Search for bosons of an extended Higgs sector in b quark final states in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for extended Higgs sector bosons decaying to bottom quarks in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV, setting upper limits on their production and interpreting results within supersymmetric and two-Higgs-doublet models.

Contribution

First search for neutral Higgs bosons decaying to bottom quarks produced with additional bottom quarks at 13 TeV, providing new constraints on extended Higgs models.

Findings

No significant excess observed over standard model background.

Upper limits set on production cross section times branching ratio for Higgs masses 125-1800 GeV.

Results constrain parameter space of MSSM and two-Higgs-doublet models.

Abstract

A search for beyond-the-standard-model neutral Higgs bosons decaying to a pair of bottom quarks, and produced in association with at least one additional bottom quark, is performed with the CMS detector. The data were recorded in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.7-126.9 fb$^{-1}$ depending on the probed mass range. No signal above the standard model background expectation is observed. Upper limits on the production cross section times branching fraction are set for Higgs bosons in the mass range of 125-1800 GeV. The results are interpreted in benchmark scenarios of the minimal supersymmetric standard model, as well as suitable classes of two-Higgs-doublet models.