Evidence for a narrow Higgs-like diphoton resonance with a mass of 125 GeV in pp collisions at [square root of]s = 7 - 8 TeV

We have performed a search for the production of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to diphotons in pp collisions at the LHC at [square root of]s = 7-8 TeV with the CMS detector. Having analyzed data corresponding to 5.1 fb-1 at [square root of]s = 7 TeV (2011) and 5.3 fb-1 at [square root of]s = 8 TeV (2012), a statistically significant excess of events is observed with respect to the background prediction. Interpreted as a standard model Higgs, this excess has a local significance of 4.1 standard deviations, with the maximum significance occurring for a Higgs mass of 125 GeV. Taking into account the trials factor given the search range of 110 GeV to 150 GeV in Higgs mass, this excess has a global significance of 3.2 standard deviations. This constitutes evidence for a new particle decaying to diphotons with a mass of around 125 GeV. The rate of observed events is consistent with predictions for the standard model Higgs boson.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Bendavid, Joshua Lorne

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Christoph M.E. Paus.

• Physics.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/79539

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/79539