On the Higgs Fit and Electroweak Phase Transition

TL;DR

This paper explores how introducing a second scalar with negative Higgs portal coupling can improve Higgs data fits and strengthen the electroweak phase transition, with implications for MSSM electroweak baryogenesis.

Contribution

It proposes a novel mechanism involving two scalars with opposite Higgs portal couplings to enhance electroweak phase transition strength and fit Higgs data better.

Findings

Introducing a second scalar improves Higgs fit quality.

The mechanism allows for heavier stops in MSSM baryogenesis.

Predicts a light sbottom below 200 GeV and a light stop up to 140 GeV.

Abstract

We consider the Higgs portal through which light scalars contribute both to the Higgs production and decay and Higgs effective potential at finite temperature via quantum loops. The positive Higgs portal coupling required by a strongly first order electroweak phase transition is disfavored by the current Higgs data if we consider one such scalar. We observe that by introducing a second scalar with negative Higgs portal coupling, one can not only improve the Higgs fits, but also enhance the strength of first order EWPT. We apply this mechanism to the light stop scenario for electroweak baryogenesis in the MSSM and find a light sbottom could play the role as the second scalar, which allows the stop to be relatively heavier. Non-decoupled effects on the Higgs or sbottom self-interactions from physics beyond MSSM is found to be indispensable for this scenario to work. A clear prediction from the picture is the existence of a light sbottom (below 200 GeV) and a light stop (can be as heavy as 140 GeV), which can be directly tested in the near future.