Invisible Higgs Decay in a Supersymmetric Inverse Seesaw Model with Light Sneutrino Dark Matter

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential for the lightest neutral Higgs boson to decay invisibly into sneutrino dark matter within a supersymmetric inverse seesaw model, analyzing LHC data to constrain the invisible decay rate.

Contribution

It introduces a model where the Higgs can decay invisibly into sneutrino dark matter and provides a global analysis of LHC data to set limits on this decay mode.

Findings

Invisible Higgs decay branching ratio constrained to 0.23 at 2σ

Sneutrino LSP as a viable light dark matter candidate

Proposed signal is viable against backgrounds at the LHC

Abstract

Within the framework of a constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (cMSSM) augmented by an MSSM singlet-pair sector to account for the non-zero neutrino masses by inverse seesaw mechanism, the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) can be a mixed sneutrino with mass as small as 50 GeV, satisfying all existing constraints, thus qualifying as a light dark matter candidate. We study the possibility of the lightest neutral Higgs boson in this model decaying invisibly into a pair of sneutrino LSPs, thereby giving rise to novel missing energy signatures at the LHC. We perform a two-parameter global analysis of the LHC Higgs data available till date to determine the optimal invisible Higgs branching fraction in this scenario, and obtain a $2\sigma(1\sigma)$ upper limit of 0.23 (0.12). A detailed cut-based analysis is carried out thereafter, demonstrating the viability of our proposed signal vis-a-vis backgrounds at the LHC.