper the thermal load in the photon collimator is discussed and a flexible design solution is presented., Comment: 22 pages, 19 figures, 8 tables, cross-reference to table 4 fixed

The future linear collider will collide dense $e^+e^-$ bunches at high energies up to 1 TeV, generating very intense electromagnetic fields at the interaction point (IP). These fields are strong enough to lead to nonlinear effects which affect all IP processes and which are described by strong field physics theory. In order to test this theory, we propose an experiment that will focus an intense laser on the LC electron beam post-IP. Similar experiments at SLAC E144 have investigated nonlinear Compton scattering, Breit-Wheeler pair production using an electron beam of 46.6 GeV. The higher beam energies available at the future LC would allow more precise studies of these phenomena. Mass-shift and spin-dependent effects could also be investigated., Comment: Talk presented at the International Workshop on Future Linear Colliders (LCWS13), Tokyo, Japan, 11-15 November 2013

This report summarizes the work of the Energy Frontier Top Quark working group of the 2013 Community Summer Study (Snowmass).

This report summarizes the work of the Energy Frontier Higgs Boson working group of the 2013 Community Summer Study (Snowmass). We identify the key elements of a precision Higgs physics program and document the physics potential of future experimental facilities as elucidated during the Snowmass study. We study Higgs couplings to gauge boson and fermion pairs, double Higgs production for the Higgs self-coupling, its quantum numbers and $CP$-mixing in Higgs couplings, the Higgs mass and total width, and prospects for direct searches for additional Higgs bosons in extensions of the Standard Model. Our report includes projections of measurement capabilities from detailed studies of the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC), a Gamma-Gamma Collider, the International Linear Collider (ILC), the Large Hadron Collider High-Luminosity Upgrade (HL-LHC), Very Large Hadron Colliders up to 100 TeV (VLHC), a Muon Collider, and a Triple-Large Electron Positron Collider (TLEP).

With the discovery of the Higgs boson, the spectrum of particles in the Standard Model (SM) is complete. It is more important than ever to perform precision measurements and to test for deviations from SM predictions in the electroweak sector. In this report, we investigate two themes in the arena of precision electroweak measurements: the electroweak precision observables (EWPOs) that test the particle content and couplings in the SM and the minimal supersymmetric SM, and the measurements involving multiple gauge bosons in the final state which provide unique probes of the basic tenets of electroweak symmetry breaking. Among the important EWPOs we focus our discussion on M_W and sin^2 theta_eff^l, and on anomalous quartic gauge couplings probed by triboson production and vector boson scattering. We investigate the thresholds of precision that need to be achieved in order to be sensitive to new physics. We study the precision that can be achieved at various facilities on these observables. We discuss the calculational tools needed to predict SM rates and distributions in order to perform these measurements at the required precision. This report summarizes the work of the Energy Frontier Precision Study of Electroweak Interactions working group of the 2013 Community Summer Study (Snowmass).

Future lepton colliders will be precision machines whose physics program includes close study of the Higgs sector and searches for new physics via polarised beams. The luminosity requirements of such machines entail very intense lepton bunches at the interaction point with associated strong electromagnetic fields. These strong fields not only lead to obvious phenomena such as beamstrahlung, but also potentially affect every particle physics process via virtual exchange with the bunch fields. For precision studies, strong field effects have to be understood to the sub-percent level. Strong external field effects can be taken into account exactly via the Furry Picture or, in certain limits, via the Quasi-classical Operator method . Significant theoretical development is in progress and here we outline the current state of play., Comment: 6 pages, ICHEP 2012 Proceedings

We explore the effects of neutrino and electron mixing with exotic heavy leptons in the process e^+e^-\to W^+W^- within E_6 models. We examine the possibility of uniquely distinguishing and identifying such effects of heavy neutral lepton exchange from Z-Z' mixing within the same class of models and also from analogous ones due to competitor models with anomalous trilinear gauge couplings (AGC) that can lead to very similar experimental signatures at the e^+e^- International Linear Collider (ILC) for \sqrt{s}=350, 500 GeV and 1 TeV. Such clear identification of the model is possible by using a certain double polarization asymmetry. The availability of both beams being polarized plays a crucial role in identifying such exotic-lepton admixture. In addition, the sensitivity of the ILC for probing exotic-lepton admixture is substantially enhanced when the polarization of the produced W^\pm bosons is considered., Comment: 20 pages

