Search for a Higgs boson in the diphoton final state using the full CDF data set from proton-antiproton collisions at \surds = 1.96 TeV

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for a Higgs boson decaying into two photons using the full CDF dataset, employing a novel multivariate technique, but finds no evidence of the Higgs and sets upper limits on its production.

Contribution

First application of a multivariate discriminant in the diphoton channel at CDF for Higgs searches, providing new upper limits on Higgs production cross section.

Findings

No evidence of Higgs signal observed.

Upper limits set on cross section times branching ratio.

Excluded Higgs boson with suppressed fermion couplings below 114 GeV/c2.

Abstract

A search for a narrow Higgs boson resonance in the diphoton mass spectrum is presented based on data corresponding to 10 fb-1 of integrated luminosity from proton-antiproton collisions at \surds = 1.96 TeV collected by the CDF experiment. In addition to searching for a resonance in the diphoton mass spectrum, we employ a multivariate discriminant technique for the first time in this channel at CDF. No evidence of signal is observed, and upper limits are set on the cross section times branching ratio of the resonant state as a function of Higgs boson mass. The limits are interpreted in the context of the standard model with an expected (observed) limit on the cross section times branching ratio of 9.9 (17.0) times the standard model prediction at the 95% credibility level for a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV/c2. Moreover, a Higgs boson with suppressed couplings to fermions is excluded for masses below 114 GeV/c2 at the 95% credibility level.