Phenomenology of a 750 GeV Singlet

Abstract

We study the recently reported excess in the diphoton resonance search by ATLAS and CMS. We investigate the available parameter space in the combined run-1 and run-2 diphoton data and study its interpretation in terms of a singlet scalar field which possibly mixes with the Standard Model Higgs boson. We show that the mixing angle is already strongly constrained by high-mass Higgs searches in the diboson channel, and by Higgs coupling measurements. While a broad resonance is slightly favored, we argue that the signal is consistent with a narrow-width singlet which couples to colored and electromagnetically-charged vector-like fermions. Dijet signals are predicted and may be visible in upcoming analyses. Allowing for additional decay modes could explain a broader resonance, however, we show that monojet searches disfavor a large invisible width. Finally, we comment on the possible relation of this scenario to the naturalness problem.

21 pages; v2: references added, figures smoothed out, added discussion of Z-gamma and ZZ; v3: replaced to match JHEP 1602 (2016) 152