New Snowmass Papers On BSM Physics

A new Snowmass paper surveys the lastest work in BSM physics, most of which is utter garbage. 

The opening paragraph states (I highlight the non-problems in the list and insert comments in brackets):

Despite its phenomenal successes, the Standard Model (SM) can only be considered a low energy, effective field theory (EFT) description of particle physics [not really true anymore given the Higgs boson mass] which leaves many unanswered questions about the nature of reality at distance scales shorter than ∼ TeV^−1. 

Among these so-far unanswered questions are the origin of the neutrino masses, an explanation for the quark and lepton flavor structures, the absence of measurable CP violation in QCD, and why the scales associated with gravity and weak interactions are so disparate. The SM also does not explain the observed asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the Universe. It is known that the cosmological dark matter cannot be composed of SM fields and the origin of the periods of accelerated expansion of the Universe are a mystery [ignores the possible new gravitational physics that could explain these phenomena and the old school cosmological constant]. Any explanation for these above mentioned puzzles must involve physics beyond the SM [doubtful].

Some headings from the paper (particularly garbage-full topics in bold):

2 Naturalness [naturalness is fundamentally hokum] 

2.1 Supersymmetry

2.2 Warped Extra Dimensions and Composite Higgs Theories

2.3 Neutral Naturalness

2.4 Cosmological Selection

2.5 Strong CP and Axions

2.6 Quantum Gravity Implications: Swampland

3 Dark Matter

3.1 Interaction Mechanisms

classic freeze-out

Forbidden DM

Asymmetric dark matter

Sommerfeld enhancement

Inelastic dark matter  

3.2 Models

Supersymmetric dark matter [there is no parameter space left for it]

Dark matter in composite Higgs theories [the composite Higgs is dead]

Strong-coupled composite dark matter [basically ruled out]

Atomic/Mirror dark matter

Light dark matter

Axion and wave-like dark matter

Other models of dark matter: . . . sterile neutrino dark matter, ultraheavy dark matter, dynamical dark matter, and hidden sectors and a multi-temperature universe.

4 Baryogenesis [rests heavily on the utterly unsupported premise that aggregate baryon number has to be zero at the Big Bang]

5 Flavor Model Building [full text reproduced below for lack of subheadings]

Flavor violating processes, in particular those involving flavor changing neutral currents (FCNC) have exquisite sensitivity to new sources of flavor and CP violation beyond those of the SM. This high sensitivity to new physics has its origin in the small amount of flavor breaking that is present in the SM. In the SM, the only sources of flavor violation are the hierarchical Yukawa couplings of the Higgs. The origin of the SM arrangement of the various quark and charged lepton masses, the hierarchical structure of the CKM matrix, and the absence of visible hierarchies in the PMNS matrix is often referred to as the SM flavor puzzle. Various classes of ideas exist to solve this puzzle: horizontal flavor symmetries, warped extra dimentions, partial compositeness, and radiative fermion masses. In the SM, the quark FCNCs are suppressed by a loop factor and by small CKM matrix elements. As long as theoretical uncertainties in the SM predictions are under control, quark flavor violating processes can indirectly explore very high mass scales, in some cases far beyond the direct reach of collider experiments. In the lepton sector, SM predictions for FCNCs are suppressed by the tiny neutrino masses and below any imaginable experimental sensitivities. Electroweak contributions to electric dipole moments are also predicted to be strongly suppressed in the SM, several orders of magnitude below the current bounds. Charged lepton flavor violation and electric dipole moments are thus null tests of the SM. Any observation of such processes would be an unambiguous sign of new physics.

In the SM, the Yukawa couplings of the Higgs to the fermions are the only sources of flavor violation. Therefore, the Higgs might be the window into understanding flavor, with the precision Higgs program at the LHC, and in the future also at a Higgs factory, able to provide valuable inputs. In particular, Higgs decays involving tau, h → τµ and h → τe, are cases where the direct searches at the LHC are the most sensitive probes.

In addition to long-standing puzzles, in the last several years a number of “flavor anomalies” have created considerable excitement in the community. Discrepancies between SM predictions and experimental measurements are seen in B decays as well as in the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. If the new physics origin for these experimental anomalies could be established, it would have a transformative impact on the field. First and foremost, such an indirect sign of new physics would establish a new mass scale in particle physics. This scale could become the next target for direct exploration at future high-energy colliders. With sufficient energy, discoveries would, at least in principle, be guaranteed. Second, the couplings of the new physics constitute new sources of flavor violation beyond the SM Yukawa couplings. Existing low energy constraints suggest that such new physics couplings have a hierarchical flavor structure. This provides a new perspective on the Standard Model flavor puzzle and invites the construction of flavor models that link the structure of the SM and BSM sources of flavor violation. At present, the global analyses point towards a small consistent set of dimension-6 effective operators (C9 and/or C10) to explain the B-physics anomalies. The leading candidate UV models generating these operators involve Z(0) (e.g. Lµ − Lτ ) gauge bosons or leptoquarks.

The new Snowmass paper on quantum gravity, string theory, and black holes is also full of dubious assertions.

In short, until we vote a lot of physicists in this camp off the island, physics will continue to be plagued with high IQ idiots pursuing dubious and unsound theories.