Supersymmetric Higgs Bosons and Beyond

TL;DR

This paper explores extended supersymmetric models with additional particles affecting Higgs properties, showing that the Higgs mass and production rates can differ significantly from the MSSM, with implications for collider searches.

Contribution

It provides a model-independent analysis of Higgs spectrum and couplings in extended supersymmetric models, highlighting potential deviations from MSSM predictions.

Findings

Lightest Higgs mass can exceed 114 GeV at tree level.

Higgs couplings and decay modes can be significantly altered.

Gluon fusion cross section for the Higgs can be enhanced.

Abstract

We consider supersymmetric models that include particles beyond the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) with masses in the TeV range, and that couple significantly to the MSSM Higgs sector. We perform a model-independent analysis of the spectrum and couplings of the MSSM Higgs fields, based on an effective theory of the MSSM degrees of freedom. The tree-level mass of the lightest CP-even state can easily be above the LEP bound of 114 GeV, thus allowing for a relatively light spectrum of superpartners, restricted only by direct searches. The Higgs spectrum and couplings can be significantly modified compared to the MSSM ones, often allowing for interesting new decay modes. We also observe that the gluon fusion production cross section of the SM-like Higgs can be enhanced with respect to both the Standard Model and the MSSM.