# 1 Introduction

## 1 Introduction

Supersymmetry is at present the only known framework in which the Higgs sector  of the Standard Model (SM), so crucial for its internal consistency, is natural . The minimal version of the Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) contains two Higgs doublets $`(H_1,H_2)`$ with opposite hypercharges: $`Y(H_1)=1`$, $`Y(H_2)=+1`$, so as to generate masses for up- and down-type quarks (and leptons), and to cancel gauge anomalies. After spontaneous symmetry breaking induced by the neutral components of $`H_1`$ and $`H_2`$ obtaining vacuum expectation values, $`H_1=v_1`$, $`H_2=v_2`$, $`\mathrm{tan}\beta =v_2/v_1`$, the MSSM contains two neutral $`CP`$-even ($`h`$, $`H`$), one neutral $`CP`$-odd ($`A`$), and two charged ($`H^\pm `$) Higgs bosons . Because of gauge invariance and supersymmetry, all the Higgs masses and the Higgs couplings in the MSSM can be described (at tree level) in terms of only two parameters, which are usually chosen to be $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$ and $`m_A`$, the mass of the $`CP`$-odd Higgs boson.

In particular, all the trilinear self-couplings of the physical Higgs particles can be predicted theoretically (at the tree level) in terms of $`m_A`$ and $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$. Once a light Higgs boson is discovered, the measurement of these trilinear couplings can be used to reconstruct the Higgs potential of the MSSM. This will go a long way toward establishing the Higgs mechanism as the basic mechanism of spontaneous symmetry breaking in gauge theories. Although the measurement of all the Higgs couplings in the MSSM is a difficult task, preliminary theoretical investigations by Plehn, Spira and Zerwas , and by Djouadi, Haber and Zerwas (DHZ) , of the measurement of these couplings at the LHC and at a high-energy $`e^+e^{}`$ linear collider, respectively, are encouraging.

We have considered in detail  the question of possible measurements of the trilinear Higgs couplings of the MSSM at a high-energy $`e^+e^{}`$ linear collider. We assume that such a facility will operate at an energy of 500 GeV with an integrated luminosity per year of $`_{\mathrm{int}}=500\text{fb}^1`$ . (This is a factor of 10 more than the earlier estimate.) In a later phase one may envisage an upgrade to an energy of 1.5 TeV.

The trilinear Higgs couplings that are of interest are $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$, $`\lambda _{hhh}`$, and $`\lambda _{hAA}`$, involving both the $`CP`$-even and $`CP`$-odd Higgs bosons. The couplings $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ and $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ are rather small with respect to the corresponding trilinear coupling $`\lambda _{hhh}^{\mathrm{SM}}`$ in the SM (for a given mass of the lightest Higgs boson $`m_h`$), unless $`m_h`$ is close to the upper value (decoupling limit). The coupling $`\lambda _{hAA}`$ remains small for all parameters.

Throughout, we include one-loop radiative corrections  to the Higgs sector in the effective potential approximation. In particular, we take into account the parameters $`A`$ and $`\mu `$, the soft supersymmetry breaking trilinear parameter and the bilinear Higgs(ino) parameter in the superpotential, respectively, and as a consequence the left–right mixing in the squark sector, in our calculations. We thus include all the relevant parameters of the MSSM in our study . Related work has recently been presented by Dubinin and Semenov .

For a given value of $`m_h`$, the values of these couplings significantly depend on the soft supersymmetry-breaking trilinear parameter $`A`$, as well as on $`\mu `$, and thus on the resulting mixing in the squark sector. Since the trilinear couplings tend to be small, and depend on several parameters, their effects are somewhat difficult to estimate.

The dominant source of multiple production of the Higgs ($`h`$) boson, is through Higgs-strahlung of $`H`$, and through production of $`H`$ in association with the $`CP`$-odd Higgs boson. This source of multiple production can be used to extract the trilinear Higgs coupling $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$. The non-resonant fusion mechanism for multiple $`h`$ production, $`e^+e^{}\nu _e\overline{\nu }_ehh`$, involves two trilinear Higgs couplings, $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ and $`\lambda _{hhh}`$, and is useful for extracting $`\lambda _{hhh}`$.

