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Two-Higgs-doublet model

Two-Higgs-doublet model is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Two-Higgs-doublet model rather than just read about it. In short: The two-Higgs-doublet model (2HDM) is an extension of the Standard Model of particle physics. 2HDM models are one of the natural choices for beyond-SM models containing two Higgs doublets instead of just one. There are also models with more than two Higgs doublets, for example three-Higgs-doublet models etc.

Key takeaways

  • Two-Higgs-doublet model belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Two-Higgs-doublet model to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Two-Higgs-doublet model from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The two-Higgs-doublet model (2HDM) is an extension of the Standard Model of particle physics. 2HDM models are one of the natural choices for beyond-SM models containing two Higgs doublets instead of just one. There are also models with more than two Higgs doublets, for example three-Higgs-doublet models etc. The addition of the second Higgs doublet leads to a richer phenomenology as there are five physical scalar states viz., the CP even neutral Higgs bosons h and H (where H is heavier than h by convention), the CP odd pseudoscalar A and two charged Higgs bosons H±. The discovered Higgs boson is measured to be CP even, so one can map either h or H with the observed Higgs. A special case occurs when cos ⁡ ( β − α ) → 0 {\displaystyle \cos(\beta -\alpha )\rightarrow 0} , the alignment limit, in which the lighter CP even Higgs boson h has couplings exactly like the SM-Higgs boson. In another limit such limit, where sin ⁡ ( β − α ) → 0 {\displaystyle \sin(\beta -\alpha )\rightarrow 0} , the heavier CP even boson, i.e. H is SM-like, leaving h to be the lighter than the discovered Higgs; however, experiments have strongly pointed towards a value for sin ⁡ ( β − α ) {\displaystyle \sin(\beta -\alpha )} that is close to 1. Such a model can be described in terms of six physical parameters: four Higgs masses ( m h , m H , m A , m H ± {\displaystyle m_{\rm {h}},m_{\rm {H}},m_{\rm {A}},m_{\mathrm {H} ^{\pm }}} ), the ratio of the two vacuum expectation values ( tan ⁡ β {\displaystyle \tan \beta } ) and the mixing angle ( α {\displaystyle \alpha } ) which diagonalizes the mass matrix of the neutral CP even Higgses. The SM uses only 2 parameters: the mass of the Higgs and its vacuum expectation value. The masses of the H and A bosons could be below 1 TeV and the CMS experiment has conducted searches around this range but no significant excess above the standard model prediction has been observed.

Classification Two-Higgs-doublet models can introduce flavor-changing neutral currents which have not been observed so far. The Glashow-Weinberg condition, requiring that each group of fermions (up-type quarks, down-type quarks and charged leptons) couples exactly to one of the two doublets, is sufficient to avoid the prediction of flavor-changing neutral currents. Depending on which type of fermions couples to which doublet Φ {\displaystyle \Phi } , one can divide two-Higgs-doublet models into the following classes:

By convention, Φ 2 {\displaystyle \Phi _{2}} is the doublet to which up-type quarks couple.

See also Alternatives to the Standard Model Higgs Composite Higgs models Preon

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Two-Higgs-doublet model

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Two-Higgs-doublet model claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Two-Higgs-doublet model before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Two-Higgs-doublet model ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Two-Higgs-doublet model

In research
Two-Higgs-doublet model appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Two-Higgs-doublet model in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Two-Higgs-doublet model is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Hypothetical composite particles, Particle physics stubs, Physics beyond the Standard Model, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Two-Higgs-doublet model outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Two-Higgs-doublet model in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Two-Higgs-doublet model means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Two-Higgs-doublet model out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Two-Higgs-doublet model in simple terms?

The two-Higgs-doublet model (2HDM) is an extension of the Standard Model of particle physics. 2HDM models are one of the natural choices for beyond-SM models containing two Higgs doublets instead of just one. There are also models with more than two Higgs doublets, for example three-Higgs-doublet m…

Why does Two-Higgs-doublet model matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Two-Higgs-doublet model?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Two-Higgs-doublet model.

Tags

  • Hypothetical composite particles
  • Particle physics stubs
  • Physics beyond the Standard Model

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