New heavy neutral gauge bosons Z' are predicted by many models of physics beyond the Standard Model. It is quite possible that Z's are heavy enough to lie beyond the discovery reach of the CERN Large Hadron Collider LHC, in which case only indirect signatures of Z' exchanges may emerge at future colliders, through deviations of the measured cross sections from the Standard Model predictions. We discuss in this context the foreseeable sensitivity to Z's of W^\pm-pair production cross sections at the e^+e^- International Linear Collider (ILC), especially as regards the potential of distinguishing observable effects of the Z' from analogous ones due to competitor models with anomalous trilinear gauge couplings (AGC) that can lead to the same or similar new physics experimental signatures at the ILC. The sensitivity of the ILC for probing the Z-Z' mixing and its capability to distinguish these two new physics scenarios is substantially enhanced when the polarization of the initial beams and the produced W^\pm bosons are considered. A model independent analysis of the Z' effects in the process e^+e^- \to W^+W^- allows to differentiate the full class of vector Z' models from those with anomalous trilinear gauge couplings, with one notable exception: the sequential SM (SSM)-like models can in this process not be distinguished from anomalous gauge couplings. Results of model dependent analysis of a specific Z' are expressed in terms of discovery and identification reaches on the Z-Z' mixing angle and the Z' mass., Comment: 33 pages; v2: version to appear in EPJC

The ILC baseline design for the positron source is based on radiation from a helical undulator to produce positrons in a thin target. Since the photon beam created in the helical undulator is circularly polarized, the generated positron beam is longitudinally polarized. Using a photon collimator upstream the positron target the positron polarization can be enhanced. However, the photon beam intensity yields a huge thermal load in the collimator material. In this paper the thermal load and heat dissipation in the photon collimator is discussed and design solutions are suggested.

To achieve the physics goals of future Linear Colliders, it is important that electron and positron beams are polarized. The positron source planned for the International Linear Collider (ILC) is based on a helical undulator system and can deliver a polarised beam with positron polarization of 60%. To ensure that no significant polarization is lost during the transport of the electron and positron beams from the source to the interaction region, spin tracking has to be included in all transport elements which can contribute to a loss of polarization. These are the positron source, the damping ring, the spin rotators, the main linac and the beam delivery system. In particular, the dynamics of the polarized positron beam is required to be investigated. The results of positron spin tracking and depolarization study at the Positron-Linac-To-Ring (PLTR) beamline are presented., Comment: Talk was presented at International Workshop on Future Linear Colliders (LCWS) 2011 in Granada, Spain, 26-30 September

In order to achieve the physics goals of future Linear Colliders, it is important that electron and positron beams are polarized. The baseline design at the International Linear Collider (ILC) foresees an e+ source based on helical undulator. Such a source provides high luminosity and polarizations. The positron source planned for ILC is based on a helical undulator system and can deliver a positron polarization of 60%. To ensure that no significant polarization is lost during the transport of the e- and e+ beams from the source to the interaction region, precise spin tracking has to be included in all transport elements which can contribute to a loss of polarization, i.e. the initial accelerating structures, the damping rings, the spin rotators, the main linac and the beam delivery system. In particular, the dynamics of the polarized positron beam is required to be investigated. In the talk recent results of positron spin tracking simulation at the source are presented. The positron yield and polarization are also discussed depending on the geometry of source elements., Comment: Talk was presented at POSIPOL 2011 conference. 8 pages, 8 figures

To achieve the extremely high luminosity for colliding electron-positron beams at the future International Linear Collider (ILC) an undulator-based source with about 230 meters helical undulator and a thin titanium-alloy target rim rotated with tangential velocity of about 100 meters per second are foreseen. The very high density of heat deposited in the target has to be analyzed carefully. The energy deposited by the photon beam in the target has been calculated in FLUKA. The resulting stress in the target material after one bunch train has been simulated in ANSYS., Comment: Talk was presented at the POSIPOL 2011 Workshop, IHEP, Beijing, 28--30 August 2011