## 2 The Higgs Sector of the MSSM

At the tree level, the Higgs sector of the MSSM is described by two parameters, which can be conveniently chosen as $`m_A`$ and $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$ . There are, however, substantial radiative corrections to the $`CP`$-even neutral Higgs masses and couplings . They are, in general, positive, and they shift the mass of the lightest MSSM Higgs boson upwards.

The Higgs mass falls rapidly at small values of $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$. Since the LEP experiments are obtaining lower bounds on the mass of the lightest Higgs boson, they are beginning to rule out significant parts of the small-$`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$ parameter space, depending on the model assumptions. ALEPH finds a lower limit of $`m_h>72.2`$ GeV, irrespective of $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$, and a limit of $`88`$ GeV for $`1<\mathrm{tan}\beta <2`$ . We take $`\mathrm{tan}\beta =2`$ to be a representative value.

## 3 Trilinear Higgs couplings

In units of $`gm_Z/(2\mathrm{cos}\theta _\mathrm{W})=(\sqrt{2}G_F)^{1/2}m_Z^2`$, the relevant tree-level trilinear Higgs couplings are given by

$`\lambda _{Hhh}^0`$ $`=`$ $`2\mathrm{sin}2\alpha \mathrm{sin}(\beta +\alpha )\mathrm{cos}2\alpha \mathrm{cos}(\beta +\alpha ),`$ (3.1)   
$`\lambda _{hhh}^0`$ $`=`$ $`3\mathrm{cos}2\alpha \mathrm{sin}(\beta +\alpha ),`$ (3.2)   
$`\lambda _{hAA}^0`$ $`=`$ $`\mathrm{cos}2\beta \mathrm{sin}(\beta +\alpha ),`$ (3.3)   
with $`\alpha `$ the mixing angle in the $`CP`$-even Higgs sector, which can be calculated in terms of the parameters appearing in the $`CP`$-even Higgs mass matrix. The dominant one-loop radiative corrections are proportional to $`(m_t/m_W)^4`$ .

The trilinear couplings depend significantly on $`m_A`$, and thus also on $`m_h`$. This is shown in Fig. 1, where we compare $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$, $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ and $`\lambda _{hAA}`$ for three different values of $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$, and the SM quartic coupling $`\lambda ^{\mathrm{SM}}`$ (which also includes one-loop radiative corrections ).

At low values of $`m_h`$, the MSSM trilinear couplings are rather small. For some value of $`m_h`$ the couplings $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ and $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ start to increase in magnitude, whereas $`\lambda _{hAA}`$ remains small. The values of $`m_h`$ at which they start becoming significant depend crucially on $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$. For $`\mathrm{tan}\beta =2`$ (Fig. 1a) this transition takes place around $`m_h90`$–100 GeV, whereas for $`\mathrm{tan}\beta =5`$ the critical value of $`m_h`$ increases to 100–110 (see Fig. 1b). In this region, the actual values of $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ and $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ (for a given value of $`m_h`$) change significantly if $`A`$ becomes large and positive. A non-vanishing squark-mixing parameter $`A`$ is thus quite important. Also, for special values of the parameters, the couplings may vanish .

To sum up the behaviour of the trilinear couplings, we note that $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ and $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ are small for $`m_h<100`$–120 GeV, depending on the value of $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$. However, as $`m_h`$ approaches its maximum value, which is reached rapidly as $`m_A`$ becomes large, $`m_A>200`$ GeV, these trilinear couplings become large. Thus, as functions of $`m_A`$, the trilinear couplings $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ and $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ are large for most of the parameter space. We also note that, for large values of $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$, $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ tends to be relatively small, whereas $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ becomes large, if also $`m_A`$ (or, equivalently, $`m_h`$) is large.

## 4 Production mechanisms

The different mechanisms for the multiple production of the MSSM Higgs bosons in $`e^+e^{}`$ collisions have been discussed by DHZ. The dominant mechanism for the production of multiple $`CP`$-even light Higgs bosons ($`h`$) is through the production of the heavy $`CP`$-even Higgs boson $`H`$, which then decays via $`Hhh`$. The heavy Higgs boson $`H`$ can be produced by $`H`$-strahlung, in association with $`A`$, and by the resonant $`WW`$ fusion mechanism. These mechanisms for multiple production of $`h`$

$`\begin{array}{ccc}e^+e^{}& & ZH,AH\\ e^+e^{}& & \nu _e\overline{\nu }_eH\end{array}\},Hhh,`$ (4.3)   
are shown in Fig. 2. All the diagrams of Fig. 2 involve the trilinear coupling $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$.

