Combined upper limit on Standard Model Higgs boson production at CDF

• Main Author: Adrian, Buzatu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 09-02-2012
• Subjects: Physics - High Energy Physics - Experiment
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1202.2065

The Higgs boson is the only elementary particle predicted by the Standard
Model (SM) that has neither been confirmed nor refuted. The CDF collaboration
has performed SM Higgs searches in many channels using $p\pbar$ collisions at a
centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=1.96\tev$. We present the latest combined Higgs
boson search at CDF. Since the previous year's combination, the sensitivity is
increased through the addition of new channels, the improvement of existing
channels and the addition of new data samples. We also use the latest parton
distribution functions and $gg \rightarrow H$ theoretical cross sections when
modelling the signal event yields. Using integrated luminosities of up to 8.2
$\invfb$, we observe a good agreement between data and the background
prediction. Since we do not see a Higgs boson excess, we set 95% CL upper
limits on the Higgs boson cross section in the range between 100 and 200
$\gevcc$, with 5 $\gevcc$ increments. The observed (expected) limits for a 115
and a 165 $\gevcc$ Higgs boson are 1.55 (1.49) and 0.75 (0.79) $\times$ SM,
respectively. Since last year, the Higgs boson excluded range by CDF is
extended to 156.5 - 173.7 and 100 - 104.5 $\gevcc$.