A next-to-leading order study of photon-pion and pion pair hadro-production in the light of the Higgs boson search at the LHC

Abstract

We discuss the production of γπ0 and π0 π0 pairs with a large invariant mass at collider energies. We present a study based on a perturbative QCD calculation at full next-to-leading order accuracy, implemented in the computer programme DIPHOX. We give estimations for various observables, which concern the reducible background to the Higgs boson search in the channel H → γγ, in the mass range 80-140 GeV at the LHC. We critically discuss the reliability of these estimates due to our imperfect knowledge of fragmentation functions at high z and a subtle interplay between higher order corrections and realistic experimental cuts. Whereas the invariant mass spectrum of photon-pion pairs is theoretically better under control, in the dipion case large uncertainties remain. Finally we comment on the impact of our findings on Higgs boson searches at the LHC. We conclude that the qualitative statement that the pion backgrounds should not be dangerous for the H → γγ search channel remains true at the next-to-leading order level.