# Search for light bosons in decays of the 125 GeV Higgs boson in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV

## TL;DR

This paper searches for exotic decays of the 125 GeV Higgs boson into light bosons in proton-proton collisions at 8 TeV, setting limits on new physics models with extended scalar sectors.

## Contribution

It provides the first experimental limits on Higgs decays to light bosons in multiple final states, testing models with extended scalar sectors including two-Higgs-doublet models.

## Key findings

- No evidence for exotic Higgs decays was observed.
- Upper limits were set on cross section times branching fraction for various decay modes.
- Results constrain models with additional scalar particles, including two-Higgs-doublet models.

## Abstract

A search is presented for decays beyond the standard model of the 125 GeV Higgs bosons to a pair of light bosons, based on models with extended scalar sectors. Light boson masses between 5 and 62.5 GeV are probed in final states containing four tau leptons, two muons and two b quarks, or two muons and two tau leptons. The results are from data in proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 inverse femtobarns, accumulated by the CMS experiment at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. No evidence for such exotic decays is found in the data. Upper limits are set on the product of the cross section and branching fraction for several signal processes. The results are also compared to predictions of two-Higgs-doublet models, including those with an additional scalar singlet.