Lattice study of the scalar and baryon spectra in many-flavor QCD

TL;DR

This study uses lattice simulations to explore the scalar and baryon spectra in many-flavor QCD, aiming to understand its potential as a composite Higgs model and dark matter candidate.

Contribution

It provides new lattice-based measurements of the scalar decay constant and lightest baryon mass in many-flavor QCD with Nf=8, relevant for composite Higgs and dark matter models.

Findings

Light scalar as light as the pion in Nf=8 QCD

Preliminary scalar decay constant measurements

Lightest baryon as a potential dark matter candidate

Abstract

In the search for a composite Higgs boson in walking technicolor models, many flavor QCD, in particular with $N_f=8$, is an attractive candidate, and has been found to have a composite flavor-singlet scalar as light as the pion. Based on lattice simulations of this theory with the HISQ action, we will present our preliminary results on the scalar decay constant using the fermionic bilinear operator, and on the mass of the lightest baryon state which could be a dark matter candidate. Combining these two results, implications for dark matter direct detection are also discussed.