Search for additional scalar bosons within the Inert Doublet Model in a final state with two leptons at the FCC-ee

Area of Science:

• High Energy Physics
• Particle Physics
• Cosmology

Background:

• The Inert Doublet Model (IDM) predicts new scalar bosons, including a stable, dark matter candidate.
• Searches for physics beyond the Standard Model are crucial for understanding the universe's fundamental constituents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To search for pair production of new scalar bosons predicted by the IDM.
• To set exclusion and discovery limits for these new particles at future electron-positron colliders.
• To investigate the potential of the lightest scalar boson as a dark matter candidate.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of simulated data from an electron-positron collider (FCC-ee) at center-of-mass energies of 240 and 365 GeV.
• Focus on final states with two electrons or two muons.
• Utilized a parametric neural network to distinguish signal from Standard Model backgrounds.

Main Results:

• Projected discovery reach for the lightest scalar boson (H) up to 108 GeV (240 GeV) and 157 GeV (365 GeV).
• Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are expected to cover almost the entire available phase space.
• The lightest scalar (H) is a viable dark matter candidate within the IDM framework.

Conclusions:

• The proposed search strategy is effective in probing the Inert Doublet Model parameter space.
• Future colliders like FCC-ee will significantly constrain or discover new physics scenarios.
• The IDM provides a compelling framework for dark matter and offers testable predictions for collider experiments.