Search for the Standard Model Higgs Boson Produced in Association with a $W$ Boson in the Isolated-Track Charged-Lepton Channel Using the Collider Detector at Fermilab

TL;DR

This paper reports an improved experimental search for the Standard Model Higgs boson produced with a W boson in proton-antiproton collisions, utilizing novel reconstruction and trigger combination methods to enhance sensitivity at Fermilab.

Contribution

Introduces new techniques for charged lepton reconstruction and trigger combination, increasing the sensitivity of the Higgs search in the WH channel.

Findings

Achieved a 17% increase in search sensitivity.

Set upper limits on Higgs production cross section varying with mass.

Demonstrated effectiveness of novel reconstruction methods.

Abstract

This dissertation presents an experimental search for the Standard Model Higgs boson produced in association to the W boson in proton antiproton collisions at a center of mass energy of 1.96 TeV and recorded with the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We improve the sensitivity of the WH search by 17% through increased signal yield by 33% by introducing a novel method to reconstruct charged lepton candidates based on an isolated track, as well as a novel method to combine triggers in order to maximize the signal yield and yet not use an OR between triggers. The observed (median expected) 95% confidence level SM Higgs upper limits on cross section times branching ratio vary between 2.39 x SM (2.73 x SM) for a Higgs mass of 100 GeV/c^2 to 31.1 x SM (31.2 x SM) for a Higgs mass of 150 GeV/c^2, while the value for a 115 GeV/c^2 Higgs boson is that of 5.08 x SM (3.79 x SM).