Physics

What is the most important physics measurement for CLIC to make?

There are many interesting physics measurements that can be made at CLIC, and we might not know which ones are important until afterwards! Unexplained new physics from LHC data would certainly be a priority. Higgs measurements complementary to LHC results are also particularly interesting, for instance rare processes involving the Higgs, such as Higgs decays into two muons and top-top-Higgs production. Also, at 3 TeV the trilinear Higgs self-coupling can be measured, an important step in verifying the Standard Model Higgs mechanism.

What are the physics goals at the different energy stages?

• Stage 1: 350-380 GeV. The total decay width of the Higgs (including Higgs to invisible decays) can be measured using the Higgsstrahlung process and the recoil of the Z boson. This is a model independent method available only at lepton colliders. Also, a top resonance scan can be performed to achieve a theoretically clean measurement of the top mass, and electroweak physics measurements can be done.
• Stage 2: 1.5 TeV. Targeted at physics beyond the Standard Model. The top-Yukawa coupling can be measured using Higgs bosons production in association with top-quark pair production.
• Stage 3: 3 TeV. Targeted at physics beyond the Standard Model and the Higgs self-coupling.