The SPA project is a joint study of theorists and experimentalists working on LHC and Linear Collider phenomenology. The study focuses on the supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model. The main targets are

• High-precision determination of the supersymmetry Lagrange parameters at the electroweak scale
• Extrapolation to a high scale to reconstruct the fundamental parameters and the mechanism for supersymmetry breaking

The SPA convention and the SPA Project are described in the SPA report [Eur.Phys.J.C46:43-60,2006, arXiv:hep-ph/0511344].

Coordinators

This list contains the coordinators from Europe only; for each sector, the coordinators from America and Asia will be added soon.

• Chairpersons:
  J. Kalinowski, H.-U. Martyn
• Theory:
  G. Bélanger (dark matter, precision data), A. Djouadi (dark matter, precision data), A. Freitas (sleptons), J. Guasch (masses/widths), J. Kalinowski (charginos/neutralinos), W. Majerotto (charginos/neutralinos), W. Hollik (masses/widths), W. Porod (extrapolation to high scales), M. Spira (squarks/gluinos), G. Weiglein (SUSY Higgs)
• Experiment:
  G. Blair (extrapolation to high scales), K. Desch (SUSY Higgs), H.-U. Martyn (sparticle properties, LC), G. Polesello (squarks/gluinos, LHC)
• Coordination Program Code:
  W. Kilian

Computer Programs

For this task, computer codes are needed which will be collected on this webpage. The common standard for codes to communicate SUSY parameters is the SUSY Les Houches Accord SLHA (JHEP 0407:036,2004, arXiv:hep-ph/0311123, current draft). The standard provides support for the input parameters of restricted MSSM versions (SUGRA, GMSB etc.), for generic MSSM parameters, spectra, and SUSY particle decay parameters. A standard for more complex information (cross sections, in particular) has not been specified, although some programs use a SLHA-conforming syntax to return additional output. Extensions of the SLHA format which are presently discussed include complex parameter sets and error bands.

The available codes implement various parts of the SPA setup. The following classes of programs have been defined in the SPA draft report:

1. Scheme translation tools
         (to be added soon)
   
2. Spectrum calculators
   
   • FeynHiggs maintained by S. Heinemeyer [Higgs sector only]
   • ISAJET/ISASUSY by H. Baer, F.E. Paige, S.D. Protopescu, and X. Tata (SLHA interface)
   • NMHDECAY by U. Ellwanger, J.F. Gunion and C. Hugonie [NMSSM Higgs sector only]
   • SOFTSUSY by B. Allanach
   • SPHENO by W. Porod
   • SUSPECT by A. Djouadi, J.-L. Kneur and G. Moultaka
3. Calculation of other observables
   (A) Decay tables
   
   • FeynHiggs maintained by S. Heinemeyer [Higgs sector only]
   • ISAJET/ISASUSY by H. Baer, F.E. Paige, S.D. Protopescu, and X. Tata (SLHA interface)
   • NMHDECAY by U. Ellwanger, J.F. Gunion and C. Hugonie [NMSSM Higgs sector only]
   • SDECAY by M. Mühlleitner, A. Djouadi and Y. Mambrini
   • SPHENO by W. Porod
   (B) Cross sections
   
   • FeynHiggs maintained by S. Heinemeyer [Higgs sector only]
   • ISAJET/ISASUSY by H. Baer, F.E. Paige, S.D. Protopescu, and X. Tata (SLHA interface)
   • PROSPINO2 maintained by T. Plehn (see also: PROSPINO1 by W. Beenakker, R. Höpker, and M. Spira)
   • PYTHIA by T. Sjöstrand, L. Lönnblad, P. Skands, and S. Mrenna (SLHA interface)
   • SPHENO by W. Porod
   • WHIZARD by W. Kilian (uses O'Mega by T. Ohl and J. Reuter)
   (C) Low-energy observables
   
   • FeynHiggs maintained by S. Heinemeyer [Higgs sector only; computes Δ&rho and (g-2)_μ]
   • ISATOOLS (in ISAJET) by A.H. Baer, A. Belyaev, and F.E. Paige (SLHA interface)
   • SUSPECT by A. Djouadi, J.-L. Kneur and G. Moultaka [computes (g-2)_μ, b->sγ ...]
   (D) Cosmological and astrophysical aspects
   
   • ISATOOLS (in ISAJET) by A.H. Baer, A. Belyaev, and F.E. Paige (SLHA interface)
   • MICROMEGAS by G. Belanger, F. Boudjema, A. Pukhov, and A. Semenov
4. Event generators
   
   • ISAJET/ISASUSY by H. Baer, F.E. Paige, S.D. Protopescu, and X. Tata (SLHA interface)
   • PYTHIA by T. Sjöstrand, L. Lönnblad, P. Skands, and S. Mrenna (SLHA interface)
   • WHIZARD by W. Kilian (uses O'Mega by T. Ohl and J. Reuter)
5. Analysis programs
   
   • FITTINO by P. Bechtle, K. Desch, and P. Wienemann
   • SFITTER by T. Plehn, R. Lafaye, and D. Zerwas
6. RGE programs
   
   • ISAJET/ISASUSY by H. Baer, F.E. Paige, S.D. Protopescu, and X. Tata (SLHA interface)
   • SOFTSUSY by B. Allanach
   • SPHENO by W. Porod
7. Auxiliary programs and libraries
   
   • SLHAlib by T. Hahn [I/O for SLHA data]

Only programs which support the SLHA are listed above. Note that some codes do not allow for a separation of the various steps, and some do not support the SLHA for both input and output (where applicable).

Further SUSY programs which could be useful to the SPA project but (to our knowledge) do not yet support the Les Houches Accord include: CPsuperH, DARKSUSY, HDECAY, COMPHEP, GRACE SUSY, HERWIG/ISAWIG, PLATON, SUSYGEN, and M. Spira's programs for SM and MSSM Higgs at hadron colliders.

An online tool for comparing SUSY codes can be found at http://cern.ch/kraml/comparison/.

SUSY Parameters

The parameters for the initial study have been chosen close to the Snowmass point SPS 1a, specified in the Snowmass Points and Slopes (hep-ph/0202233, Eur. Phys. J. C25 (2002) 113). There is also a compilation of the corresponding spectra (hep-ph/0201233). For the purpose of the SPA project, this point SPS 1a has been modified in order to take recent developments into account. The precise definition of this point SPS 1a' is given in the SPA report. For applications, you may use the parameters from this SLHA input file.

Meetings

• DESY Meeting on New Physics at the LHC, Mar 06 2006
• Talk by J. Kalinowski (original PPT version) in the SUSY session at the ALCPG ILC Workshop at Snowmass, Aug. 2005
• Meeting at DESY, Jan 21 2005
• Plenary talk by P. Zerwas and discussion session at the ECFA LC Workshop (Durham, Sep. 1-4 2004)
• Editorial board meeting (DESY, June 28-29 2004)
• Intermediate meeting (DESY, Jan 23 2004)
• Working Group Presentations at the ECFA LC Workshop (Montpellier, Nov. 13-16 2003)
• Preparatory Meeting (DESY, Oct. 20-21 2003)

Updated: Thu Jun 01 2006 by Wolfgang Kilian (wolfgang.kilian@desy.de)