Heavy MSSM Higgs Bosons at CMS: "LHC wedge" and Higgs-Mass Precision

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the CMS experiment's potential to discover heavy MSSM Higgs bosons at the LHC, analyzing the impact of supersymmetric parameters on discovery reach and mass measurement precision.

Contribution

It combines experimental sensitivity studies with theoretical predictions to map the discovery potential and mass accuracy for heavy MSSM Higgs bosons at the LHC.

Findings

Discovery reach can be shifted by about Delta tan_beta=10 due to mu variation.

Masses of heavy Higgs bosons can be measured with 1-4% accuracy.

The discovery region remains stable against other supersymmetric parameter variations.

Abstract

The search for MSSM Higgs bosons will be an important goal at the LHC. In order to analyze the search reach of the CMS experiment for the heavy neutral MSSM Higgs bosons, we combine the latest results for the CMS experimental sensitivities based on full simulation studies with state-of-the-art theoretical predictions of MSSM Higgs-boson properties. The experimental analyses are done assuming an integrated luminosity of 30 or 60 fb^-1. The results are interpreted as 5$ \si$ discovery contours in MSSM M_A-tan_beta benchmark scenarios. Special emphasis is put on the variation of the Higgs mixing parameter mu. While the variation of mu can shift the prospective discovery reach (and correspondingly the ``LHC wedge'' region) by about Delta tan_beta= 10, the discovery reach is rather stable with respect to the impact of other supersymmetric parameters. Within the discovery region we analyze the accuracy with which the masses of the heavy neutral Higgs bosons can be determined. An accuracy of 1-4% should be achievable, depending on M_A and tan_beta.