Searching for Higgs Bosons in Tau Final States at Dzero

Lead Research Organisation: University of Manchester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy

Abstract

The Dzero Experiment at the Tevatron collider near Chicago searches for Higgs bosons produced in the collisions of protons and anti-protons. In this proposal we want to use tau leptons as an efficient tool to identify events with Higgs boson production and to separate them from the copiously produced background. In the Standard Model of Particle Physics, Higgs bosons can be produced together with a W or Z boson. Whereas the Higgs boson will decay into a pair of b quarks, the W can decay into a tau and a neutrino and the Z into two tau leptons. This is only one of several possible production processes. The expected number of Standard Model Higgs bosons in the data, however, is so small that this process plays an important role in increasing the sensitivity for a signal. In Supersymmetry there are several Higgs bosons. In the so-called Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) there are five Higgs bosons, two of them charged and three neutral. About one in ten MSSM Higgs bosons decays into a pair of tau leptons. Searching for these events can help to discover Supersymmetry. In any case, it will significantly constrain the properties of the model. The other Tevatron experiment, CDF, has recently presented a deviation in its data which could be interpreted as a potential signal of a MSSM Higgs boson. The Dzero data could not confirm this signal, but also not completely exclude it. It is therefore important that we continue this work in the future.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description Fermilab International Fellowship 
Organisation Fermilab - Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Department Particle Physics Division
Country United States 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution We collaborate on the D0 Experiment at Fermilab.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration on D0 Experiment
Impact see list of publications attached
Start Year 2009
 
Description Fermilab Today, Press 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact - Maiko Takahashi was featured several times on Fermilab Today, an outreach webpage
- Higgs search results from D0 were featured in media (e.g. BBC)

- Significant feedback from public regarding the Tevatron Higgs searches, including the discussion about a run extension of the Tevatron.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2009,2010