Abstract
A search is presented for exotic decays of a Higgs boson into undetectable particles and one or two isolated photons in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of up to 19.4 fb−1 collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. Higgs bosons produced in gluon–gluon fusion and in association with a Z boson are investigated, using models in which the Higgs boson decays into a gravitino and a neutralino or a pair of neutralinos, followed by the decay of the neutralino to a gravitino and a photon. The selected events are consistent with the background-only hypothesis, and limits are placed on the product of cross sections and branching fractions. Assuming a standard model Higgs boson production cross section, a 95% confidence level upper limit is set on the branching fraction of a 125 GeV Higgs boson decaying into undetectable particles and one or two isolated photons as a function of the neutralino mass. For this class of models and neutralino masses from 1 to 120 GeV an upper limit in the range of 7 to 13% is obtained. Further results are given as a function of the neutralino lifetime, and also for a range of Higgs boson masses.
Highlights
The detailed studies of the properties of the observed Higgs boson [1,2,3] are key components of the LHC physics program
Assuming that the couplings of the Higgs boson to W and Z bosons are smaller than the standard model (SM) values, this indirect method provides an upper limit on the branching fraction of the 125 GeV Higgs boson to beyond the SM (BSM) particles of 57% at a 95% confidence level (CL) [4,6]
With the available data set the search presented is not sensitive to this decay, but it is sensitive to enhancements in the Higgs boson decay rates to undetectable particles and photons arising from BSM physics
Summary
The detailed studies of the properties of the observed Higgs boson [1,2,3] are key components of the LHC physics program. With the available data set the search presented is not sensitive to this decay, but it is sensitive to enhancements in the Higgs boson decay rates to undetectable particles and photons arising from BSM physics. The strength of the ZH channel analysis is an almost background-free selection leading to a larger sensitivity in the model-dependent interpretation While both the ggH and the ZH channels provide sensitivity to BSM Higgs boson signatures, the ggH channel allows a model-independent interpretation of the results. This analysis presents a first search for decays of a scalar boson to undetectable particles and one or two isolated photons.
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