Search for Neutral Higgs Bosons of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model in e+e- Interactions at \sqrt{s} = 189 GeV

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for light neutral Higgs bosons predicted by the MSSM at 189 GeV, setting lower mass limits based on collected data, with no signal observed.

Contribution

First search at this energy for MSSM neutral Higgs bosons using L3 data, establishing new lower mass bounds at 95% confidence level.

Findings

No Higgs signal observed in the data.

Lower mass limits for m_h and m_A set at 77.1 GeV for tan(beta)>1.

Results are consistent with Standard Model background expectations.

Abstract

A search for the lightest neutral scalar and neutral pseudoscalar Higgs bosons in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model is performed using 176.4 pb^-1 of integrated luminosity collected by L3 at a center-of-mass energy of 189 GeV. No signal is observed, and the data are consistent with the expected Standard Model background. Lower limits on the masses of the lightest neutral scalar and pseudoscalar Higgs bosons are given as a function of tan(beta). Lower mass limits for tan(beta)>1 are set at the 95% confidence level to be m_h > 77.1 GeV and m_A > 77.1 GeV.