Search for new neutral Higgs bosons through the H $\to$ ZA $\to$ $\ell^{+}\ell^{-} \mathrm{b\bar{b}}$ process in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV

TL;DR

This paper searches for new neutral Higgs bosons decaying into Z and a lighter boson, using 13 TeV proton-proton collision data, and sets limits on their production within the two-Higgs-doublet model framework.

Contribution

It presents the first search for these specific Higgs decay modes in the 13 TeV data and provides upper limits on production cross sections for masses up to 1000 GeV.

Findings

No significant excess observed over the standard model predictions.

Upper limits set on production cross section times branching ratio.

Results interpreted within the two-Higgs-doublet model constraints.

Abstract

This paper reports on a search for an extended scalar sector of the standard model, where a new CP-even (odd) boson decays to a Z boson and a lighter CP-odd (even) boson, and the latter further decays to a b quark pair. The Z boson is reconstructed via its decays to electron or muon pairs. The analysed data were recorded in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = $ 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC during 2016, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. Data and predictions from the standard model are in agreement within the uncertainties. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the production cross section times branching fraction, with masses of the new bosons up to 1000 GeV. The results are interpreted in the context of the two-Higgs-doublet model.