Constraining the real singlet extension of the Standard Model: implications for vacuum stability

Abstract

Amongst the simplest extensions of the Standard Model is the addition of a real singlet scalar field with profound phenomenological consequences. The singlet can catalyze a strong first-order electroweak phase transition, necessary for successful electroweak baryogenesis. Furthermore, the current prediction of a metastable Higgs vacuum can be lifted towards absolute stability. While current data mainly constrain the scalar mixing angle, future measurements of the Higgs self-coupling and direct searches for additional scalar states will probe much larger parts of the viable parameter space. We report on a combined study of theoretical and experimental constraints on the real singlet extension, highlighting here in particular its implications for vacuum stability.

Contribution to the 2026 Electroweak session of the 60th Rencontres de Moriond