Enlarging the scope of resonant di-Higgs searches: hunting for Higgs-to-Higgs cascades in 4b final states at the LHC and future colliders

Abstract

We extend the coverage of resonant di-Higgs searches in the bbbb final state to the process pp → H 1 → H 2 H 2 → bbbb, where both H 1,2 are spin-0 states beyond the Standard Model. Such a process constitutes a joint discovery mode for the new states H 1 and H 2 . We present the first sensitivity study of this channel, using public LHC data to validate our analysis. We also provide a first estimate of the sensitivity of the search for the HL-LHC and future facilities like the HE-LHC and FCC-hh. We analyze the discovery potential of this search for several non-minimal scalar sector scenarios: an extension of the SM with two extra singlet scalar fields, the two-Higgs-doublet model and a two-Higgs doublet model plus a singlet, which captures the scalar potential features of the NMSSM. We find that this channel represents a novel, very powerful probe for extended Higgs sectors, offering complementary sensitivity to existing analyses.

A relatively light, highly bino-like dark matter in the Z3-symmetric NMSSM and recent LHC searches

“…Furthermore, the mentioned γ-ray excess as observed by the Fermi-LAT experiment also seems to fit better with a not so heavy bino-like DM of the NMSSM when compared to the MSSM, in the presence of light singlet scalars [48][49][50][51][52][53]. Phenomenological studies of efficient search-strategies of such light scalars (irrespective of the nature of the LSP) have remained to be an active enterprise [54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69] while their actual searches constitute a dedicated and a vibrant programme at the LHC [70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77].…”

Models with (broken) $Z_2$ symmetries

“…It is also interesting to investigate whether current searches can be reinterpreted and recasted in such a way that they allow to exclude regions in the models parameter space that were not directly scrutinized in the experimental search, or for which no interpretation was presented in the original publication. In [25], the authors have reinterpreted a CMS search for p p → H → h 125 h 125 → 4 b [26], which corresponds to di-Higgs production via a heavy resonance and subsequent decays into b b final states, and extended the mass ranges for the scalars in the decay chain. These results are directly applicable in the TRSM, in particular to BP5 that was designed to focus on h 3 → h 1 h 1 , where now h 2 ≡ h 125 represents the 125 GeV scalar discovered at the LHC.…”

Models with (broken) Z2 symmetries

“…It is also interesting to investigate whether current searches can be reinterpreted and recasted in such a way that they allow to exclude regions in the models parameter space that were not directly scrutinized in the experimental search, or for which no interpretation was presented in the original publication. In [25], the authors have reinterpreted a CMS search for 𝑝 𝑝 → 𝐻 → ℎ 125 ℎ 125 → 4 𝑏 [26], which corresponds to di-Higgs production via a heavy resonance and subsequent decays into 𝑏 b final states, and extended the mass ranges for the scalars in the decay chain. These results are directly applicable in the TRSM, in particular to BP5 that was designed to focus on ℎ 3 → ℎ 1 ℎ 1 , where now ℎ 2 ≡ ℎ 125 represents the 125 GeV scalar discovered at the LHC.…”