A 2D fit with background measurement constraints to boost the Higgs to 4l discovery potential at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper introduces a data-driven 2D fitting method that enhances the Higgs to 4l discovery potential at the LHC by simultaneously extracting signals and backgrounds using invariant mass distributions, with normalization from control regions.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel 2D fit approach that improves Higgs to 4l signal extraction by incorporating background constraints from data control regions, increasing sensitivity for LHC searches.

Findings

High sensitivity of the method demonstrated

Effective background normalization from control regions

Potential to improve Higgs discovery prospects

Abstract

A data-driven method for simultaneously extracting a potential Higgs to ZZ to 4e, 4mu, 2e2mu signal and its dominant backgrounds, is presented. The method relies on a combined fit of the 2-lepton, Z*, and 4-lepton invariant masses. The fit is assisted by normalization of the Z+X backgrounds in data control regions. The Higgs discovery potential for the next few years of LHC running is presented. The demonstrated high sensitivity of the method makes it ideal for the search performed by the ATLAS and CMS experiments.