Future linear colliders plan to collide polarised beams and the planned physics reach requires knowledge of the state of polarisation as precisely as possible. The polarised beams can undergo depolarisation due to various mechanisms. In order to quantify the uncertainty due to depolarisation, spin tracking simulations in the International Linear Collider (ILC) Beam Delivery System (BDS) and at the Interaction Point (IP) have been performed. Spin tracking in the BDS was achieved using the BMAD subroutine library, and the CAIN program was used to do spin tracking through the beam-beam collision. Assuming initially aligned beamline elements in the BDS, a ground motion model was applied to obtain realistic random misalignments over various time scales. Depolarisation at the level of 0.1% occurs within a day of ground motion at a noisy site. Depolarisation at the IP also exceeds 0.1% for the nominal parameter sets for both the ILC and for the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC). Theoretical work is underway to include radiative corrections in the depolarisation processes and simulation of the depolarisation through the entire collider is envisaged., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, PST09 proceedings; Proceedings of the 13th International Workshop on Polarised Sources, Targets and Polarimetry 2009, World Scientific 2011

We study the prospects to measure the CP-sensitive triple-product asymmetries in neutralino production e+e- -> ~chi^0_i ~chi^0_1 and subsequent leptonic two-body decays ~chi^0_i -> ~l_R l, ~l_R -> ~chi^0_1 l, for l=e, mu, within the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. We include a full detector simulation of the International Large Detector for the International Linear Collider. The simulation was performed at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt{s}=500 GeV, including the relevant Standard Model background processes, a realistic beam energy spectrum, beam backgrounds and a beam polarization of 80% and -60% for the electron and positron beams, respectively. In order to effectively disentangle different signal samples and reduce SM and SUSY backgrounds we apply a method of kinematic reconstruction. Assuming an integrated luminosity of 500 fb^-1 collected by the experiment and the performance of the current ILD detector, we arrive at a relative measurement accuracy of 10% for the CP-sensitive asymmetry in our scenario. We demonstrate that our method of signal selection using kinematic reconstruction can be applied to a broad class of scenarios and it allows disentangling processes with similar kinematic properties., Comment: 27 pages, 5 figures, minor changes, to appear in the EPJC

Photon emission by an electron embedded in a strong external field of general form is studied theoretically. The external field considered is a plane wave electromagnetic field of any number of components, period and polarisation. Exact, Volkov solutions of the Dirac equation with the 4-potential of the general external field are obtained. The photon emission is considered in the usual perturbation theory using the Volkov solutions to represent the electron. An expression for the transition probability of this process is obtained after the usual spin and polarisation sums, trace calculation and phase space integration. The final transition probability in the general case contains a single sum over contributions from external field photons and an integration over one of the phase space components. The validity of the general expression is established by considering specific external fields. Known specific analytic forms of the transition probability are obtained after substitution of the 4-potential for a circularly polarised and constant crossed external field. As an example usage of the general result for the transition probability, the case of two phase separated, circularly polarised external fields is studied both analytically and numerically., Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, DESY 11-092

We discuss the potential of observing effects of CP-violation phases in squark decay chains at the LHC. As the CP-odd observable, we use the asymmetry composed by triple products of final state momenta. There are good prospects of observing these effects using the method of kinematic reconstruction for the final and intermediate state particles. We also discuss the main experimental factors and the expected sensitivity., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, submitted to the proceedings of the 9th Hellenic School on Elementary Particle Physics and Gravity, Corfu 2009

We discuss the potential to observe effects of CP violation in squark decay chains at the LHC. As the CP-violating observable we use the asymmetry composed by triple products of final state momenta. Extending methods for momentum reconstruction we show that there are good prospects for observation of these effects at the LHC. Finally, we include the main experimental factors and discuss the expected sensitivity., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; to appear in the proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Supersymmetry and the Unification of Fundamental Interactions (SUSY09), Boston, USA, 5-10 Jun 2009

Discoveries at the LHC will soon set the physics agenda for future colliders. This report of a CERN Theory Institute includes the summaries of Working Groups that reviewed the physics goals and prospects of LHC running with 10 to 300/fb of integrated luminosity, of the proposed sLHC luminosity upgrade, of the ILC, of CLIC, of the LHeC and of a muon collider. The four Working Groups considered possible scenarios for the first 10/fb of data at the LHC in which (i) a state with properties that are compatible with a Higgs boson is discovered, (ii) no such state is discovered either because the Higgs properties are such that it is difficult to detect or because no Higgs boson exists, (iii) a missing-energy signal beyond the Standard Model is discovered as in some supersymmetric models, and (iv) some other exotic signature of new physics is discovered. In the contexts of these scenarios, the Working Groups reviewed the capabilities of the future colliders to study in more detail whatever new physics may be discovered by the LHC. Their reports provide the particle physics community with some tools for reviewing the scientific priorities for future colliders after the LHC produces its first harvest of new physics from multi-TeV collisions., Comment: 98 pages, CERN Theory Institute Summary Report

