$W$-Boson Mass Anomaly from a General $SU(2)_{L}$ Scalar Multiplet

TL;DR

This paper proposes that an $SU(2)_L$ scalar multiplet can explain the $W$-boson mass anomaly through one-loop contributions to electroweak parameters, analyzing various representations and experimental constraints.

Contribution

It derives general formulas for $T$ and $S$ parameters from scalar multiplets and explores their implications for explaining the $W$-mass anomaly.

Findings

Scalar multiplets in real representations with $Y=0$ cannot explain the anomaly.

Complex representations with nonzero hypercharge can account for the $W$-mass excess.

Constraints from perturbativity and electroweak precision data limit the model parameter space.

Abstract

We explain the $W$-boson mass anomaly by introducing an $SU(2)_L$ scalar multiplet with general isospin and hypercharge in the case without its vacuum expectation value. It is shown that the dominant contribution from the scalar multiplet to the $W$-boson mass arises at one-loop level, which can be expressed in terms of the electroweak (EW) oblique parameters $T$ and $S$ at leading order. We firstly rederive the general formulae of $T$ and $S$ induced by a scalar multiplet of EW charges, confirming the results in the literature. We then study several specific examples of great phenomenological interest by applying these general expressions. As a result, it is found that the model with a scalar multiplet in an $SU(2)_L$ real representation with $Y=0$ cannot generate the required $M_W$ correction since it leads to vanishing values of $T$ and $S$. On the other hand, the cases with scalars in a complex representation under $SU(2)_L$ with a general hypercharge can explain the $M_W$ excess observed by CDF-\uppercase\expandafter{\romannumeral2} due to nonzero $T$ and $S$. We further take into account of the strong constraints from the perturbativity and the EW global fit of the precision data, and vary the isospin representation and hypercharge of the additional scalar multiplet, in order to assess the extent of the model to solve the $W$-boson mass anomaly. It turns out that these constraints play important roles in setting limits on the model parameter space. We also briefly describe the collider signatures of the extra scalar multiplet, especially when it contains long-lived heavy highly charged states.