arXiv subjects

S. Semlali

Publications and source records attributed to S. Semlali.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Analysis of the $ q\bar q\to Z^* \to hA \to4\tau$ process within the lepton-specific 2HDM at the LHC

We analyse light Higgs scalar and pseudoscalar associated hadro-production in the 2-Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) Type-X (or lepton-specific) within the parameter space allowed by theoretical self-consistency requirements as well as the latest experimental constraints from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), precision data and $B$ physics. Over the viable regions of such a scenario, the Standard Model-like Higgs boson discovered at the LHC in 2012 is the heavier CP-even state $H$. Furthermore, in the Type-X scenario, due to large $\tan\beta$, the lighter Higgs scalar $h$ and the pseudoscalar $A$ mainly decay into two $\tau$ leptons. Therefore, we concentrate on analysing the signal process $pp\to Z^{*} \to hA\to \tau^{+}\tau^{-}\tau^{+}\tau^{-}\to \ell \nu_\ell \ell \nu_\ell \tau_h \tau_h$ (where $\ell= e, \mu$ whereas $\tau_h$ represents the hadronic decay of the $\tau$) and explore the feasibility of conducting such a search at the LHC with a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}~=$ 14 TeV and a luminosity of $L~=~300~fb^{-1}$. To suppress the huge SM background, we confine ourselves to consider the fraction of signal events with two same-sign $\tau$ leptons further decaying into same-sign leptons while the other two $\tau$ leptons decay hadronically. We find that a combination of kinematical selection and machine learning (ML) analysis will yields significant sensitivity to this process at the end of the LHC Run 3.

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arXiv2024

Probing a 2HDM Type-I light Higgs state via $H_{\rm SM} \to hh \to b\bar b\gamma \gamma$ at the LHC

We study the discovery potential for a light Higgs boson via $gg \to H_{\text{SM-like}} \to hh \to b\bar{b}\gamma\gamma$ process at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Focusing on the 2-Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) Type-I, which can accommodate light neutral Higgs states, of $\mathcal{O}(100)$ GeV or less in mass, while agreeing with theoretical and up-to-date experimental constraints, we explore the feasibility of a light CP-even Higgs state $h$ via the largely unexplored final state $b\bar{b}\gamma\gamma$ at Run-3 of the LHC. We further propose a few Benchmark Points (BPs) for future searches.

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arXiv2024

Probing a light Higgs in $ H \to hh \to b\bar{b}\tau\tau$ in Type-I 2HDM at the LHC

In this study, we explore the potential to probe the process $gg \to H_{\text{SM-like}} \to hh \to b\bar{b}\tau\tau$ at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), within the framework of the Two Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) Type-I. After performing a detailed Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, we focus on isolating the signal from the Standard Model (SM) backgrounds. Our analysis employs a dedicated trigger choice and optimised kinematic selection to improve the signal sensitivity. We demonstrate some sensitivity to this decay channel at Run 3, while the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) can provide discovery evidence.

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arXiv2024

Probing 95 GeV Higgs in the 2HDM Type-III

The recent results reported by the CMS collaboration, indicating "bumps" in the $\gamma\gamma$ and $\tau\tau$ channels at $m_\phi\approx 95$ GeV, provide interesting hints for new physics. We find that the lightest Higgs state of the general 2HDM (2HDM Type-III) can perfectly and simultaneously accommodate the two excesses alongside with the LEP long-standing anomaly observed in the $b\bar{b}$ channel while meeting all theoretical and experimental requirements. Furthermore, the study predicts an enhanced production process for the SM-like Higgs in $pp\to t\bar t H_{\rm SM}$, offering a testable hypothesis for future experiments.

