Search for an exotic decay of the Higgs boson to a pair of light pseudoscalars in the final state with two b quarks and two τ leptons in proton–proton collisions at s=13TeV
Abstract
A search for an exotic decay of the Higgs boson to a pair of light pseudoscalar bosons is performed for the first time in the final state with two b quarks and two τ leptons. The search is motivated in the context of models of physics beyond the standard model (SM), such as two Higgs doublet models extended with a complex scalar singlet (2HDM + S), which include the next-to-minimal supersymmetric SM (NMSSM). The results are based on a data set of proton–proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9fb-1, accumulated by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2016 at a center-of-mass energy of 13TeV. Masses of the pseudoscalar boson between 15 and 60 GeV are probed, and no excess of events above the SM expectation is observed. Upper limits between 3 and 12% are set on the branching fraction B(h-> aa -> 2T2b) assuming the SM production of the Higgs boson. Upper limits are also set on the branching fraction of the Higgs boson to two light pseudoscalar bosons in different 2HDM + S scenarios. Assuming the SM production cross section for the Higgs boson, the upper limit on this quantity is as low as 20% for a mass of the pseudoscalar of 40 GeV in the NMSSM. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000295674Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Physics Letters BVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
ElsevierSubject
CMS; Physics; Higgs boson; Exotic decays; NMSSM; 2HDM + SOrganisational unit
03593 - Dissertori, Günther / Dissertori, Günther
03904 - Wallny, Rainer / Wallny, Rainer
08803 - Grab, Christoph (Tit.Prof.)
09631 - Shchutska, Lesya (ehemalig) / Shchutska, Lesya (former)
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