Properties of the dilaton

Abstract

Gauge models which possess a hierarchy of mass scales may exhibit a pseudo-Goldstone boson, the dilaton, of the scale symmetry. Properties of the dilaton are studied in a technicolor model, where the technifermion chiral condensation scale differs from the confinement scale. The dilaton exhibits properties very similar to the elementary Higgs boson of the standard model. It is distinguished from the Higgs boson by its Goldstone nature, which is manifested in an enhanced multidilaton production. Estimates for the dilaton mass and lifetime are given and various production mechanisms are discussed. Prospects for detecting the dilaton in its associated production with W or Z and in W and Z decays are stressed.