In models with spontaneous symmetry breaking by scalar fields in large group representations, we observe that some of the scalar masses can be loop-suppressed with respect to the naive expectation from symmetry selection rules. We present minimal models -- the SU(2) five-plet and SU(3) ten-plet -- with such accidentally light scalars, featuring compact tree-level flat directions lifted by...
Asymptotic Grand Unification (aGUT) is an alternative unification paradigm where coupling tend to the same UV fixed point. Models can be constructed in 5 dimensions with a single bulk gauge group. I will present a pathway to classify aGUT models, and apply it to SU(N) in the bulk. Only two models are viable, based on SU(6) and with one Higgs doublet stemming from the gauge fields. I will also...
We investigate the possibility that inflation originates from a composite field theory, in terms of an effective chiral Lagrangian involving a dilaton and pions. It is possible to find a successful hybrid inflation occurring via the dilaton as the inflaton and the pions as waterfall fields. Compositeness consistency strongly constrain the model such as the composite scale and the inflation...
We discuss a new possible family structure for the Standard Model, where the muon is assigned to the third family. This has no consequence in the Standard Model itself, were this assignment is simply a matter of convention. However in physics beyond the Standard Model this reveals potentially meaningful patterns in the masses and mixings, while pointing to precise and testable predictions for...
Dark Matter particles can be searched for in the Large Hadron Collider in the monojet channel defined as at least one hard jet recoiling against a missing momentum and no leptons. Monojet searches are challenging for classical analyses because they require investigation of subtle differences between the jets originating from the SM background and jets accompanying the production of DM...
In this work we explore multiple search strategies for higgsinos and mixed higgsino-wino states in the MSSM and project the results onto the $(\mu,M_2)$ plane. Assuming associated production of higgsino-like pairs with a $W/Z$ boson, we develop a search in a channel characterized by a hadronically tagged vector boson accompanied by missing energy. We use as our template an ATLAS search for...
