Octetonium at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper explores the production and detection of color-octet scalar bound states, called octetonium, at the LHC, highlighting their potential as resonances in various decay channels for masses up to 1 TeV.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of octetonium in the Manohar-Wise model and analyzes their production and decay signatures at the LHC.

Findings

Octetonium can be produced via gluon-gluon fusion at significant rates.

Decays of octetonium include gluon pairs and electroweak gauge bosons.

Resonances in gamma gamma, W+W-, ZZ, and gamma Z channels are possible for masses up to 1 TeV.

Abstract

Several models of new physics, such as grand unified theories, Pati-Salam models, chiral color models, etc., predict the existence of an $SU(2)_L$ doublet of color-octet scalars (COS). In the Manohar-Wise model, the Yukawa couplings of the COS are assumed to be consistent with Minimal Flavor Violation ensuring constraints from flavor physics are satisfied even for relatively light scalars. In this simple model we consider the production of color singlet bound states of COS that we call octetonium. Octetonium are mainly produced via gluon-gluon fusion and have significant production cross sections at the LHC. They can decay to pairs of gluons or electroweak gauge bosons. If the masses of the octetonia are 1 TeV or less, these states will be visible as resonances in $\gamma \gamma, W^+W^-, ZZ$, and $ \gamma Z$.