Discovering a Light Higgs Boson with Light

TL;DR

This paper assesses the potential for detecting a non-standard light Higgs boson decaying into two photons at Fermilab's Tevatron, analyzing various detection channels and expected limits based on different Higgs models.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed evaluation of the Tevatron's sensitivity to a light Higgs with a photon decay mode across multiple channels and models.

Findings

Projected limits on Higgs to gamma gamma branching ratio

Sensitivity estimates for different detection channels

Comparison of bosonic and topcolor Higgs models

Abstract

We evaluate the prospects for detecting a non-standard light Higgs boson with a significant branching ratio to two photons, in Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron. We derive the reach for several channels: $2\gamma$ inclusive, $2\gamma+1$ jet and $2\gamma+2$ jets. We present the expected Run II limits on the branching ratio of $h\to\gamma\gamma$ as a function of the Higgs mass, for the case of ``bosonic'', as well as ``topcolor'' Higgs bosons.