Neutrino and Higgs Physics: Road-Map to Discovery for New Physics Beyond the Standard Model
Abstract
The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, in spite of being spectacularly successful in describing the low-energy physics, cannot be a complete theory of Nature. There are strong theoretical as well as experimental indications for the existence of new physics above or below the electroweak scale. For example, it is unable to explain certain observed phenomena such as the strong hierarchical pattern seen in the fermion masses and mixings, the origin of neutrino masses and mixings, an understanding of dark matter and the origin of the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the Universe. Fundamental understanding of these phenomena demands physics Beyond the Standard Model (BSM). The main hurdle for us is to understand what exactly lies beyond the SM which could resolve some of the shortcomings of the SM while being consistent with the existing low-energy data. Construction of such theories with new physics beyond the Standard Model to incorporate some of its unexplained phenomena and confronting them with the experiments is the main thrust of my dissertation. After reviewing the basic tenets of the SM, several BSM scenarios that alleviate these shortcomings are investigated. Various well motivated new models have been proposed to shed light on some of the unresolved puzzles of fundamental physics posed by the SM. Emphasis is placed on the study of confronting neutrino mass generation mechanism with the experimental probes and to develop the Higgs bosons as a tool of searching for new physics. Each model has its own distinctive features and diverse phenomenological consequences. Observation prospects and discovery potentials of these models at current and future collider and neutrino experiments are quantified. This thesis depicts an endeavor to shed light on BSM physics with the new physics scale ranging from MeV to TeV scale having testable signals at the colliders as well as at the neutrino experiments.
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- OSU Dissertations [11222]