A pseudoscalar decaying to photon pairs in the early LHC Run 2 data

Abstract: In this paper we explore the possibility of a pseudoscalar resonance to account for the 750 GeV diphoton excess observed both at ATLAS and at CMS. We analyze the ingredients needed from the low energy perspective to obtain a sufficiently large diphoton rate to explain the signal while avoiding constraints from other channels. Additionally, we point out composite Higgs models in which one can naturally obtain a pseudoscalar at the 750 GeV mass scale and we estimate the pseudoscalar couplings to standard model particles that one would have in such models. A generic feature of models that can explain the excess is the presence of new particles in addition to the 750 GeV state. Finally, we note that due to the origin of the coupling of the resonance to photons, one expects to see comparable signals in the $Z\gamma$, $ZZ$, and $WW$ channels.