Dominant next-to-leading order QCD corrections to Higgs plus three jet production in vector-boson fusion

TL;DR

This paper calculates the dominant next-to-leading order QCD corrections to Higgs production with three jets via vector boson fusion, showing modest cross section corrections but significant shape changes and reduced uncertainties, aiding precise Higgs measurements.

Contribution

It provides the first NLO QCD correction calculation for Higgs plus three jets in vector boson fusion, including a Monte Carlo implementation and analysis of jet veto effects.

Findings

QCD corrections modestly affect total cross sections

Kinematic distribution shapes change significantly at NLO

Scale uncertainties are reduced at NLO, improving measurement precision

Abstract

We present the calculation of the dominant next to leading order QCD corrections to Higgs boson production in association with three jets via vector boson fusion in the form of a NLO parton-level Monte Carlo program. QCD corrections to integrated cross sections are modest, while the shapes of some kinematical distributions change appreciably at NLO. Scale uncertainties are shown to be reduced at NLO for the total cross section and for distributions. We consider a central jet veto at the LHC and analyze the veto probability for typical vector boson fusion cuts. Scale uncertainties of the veto probability are sufficiently small at NLO for precise Higgs coupling measurements at the LHC.