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arXiv2024

Analysis of the $gg\to H\to hh\to4\tau$ process in the 2HDM lepton specific model at the LHC

We analyse the signature of a light Higgs boson pair in the 2-Higgs Doublet Model(2HDM) Type-X (or lepton specific) over the parameter spaces allowed by theoretical self-consistency requirements as well as the latest experimental constraints from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), precision test data and $B$ physics. Over the viable regions of the latter, wherein the Standard Model (SM)-like Higgs boson discovered at the LHC in 2012 is the heavier CP-even state of the 2HDM, $H$, it is found that the SM-like Higgs boson can decay into a pair of the lighter CP-even Higgs boson, $h$, via the process $H\to hh$ with a Branching Ratio (BR) of $5\%-10\%$ or so, (with $2 m_h < m_H =125$ GeV). Furthermore, in the Type-X scenario, the lighter Higgs bosons $h$ can dominantly decay into two $\tau$'s due to a large $\tan\beta$. Therefore, the pair of lighter Higgs bosons can altogether decay into a 4 $\tau$ final state. In order to suppress the huge SM background events, we confine ourself to consider the fraction of signal events with two Same-Sign (SS) $\tau$'s further decaying into same sign leptons while the other two $\tau$'s decay hadronically. By using Monte Carlo (MC) and Machine Learning (ML) tools, we thus focus on the analysis of the signal process $pp\to H\to hh\to \tau^{+}\tau^{-}\tau^{+}\tau^{-}\to \ell v_\ell \ell v_\ell \tau_h \tau_h$ (where $\ell= e, \mu$ and $\tau_h$ means a hadronic decay of the $\tau$) and explore the feasibility of such a search at the LHC for a collision energy $\sqrt{s}=~\text{14 TeV}$ and a luminosity $\text{300}~\text{fb}^{-1}$

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arXiv2023

Searching for $H \to hh \to b\bar b\tau\tau$ in the 2HDM Type-I at the LHC

Unlike other realisations of the 2-Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM), the so-called Type-I allows for a very light Higgs boson spectrum. Specifically, herein, the heaviest of the two CP-even neutral Higgs states, $H$, can be the one discovered at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2012, with a mass of $\approx 125$ GeV and couplings consistent with those predicted by the Standard Model (SM). In such a condition of the model, referred to as `inverted mass hierarchy', the decay of the SM-like Higgs state into pairs of the lightest CP-even neutral Higgs boson, $h$, is possible, for masses of the latter ranging from $M_H/2\approx 65$ GeV down to 15 GeV or so, all compatible with experimental constraints. In this paper, we investigate the scope of the LHC in accessing the process $gg\to H \to hh\to b\bar b\tau\tau$ by performing a Monte Carlo (MC) analysis aimed at extracting this signal from the SM backgrounds, in presence of a dedicated trigger choice and kinematic selection. We prove that some sensitivity to such a channel exists already at Run 3 of the LHC while the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) will be able to either confirm or disprove this theoretical scenario over sizable regions of its parameter space.

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arXiv2022

Hunting light Higgses at the LHC in the context of the 2HDM Type-I

We show the reinterpretation of existing searches for exotic decays of the Standard Model (SM)-like Higgs, $H \to aa (hh)$, in various final states, in the framework of the 2-Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) Type-I. We then explore a new search for such light Higgses, $a$ and $h$, at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Run 3 for an integrated luminosity of 300 $\text{fb}^{-1}$. After performing a scan over the model parameters, we found that the inverted scenario of Type-I offers a new promising signal in the form of the following cascade decays: $H \to Z^{*}a \to Z^{*}Z^{*}h \to b\overline{b} \mu^- \mu^+ jj$. We investigate then its significance through a full Monte Carlo (MC) simulation down to the detector level.

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arXiv2022

A Novel Experimental Search Channel for Very Light Higgses in the 2HDM Type I

We present a reinterpretation study of existing results from the CMS Collaboration, specifically, searches for light Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) Higgs pairs produced in the chain decay $pp\to H_{\rm SM}\to hh(aa)$ into a variety of final states, in the context of the CP-conserving 2-Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) Type-I. Through this, we test the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) sensitivity to a possible new signature, $pp\to H_{\rm SM}\to ZA\to ZZ h$, with $ZZ\to jj \mu^+\mu^-$ and $h\to b\bar b$. We perform a systematic scan over the 2HDM Type-I parameter space, by taking into account all available theoretical and experimental constraints, in order to find a region with a potentially visible signal. We investigate the significance of it through a full Monte Carlo simulation down to the parametrised detector level. We show that such a signal is an alternative promising channel to standard four-body searches for light BSM Higgses at the LHC already with an integrated luminosity of ${\cal L} = 300~{\rm fb}^{-1}$. For a tenfold increase of the latter, discovery should be possible over most of the allowed parameter space.

