Inelastic channels in WW scattering

If the electroweak symmetry-breaking sector becomes strongly interacting at high energies, it can be probed through longitudinal W scattering. We present a model with many inelastic channels in the WLWL scattering process, corresponding to the production of heavy fermion pairs. These heavy fermions affect the elastic scattering of WL's by propagating in loops, greatly reducing the amplitudes in some charge channels. We conclude that the symmetry-breaking sector cannot be fully explored by using, for example, the WL±WL± mode alone, even when no resonance is present; all WLWL→WLWL scattering modes must be measured. © 1993 The American Physical Society.