Combined CDF and D0 Upper Limits on Standard Model Higgs Boson Production with up to 8.2 fb-1 of Data

TL;DR

This paper combines results from CDF and D0 experiments at Fermilab to set upper limits on the Standard Model Higgs boson production, excluding certain mass ranges with up to 8.2 fb^-1 of data.

Contribution

It provides the most sensitive combined search for the SM Higgs boson at the Tevatron, incorporating new data and improved analysis techniques.

Findings

Excluded Higgs mass range 158-173 GeV/c^2 at 95% CL.

Achieved upper limits at 0.54 times the SM cross section for 165 GeV/c^2.

Used the latest theoretical predictions and increased data sets.

Abstract

We combine results from CDF and D0's direct searches for the standard model (SM) Higgs boson (H) produced in p-pbar collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV. The results presented here include those channels which are most sensitive to Higgs bosons with mass between 130 and 200 GeV/c^2, namely searches targeted at Higgs boson decays to W+W-, although acceptance for decays into tau+tau- and gamma gamma is included. Compared to the previous Tevatron Higgs search combination, more data have been added and the analyses have been improved to gain sensitivity. We use the MSTW08 parton distribution functions and the latest gg to H theoretical cross section predictions when testing for the presence of a SM Higgs boson. With up to 7.1 fb-1 of data analyzed at CDF, and up to 8.2 fb-1 at D0, the 95% C.L. upper limits on Higgs boson production is a factor of 0.54 times the SM cross section for a Higgs boson mass of 165 GeV/c^2. We exclude at the 95% C.L. the region 158<m_H<173 GeV/c^2.