$CP$ Properties of Higgs Boson Interactions with Top Quarks in the $t\bar{t}H$ and $tH$ Processes Using $H \rightarrow γγ$ with the ATLAS Detector

Abstract

A study of the $CP$ properties of the interaction between the Higgs boson and top quarks is presented. Higgs bosons are identified via the diphoton decay channel ($H \rightarrow γγ$) and their production in association with a top quark pair ($t\bar{t}H$) or single top quark ($tH$) is studied. The analysis uses 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Assuming a $CP$-even coupling, the $t\bar{t}H$ process is observed with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. The measured cross section times $H \to γγ$ branching ratio is $1.64\;^{+0.38}_{-0.36}\;\text{(stat.)}\;^{+0.17}_{-0.14}\;(\text{sys.})$ fb, and the measured rate for $t\bar{t}H$ is $1.43\;^{+0.33}_{-0.31}\;\text{(stat.)}\;^{+0.21}_{-0.15}\;(\text{sys.})$ times the Standard Model expectation. The $tH$ production process is not observed and an upper limit on its rate of 12 times the Standard Model expectation is set. A $CP$-mixing angle greater (less) than 43 (-43)$^\circ$ is excluded at 95% confidence level.