Generational Structure of Models with Dynamical Symmetry Breaking

Understand

In models with dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking, this breaking is normally communicated to quarks and leptons by a set of vector bosons with masses generated via sequential breaking of a larger gauge symmetry.

• In reasonably ultraviolet-complete theories of this type, the number of stages of breaking of the larger gauge symmetry is usually equal to the observed number of quark and lepton generations, $N_{gen.}=3$.
• Here we investigate the general question of how the construction and properties of these models depend on $N_{gen.}$, regarded as a variable.
• We build and analyze models with illustrative values of $N_{gen.}$ different from 3 (namely, $N_{gen.}=1,2,4$) that exhibit the necessary sequential symmetry breaking down to a strongly coupled sector that dynamically breaks electroweak symmetry.