Consequence of branching ratio larger than one in MadSpin

Asked by JaeJin Hong

Dear MadGraph experts,

Hi. I am generating a loop-induced process and want to decay the final state using MadSpin, with spinmode none. I chose `none` spinmode since I am generating a scalar particle with a narrow width.
I want to decay a scalar resonance eta0 to two W bosons, and all of them decay hadronically.

Process: p p > iota0 > eta0 h
Higgs decay: h > b b~
eta0 decay: eta0 > w+ w- > q q q q

By specifying the width of eta0, I get a critical warning like `Branching ratio larger than one for 99925`.
If I choose to use Auto width for eta0, I don't get a warning. My guess is that it is related to eta0 > w+w- mode.

I will add my cards related to the above

proc_card.dat

set group_subprocesses Auto
set ignore_six_quark_processes False
set low_mem_multicore_nlo_generation False
set complex_mass_scheme False
set include_lepton_initiated_processes False
set gauge unitary
set loop_optimized_output True
set loop_color_flows False
set max_npoint_for_channel 0
set default_unset_couplings 99
set max_t_for_channel 99
set zerowidth_tchannel True
set nlo_mixed_expansion True
import model sm
define p = g u c d s u~ c~ d~ s~
define j = g u c d s u~ c~ d~ s~
define l+ = e+ mu+
define l- = e- mu-
define vl = ve vm vt
define vl~ = ve~ vm~ vt~
import model loop_sm_twoscalar
define p = g u c d s u~ c~ d~ s~
define j = g u c d s u~ c~ d~ s~
generate p p > iota0 > eta0 H QED<=4 [noborn=QCD]
output -f -nojpeg

Mass block and Decay block from param_card.dat

BLOCK MASS #
      5 4.700000e+00 # mb
      6 1.730000e+02 # mt
      15 1.777000e+00 # mta
      23 9.118800e+01 # mz
      25 1.250000e+02 # mh
      99925 1.000000e+03 # meta
      99926 2.000000e+03 # miota
      1 0.000000e+00 # d : 0.0
      2 0.000000e+00 # u : 0.0
      3 0.000000e+00 # s : 0.0
      4 0.000000e+00 # c : 0.0
      11 0.000000e+00 # e- : 0.0
      12 0.000000e+00 # ve : 0.0
      13 0.000000e+00 # mu- : 0.0
      14 0.000000e+00 # vm : 0.0
      16 0.000000e+00 # vt : 0.0
      21 0.000000e+00 # g : 0.0
      22 0.000000e+00 # a : 0.0
      24 8.041900e+01 # w+ : cmath.sqrt(mz__exp__2/2. + cmath.sqrt(mz__exp__4/4. - (aew*cmath.pi*mz__exp__2)/(gf*sqrt__2)))

DECAY 6 1.491500e+00 # wt
DECAY 23 2.441404e+00 # wz
DECAY 24 2.047600e+00 # ww
DECAY 25 6.382339e-03 # wh
DECAY 99925 1.000000e-02 #
DECAY 99926 1.000000e-02 #
DECAY 1 0.000000e+00 # d : 0.0
DECAY 2 0.000000e+00 # u : 0.0
DECAY 3 0.000000e+00 # s : 0.0
DECAY 4 0.000000e+00 # c : 0.0
DECAY 5 0.000000e+00 # b : 0.0
DECAY 11 0.000000e+00 # e- : 0.0
DECAY 12 0.000000e+00 # ve : 0.0
DECAY 13 0.000000e+00 # mu- : 0.0
DECAY 14 0.000000e+00 # vm : 0.0
DECAY 15 0.000000e+00 # ta- : 0.0
DECAY 16 0.000000e+00 # vt : 0.0
DECAY 21 0.000000e+00 # g : 0.0
DECAY 22 0.000000e+00 # a : 0.0

Finally, MadSpin Card
# set Nevents_for_max_weigth 75 # number of events for the estimate of the max. weight
# set BW_cut 15 # cut on how far the particle can be off-shell
set max_weight_ps_point 400 # number of PS to estimate the maximum for each event
#
set seed 474706
set spinmode none
define q = u c d s b u~ c~ d~ s~ b~

# specify the decay for the final state particles
decay eta0 > w+ w- > q q q q
decay h > b b~
# running the actual code
launch

By reading a few similar questions on this forum, I understand that this is due to the BR calculation for eta0 > WW decay. Numerator from LO calculation, denominator, which the specified width, being too small.

My questions are
1. What is the consequence, or possible bias in decays I can get with BR > 1 warning?
2. If there is, will it be relevant to my eta0 > w+ w- > qqqq decays? I am generating one kind of eta0 decays, no other modes are specified.
3. Is my approach of using 'set spinmode none' correct for the loop-induced process? If you have any recommendations for eta0 > w+ w- > qqqq decays, it will be great!

Thanks,

JaeJin

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
MadGraph5_aMC@NLO Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
Olivier Mattelaer
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Best Olivier Mattelaer (olivier-mattelaer) said :
#1

The consequence is that your cross-section with decay, will be higher than the cross-section without decay.
Which is obviously non physical.

For the rest as long as you do not use/trust the cross-section after decay, it should be fine.
Obviously, if the physical width is much larger than the one you quote, you can also have issue with the hyppothesis that the width is small which is needed by madspin to use the Narrow-width approximation (and even more on this mode since no effect of the width are included)

Cheers,

Olivier

Revision history for this message
JaeJin Hong (jjhong96) said (last edit ):
#2

To Olivier,

Thank you for your reply. That answers my question!
I will be careful for the cross-section with decay.

Best,

JaeJin