Constraints on standard model effective field theory for a Higgs boson produced in association with W or Z bosons in the H $\to\mathrm{b\bar{b}}$ decay channel in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

TL;DR

This paper uses CMS data from 2016-2018 to constrain SMEFT operators in Higgs production with W/Z bosons decaying to leptons and bottom quarks, testing for nonresonant new physics effects at 13 TeV.

Contribution

It introduces a simultaneous optimization approach for multiple SMEFT Wilson coefficients in Higgs-strahlung processes at the LHC.

Findings

Results are consistent with the Standard Model predictions.

Constraints on SMEFT Wilson coefficients are derived.

No evidence of nonresonant new physics effects is observed.

Abstract

A standard model effective field theory (SMEFT) analysis with dimension-six operators probing nonresonant new physics effects is performed in the Higgs-strahlung process, where the Higgs boson is produced in association with a W or Z boson, in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The final states in which the W or Z boson decays leptonically and the Higgs boson decays to a pair of bottom quarks are considered. The analyzed data were collected by the CMS experiment between 2016 and 2018 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. An approach designed to simultaneously optimize the sensitivity to Wilson coefficients of multiple SMEFT operators is employed. Likelihood scans as functions of the Wilson coefficients that carry SMEFT sensitivity in this final state are performed for different expansions in SMEFT. The results are consistent with the predictions of the standard model.