Search for the Higgs boson in the H->WW->lvjj decay channel in pp collisions at sqrt{s} = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for the Higgs boson in the H->WW->lvjj decay channel using 7 TeV proton-proton collision data, setting limits on its production cross section without observing a significant signal.

Contribution

First search for Higgs boson in the H->WW->lvjj channel at 7 TeV with ATLAS, providing new cross section limits over a broad mass range.

Findings

No significant excess observed over background.

Set upper limits on Higgs production cross section.

Best sensitivity at 400 GeV with a limit of 3.1 pb.

Abstract

A search for a Higgs boson has been performed in the H->WW->lvjj channel in 1.04/fb of pp collision data sqrt{s} = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess of events is observed over the expected background and limits on the Higgs boson production cross section are derived for a Higgs boson mass in the range 240 GeV < mH < 600 GeV. The best sensitivity is reached for mH = 400 GeV, where the 95% confidence level upper bound on the cross section for H->WW production is 3.1 pb, or 2.7 times the Standard Model prediction.