Testing Higgs $CP$ properties at the CEPC with an additional ISR parameter

TL;DR

This paper assesses the CEPC collider's ability to detect $CP$-odd components in the Higgs boson by analyzing $e^+e^- o HZ$ events, incorporating ISR effects and angular variables, achieving a 20% improvement in sensitivity.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis method that includes ISR effects and angular variables to better distinguish $CP$-odd Higgs components at the CEPC.

Findings

20% improved upper limit on $CP$-odd Higgs admixture.

Inclusion of ISR effects enhances sensitivity.

Angular and ISR variables effectively differentiate $CP$ properties.

Abstract

We evaluate the experimental sensitivity to the $CP$-odd admixture in the standard Higgs boson for the process $e^+e^-\to HZ$. The analysis is performed assuming the future lepton collider CEPC reference detector operating at $\sqrt{s}=240~\text{GeV}$ with statistics of $5.6~\text{ab}^{-1}$. Using the WHIZARD generator with the Higgs Characterisation model and the DELPHES detector simulation framework we obtain data samples for different $CP$-odd Higgs admixture parameters $\tilde{c}_{ZZ}$. The initial state radiation (ISR) effects are taken into account in WHIZARD. Angular and ISR energy shift variables are used to distinguish the $CP$-odd and $CP$-even Higgs components. The upper limit on the $CP$-odd Higgs admixture is improved by 20\% with this method compared to the standard analysis with three angular variables.