Unification of the electroweak and horizontal interactions
Abstract
For N generations of fermions, Sp(2N) $\times$ U(1) is proposed as the flavor gauge group which unifies the electroweak and horizontal interactions. For three (four) generations of fermions, the Sp(6) $\times$ U(1) (Sp(8) $\times$ U(1)) model suggests the existence of another set of light left-handed horizontal gauge bosons $W\sp\prime$ and $Z\sp\prime$ (W and Z). Phenomenological constraints on parameters of the theoretically motivated extra $Z$ of the Sp(8) $\times$ U(1) model are obtained from neutral-current processes and from observed properties of the standard W and Z bosons. It is found that the existing constraints are very weak, allowing large mixing between Z and Z and putting a lower limit on the mass of the extra Z near 100 GeV. We examined high energy predictions of the Sp(8) $\times$ U(1) model consistent with those constraints. In particular, we studied the effects of the presence of the extra Z both on and off the Z resonance in e$\sp+$e$\sp-$ collisions. We found that measurements on the resonance will greatly reduce the allowed range of the parameters. Off the resonance, drastic deviations from the standard model predictions are expected. The predicted signatures for the production and decay of the extra gauge bosons of the above models are obtained and analyzed in hadronic collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 2 TeV (Fermilab Tevatron) and $\sqrt{s}$ = 40 TeV (the proposed Superconducting Super Collider).
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Kuo, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Particle physics
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