New (and Old) Perspectives on Higgs Physics

TL;DR

This paper reviews Higgs physics, discussing the hierarchy problem, supersymmetric solutions, and a specific Higgs decay scenario involving light pseudoscalars, highlighting experimental detection strategies.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of the ideal Higgs boson properties and advocates for the next-to-minimal supersymmetric model to address high-scale issues.

Findings

Supersymmetric models can delay the hierarchy problem.

A Higgs with mass around 100 GeV decaying to four taus is a viable scenario.

Detection strategies for Higgs decaying via light pseudoscalars are proposed.

Abstract

Old and new ideas regarding Higgs physics are reviewed. We first summarize the quadratic divergence / hierarchy problem which strongly suggests that the SM Higgs sector will be supplemented by new physics at high scales. We next consider means for delaying the hierarchy problem of the SM Higgs sector to unexpectedly high scales. We then outline the properties of the most ideal Higgs boson. The main advantages of a supersymmetric solution to the high scale problems are summarized and the reasons for preferring the next-to-minimal supersymmetric model over the minimal supersymmetric model in order to achieve an ideal Higgs are emphasized. This leads us to the strongly motivated scenario in which there is a Higgs $h$ with SM-like $WW,ZZ$ couplings and $\mh\sim 100\gev$ that decays via $h\to aa$ with $m_a<2m_b$, where $m_a>2m_\tau$ is preferred, implying $a\to \tau^+ \tau^-$. The means for detecting an $h\to aa\to 4\tau$ signal are then discussed. Some final cautionary and concluding remarks are given.