Probing the spin-parity of the Higgs boson via jet kinematics in vector boson fusion

TL;DR

This paper explores how jet kinematics in vector boson fusion can be used to determine the spin and parity of the Higgs boson, highlighting the impact of anomalous couplings on observable distributions.

Contribution

It introduces a method to probe the Higgs boson's spin-parity using jet kinematics and analyzes the effects of anomalous HVV vertices on these observables.

Findings

Anomalous HVV vertices significantly alter jet rapidity and transverse momentum distributions.

Kinematic variables in associated production are sensitive to the Higgs boson's spin-parity.

Sensitivity to spin-parity depends on the LHC energy and specific kinematic cuts.

Abstract

Determining the spin and the parity quantum numbers of the recently discovered Higgs-like boson at the LHC is a matter of great importance. In this paper, we consider the possibility of using the kinematics of the tagging jets in Higgs production via the vector boson fusion (VBF) process to test the tensor structure of the Higgs-vector boson ($HVV$) interaction and to determine the spin and CP properties of the observed resonance. We show that an anomalous $HVV$ vertex, in particular its explicit momentum dependence, drastically affects the rapidity between the two scattered quarks and their transverse momenta and, hence, the acceptance of the kinematical cuts that allow to select the VBF topology. The sensitivity of these observables to different spin-parity assignments, including the dependence on the LHC center of mass energy, are evaluated. In addition, we show that in associated Higgs production with a vector boson some kinematical variables, such as the invariant mass of the system and the transverse momenta of the two bosons and their separation in rapidity, are also sensitive to the spin--parity assignments of the Higgs--like boson.