TASI 2016 Lectures: Electroweak Symmetry Breaking and Effective Field Theory

TL;DR

This paper provides a pedagogical overview of electroweak symmetry breaking, Higgs physics at the LHC, and the application of effective field theory to understand potential deviations from the Standard Model.

Contribution

It introduces effective field theory techniques in Higgs physics and discusses their role in analyzing LHC data and future prospects.

Findings

Higgs measurements are consistent with Standard Model predictions.

Effective Lagrangian methods help identify deviations from the Standard Model.

Discussion of future directions in Higgs physics and effective theories.

Abstract

I give a pedagogical introduction to the physics of electroweak symmetry breaking and the uses of effective field theory in the context of Higgs physics. Higgs boson production and decay at the LHC and the consistency of the Higgs measurements with triviality arguments, vacuum stability, and precision electroweak measurements are discussed. Effective Lagrangian techniques are used to understand potential deviations from the Standard Model (SM) predictions. Finally, I end with a brief discussion of the future of Higgs physics.