A background to (4.3) comes from the production of the pseudoscalar $`A`$ in association with $`h`$ and its subsequent decay to $`hZ`$

$$e^+e^{}hA,AhZ,$$
(4.4)   
leading to $`Zhh`$ final states. A second mechanism for $`hh`$ production is double Higgs-strahlung in the continuum with a $`Z`$ boson in the final state,

$$e^+e^{}Z^{}Zhh.$$
(4.5)   
We note that the non-resonant analogue of the Feynman diagram of Fig. 2b involves, apart from the coupling $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$, the trilinear Higgs coupling $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ as well.

Finally, there is a mechanism of multiple production of the lightest Higgs boson through non-resonant $`WW`$ fusion in the continuum (see Section 7):

$$e^+e^{}\overline{\nu }_e\nu _eW^{}W^{}\overline{\nu }_e\nu _ehh.$$
(4.6)   
It is important to note that all the diagrams of Fig. 2 involve the trilinear coupling $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ only. On the other hand, the non-resonant analogue of Fig. 2b, and Fig. 3c involve both the trilinear Higgs couplings $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ and $`\lambda _{hhh}`$.

## 5 Higgs-strahlung and Associated Production of $`H`$

The dominant source for the production of multiple Higgs bosons ($`h`$) in $`e^+e^{}`$ collisions is through the production of the heavier $`CP`$-even Higgs boson $`H`$ either via Higgs-strahlung or in association with $`A`$, followed, if kinematically allowed, by the cascade decay $`Hhh`$. The cross sections for these processes can be found in .

In Fig. 4 we plot the cross sections for the $`e^+e^{}`$ centre-of-mass energies $`\sqrt{s}=500\mathrm{GeV}`$, as functions of the Higgs mass $`m_H`$ and for $`\mathrm{tan}\beta =2.0`$. For large values of the mass $`m_A`$ of the pseudoscalar Higgs boson, all the Higgs bosons, except the lightest one ($`h`$), become heavy and decouple  from the rest of the spectrum.

At values of $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$ that are not too large, the trilinear $`Hhh`$ coupling $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ can be measured by the decay process $`Hhh`$, which has a width proportional to $`\lambda _{Hhh}^2`$. However, this is possible only if the decay is kinematically allowed, and the branching ratio is sizeable. In Fig. 5 we show the branching ratios (at $`\mathrm{tan}\beta =2`$) for the main decay modes of the heavy $`CP`$-even Higgs boson as a function of the $`H`$ mass. Apart from the $`hh`$ decay mode, the other important decay modes are $`HWW^{}`$, $`ZZ^{}`$. We note that the couplings of $`H`$ to gauge bosons can be measured through the production cross sections for $`e^+e^{}\nu _e\overline{\nu }_eH`$; therefore the branching ratio $`BR(Hhh)`$ can be used to measure the triple Higgs coupling $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$.

For increasing values of $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$, the $`Hhh`$ coupling gradually gets weaker (see Fig. 1), and hence the prospects for measuring $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ diminish. This is also indicated in Fig. 5, where we show the $`H`$ branching ratios for $`\mathrm{tan}\beta =5`$.

There is actually a sizeable region in the $`m_A`$$`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$ plane where the decay $`Hhh`$ is kinematically forbidden. This is shown in Fig. 6, where we also display the regions where the $`Hhh`$ branching ratio is in the range 0.1–0.9. Clearly, in the forbidden region, the $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ cannot be determined from resonant production.

## 6 Double Higgs-strahlung and Triple $`h`$ Production

For small and moderate values of $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$, the study of decays of the heavy $`CP`$-even Higgs boson $`H`$ provides a means of determining the triple-Higgs coupling $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$. In order to extract the coupling $`\lambda _{hhh}`$, other processes involving two-Higgs ($`h`$) final states must be considered. The $`Zhh`$ final states, which can be produced in the non-resonant double Higgs-strahlung $`e^+e^{}Zhh`$ , could provide one possible opportunity, since it involves the coupling $`\lambda _{hhh}`$. These non-resonant processes have also been investigated .