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arXiv2018

Extended Higgs sector of 2HDM with real singlet facing LHC data

We study the phenomenology of the two Higgs doublet model with a real singlet scalar $S$ (2HDMS). The model predicts three CP-even Higgses $h_{1,2,3}$, one CP-odd $A^0$ and a pair of charged Higgs. We discuss the consistency of the 2HDMS with theoretical as well as with all available experimental data. In contrast with previous studies, we focus on the scenario where $h_2$ is the Standard Model (SM) 125 GeV Higgs, while $h_1$ is lighter than $h_2$ which may open a window for Higgs to Higgs decays. We perform an extensive scan into the parameter space of 2HDMS of type I and explore the effect of the singlet-doublet admixture. We found that a large singlet-doublet admixture is still compatible with the recent Higgs data from LHC. Moreover, we show that $h_1$ could be quasi-fermiophobic and would decay dominantly into two photons. We also study in details the consistency of the non-detected decay of $h_2\to h_1 h_1$ with LHC data followed by $h_1\to γγ$ which leads to four photons final state at LHC: $pp\to h_2\to h_1 h_1\to 4γ$. Using the results of null searches of multi-photons carried by the ATLAS collaboration, we have found that a large area of the parameter space is still allowed. We also demonstrate that various neutral Higgs of the 2HDMS could have several exotic decays.

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arXiv2017

$R_{K^{(*)}}$ anomaly in type-III 2HDM

Recent experimental results provided by the CMS and LHCb, Belle and BaBar collaborations are showing a tension with the SM predictions in $R_{K^{(*)}}$, which might call for an explanation from new physics. In this work, we examine this tension in the type-III two-Higgs doublet models. We focus on the contributions of charged Higgs boson to the observable(s) $R_{K^{(*)}}$ and other rare processes $ΔM_q$ ($q=s,d$), $B \to X_s γ$ $B_s \to μ^+ μ^{-}$ and $B_q \to X_s μ^+ μ^{-}$, which are governed by the same effective Hamiltonian. It is found that regions of large $\tanβ$ and light charged Higgs mass $m_{H^\pm}$ can explain the measured value of $R_{K^{(*)}}$ and accommodate other B physics data as well. In contrast, the type-II two-Higgs doublet model can not.

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arXiv2016

Two-Higgs-Doublet type-II and -III models and $t\to c h$ at the LHC

We study the constraints of the generic two-Higgs-doublet model (2HDM) type-III and the impacts of the new Yukawa couplings. For comparisons, we revisit the analysis in the 2HDM type-II. To understand the influence of all involving free parameters and to realize their correlations, we employ $χ$-square fitting approach by including theoretical and experimental constraints, such as S, T, and U oblique parameters, the production of standard model Higgs and its decay to $γγ$, $WW^*/ZZ^*$, $τ^+τ^-$, etc. The errors of analysis are taken at $68\%$, $95.5\%$, and $99.7\%$ confidence levels. Due to the new Yukawa couplings being associated with $\cos(β-α)$ and $\sin(β-α)$, we find that the allowed regions for $\sinα$ and $\tanβ$ in the type-III model can be broader when the dictated parameter $χ_F$ is positive; however, for negative $χ_F$, the limits are stricter than those in the type-II model. By using the constrained parameters, we find that the deviation from the SM in the $h\to Zγ$ can be of ${\cal O}(10\%)$. Additionally, we also study the top-quark flavor-changing processes induced at the tree level in the type-III model and find that when all current experimental data are considered, we get $Br(t\to c(h, H) )< 10^{-3}$ for $m_h=125.36$ and $m_H=150$ GeV and $Br(t\to cA)$ slightly exceeds $10^{-3}$ for $m_A =130$ GeV.

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