Pinning down Higgs triplets at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper investigates how LHC data can constrain models with Higgs triplets, focusing on doubly charged scalars decaying to W bosons, and demonstrates that current and future data can effectively probe the entire parameter space.

Contribution

It adapts existing LHC search strategies to Higgs triplet models, providing new constraints and outlining potential for discovery at higher energies.

Findings

Current LHC data already constrains parts of the model's parameter space.

Modified search strategies improve sensitivity to doubly charged scalars.

Future 14 TeV analyses can fully explore the model's parameter space.

Abstract

Extensions of the Standard Model Higgs sector involving weak isotriplet scalars are not only benchmark candidates to reconcile observed anomalies of the recently discovered Higgs-like particle, but also exhibit a vast parameter space, for which the lightest Higgs' phenomenology turns out to be very similar to the Standard Model one. A generic prediction of this model class is the appearance of exotic doubly charged scalar particles. In this paper we adapt existing dilepton+missing energy+jets measurements in the context of SUSY searches to the dominant decay mode $H^{\pm\pm}\to W^\pm W^\pm$ and find that the LHC already starts probing the model's parameter space. A simple modification towards signatures typical of weak boson fusion searches allows us to formulate even tighter constraints with the 7 TeV LHC data set. A corresponding analysis of this channel performed at 14 TeV center of mass energy will constrain the model over the entire parameter space and facilitate potential $H^{\pm\pm}\to W^\pm W^\pm$ discoveries.