We study the potential to observe CP-violating effects in SUSY cascade decay chains at the LHC. We consider squark and gluino production followed by subsequent decays into neutralinos with a three-body leptonic decay in the final step. Asymmetries composed by triple products of momenta of the final state particles are sensitive to CP-violating effects. Due to large boosts these asymmetries can be difficult to observe at a hadron collider. We show that using all available kinematic information one can reconstruct the decay chains on an event-by-event basis even in the case of 3-body decays, neutrinos and LSPs in the final state. We also discuss the most important experimental effects like major backgrounds and momentum smearing due to finite detector resolution. We show that with 300 fb$^{-1}$ of collected data, CP violation may be discovered at the LHC for a wide range of the phase of the bino mass parameter $M_1$., Comment: Version accepted for publication in JHEP. Clarifications added on the assumptions used for plots. New references added

Any future high energy e+e- linear collider aims at precision measurements of Standard Model quantities as well as of new, not yet discovered phenomena. In order to pursue this physics programme, excellent detectors at the interaction region have to be complemented by beam diagnostics of unprecedented precision. This article gives an overview of current plans and issues for polarimeters and energy spectrometers at the International Linear Collider, which have been designed to fulfill the precision goals at a large range of beam energies from 45.6 GeV at the Z pole up to 250 GeV or, as an upgrade, up to 500 GeV., Comment: Reference paper for the "Letter of Intent" documents of all ILC detector concepts; 15 pages, 9 figures; as accepted by JINST. Improved figure quality and some changes to the text, but basic content unchanged

In this contribution accelerator solutions for polarized beams and their impact on physics measurements are discussed. Focus are physics requirements for precision polarimetry near the interaction point and their realization with polarized sources. Based on the ILC baseline programme as described in the Reference Design Report (RDR), recent developments are discussed and evaluated taking into account physics runs at beam energies between 100 GeV and 250 GeV, as well as calibration runs on the Z-pole and options as the 1TeV upgrade and GigaZ., Comment: To appear in the proceedings of International Linear Collider Workshop (LCWS08 and ILC08), Chicago, Illinois, 16-20 Nov 2008

We argue that the allowed range of the mass of the lightest neutralino in the MNSSM is limited. We establish the theoretical upper bound on the lightest neutralino mass and obtain an approximate solution for this mass., Comment: Poster presented at ICHEP08, Philadelphia, USA, July 2008. 3 pages, LaTeX, 2 eps figures

We study the potential observation at the LHC of CP-violating effects in stop production and subsequent cascade decays, g g -> tilde{t}_i tilde{t}_i, tilde{t}_i -> t tilde{chi}^0_j, tilde{chi}^0_j -> tilde{\chi}^0_1 l^+ l^-, within the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. We study T-odd asymmetries based on triple products between the different decay products. There may be a large CP asymmetry at the parton level, but there is a significant dilution at the hadronic level after integrating over the parton distribution functions. Consequently, even for scenarios where large CP intrinsic asymmetries are expected, the measurable asymmetry is rather small. High luminosity and precise measurements of masses, branching ratios and CP asymmetries may enable measurements of the CP-violating parameters in cascade decays at the LHC., Comment: Version accepted for publication in EPJC

This note summarizes the results of the "Workshop on Polarisation and Beam Energy Measurements at the ILC", held at DESY (Zeuthen) April 9-11 2008. The topics for the workshop included (i) physics requirements, (ii) polarised sources and low energy polarimetry, (iii) BDS polarimeters, (iv) BDS energy spectrometers, and (v) physics-based measurements of beam polarisation and beam energy from collider data. Discussions focused on the current ILC baseline programme as described in the Reference Design Report (RDR), which includes physics runs at beam energies between 100 and 250 GeV, as well as calibration runs on the Z-pole. Electron polarisation of P_e- >~ 80% and positron polarisation of P_e+ >~ 30% are part of the baseline configuration of the machine. Energy and polarisation measurements for ILC options beyond the baseline, including Z-pole running and the 1 TeV energy upgrade, were also discussed., Comment: 14 pages, no figures, workshop summary

