Search for neutral MSSM Higgs bosons decaying to mu+ mu- in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 and 8 TeV

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for MSSM neutral Higgs bosons decaying to mu+ mu- using LHC data at 7 and 8 TeV, setting new upper limits on production cross sections and MSSM parameters.

Contribution

It provides the most stringent limits to date on MSSM Higgs boson production in the mu+ mu- decay channel using CMS data.

Findings

No significant excess observed in mu+ mu- mass spectrum.

Upper limits set on MSSM parameter tan(beta) as a function of pseudoscalar A boson mass.

Model-independent upper limits on cross section times branching fraction established.

Abstract

A search for neutral Higgs bosons predicted in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) for mu+ mu- decay channels is presented. The analysis uses data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 5.1 and 19.3 inverse femtobarns, respectively. The search is sensitive to Higgs bosons produced through the gluon fusion process or in association with a bb quark pair. No statistically significant excess is observed in the mu+ mu- mass spectrum. Results are interpreted in the framework of several benchmark scenarios, and the data are used to set an upper limit on the MSSM parameter tan(beta) as a function of the mass of the pseudoscalar A boson in the range from 115 to 300 GeV. Model independent upper limits are given for the product of the cross section and branching fraction for gluon fusion and b quark associated production. They are the most stringent limits obtained to date in this channel.