Modelling $b\bar b H$ production for the LHC at 13.6 TeV

TL;DR

This paper provides advanced predictions for $b\bar{b}H$ production at 13.6 TeV LHC, including cross sections, simulations, and implications for BSM scenarios, enhancing the accuracy of Higgs physics analyses.

Contribution

It introduces state-of-the-art matched predictions and simulations for $b\bar{b}H$ production in both flavour schemes, incorporating recent PDF sets and exploring BSM sensitivities.

Findings

Matched predictions in both flavour schemes are consistent.

Simulations show the impact of bottom-quark contributions on Higgs production.

Sensitivity of Higgs transverse momentum to light-quark Yukawas is analyzed.

Abstract

We present new state-of-the-art predictions for Standard Model Higgs boson production in association with a bottom-quark pair ($b\bar bH$). Updated cross sections are computed in accordance with the recommendations of the LHC Higgs Working Group, including the use of the PDF4LHC21 set of parton distribution functions, with a center-of-mass energy of 13.6 TeV. For the total inclusive cross section, we provide matched predictions of the massless five-flavour scheme and the massive four-flavour scheme at the fixed-order level. We further present recently obtained simulations matched to parton showers in both flavour schemes within the Standard Model, and also discuss them in the context of potential Beyond-the-Standard-Model scenarios. In the massless scheme, we compare different next-to-next-to-leading order predictions matched to parton showers obtained through the MiNNLOPS and GENEVA generators. In addition, the role of four-flavour scheme predictions is studied as a background to $HH$ searches, considering both the top-quark and bottom-quark Yukawa contributions to $b\bar bH$ production. Finally, we analyse the sensitivity of the Higgs transverse momentum spectrum to light-quark Yukawa couplings in the diphoton decay channel based on MiNNLOPS simulations.