Quarkonium resonance identified with the 125 GeV boson

TL;DR

This paper proposes that the 125 GeV resonance observed at the LHC could be a heavy quarkonium meson, with decay characteristics similar to the Higgs boson but with suppressed fermionic decay channels, offering an alternative interpretation.

Contribution

It introduces the hypothesis that the 125 GeV resonance might be a heavy quarkonium meson and compares its decay rates to those of the standard model Higgs boson, highlighting potential distinguishing features.

Findings

Branching ratios for photon and Z boson channels are similar to the Higgs boson.

Decay rates to fermion pairs are suppressed compared to the Higgs.

Accurate measurements can differentiate between the Higgs and the quarkonium hypothesis.

Abstract

The 125 GeV resonance discovered at the LHC could be a heavy quarkonium, spin 0 pseudoscalar meson $\zeta^0$. The decay rates of the $\zeta^0$ meson resonance are calculated and compared to the standard model Higgs boson decay rates. The branching ratios and signal strengths for $\zeta\rightarrow\gamma\gamma$, $\zeta\rightarrow Z\gamma$, $\zeta\rightarrow ZZ^*$ and $\zeta\rightarrow WW^*$ are approximately the same as the Higgs boson branching ratios and signal strengths. The decay rates for $\zeta\rightarrow\tau^+\tau^-$, $\zeta\rightarrow b\bar b$ and $\zeta\rightarrow c\bar c$ are suppressed compared to the Higgs boson decay rates. Accurate branching ratios and signal strengths obtained at the LHC can distinguish between the standard model Higgs boson and the heavy composite $\zeta$ meson resonance.