Study of Higgs boson production and its b-b(bar) decay in gamma-gamma processes in proton-nucleus collisions at the LHC
We explore for the first time the possibilities to measure an intermediate-mass (m{sub H} = 115-140 GeV/c{sup 2}) Standard-Model Higgs boson in electromagnetic proton-lead (p Pb) interactions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) via its b{bar b} decay. Using equivalent Weizsacker-Williams photon fluxes and Higgs effective field theory for the coupling {gamma}{gamma} {yields} H, we obtain a leading-order cross section of the order of 0.3 pb for exclusive Higgs production in elastic (p Pb {yields} {gamma}{gamma} p H Pb) and semielastic (p Pb {yields} {gamma}{gamma} X H Pb) processes at {radical}S{sub NN} = 8.8 TeV. After applying various kinematics cuts to remove the main backgrounds ({gamma}{gamma} {yields} b{bar b} and misidentified {gamma}{gamma} {yields} q{bar q} events), we find that a Higgs boson with m{sub H} = 120 GeV/c{sup 2} could be observed in the b{bar b} channel with a 3{sigma}-significance integrating 300 pb{sup -1} with an upgraded pA luminosity of 10{sup 31} cm{sup -2}s{sup -1}. We also provide for the first time semielastic Higgs cross sections, along with elastic t{bar t} cross sections, for electromagnetic pp, pA and AA collisions at the LHC.
- Research Organization:
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76SF00515
- OSTI ID:
- 992444
- Report Number(s):
- SLAC-PUB-13786; arXiv:0909.3047; TRN: US1007746
- Journal Information:
- Phys.Rev.D81:014004,2010, Journal Name: Phys.Rev.D81:014004,2010
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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