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Tucker-Smith, David

Publications and source records attributed to Tucker-Smith, David.

Exotic decays of heavy B quarks

Heavy vector-like quarks of charge –1/3, B, have been searched for at the LHC through the decays B → bZ, bh, tW. In models where the B quark also carries charge under a new gauge group, new decay channels may dominate. We focus on the case where the B is charged under a U(1)' and describe simple models where the dominant decay mode is B → bZ' → b(bb¯¯). With the inclusion of dark matter such models can explain the excess of gamma rays from the Galactic center. We develop a search strategy for this decay chain and estimate that with integrated luminosity of 300 fb –1 the LHC will have the potential to discover both the B and the Z' for B quarks with mass below ~ 1.6 TeV, for a broad range of Z' masses. Furthermore, a high-luminosity run can extend this reach to 2 TeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

An effective Z'

We describe a method to couple Z' gauge bosons to the standard model (SM), without charging the SM fields under the U(1)', but instead through effective higher-dimension operators. This method allows complete control over the tree-level couplings of the Z' and does not require altering the structure of any of the SM couplings, nor does it contain anomalies or require introduction of fields in nonstandard SM representations. Moreover, such interactions arise from simple renormalizable extensions of the SM—the addition of vectorlike matter that mixes with SM fermions when the U(1)' is broken. We apply effective Z' models as explanations of various recent anomalies: the D0 same-sign dimuon asymmetry, the CDF W+di-jet excess and the CDF top forward-backward asymmetry. In the case of the W+di-jet excess we also discuss several complementary analyses that may shed light on the nature of the discrepancy. We consider the possibility of non-Abelian groups, and discuss implications for the phenomenology of dark matter as well.

Fox, Patrick J.↗

Singlet-Doublet Dark Matter

In light of recent data from direct detection experiments and the Large Hadron Collider, we explore models of dark matter in which an SU (2) L doublet is mixed with a Standard Model singlet. We impose a thermal history. If the new particles are fermions, this model is already constrained due to null results from XENON100. We comment on remaining regions of parameter space and assess prospects for future discovery. We do the same for the model where the new particles are scalars, which at present is less constrained. Much of the remaining parameter space for both models will be probed by the next generation of direct detection experiments. For the fermion model, DeepCore may also play an important role.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