Uncertainties in the Lightest $CP$ Even Higgs Boson Mass Prediction in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model: Fixed Order Versus Effective Field Theory Prediction

TL;DR

This paper assesses uncertainties in predicting the lightest Higgs boson mass in the MSSM, comparing fixed order and EFT methods, and explores implications for stop mass parameters and fine-tuning.

Contribution

It provides a detailed comparison of fixed order and EFT approaches for Higgs mass prediction, including three-loop corrections and uncertainty analysis.

Findings

Fixed order calculation is more accurate below ~1.2 TeV SUSY scale.

EFT approach is more precise above ~1.2 TeV.

Maximum stop mass compatible with stability and Higgs discovery is ~10^{11} GeV.

Abstract

We quantify and examine the uncertainties in predictions of the lightest $CP$ even Higgs boson pole mass $M_h$ in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), utilising current spectrum generators and including some three-loop corrections. There are two broadly different approximations being used: effective field theory (EFT) where an effective Standard Model (SM) is used below a supersymmetric mass scale, and a fixed order calculation, where the MSSM is matched to QCD$\times$QED at the electroweak scale. The uncertainties on the $M_h$ prediction in each approach are broken down into logarithmic and finite pieces. The inferred values of the stop mass parameters are sensitively dependent upon the precision of the prediction for $M_h$. The fixed order calculation appears to be more accurate below a supersymmetry (SUSY) mass scale of $M_S \approx 1.2$ TeV, whereas above this scale, the EFT calculation is more accurate. We also revisit the range of the lightest stop mass across fine-tuned parameter space that has an appropriate stable vacuum and is compatible with the lightest $CP$ even Higgs boson $h$ being identified with the one discovered at the ATLAS and CMS experiments in 2012; we achieve a maximum value of $\sim 10^{11}$ GeV.