Lattice Computations for Beyond Standard Model Physics

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This is a short review article which reassumes results of several previous articles of the authors regarding the lattice computations in various strongly coupled non-abelian gauge theories, with different numbers of colors and flavors. The motive is theta such studies can be useful for some new physics beyond the  Standard Model, which can be technicolored/composite Higgs scenarios or applied to some dark matter scenarios where dark matter emerges from some strongly coupled gauge sectors.

While for time being I do not see any realistic and/or particularly interesting application of these studies to the above issues, so that the initial motivation somehow becomes  almost lost in the body of the article and technicalities of considered schemes. For example, while I can assume that these studies can be useful for understanding self-interaction properties of some composite DM candidates, I do not see implications for  the DM interactions with the normal matter and useful symptoms for its direct or indirect detection. 

Nevertheless, I would suggest to publish this review since at some moment can be useful for the BSM pictures in more concrete context

Author Response

We thank the referee for the report and suggesting publication of our manuscript. To address the comments of the referee, we note that the purpose of our review is not to discuss detailed phenomenological consequences of particular models. Our aim is to present an up-to-date review of the state-of-the-art lattice computations to determine the vacuum phase diagrams of SU(N) gauge theories as a function of the number of fermion flavours and their representations. This alone is a significant contribution extending our current knowledge about gauge theories beyond the ones featured in the Standard Model and provides information for selecting suitable underlying theories for different realisations in particle physics phenomenology. 

Reviewer 2 Report

This article provides a state-of-the-art review of lattice methods describing strongly coupled non-Abelian gauge theories. Phase diagrams of SU(2) gauge theories with fermions in the fundamental and adjoint representations are discussed in detail, and the discussion is extended to other SU(N) gauge theories. This subject is interesting for the development of Beyond the Standard Model theories and dark matter. Moreover, the article is clear and well written. 

In view of the above, I recommend this article for publication to Universe.

Please note a possible typo in line 36 (9 lines after Eq.3), "In beyond the Standard Model (BSM) model model...",  (repetition of the word model) that needs to be corrected in the published version.

Author Response

We thank the referee for careful reading of the manuscript. We have corrected the typo pointed out by the referee and also few others we found.