We show in Fig. 7 the $`Zhh`$ cross section, with $`\stackrel{~}{m}=1\mathrm{TeV}`$. The structure around $`m_h=70\mathrm{GeV}`$ (in the case of no mixing) is due to the vanishing and near-vanishing of the trilinear coupling.

In the case of no mixing, there is a broad minimum from $`m_h78`$ to 90 GeV, followed by an enhancement around $`m_h90`$–100 GeV. This structure is due to the vanishing of the branching ratio for $`Hhh`$, which is kinematically forbidden in the region $`m_h78`$–90 GeV, see Fig. 6 (this coincides with the opening up of the channel $`HWW`$), followed by an increase of the trilinear couplings. This particular structure depends considerably on the exact mass values $`m_H`$ and $`m_h`$. Thus, it depends on details of the radiative corrections and on the mixing parameters $`A`$ and $`\mu `$.

## 7 Fusion Mechanism for Multiple-$`h`$ Production

A two-Higgs ($`hh`$) final state in $`e^+e^{}`$ collisions can also result from the $`WW`$ fusion mechanism, which can either be a resonant process as in (4.3), or a non-resonant one like (4.6). Since the neutral-current couplings are smaller than the charged-current ones, the cross section for the $`ZZ`$ fusion mechanism in (4.3) and (4.6) is an order of magnitude smaller than the $`WW`$ fusion mechanism, and is here ignored.

The $`WW`$ fusion cross section for $`e^+e^{}H\overline{\nu }_e\nu _e`$ can be written as  (see also )

$$\sigma (e^+e^{}H\overline{\nu }_e\nu _e)=\frac{G_F^3m_W^4}{64\sqrt{2}\pi ^3}\left[_{\mu _H}^1𝑑x_x^1\frac{dy}{\left[1+(yx)/\mu _W\right]^2}(x,y)\right]\mathrm{cos}^2(\beta \alpha ).$$
(7.1)   
This cross section is plotted in Fig. 4 for the centre-of-mass energy $`\sqrt{s}=500`$ GeV, and for $`\mathrm{tan}\beta =2.0`$, as a function of $`m_H`$. The resonant fusion mechanism, which leads to $`[hh]`$ \+ \[missing energy\] final states is competitive with the process $`e^+e^{}HZ[hh]`$ \+ \[missing energy\], particularly at high energies. Since the dominant decay of $`h`$ will be into $`b\overline{b}`$ pairs, the $`H`$-strahlung and the fusion mechanism will give rise to final states that will predominantly include four $`b`$-quarks. On the other hand, the process $`e^+e^{}AH`$ will give rise to six $`b`$-quarks in the final state, since the $`AH`$ final state typically yields three-Higgs $`h[hh]`$ final states.

Besides the resonant $`WW`$ fusion mechanism for the multiple production of $`h`$ bosons, there is also a non-resonant $`WW`$ fusion mechanism:

$$e^+e^{}\nu _e\overline{\nu }_ehh,$$
(7.2)   
through which the same final state of two $`h`$ bosons can be produced. The cross section for this process, which arises through $`WW`$ exchange as indicated in Fig. 3, can be written in the “effective $`WW`$ approximation” as

$$\sigma (e^+e^{}\nu _e\overline{\nu }_ehh)=_\tau ^1dx\frac{\mathrm{d}L}{\mathrm{d}x}\widehat{\sigma }_{WW}^{}(x),$$
(7.3)   
where $`\tau =4m_h^2/s`$. Here, the cross section is written as a $`WW`$ cross section, at invariant energy squared $`\widehat{s}=xs`$, folded with the $`WW`$ “luminosity” :

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}L(x)}{\mathrm{d}x}=\frac{G_\mathrm{F}^2m_W^4}{2}\left(\frac{v^2+a^2}{4\pi ^2}\right)^2\frac{1}{x}\left\{(1+x)\mathrm{log}\frac{1}{x}2(1x)\right\},$$
(7.4)   
where $`v^2+a^2=2`$.

The $`WW`$ cross section receives contributions from several amplitudes, according to the diagrams (a)–(d) in Fig. 3. We have evaluated these contributions .