A short overview about the potential of polarized beams at future colliders is given. In particular the baseline design for polarized beams at the ILC is presented and the physics case for polarized $e^-$ and $e^+$ is discussed. In order to fulfil the precision requirements spin tracking from the source to the interaction point is needed. Updates concerning the theoretical calculations as well as their implementation in simulation codes are reported., Comment: 5 pages, contribution to the proceedings of EPS07

We consider the neutralino sector in the Minimal Non--minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MNSSM). We argue that there exists a theoretical upper bound on the lightest neutralino mass in the MNSSM. An approximate solution for the mass of the lightest neutralino is obtained., Comment: Presented at 13th Lomonosov Conference on Elementary Particle Physics, Moscow, Russia, 23-29 August 2007

We study the neutralino sector of the Minimal Non-minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MNSSM) where the $\mu$ problem of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) is solved without accompanying problems related with the appearance of domain walls. In the MNSSM as in the MSSM the lightest neutralino can be the absolutely stable lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) providing a good candidate for the cold dark matter component of the Universe. In contrast with the MSSM the allowed range of the mass of the lightest neutralino in the MNSSM is limited. We establish the theoretical upper bound on the lightest neutralino mass in the framework of this model and obtain an approximate solution for this mass., Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, references added

Combined analyses at the Large Hadron Collider and at the International Linear Collider are important to unravel a difficult region of supersymmetry that is characterized by scalar SUSY particles with masses around 2 TeV. Precision measurements of masses, cross sections and forward-backward asymmetries allow to determine the fundamental supersymmetric parameters even if only a small part of the spectrum is accessible. Mass constraints for the heavy particles can be derived., Comment: 5 pages, 1 eps figure, ilcws07 style; Talk given at 2007 International Linear Collider Workshop (LCWS07 and ILC07), Hamburg, Germany, 30 May - 3 Jun 2007

The physics potential of the Large Hadron Collider in combination with the planned International Linear Collider is discussed for a difficult region of supersymmetry that is characterized by scalar SUSY particles with masses around 2 TeV. Precision measurements of masses, cross sections and forward-backward asymmetries allow to determine the fundamental supersymmetric parameters even if only a small part of the spectrum is accessible. No assumptions on a specific SUSY-breaking mechanism are imposed. Mass contraints for the kinematically inaccessible particles can be derived., Comment: Submitted for the SUSY07 proceedings, 4 pages, LaTeX, 1 figure

We examine the allowed mass range of the lightest neutralino within the Minimal Non--minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. Being absolutely stable if R-parity is conserved this lightest neutralino is a candidate for the dark matter of the universe. We establish the theoretical upper bound on the lightest neutralino mass and obtain an approximate solution for this mass., Comment: Submitted for the SUSY07 proceedings, 4 pages, LaTeX, 3 eps figures, some minor changes to the text

We study selectron production at an e-e- linear collider. With the help of transverse beam polarizations, we define CP sensitive observables in the production process e- e- --> selectron_L selectron_R. This process proceeds via t-channel and u-channel exchange of neutralinos, and is sensitive to CP violation in the neutralino sector. We present numerical results and estimate the significances to which the CP sensitive observables can be measured., Comment: 14 pages

There are many possibilities for new physics beyond the Standard Model that feature non-standard Higgs sectors. These may introduce new sources of CP violation, and there may be mixing between multiple Higgs bosons or other new scalar bosons. Alternatively, the Higgs may be a composite state, or there may even be no Higgs at all. These non-standard Higgs scenarios have important implications for collider physics as well as for cosmology, and understanding their phenomenology is essential for a full comprehension of electroweak symmetry breaking. This report discusses the most relevant theories which go beyond the Standard Model and its minimal, CP-conserving supersymmetric extension: two-Higgs-doublet models and minimal supersymmetric models with CP violation, supersymmetric models with an extra singlet, models with extra gauge groups or Higgs triplets, Little Higgs models, models in extra dimensions, and models with technicolour or other new strong dynamics. For each of these scenarios, this report presents an introduction to the phenomenology, followed by contributions on more detailed theoretical aspects and studies of possible experimental signatures at the LHC and other colliders., Comment: Report of the CPNSH workshop, May 2004 - Dec 2005, 542 pages. The complete report as well as its individual chapters are also available from http://kraml.home.cern.ch/kraml/cpnsh/report.html

