Mass generation in an Abelian gauge theory with multiple scalar fields and no tree-level dimensionful couplings

Journal Article · 11 December 2024 · Physical Review. D.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.110.113006 · OSTI ID:2480997

Romatschke, Paul; Su, Chun-Wei; Weller, Ryan

We study the Abelian Higgs model with multiple scalar fields, but without mass terms. Solving the model nonperturbatively order-by-order in the number of scalar fields, we find that radiative corrections generate masses for the scalar and gauge boson, without spontaneous symmetry breaking. The mass scales are set by the $\mathrm{\Lambda }$ -parameter of the electroweak running coupling, thereby naturally avoiding the hierarchy problem. No part of our calculation employs a weak-coupling expansion, and we find that the perturbative vacuum is metastable, and hence must decay to the stable nonperturbative vacuum of the theory, which we identify. Although the field content of our Lagrangian is standard, our results predict the existence of two heavy scalar resonances in addition to the Higgs. We believe that these predicted resonances will ultimately allow experimentalists to discriminate between our method and standard solutions of the Higgs model. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

• Research Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0017905
• OSTI ID: 2480997
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D., Journal Name: Physical Review. D. Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 110; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 2470-0010
• Publisher: American Physical SocietyCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English