Searching for Higgs decays to four bottom quarks at LHCb

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the potential of the LHCb experiment to detect Higgs bosons decaying into four bottom quarks via scalar intermediaries, emphasizing trigger strategies and reconstruction efficiencies for light scalars.

Contribution

It proposes that LHCb's b-physics triggers and vertex reconstruction could be more effective than jet triggers for detecting Higgs to 4b decays, especially for light scalars below 20 GeV.

Findings

Signal reconstruction efficiencies of a few percent may suffice for evidence.

LHCb could observe Higgs decays to 4b with optimized trigger strategies.

Focus on light scalar masses enhances detection prospects.

Abstract

We discuss the feasibility of seeing a Higgs boson which decays to four bottom quarks through a pair of (pseudo-)scalars at the LHCb experiment to argue that the use of b-physics triggers and off-line vertex reconstruction, as opposed to jet triggers with b tagging, may be more effective for this signal. Focusing on inclusive production for the Higgs, we find that for light scalar masses below 20 GeV, signal reconstruction efficiencies of order a few percent may be enough for LHCb to find evidence for a Higgs with a dominant 4b decay channel.