Our approach differs from that of DHZ in that we do not project out the longitudinal degrees of freedom of the intermediate $`W`$ bosons. Instead, we follow the approach of Ref. , where transverse momenta are ignored everywhere except in the $`W`$ propagators.

We show in Fig. 8 the $`WW`$ fusion cross section, at $`\sqrt{s}=1.5\mathrm{TeV}`$, as given by Eqs. (7.1) and (7.3), with $`\stackrel{~}{m}=1\mathrm{TeV}`$. The structure is reminiscent of Fig. 7, and the reasons for this are same. Notice, however, that the scale is different.

## 8 Sensitivity to $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ and $`\lambda _{hhh}`$

In Fig. 9 we have indicated in the $`m_A`$$`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$ plane the regions where $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ and $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ might be measurable for $`\sqrt{s}=500\mathrm{GeV}`$. We identify regions according to the following criteria :

* Regions where $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ might become measurable are identified as those where $`\sigma (H)\times \text{BR}(Hhh)>0.1\text{ fb}`$ (solid), with the simultaneous requirement of $`0.1<\text{BR}(Hhh)<0.9`$ \[see Figs. 56\]. In view of the recent, more optimistic, view on the luminosity that might become available, we also give the corresponding contours for 0.05 fb (dashed) and 0.01 fb (dotted).
* Regions where $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ might become measurable are those where the continuum $`WWhh`$ cross section \[Eq. (7.3)\] is larger than 0.1 fb (solid). Also included are contours at 0.05 (dashed) and 0.01 fb (dotted).

Such regions are given for two cases of the mixing parameters $`A`$ and $`\mu `$, as indicated. We have excluded from the plots the region where $`m_h<72.2\mathrm{GeV}`$, according to the LEP lower bound . This corresponds to low values of $`m_A`$.

With an integrated luminosity of 500 fb<sup>-1</sup>, the contours at 0.1 fb correspond to 50 events per year. This will of course be reduced by efficiencies, but should indicate the order of magnitude that can be reached.

At $`\sqrt{s}=500\mathrm{GeV}`$, with a luminosity of 500 fb<sup>-1</sup> per year, the trilinear coupling $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ is accessible in a considerable part of the $`m_A`$$`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$ parameter space: at $`m_A`$ of the order of 200–300 GeV and $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$ up to the order of 5. With increasing luminosity, the region extends somewhat to higher values of $`m_A`$. The “steep” edge around $`m_A200\mathrm{GeV}`$ (where increased luminosity does not help) is determined by the vanishing of $`\text{BR}(Hhh)`$, see Fig. 6.

The coupling $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ is accessible in a much larger part of this parameter space, but with a moderate luminosity, “large” values of $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$ are accessible only if $`A`$ is small.

It should be stressed that the requirements discussed here are necessary, but not sufficient conditions for the trilinear couplings to be measurable. We also note that there might be sizable corrections to the $`WW`$ approximation, and that it would be desirable to incorporate the dominant two-loop corrections to the trilinear couplings. 

## 9 Conclusions

We have presented the results of a detailed investigation  of the possibility of measuring the MSSM trilinear couplings $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ and $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ at an $`e^+e^{}`$ collider. Where there is an overlap, we have confirmed the results of Ref. . Our emphasis has been on taking into account all the parameters of the MSSM Higgs sector. We have studied the importance of mixing in the squark sector, as induced by the trilinear coupling $`A`$ and the bilinear coupling $`\mu `$.

At moderate energies ($`\sqrt{s}=500\mathrm{GeV}`$) the range in the $`m_A`$$`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$ plane that is accessible for studying $`\lambda _{Hhh}`$ changes quantitatively for non-zero values of the parameters $`A`$ and $`\mu `$. As far as the coupling $`\lambda _{hhh}`$ is concerned, however, there is a qualitative change from the case of no mixing in the squark sector. If $`A`$ is large, then high luminosity is required to reach “high” values of $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$. At higher energies ($`\sqrt{s}=1.5\mathrm{TeV}`$), the mixing parameters $`A`$ and $`\mu `$ change the accessible region of the parameter space only in a quantitative manner.

This research was supported by the Research Council of Norway, and (PNP) by the University Grants Commission, India under project number 10-26/98(SR-I).