Measurement of the $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$H and tH production rates in the H $\to$$\mathrm{b\bar{b}}$ decay channel using proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

Abstract

International audienceAn analysis of the production of a Higgs boson (H) in association with a top quark-antiquark pair ($\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$H) or a single top quark (tH) is presented. The Higgs boson decay into a bottom quark-antiquark pair (H $\to$$\mathrm{b\bar{b}}$) is targeted, and three different final states of the top quark decays are considered, defined by the number of leptons (electrons or muons) in the event. The analysis utilises proton-proton collision data collected at the CERN LHC with the CMS experiment at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV in 2016-2018, which correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The observed $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$H production rate relative to the standard model expectation is 0.33 $\pm$ 0.26 = 0.33 $\pm$ 0.17 (stat) $\pm$ 0.21 (syst). Additionally, the $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$H production rate is determined in intervals of Higgs boson transverse momentum. An upper limit at 95% confidence level is set on the tH production rate of 14.6 times the standard model prediction, with an expectation of 19.3$^{+9.2}_{-6.0}$. Finally, constraints are derived on the strength and structure of the coupling between the Higgs boson and the top quark from simultaneous extraction of the $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$H and tH production rates, and the results are combined with those obtained in other Higgs boson decay channels