A 160-320 GeV linear collider to study e+e- -> HZ and gamma-gamma -> H, HH

TL;DR

This paper proposes a two-stage linear collider with electron linacs and an optical FEL to study Higgs boson properties through e+e- and gamma-gamma collisions at energies between 160 and 320 GeV, enabling detailed Higgs measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a novel two-stage collider design optimized for Higgs physics, combining e+e- and gamma-gamma collision modes with polarized beams and high luminosity.

Findings

Enables precise measurement of Higgs properties such as mass, spin, and couplings.

Provides a cost-effective alternative to higher-energy colliders for certain Higgs processes.

Allows repeated LEP/SLC measurements at higher luminosities and polarization.

Abstract

The construction of two electron linacs and an optical FEL system is proposed. This facility, which would serve primarily as a Higgs-boson collider factory, could be built in two stages, each with distinct physics objectives requiring particular center-of-mass (CM) energies: (1) e+e- -> HZ (E_ee ~ 250 GeV), and (2) gamma-gamma -> H, HH (E_ee ~ 160 to 320 GeV). The rich set of final states in e+e- and gamma-gamma collisions would play an essential role in measuring the mass, spin, parity, two-photon width and trilinear self-coupling of the Higgs boson, as well as its couplings to fermions and gauge bosons; these quantities are difficult to determine with only one initial state. All the measurements made at LEP and SLC could be repeated using highly polarized electron beams and at much higher luminosities. For some processes within and beyond the Standard Model, the required CM energy is considerably lower at the proposed facility than at an e+e- or proton collider.