Multiphoton signals of a (96 GeV?) stealth boson
J. A. Aguilar-Saavedra, F. R. Joaquim
Abstract
Abstract Cascade decays of new scalars into final states with multiple photons and possibly quarks may lead to distinctive experimental signatures at high-energy colliders. Such signals are even more striking if the scalars are highly boosted, as when produced from the decay of a much heavier resonance. We study this type of events within the framework of the minimal stealth boson model, an anomaly-free $$\text {U}(1)_{Y'}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtext>U</mml:mtext> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>Y</mml:mi> <mml:mo>′</mml:mo> </mml:msup> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> extension of the Standard Model with two complex scalar singlets. It is shown that, while those signals may have cross sections that might render them observable with LHC Run 2 data, they have little experimental coverage. We also establish a connection with a CMS excess observed in searches for new scalars decaying into diphoton final states near 96 GeV. In particular, we conclude that the predicted multiphoton signatures are compatible with such excess.