Geometric Minimization of Softly-Broken Potentials

Abstract

We study the minimization of multi-Higgs models with symmetries that are softly-broken. The powerful method of geometric minimization enables analytic minimization of multi-Higgs models with large symmetries. When these symmetries are softly-broken, the method needs to be adapted. We propose a useful generalization that considers the effect of the soft-breaking terms to the quadratic part of the potential, by applying the procedure to restricted orbit spaces. We exemplify our novel methodology by finding and classifying the minima for an $S_4$ multi-Higgs model that is softly-broken with specific terms.