Measurement of WW Production and Search for the Higgs Boson in pp Collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

TL;DR

This paper reports on the measurement of WW production cross section and a search for the Higgs boson in proton-proton collisions at 7 TeV, using CMS data, setting limits on Higgs mass and anomalous couplings.

Contribution

First measurement of WW production cross section at 7 TeV and comprehensive search for the Higgs boson in the WW decay mode with CMS data.

Findings

WW cross section measured as 41.1 pb, consistent with the standard model

No evidence of Higgs boson observed in the WW decay channel

Excluded Higgs mass range between 144 and 207 GeV at 95% CL

Abstract

A measurement of WW production in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and a search for the Higgs boson are reported. The WW candidates are selected in events with two leptons, either electrons or muons. The measurement is performed using LHC data recorded with the CMS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns. The pp to WW cross section is measured to be 41.1 +/- 15.3 (stat) +/- 5.8 (syst) +/- 4.5 (lumi) pb, consistent with the standard model prediction. Limits on WW gamma and WWZ anomalous triple gauge couplings are set. The search for the standard model Higgs boson in the WW decay mode does not reveal any evidence of excess above backgrounds. Limits are set on the production of the Higgs boson in the context of the standard model and in the presence of a sequential fourth family of fermions with high masses. In the latter context, a Higgs boson with mass between 144 and 207 GeV is ruled out at 95% confidence level.