CMS-PAS-HIG-23-007

CMS-PAS-HIG-23-007
Search for anomalous Higgs boson couplings in WH $ \to\ell\nu\mathrm{b\bar{b}} $ production through Vector Boson Scattering
CMS Collaboration
30 November 2023

Abstract: A study of the electroweak-induced production of a W boson and a Higgs boson is presented. The data collected by the CMS experiment in 2016-2018 from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$ ^{-1} $. Selected events target the leptonic decay of the W boson and the decay of the Higgs boson to $ \mathrm{b\bar{b}} $. In particular, beyond standard model (BSM) Higgs couplings are considered, such that the Higgs boson decay products are boosted and thus reconstructed as a single large-cone jet. Limits are set on the parameters that scale the Higgs couplings to the W and Z bosons in the $ \kappa $ framework. The BSM scenario where $ \lambda_{\mathrm{WZ}} = \kappa_\mathrm{W}/\kappa_\mathrm{Z} = - $ 1 is excluded at a confidence level (CL) larger than 99.99%, with an expected and observed significance beyond 5$\sigma $. The hypotheses where the $ \kappa_\mathrm{W} $ and $ \kappa_\mathrm{Z} $ parameters are compatible with the current measurements and have different signs are similarly excluded at a CL larger than 99.99%.
Links: CDS record (PDF) ; CADI line (restricted) ;

Figures & Tables	Summary	References	CMS Publications

Figures
png pdf	Figure 1: Feynman diagrams for the production of WH $ \to\ell\nu\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}} $ via VBS.
png pdf	Figure 1-a: Feynman diagrams for the production of WH $ \to\ell\nu\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}} $ via VBS.
png pdf	Figure 1-b: Feynman diagrams for the production of WH $ \to\ell\nu\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}} $ via VBS.
png pdf	Figure 1-c: Feynman diagrams for the production of WH $ \to\ell\nu\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}} $ via VBS.
png pdf	Figure 2: Data/MC comparison for the softdrop mass of the AK8 jet selected as Higgs boson candidate, in the regions used in the background estimate. Regions D and A, which both have $ \|\Delta\eta_{\mathrm{j}\mathrm{j}}\| > $ 4, are plotted on the left. Regions C and B, which both have $ \|\Delta\eta_{\mathrm{j}\mathrm{j}}\| \leq $ 4, are plotted on the right. In the signal region, region D, the blue markers show the background yield predicted from data. The small contributions from VH production, $ {\mathrm{t}\bar{\mathrm{t}}} +$ X (X $ =$ H, W, Z, $\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}}$, jets), and EW production of a leptonically decaying W are merged into a single category labeled ``Other.''
png pdf	Figure 2-a: Data/MC comparison for the softdrop mass of the AK8 jet selected as Higgs boson candidate, in the regions used in the background estimate. Regions D and A, which both have $ \|\Delta\eta_{\mathrm{j}\mathrm{j}}\| > $ 4, are plotted on the left. Regions C and B, which both have $ \|\Delta\eta_{\mathrm{j}\mathrm{j}}\| \leq $ 4, are plotted on the right. In the signal region, region D, the blue markers show the background yield predicted from data. The small contributions from VH production, $ {\mathrm{t}\bar{\mathrm{t}}} +$ X (X $ =$ H, W, Z, $\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}}$, jets), and EW production of a leptonically decaying W are merged into a single category labeled ``Other.''
png pdf	Figure 2-b: Data/MC comparison for the softdrop mass of the AK8 jet selected as Higgs boson candidate, in the regions used in the background estimate. Regions D and A, which both have $ \|\Delta\eta_{\mathrm{j}\mathrm{j}}\| > $ 4, are plotted on the left. Regions C and B, which both have $ \|\Delta\eta_{\mathrm{j}\mathrm{j}}\| \leq $ 4, are plotted on the right. In the signal region, region D, the blue markers show the background yield predicted from data. The small contributions from VH production, $ {\mathrm{t}\bar{\mathrm{t}}} +$ X (X $ =$ H, W, Z, $\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}}$, jets), and EW production of a leptonically decaying W are merged into a single category labeled ``Other.''
png pdf	Figure 3: Exclusion significance in the 2D $ \kappa_{\mathrm{W}}$-$\kappa_{\mathrm{Z}} $ plane. The observed and expected 2$ \sigma $ and 5$ \sigma $ exclusion contours are shown. The 2$\sigma $ and 5$\sigma $ contours are given by $ -2\Delta\log L $ less than 6.18 and 28.7 respectively. The current best limits $ \|\kappa_{\mathrm{W}}\| = $ 1.02 $ \pm $ 0.08 and $ \|\kappa_{\mathrm{Z}}\| = $ 1.04 $ \pm $ 0.07 are also plotted [59]. Opposite-sign $ \kappa_{\mathrm{W}}$-$\kappa_{\mathrm{Z}} $ (or negative $ \lambda_{\mathrm{W}\mathrm{Z}} $) scenarios are excluded at an expected and observed significance beyond 5$\sigma $.

Tables
png pdf	Table 1: Summary of selections for the signal region.
png pdf	Table 2: The background yield estimated from data and signal yield predicted by MC simulation in the signal region are tabulated with their associated statistical and pre-fit systematic uncertainties. The systematic uncertainty for signal quoted here is the sum in quadrature of all of the independent systematics multiplied by the total yield. The observed data yield is also tabulated.

Summary

In this document, we have reported the first study of electroweak WH production using data recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC. We focused on the BSM scenario where $ \lambda_{\mathrm{W}\mathrm{Z}} = \kappa_{\mathrm{W}}/\kappa_{\mathrm{Z}} = - $1 and extended the search to a grid in $ \kappa_{\mathrm{W}}$-$\kappa_{\mathrm{Z}} $ phase space. In total, 138 fb$^{-1}$ of data collected between 2016 and 2018 with a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV were analyzed. Events were selected by requiring exactly one isolated charged lepton, missing transverse momentum, two jets consistent with a vector boson scattering interaction, and an additional large-cone jet consistent with the boosted Higgs boson decay to $ \mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}} $. The BSM scenario where $ \lambda_{\mathrm{W}\mathrm{Z}} = - $1 is excluded at a confidence level (CL) higher than 99.99%, with an expected and observed significance beyond 5$ \sigma $. Similarly, all the opposite sign scenarios with $ \kappa_{\mathrm{W}} $ and $ \kappa_{\mathrm{Z}} $ values compatible with the current measurements are excluded with a CL higher than 99.99%.

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