The Charged Higgs from the Bottom-Up: Probing Flavor at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper explores model-independent constraints on charged Higgs couplings to quarks at the LHC, proposing new search strategies to improve detection prospects beyond existing methods.

Contribution

It introduces novel LHC search strategies for charged Higgs couplings to $ub$ and $cb$, extending beyond the traditional focus on $tb$ interactions.

Findings

LHC can probe $ub$ and $cb$ couplings effectively.

New search methods significantly extend current parameter space constraints.

Charge asymmetry measurements can reveal charged Higgs interactions.

Abstract

We systematically study model-independent constraints on the three generic charged Higgs couplings to $b$-quarks and up-type quarks. While existing LHC searches have focussed on the $tb$ coupling, we emphasize that the LHC plays a crucial role in probing also $ub$ and $cb$ couplings, since constraints from flavor physics are weak. In particular we propose various new searches that can significantly extend the present reach on the parameter space by: i) looking for light charged Higgses that decay into $ub$-quarks, ii) probing charged Higgs couplings to light and top quarks using multi-$b$-jet signatures, iii) looking for single $b$-quarks in low-mass dijet searches, iv) searching for charge asymmetries induced by charged Higgs production via $ub$ couplings.