Do electroweak precision data and Higgs-mass constraints rule out a scalar bottom quark with mass of order 5 GeV?
We study the implications of a scalar bottom quark, with a mass of O (5 GeV), within the minimal supersymmetric standard model. Light sbottoms may naturally appear for large tan(beta) and, depending on the decay modes, may have escaped experimental detection. We show that a light sbottom cannot be ruled out by electroweak precision data and the bound on the lightest CP-even Higgs-boson mass. We infer that a light b scenario requires a relatively light scalar top quark whose mass is typically about the top-quark mass. In this scenario the lightest Higgs boson decays predominantly into b pairs and obeys the mass bound m(h) less, similar 123 GeV.
Carena
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Fermilab, Box 500, Batavia, Illinois 60510-0500, USA.
Heinemeyer
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Wagner
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Weiglein
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