Jet substructure and probes of CP violation in Vh production

TL;DR

This paper explores how jet substructure techniques in Vh production at the LHC can be used to detect CP violation and constrain new physics effects in the Higgs boson interactions with W and Z bosons, through angular observables and asymmetries.

Contribution

It introduces a model-independent method using jet substructure to define CP-sensitive angular observables in Vh production, enabling separate probing of hZZ and hWW vertices for new physics effects.

Findings

Angular observables sensitive to CP violation are identified.

Bounds on higher dimensional operators are established.

A log likelihood analysis quantifies the sensitivity to new physics.

Abstract

We analyse the hVV (V = W, Z) vertex in a model independent way using Vh production. To that end, we consider possible corrections to the Standard Model Higgs Lagrangian, in the form of higher dimensional operators which parametrise the effects of new physics. In our analysis, we pay special attention to linear observables that can be used to probe CP violation in the same. By considering the associated production of a Higgs boson with a vector boson (W or Z), we use jet substructure methods to define angular observables which are sensitive to new physics effects, including an asymmetry which is linearly sensitive to the presence of CP odd effects. We demonstrate how to use these observables to place bounds on the presence of higher dimensional operators, and quantify these statements using a log likelihood analysis. Our approach allows one to probe separately the hZZ and hWW vertices, involving arbitrary combinations of BSM operators, at the Large Hadron Collider.