Feasibility of light scalars in a class of two-Higgs-doublet models and their decay signatures

Abstract

We demonstrate that light charged and extra neutral scalars in the (100-200) GeV mass range pass the potentially dangerous flavor constraints in a particular class of two-Higgs-doublet model which has appropriately suppressed flavor-changing neutral currents at tree level. We study their decay branching ratios into various fermionic final states and comment on the possibility of their detection in the collider experiments. We also remark on how their trademark decay signatures can be used to discriminate them from the light nonstandard scalars predicted in other two-Higgs-doublet models.