Probing Intermediate Mass Higgs Interactions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

We analyze the potentiality of the CERN Large Hadron Collider to probe the Higgs boson couplings to the electroweak gauge bosons. We parametrize the possible deviations of these couplings due to new physics in a model independent way, using the most general dimension--six effective lagrangian where the SU(2)_L x U(1)_Y is realized linearly. For intermediate Higgs masses, the decay channel into two photons is the most important one for Higgs searches at the LHC. We study the effects of these new interactions on the Higgs production mechanism and its subsequent decay into two photons. We show that the LHC will be sensitive to new physics scales beyond the present limits extracted from the LEP and Tevatron physics.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure included using epsfig, RevTe

Bounds on Higgs and Gauge--Boson Interactions from LEP2 Data

We derive bounds on Higgs and gauge--boson anomalous interactions using the LEP2 data on the production of three photons and photon pairs in association with hadrons. In the framework of $SU(2)_L \otimes U(1)_Y$ effective Lagrangians, we examine all dimension--six operators that lead to anomalous Higgs interactions involving $\gamma$ and $Z$. The search for Higgs boson decaying to $\gamma\gamma$ pairs allow us to obtain constrains on these anomalous couplings that are comparable with the ones originating from the analyses of $p\bar{p}$ collisions at the Tevatron. Our results also show that if the coefficients of all ``blind'' operators are assumed to have same magnitude, the indirect constraints on the anomalous couplings obtained from this analyses, for Higgs masses $M_H \lesssim$ 140 GeV, are more restrictive than the ones coming from the $W^+W^-$ production.Comment: 14 pages Latex file using RevTeX, 3 figures as .eps file

Testing Anomalous Higgs Couplings in Triple Photon Production at the Tevatron Collider

We derive bounds on Higgs and gauge--boson anomalous interactions using the CDF data for the process $p \bar{p} \to \gamma\gamma\gamma + X$. We use a linearly realized $SU_L(2) \times U_Y(1)$ invariant effective Lagrangian to describe the bosonic sector of the Standard Model, keeping the fermionic couplings unchanged. All dimension--six operators that lead to anomalous Higgs interactions involving $\gamma$ and $Z$ are considered. We also show the sensitivity that can be achieved for these couplings at Fermilab Tevatron upgrades.Comment: 13 pages, RevTeX, 2 figures included using epsfi

Quartic Anomalous Couplings in eγe\gamma Colliders

We study the production of gauge boson pairs at the next generation of linear $e^+e^-$ colliders operating in the $e\gamma$ mode. The processes $e\gamma \rightarrow VV^\prime F$ ($V,V^\prime =W$, $Z$, or $\gamma$ and $F=e$ or $\nu$) can give valuable information on possible deviations of the quartic vector boson couplings from the Standard Model predictions. We establish the range of the new couplings that can be explored in these colliders based on a $3\sigma$ effect in the total cross section. We also present several kinematical distributions of the final state particles that could manifest the underlying new dynamics. Our results show that an $e\gamma$ collider can extend considerably the bounds on anomalous interactions coming from oblique radiative corrections and from direct searches in $e^+e^-$ colliders.Comment: 21 pages and 7 figures appended as a postscript file (uuencoded), MAD/PH/764, IFT-P.031/93, IFUSP-P 1047 (uses REVTeX3

Excited Fermion Contribution to Z Physics at One Loop

We investigate the effects induced by excited leptons at the one-loop level in the observables measured on the $Z$ peak at LEP. Using a general effective Lagrangian approach to describe the couplings of the excited leptons, we compute their contributions to both oblique parameters and $Z$ partial widths. Our results show that the new effects are comparable to the present experimental sensitivity, but they do not lead to a significant improvement on the available constraints on the couplings and masses of these states.Comment: 25 pages 6 figure

Searching for an Invisibly Decaying Higgs Boson in E^+E^-, E-Gamma, and Gamma-Gamma Collisions

Higgs bosons can have a substantial ``invisible'' branching ratio in many extensions of the Standard Model, such as models where the Higgs bosons decay predominantly into light or massless weakly interacting Goldstone bosons. In this work, we examine the production mechanisms and backgrounds for invisibly decaying Higgs bosons at the Next Linear $e^+e^-$ Collider operating in the modes $e^+e^-$, $e\gamma$, and $\gamma\gamma$. We demonstrate that such machine is much more efficient to survey for invisibly decaying Higgs bosons than the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.Comment: (LaTex file, 9 figures in postcript available upon request. MAD/PH/81

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a bbˉb\bar{b} pair in events with no charged leptons and large missing transverse energy using the full CDF data set

We report on a search for the standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a vector boson in the full data set of proton-antiproton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 1.96$ TeV recorded by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.45 fb$^{-1}$. We consider events having no identified charged lepton, a transverse energy imbalance, and two or three jets, of which at least one is consistent with originating from the decay of a $b$ quark. We place 95% credibility level upper limits on the production cross section times standard model branching fraction for several mass hypotheses between 90 and $150 \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$. For a Higgs boson mass of $125 \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$, the observed (expected) limit is 6.7 (3.6) times the standard model prediction.Comment: Accepted by Phys. Rev. Let

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a bb pair in events with one charged lepton and large missing transverse energy using the full CDF data set

We present a search for the standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a W boson in sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV p-pbar collision data collected with the CDF II detector at the Tevatron corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.45 fb-1. In events consistent with the decay of the Higgs boson to a bottom-quark pair and the W boson to an electron or muon and a neutrino, we set 95% credibility level upper limits on the WH production cross section times the H->bb branching ratio as a function of Higgs boson mass. At a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV/c2 we observe (expect) a limit of 4.9 (2.8) times the standard model value.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett (v2 contains clarifications suggested by PRL

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a bb pair in events with two oppositely-charged leptons using the full CDF data set

We present a search for the standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a Z boson in data collected with the CDF II detector at the Tevatron, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.45/fb. In events consistent with the decay of the Higgs boson to a bottom-quark pair and the Z boson to electron or muon pairs, we set 95% credibility level upper limits on the ZH production cross section times the H -> bb branching ratio as a function of Higgs boson mass. At a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV/c^2 we observe (expect) a limit of 7.1 (3.9) times the standard model value.Comment: To be submitted to Phys. Rev. Let