Dark Matter Signals at the LHC from a 3HDM

TL;DR

This paper explores unique dark matter signals at the LHC within a 3HDM framework, focusing on cascade decays involving inert scalars and their potential observability in collider experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel decay channel in the 3HDM with inert doublets, providing distinctive collider signatures not present in simpler models like the 2HDM.

Findings

The decay $H_2 o H_1 f ar f$ is a key signature of the 3HDM.

Collider signatures include $ ot{E}_T$ with low invariant mass $f ar f$, observable in Run 2 and 3.

Benchmark scenarios show potential for detection of these signals at the LHC.

Abstract

We analyse new signals of Dark Matter (DM) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in a 3-Higgs Doublet Model (3HDM) where only one doublet acquires a Vacuum Expectation Value (VEV), preserving a parity $Z_2$. The other two doublets are \textit{inert} and do not develop a VEV, leading to a {\it dark scalar sector} controlled by $Z_2$, with the lightest CP-even dark scalar $H_1$ being the DM candidate. This leads to the loop induced decay of the next-to-lightest scalar, $H_2 \to H_1 f \bar f$ ($f=u,d,c,s,b,e,\mu,\tau$), mediated by both dark CP-odd and charged scalars. This is a smoking-gun signal of the 3HDM since it is not allowed in the 2HDM with one inert doublet and is expected to be important when $H_2$ and $H_1$ are close in mass. In practice, this signature can be observed in the cascade decay of the SM-like Higgs boson, $h\to H_1 H_2\to H_1 H_1 f \bar f$ into two DM particles and di-leptons/di-jets, where $h$ is produced from either gluon-gluon Fusion (ggF) or Vector Boson Fusion (VBF). However, this signal competes with the tree-level channel $q\bar q\to H_1H_1Z^*\to H_1H_1f \bar f$. We devise some benchmarks, compliant with collider, DM and cosmological data, for which the interplay between these modes is discussed. In particular, we show that the resulting detector signature, $\Et\; f \bar f$, with invariant mass of $ f \bar f$ much smaller than $m_Z$, can potentially be extracted already during Run 2 and 3. For example, the $H_2\to H_1\gamma^*$ and $\gamma^*\to e^+e^-$ case will give a spectacular QED mono-shower signal.