Bottom-Quark Contributions to Composite Pseudo--Scalar Couplings at LHC
Résumé
Composite Higgs models which describe the Higgs boson as a bound state emergingas pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson (pNGB) of a broken global symmetry are expectedto be accompanied by additional resonances, some of which will occurubiquitously. The subject of this work, a light pseudo-scalar which is the pNGBof a broken U (1) symmetry, is one such state, and may provide evidence of acomposite Higgs model, should it be detected. We study the phenomenology of thescalar, examining its production and decay, with particular emphasis on itsinteraction with gauge bosons, which proceed via triangle diagrams in which runStandard Model quarks. Previously, only the top quark has been considered tocontribute; however, we show that, particularly for low mass of the scalar, thebottom quark loop in fact provides a dominant contribution to the productioncross section and modifies decay modes in a manner which should not beneglected. If targeted low mass searches for such a resonance are to beperformed, it is crucial that the associated phenomenology be accuratelymodelled, in both the analysis of existing LHC data and for future high energyanalyses.