Exploring Extensions of the Scalar Sector of the Standard Model

TL;DR

This thesis investigates extended scalar sectors in the Standard Model, focusing on vector boson scattering, resonance signatures, and vacuum stability, revealing how new scalars can be distinguished and may improve electroweak vacuum stability.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive analysis of extended scalar sectors, highlighting their experimental signatures and impact on electroweak vacuum stability, with detailed phase diagrams and resonance shape studies.

Findings

Vector boson scattering can distinguish different scalar models.

Resonance shapes provide insights into model parameters.

Extended scalars can enhance electroweak vacuum stability.

Abstract

In this thesis, various extensions of the scalar sector have been considered comprising of different ${SU(2)_L}$ multiplets. If the extended scalar sector participates in the electroweak symmetry breaking then these extra scalars need to couple with the known standard model particles. In this work, it has been shown that the vector boson scattering involving scalar boson exchanges provide a complimentary way to direct search methods to probe into the scalar sector. As different extended scalar sectors have similar types of scalar fields, e.g., an extra $CP$-even Higgs, charged Higgs etc., these new physics models can give rise to the similar types of experimental signatures. It is possible to distinguish between such models at various vector boson scattering processes by looking at the resonances. Also, the shapes of the resonances can provide further insight to the relevant parameter space of these models. As in the SM, the electroweak vacuum is metastable, it is important to explore if an extended scalar has an answer in its reserve. As the scalar weakly interacting massive scalar particles protected by $Z_2$ symmetry can serve as viable dark matter candidates, it is interesting to explore if they help prolong the lifetime of the Universe. The effective Higgs potential gets modified in the presence of these new extra scalars, improving the stability of electroweak vacuum. Such an exercise has been undertaken in various kinds of extended scalar sectors. In order to show the explicit dependence of the electroweak stability on different parameters of these extended sectors, various kinds of phase diagrams have been presented. Graphical demonstrations have been provided to illustrate how the confidence level, at which stability of electroweak vacuum is excluded, depends on such new physics parameters.