Strong WW scattering at the end of the 90's: theory and experimental prospects

Abstract

The nature of electroweak symmetry breaking can only be established definitively by the direct discovery and detailed study of the symmetry breaking quanta at high energy colliders. At the LHC the ability to observe TeV scale strong WW scattering confers a no-lose capability to establish the mass scale and interaction strength of the symmetry breaking quanta, even if the symmetry breaking quanta resist discovery and whether strong WW scattering is observed or excluded. This lecture discusses the motivation to consider strong WW scattering in light of what we have learned from precision electroweak data during the decade. The theoretical basis for strong WW scattering is explained with an introductory review of the Higgs mechanism from a general perspective that encompasses light, perturbative Higgs bosons or nonperturbative, dynamical symmetry breaking by TeV scale strong interactions. The experimental signals and backgrounds are reviewed and the sensitivity of experiments at the LHC is assessed.