Electroweak Higgs boson production in the standard model effective field theory beyond leading order in QCD

TL;DR

This paper provides next-to-leading order QCD predictions for electroweak Higgs production within the standard model effective field theory, highlighting the importance of reducing theoretical uncertainties to better distinguish new physics effects.

Contribution

It introduces automated simulations for NLO QCD predictions of EFT effects in Higgs production, improving the accuracy of theoretical models beyond leading order.

Findings

NLO QCD predictions with parton shower matching for EFT Higgs production.

Reduction of theoretical uncertainties enhances discrimination between EFT and SM.

Future LHC data can further constrain EFT Wilson coefficients.

Abstract

We study the impact of dimension-six operators of the standard model effective field theory relevant for vector-boson fusion and associated Higgs boson production at the LHC. We present predictions at the next-to-leading order accuracy in QCD that include matching to parton showers and that rely on fully automated simulations. We show the importance of the subsequent reduction of the theoretical uncertainties in improving the possible discrimination between effective field theory and standard model results, and we demonstrate that the range of the Wilson coefficient values allowed by a global fit to LEP and LHC Run~I data can be further constrained by LHC Run~II future results.