Search for heavy resonances decaying into two Higgs bosons in the $\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}}\,\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$ final state in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13~\text{TeV}$ with the CMS detector

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for heavy narrow resonances decaying into two Higgs bosons in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV, focusing on the b-bbar and tau-tau final states, setting new limits on such processes.

Contribution

The study provides the most sensitive LHC limits to date on heavy resonances decaying into Higgs pairs in the specified final state and mass range.

Findings

No significant excess over background observed.

Upper limits set on production cross sections for masses 1-4.5 TeV.

Most sensitive limits to date for this decay channel.

Abstract

A search is presented for massive narrow-width resonances in the mass range of $1\text{-}4.5\,\text{TeV}$ decaying into pairs of Higgs bosons (HH), using proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of $13\,\text{TeV}$ collected with the CMS detector at the LHC during the $2016\text{-}2018$ data-taking. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of $138~\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. The analysis targets final states where one Higgs boson decays into a pair of bottom quarks and the other into a pair of tau leptons, $\mathrm{X}\rightarrow\mathrm{HH}\rightarrow \mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}}\,\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$. The observed data are found to be consistent with standard model background expectations. Upper limits at $95\%$ confidence level (CL) are set on the production cross section for resonant HH production for masses between $1$ and $4.5\,\text{TeV}$. This analysis sets the most sensitive LHC limits to date on $\mathrm{X}\rightarrow\mathrm{HH}\rightarrow \mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}}\,\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$ decays in the mass range of $1.4$ to $4.5\,\text{TeV}$.