We consider a class of little Higgs theories with $T$-parity where all new particles responsible for canceling the standard model contributions to the one-loop quadratic divergences in the Higgs potential are odd under $T$-parity, including the heavy top partner which was previously taken to be $T$-even. The new construction significantly simplifies the spectrum in the top sector and completely changes the phenomenology of the top partner. At hadron colliders the signals of this class of $T$-invariant models appear to be even more similar to supersymmetry. We initiate a study on the collider phenomenology and discuss the challenge of distinguishing this class of models from supersymmetry at the Large Hadron Collider.

• Received 25 May 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.74.055001