We study CP violation in chargino production and decay in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) with complex parameters at an e^+ e^- linear collider with longitudinally polarized beams. We investigate CP-sensitive asymmetries by means of triple product correlations and study their dependence on the complex parameters M_1 and mu. We give numerical predictions for the asymmetries and their measurability at the future International Linear Collider. Our results show that the CP asymmetries can be measured in a large region of the MSSM parameter space., Comment: 22 pages, LaTeX, 8 figures; v2: structural changes and references added, main conclusions unchanged, published version

We discuss the potential of combined analyses at the Large Hadron Collider and the planned International Linear Collider to explore low-energy supersymmetry in a difficult region of the parameter space characterized by masses of the scalar SUSY particles around 2 TeV. Precision analyses of cross sections for light chargino production and forward--backward asymmetries of decay leptons and hadrons at the ILC, together with mass information on chi^0_2 and squarks from the LHC, allow us to determine the underlying fundamental gaugino/higgsino MSSM parameters and to constrain the masses of the heavy, kinematically inaccessible sparticles. No assumptions on a specific SUSY-breaking mechanism are imposed. For this analysis the complete spin correlations between production and decay processes are taken into account., Comment: new figure added, updated to match the published version

We discuss the potential of combined LHC and ILC experiments for SUSY searches in a difficult region of the parameter space, in which all sfermion masses are above the TeV scale. Precision analyses of cross sections of light chargino production and forward--backward asymmetries of decay leptons and hadrons at the ILC, together with mass information on \tilde{\chi}^0_2 and squarks from the LHC, allow us to fit rather precisely the underlying fundamental gaugino/higgsino MSSM parameters and to constrain the masses of the heavy virtual sparticles. For such analyses the complete spin correlations between the production and decay processes have to be taken into account. We also took into account expected experimental uncertainties., Comment: 4 pages, talk given at XLI Rencontres de Moriond on Electroweak Interactions and Unified Theories, La Thuile, Italy, 11-18 Mar 2006

The work contained herein constitutes a report of the "Beyond the Standard Model'' working group for the Workshop "Physics at TeV Colliders", Les Houches, France, 2-20 May, 2005. We present reviews of current topics as well as original research carried out for the workshop. Supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric models are studied, as well as computational tools designed in order to facilitate their phenomenology., Comment: 269 pages, 165 figures. Web page of the workshop (with links to the talks): http://lappweb.in2p3.fr/conferences/LesHouches/Houches2005/

High-precision analyses of supersymmetry parameters aim at reconstructing the fundamental supersymmetric theory and its breaking mechanism. A well defined theoretical framework is needed when higher-order corrections are included. We propose such a scheme, Supersymmetry Parameter Analysis SPA, based on a consistent set of conventions and input parameters. A repository for computer programs is provided which connect parameters in different schemes and relate the Lagrangian parameters to physical observables at LHC and high energy e+e- linear collider experiments, i.e., masses, mixings, decay widths and production cross sections for supersymmetric particles. In addition, programs for calculating high-precision low energy observables, the density of cold dark matter (CDM) in the universe as well as the cross sections for CDM search experiments are included. The SPA scheme still requires extended efforts on both the theoretical and experimental side before data can be evaluated in the future at the level of the desired precision. We take here an initial step of testing the SPA scheme by applying the techniques involved to a specific supersymmetry reference point., Comment: 17pp; references corrected

This report reviews the properties of Higgs bosons in the Standard Model (SM) and its various extensions. We give an extensive overview about the potential of the ILC operated at centre-of-mass energies up to 1 TeV (including the gamma gamma option) for the determination of the Higgs boson properties. This comprises the measurement of the Higgs boson mass, its couplings to SM fermions and gauge bosons, and the determination of the spin and the CP quantum numbers of the Higgs. The extensions of the SM that are analyzed in more detail are heavy SM-like Higgs bosons, heavy Higgs bosons in the framework of Supersymmetry (SUSY) and further exotic scenarios. We review recent theoretical developments in the field of Higgs boson physics. The important question what the ILC can contribute to Higgs boson physics after the LHC, the LHC/ILC interplay and synergy is discussed. The impact of Higgs boson physics on cosmology in several SUSY frameworks is analyzed. The impact of the accelerator and dector performance on the precision of measurements are discussed in detail. We propose a strategy to optimize future analyses. Open questions arising for the various topics are listed, further topics of study and corresponding roadmaps are suggested., Comment: 128 pages, lots of figures. One subsection added and other minor modifications