750 GeV Diphoton excess from $E_6$ in F-theory GUTs

TL;DR

This paper proposes interpreting the 750 GeV diphoton excess as a singlet scalar from an $E_6$ GUT in F-theory, predicting additional resonances and vector-like fermions.

Contribution

It introduces a model embedding the diphoton resonance within $E_6$ F-theory GUTs, predicting new scalar states and vector-like fermions consistent with gauge unification.

Findings

Predicts additional diphoton resonances near 750 GeV

Forecasts existence of vector-like fermions $D_i,ar{D}_i$

Supports gauge coupling unification in the model

Abstract

We interpret the 750-760 GeV diphoton resonance as one or more of the spinless components of a singlet superfield arising from the three 27-dimensional representations of $E_6$ in F-theory, which also contain three copies of colour-triplet charge $\mp 1/3$ vector-like fermions $D_i,\bar{D}_i$ and inert Higgs doublets to which the singlets may couple. For definiteness we consider (without change) a model that was proposed some time ago which contains such states, as well as bulk exotics, leading to gauge coupling unification. The smoking gun prediction of the model is the existence of other similar spinless resonances, possibly close in mass to 750-760 GeV, decaying into diphotons, as well as the three families of vector-like fermions $D_i,\bar{D}_i$.