Precision electroweak physics at the LHeC and FCC-eh

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of future electron-proton colliders LHeC and FCC-eh for high-precision measurements of electroweak parameters within the Standard Model and for probing beyond Standard Model physics.

Contribution

It provides new prospects for the FCC-eh and analyzes the sensitivity of these colliders to electroweak parameters and new physics effects using simulated data.

Findings

High-precision measurements of the weak mixing angle are feasible.

Sensitivity to beyond Standard Model effects using S, T, U parameters is demonstrated.

Unique electroweak physics insights can be gained from future collider data.

Abstract

The proposed electron-proton collider experiments LHeC and FCC-eh at CERN are the highest resolution microscopes that can be realised in the present century and they would represent a really unique research facility. We exploit simulated neutral-current and charged-current deep-inelastic scattering data of the LHeC and the FCC-eh and examine their sensitivity for precision physics in the Electroweak sector of the Standard Model (SM), like the effective weak mixing angle $\sin^2\theta_{\textrm{W},\ell}^\textrm{eff}$, or the light-quark weak-neutral-current couplings. Unique measurements are further feasible at high precision for the running of the weak mixing angle, as well as for electroweak effects in charged current interactions. The sensitivity to beyond SM effects is studied using the generic $S$, $T$ and $U$ parameterization. The report summarizes previous studies about the LHeC and presents new prospects for the FCC-eh.