Anatomy of the Real Higgs Triplet Model

Abstract

In this article, we examine the Standard Model extended by a $Y=0$ real Higgs triplet, the $Δ$SM. It contains a $CP$-even neutral Higgs ($Δ^0$) and two charged Higgs bosons ($Δ^\pm$), which are quasi-degenerate in mass. We first study the theoretical constraints from vacuum stability and perturbative unitarity and then calculate the Higgs decays, including the loop-induced modes such as di-photons ($γγ$) and $Zγ$. In the limit of a small mixing between the SM Higgs and $Δ^0$, the latter decays dominantly to $WW$ and can have a sizable branching ratio to di-photon. The model predicts a positive definite shift in the $W$ mass, which agrees with the current global electroweak fit. At the Large Hadron Collider, it leads to a $(i)$ stau-like signature from $pp\to Δ^+Δ^-\to τ^+τ^-ν\barν$, $(ii)$ multi-lepton final states from $pp\to γ^*\to Δ^+Δ^-\to W^+W^-ZZ$ and $pp\to W^{*} \to Δ^\pmΔ^0\to W^\pm Z W^+W^-$ as well as $(iii)$ associated di-photon production from $pp\to W^{*} \to Δ^\pm(Δ^0\toγγ)$. Concerning $(i)$, the reinterpretation of the recent supersymmetric tau partner search by ATLAS and CMS excludes $m_{Δ^\pm}<110$ GeV at 95% CL. From $(ii)$, some of the signal regions of multi-lepton searches lead to bounds close to the predicted cross-section, but electroweak scale masses are still allowed. For $(iii)$, the recast of the associated di-photon searches by ATLAS and a combined log-likelihood fit of signal and background to data find that out of the 25 signal regions, 10 provide relevant limits on Br$(Δ^0\toγγ)$ at the per cent level. Interestingly, 6 signal regions show excesses at around 152 GeV, leading to a preference for a non-zero di-photon branching ratio of about 0.7% with the corresponding significance amounting to about $4σ$.