Naturalness of unknown physics: Theoretical models and experimental signatures.

摘要

In the last few decades collider experiments have not only spectacularly confirmed the predictions of the Standard Model but also have not revealed any direct evidence for new physics beyond the SM, which has led theorists to devise numerous models where the new physics couples weakly to the SM or is simply beyond the reach of past experiments. While phenomenologically viable, many such models appear finely tuned, even contrived.;This work illustrates three attempts at coming up with explanations to fine-tunings we observe in the world around us, such as the gauge hierarchy problem or the cosmological constant problem, emphasizing both the theoretical aspects of model building as well as possible experimental signatures.;First we investigate the "Little Higgs" mechanism and work on a specifical model, the "Minimal Moose" to highlight its impact on precision observables in the SM, and illustrate that it does not require implausible fine-tuning.;Next we build a supersymmetric model, the "Fat Higgs", with an extended gauge structure which becomes confining. This model, aside from naturally preserving the unification of the SM gauge couplings at high energies, also makes it possible to evade the bounds on the lightest Higgs boson mass which are quite restrictive in minimal SUSY scenarios.;Lastly we take a look at a possible resolution of the cosmological constant problem through the mechanism of "Ghost Condensation" and dwell on astrophysical observables from the Lorentz Violating sector in this model. We use current experimental data to constrain the coupling of this sector to the SM.