Higgs and Supersymmetric Particle Signals at the Infrared Fixed Point of the Top Quark Mass

Abstract

We study the properties of the Higgs and supersymmetric particle spectrum associated with the infrared fixed point solution of the top quark mass in the MSSM. We concentrate on the possible detection of these particles, analysing the deviations from the Standard Model predictions for the leptonic and hadronic variables measured at LEP and for the decay rate $b\rightarrow sγ$. We consider the low and moderate $\tan β$ regime, and we study both, the cases of universal and non--universal soft supersymmetry breaking parameters at high energies. In the first case, for any given value of the top quark mass, the Higgs and sparticle spectra are completely determined as a function of two soft supersymmetry breaking parameters. In the case of non--universality, instead, the strong correlations between the sparticle masses are relaxed, allowing a richer structure for the precision data variables. We show, however, that the requirement that the low energy theory proceeds from a grand unified theory with a local symmetry group including $SU(5)$, strongly constrains the set of possible indirect experimental signatures. As a general feature, whenever a significant deviation from the Standard Model value of the precision data variables is predicted, a light sparticle, visible at LEP2, appears in the spectrum.