CP-even scalar boson production via gluon fusion at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper provides precise theoretical predictions for the production cross section of a CP-even scalar boson via gluon fusion at the LHC, including higher-order QCD corrections and uncertainties, relevant for experimental searches beyond the Standard Model.

Contribution

It offers the first N3LO QCD cross section calculations for a generic CP-even scalar and includes top-quark coupling effects at NLO, enhancing the accuracy of theoretical predictions.

Findings

N3LO cross section predictions for scalar production at the LHC.

Quantified theoretical uncertainties due to higher-order effects.

Provided detailed results for a 750 GeV scalar scenario.

Abstract

In view of the searches at the LHC for scalar particle resonances in addition to the 125 GeV Higgs boson, we present the cross section for a CP-even scalar produced via gluon fusion at N3LO in perturbative QCD assuming that it couples directly to gluons in an effective theory approach. We refine our prediction by taking into account the possibility that the scalar couples to the top-quark and computing the corresponding contributions through NLO in perturbative QCD. We assess the theoretical uncertainties of the cross section due to missing higher-order QCD effects and we provide the necessary information for obtaining the cross section value and uncertainty from our results in specific scenarios beyond the Standard Model. We also give detailed results for the case of a 750 GeV scalar, which will be the subject of intense experimental studies.