Search for decays of the Higgs boson into a pair of pseudoscalar particles decaying into <i>b</i>(b)over-barτ<SUP>+</SUP>τ<SUP>-</SUP> using <i>pp</i> collisions at √<i>s</i>=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector


Filmer E., Gallagher J., Grant C., Green M., Jackson P., Kong A., ...More

PHYSICAL REVIEW D, vol.110, no.5, 2024 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 110 Issue: 5
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1103/physrevd.110.052013
  • Journal Name: PHYSICAL REVIEW D
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Ankara University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This paper presents a search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson into a pair of new pseudoscalar particles, H -> aa, where one pseudoscalar decays into a b-quark pair and the other decays into a tau-lepton pair, in the mass range 12 <= m(a) <= 60 GeV. The analysis uses pp collision data at root s = 13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb(-1). No significant excess above the Standard Model ( SM) prediction is observed. Assuming the SM Higgs boson production cross section, the search sets upper limits at 95% confidence level on the branching ratio of Higgs bosons decaying into b (b) over bar tau(+)tau(-), B(H -> aa -> b (b) over bar tau(+)tau(-)), between 2.2% and 3.9% depending on the pseudoscalar mass.