Precise predictions for boosted Higgs production

TL;DR

This paper provides precise theoretical predictions for boosted Higgs production at large transverse momentum, combining advanced calculations and comparing with event generators to improve accuracy.

Contribution

It combines NNLO effective theory and NLO full SM calculations for Higgs production, offering improved predictions and uncertainty analysis.

Findings

Good agreement between advanced calculations and event generators.

Other production channels significantly contribute at high transverse momentum.

Provides accurate predictions for multiple Higgs production modes.

Abstract

Inclusive Higgs boson production at large transverse momentum is induced by different production channels. We focus on the leading production through gluon fusion, and perform a consistent combination of the state of the art calculations obtained in the infinite-top-mass effective theory at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) and in the full Standard Model (SM) at next-to-leading order (NLO). We thus present approximate QCD predictions for this process at NNLO, and a study of the corresponding perturbative uncertainties. This calculation is then compared with those obtained with commonly used event generators, and we observe that the description of the considered kinematic regime provided by these tools is in good agreement with state of the art calculations. Finally, we present accurate predictions for other production channels such as vector boson fusion, and associated production with a gauge boson, and with a $t\bar{t}$ pair. We find that, at large transverse momentum, the contribution of other production modes is substantial, and therefore must be included for a precise theory prediction of this observable.