vh@nnlo-v2: New physics in Higgs Strahlung

TL;DR

The paper introduces vh@nnlo-v2, a comprehensive tool for studying new physics effects on Higgs-Strahlung processes across various models, including 2HDM, MSSM, and beyond, with detailed distribution analysis.

Contribution

vh@nnlo-v2 extends previous versions by incorporating new physics scenarios, CP mixing, higher-dimensional operators, and detailed distribution calculations for Higgs-Strahlung processes.

Findings

New physics effects can significantly alter Higgs production cross sections.

Interference effects from additional scalars can be conspicuous in distributions.

The tool enables detailed analysis of distributions and model parameters in Higgs production.

Abstract

Introducing version 2 of the code vh@nnlo, we study the effects of a number of new-physics scenarios on the Higgs-Strahlung process. In particular, the cross section is evaluated within a general 2HDM and the MSSM. While the Drell-Yan-like contributions are consistently taken into account by a simple rescaling of the SM result, the gluon-initiated contribution is supplemented by squark-loop mediated amplitudes, and by the $s$-channel exchange of additional scalars which may lead to conspicuous interference effects. The latter holds as well for bottom-quark initiated Higgs Strahlung, which is also included in the new version of vh@nnlo. Using an orthogonal rotation of the three Higgs CP eigenstates in the 2HDM and the MSSM, vh@nnlo incorporates a simple means of CP mixing in these models. Moreover, the effect of vector-like quarks in the SM on the gluon-initiated contribution can be studied. Beyond concrete models, vh@nnlo allows to include the effect of higher-dimensional operators on the production of CP-even Higgs bosons. Transverse momentum distributions of the final state Higgs boson and invariant mass distributions of the $V\phi$ final state for the gluon- and bottom-quark initiated contributions can be studied. Distributions for the Drell-Yan-like component of Higgs-Strahlung can be included through a link to MCFM. vh@nnlo can also be linked to FeynHiggs and 2HDMC for the calculation of Higgs masses and mixing angles. It can also read these parameters from an SLHA-file as produced by standard spectrum generators. Throughout the manuscript, we highlight new-physics effects in various numerical examples, both at the inclusive level and for distributions.