Contributions of effective theories with linearly realized and strongly interacting Higgs sectors to the process $e^+e^- \to W^+W^-$

Abstract

Previous form-factor-based analyses of $e^+e^-\to W^+W^-$ have focused upon non-standard contributions to the $WWZ$ and $WW\gamma$ vertices. A more complete form-factor-based formalism is presented which allows for more general corrections, including t-channel corrections. The form factors are then calculated from an effective Lagrangian. Because the existence or non-existence of a light physical Higgs boson has not yet been established, both a linearly realized and a non-linearly realized effective Lagrangian are employed. In either scenario deviations from the Standard Model occur not only in W-pair production, but in other sectors as well. Effects in W-pair production are related to effects detected/constrained by the electroweak precision measurements. With either realization of the symmetry-breaking sector seven operators contribute to the process $e^+e^-\to W^+W^-$. In the linear (non-linear) realization, four (three) of these operators are already stringently constrained via their contributions to processes with four external fermions. As a result the parameter space which must be explored is manageable.