Search for the standard model Higgs boson in associated WH production in the e-mu-tau and mu-mu-tau final states

This is a condensed description with plots for the analysis CMS-HIG-12-006

Abstract

A search is performed for the Higgs boson produced in association with a W boson in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV at the LHC. Final states with three leptons, including at least one tau decaying hadronically, are considered. The results are based on the full 2011 data sample recorded by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb-1. The data are found to be consistent with the expected SM background. An upper limit of 6-13 times greater than the predicted value is set at 95% CL for the product of the standard model Higgs boson production cross section and decay branching fraction in the mass range 100 < M_H < 140 GeV.

Main Results

Two channels are considered in this analysis: events with an electron, a muon, and a hadronic tau decay, and events with two muons and a hadronic tau decay. To reduce the background from Drell-Yan + fake tau-jet events, the two light leptons (e/mu) are required to have the same charge. Limits are set at 95% CL using the CL_s method and the number of observed and expected events.

	Table 1: Table of 95% CL observed and expected CLs limits on SM WH Production

	Table 2: Final yields and background expectations

Figures from CMS-HIG-12-006

Figure	Label	Description
	Figure 1 (left) pdf	Distribution of L_T variable in the e-mu-tau channel before requiring L_T > 80 GeV
	Figure 1 (right) pdf	Distribution of L_T variable in the mu-mu-tau channel before requiring L_T > 80 GeV
	Figure 2 (right) pdf	Invariant mass of subleading lepton and hadronic tau after all selections in e-mu-tau channel
	Figure 2 (left) pdf	Invariant mass of subleading muon and hadronic tau after all selections in mu-mu-tau channel
	Figure 3 pdf	Combined 95% CL upper CLs limit on sigma/sigma_SM

Additional plots for public talks

Figure	Label	Description
	Log version of Figure 2 (right) pdf	Invariant mass of subleading lepton and hadronic tau after all selections in e-mu-tau channel
	Log version of Figure 2 (left) pdf	Invariant mass of subleading muon and hadronic tau after all selections in mu-mu-tau channel
	Jet to electron fake rate pdf	Jet to electron fake rate measured in W/Z events versus jet pT.
	Jet to muon fake rate pdf	Jet to muon fake rate measured in W/Z events versus jet pT.
	Electron anti-iso control region pdf	Observed events in the e-mu-tau electron anti-isolated control region compared to the prediction from simulation. The statistics of the QCD sample are limited, no simulated QCD events passing all selections is consistent with the data driven prediction of the QCD yield.
	Electron anti-iso control region pdf	Observed events in the e-mu-tau electron anti-isolated control region and the data-driven QCD yield estimate in that region.
	Muon anti-iso control region pdf	Observed events in the e-mu-tau muon anti-isolated control region compared to the prediction from simulation. The statistics of the QCD sample are limited, no simulated QCD events passing all selections is consistent with the data driven prediction of the QCD yield.
	Muon anti-iso control region pdf	Observed events in the e-mu-tau muon anti-isolated control region and the data-driven QCD yield estimate in that region.
	Study of "subleading mass" pdf	Figure 2 of the PAS shows the invariant masses of the subleading (lower pt) light lepton and the hadronic tau for the two channels. This observable is expected to be correlated with the invariant mass of the Higgs boson candidate. The light lepton coming from the Higgs boson decay is expected to have lower pt, as it is associated with more neutrinos. This plot shows the true visible invariant mass of the Higgs boson (green) compared to the invariant mass of the subleading lepton and hadronic tau. The "subleading mass" observable is almost identical to the true visible Higgs mass.