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arXiv · 2206.01214

Semi-dark Higgs decays: sweeping the Higgs neutrino floor

J. A. Aguilar-Saavedra·J. M. Cano·J. M. No·D. G. Cerdeño
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Abstract

We study exotic Higgs decays $h \to Z X$, with $X$ an invisible beyond the Standard Model (SM) particle, resulting in a semi-dark final state. Such exotic Higgs decays may occur in theories of axion-like-particles (ALPs), dark photons or pseudoscalar mediators between the SM and dark matter. The SM process $h\to Zν\barν$ represents an irreducible "neutrino floor" background to these new physics searches, providing also a target experimental sensitivity for them. We analyze $h \to Z + \text{invisible}$ searches at the LHC and a future ILC, showing that these exotic Higgs decays can yield sensitivity to unexplored regions of parameter space for ALPs and dark matter models.

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J. A. Aguilar-Saavedra, J. M. Cano, J. M. No, D. G. Cerdeño. 2022-06-02. Semi-dark Higgs decays: sweeping the Higgs neutrino floor. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.106.115023

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