Search for the Standard Model Higgs boson produced by vector-boson fusion in 8 TeV $pp$ collisions and decaying to bottom quarks with the ATLAS detector

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for the Standard Model Higgs boson produced via vector-boson fusion and decaying into bottom quarks, using 8 TeV collision data from the ATLAS detector, setting upper limits on production cross-section.

Contribution

First search for VBF-produced Higgs decaying to bottom quarks at 8 TeV with ATLAS, providing upper limits on the cross-section times branching ratio.

Findings

Measured yield consistent with background within uncertainties

Set upper limit at 4.4 times the Standard Model prediction

Results are compatible with Standard Model expectations

Abstract

A search with the ATLAS detector is presented for the Standard Model Higgs boson produced by vector-boson fusion and decaying to a pair of bottom quarks, using 20.2 ${fb}^{-1}$ of LHC proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV. The signal is searched for as a resonance in the invariant mass distribution of a pair of jets containing $b$-hadrons in vector-boson-fusion candidate events. The yield is measured to be $-0.8 \pm 2.3$ times the Standard Model cross-section for a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV. The upper limit on the cross-section times the branching ratio is found to be 4.4 times the Standard Model cross-section at the 95% confidence level, consistent with the expected limit value of 5.4 (5.7) in the background-only (Standard Model production) hypothesis.