Higgs decays in supersymmetric models with light neutralinos

TL;DR

This paper investigates how light neutralinos in supersymmetric models can significantly alter Higgs decay patterns, potentially making invisible decays dominant and suppressing visible channels like gamma gamma.

Contribution

It identifies parameter regions where Higgs decays predominantly into neutralino pairs, revealing a new dominant decay channel in supersymmetric models.

Findings

Higgs can decay mainly into neutralino pairs in certain parameter regions.

The visible decay modes of Higgs, such as h --> γγ, are suppressed due to this new decay channel.

Light neutralinos below 50 GeV are compatible with current experimental bounds.

Abstract

In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, neutralinos lighter than 50 GeV are compatible with all accelerator, precision, and cosmological bounds. Such neutralinos might constitute a relevant decay channel for the Higgs boson, modifying its expected signatures at hadron colliders. We study the branching ratio h --> \chi\chi and determine the region in the supersymmetric parameter space where it is sizable. We have found that, in fact, the Higgs may dominantly decay into neutralino pairs. Besides, as a result of this new channel, the branching ratio into visible modes, such as h --> \gamma\gamma, gets suppressed.