Z' production at the LHC in the four-site Higgsless model
Abstract
We study the phenomenology of the neutral gauge sector of the four-site Higgsless model, based on the SU(2)L x SU(2)1 x SU(2)2 x U(1)Y gauge symmetry, at present colliders. The model predicts the existence of two neutral and four charged extra gauge bosons, Z1,2 and W1,2. We expand and update a previous study, by concentrating on the neutral sector. We derive new limits on Z1,2-boson masses and couplings from recent direct searches at the Tevatron. We moreover estimate the discovery potential at the Tevatron with a project luminosity L=10 fb-1, and at the 7 TeV LHC with L=1 fb-1. In contrast to other Higgsless theories characterized by almost fermiophobic extra gauge bosons, the four-site model allows sizeable Z1,2-boson couplings to SM fermions. Owing to this feature, we find that in the next two years the extra Z1,2-bosons could be discovered in the favoured Drell-Yan channel at the 7 TeV LHC for Z1,2 masses in the TeV region, depending on model parameters.