Search for a charged Higgs boson in pp collisions at √s=8 TeV

Abstract

A search for a charged Higgs boson is performed with a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 ± 0.5 fb−1 collected with the CMS detector in proton-proton collisions at s√=8s=8,TeV. The charged Higgs boson is searched for in top quark decays for mH± < m t − m b, and in the direct production pp → t(b)H± for m H± > m t − m b. The H± → τ ± ν τand H± → tb decay modes in the final states τ h+jets, μτ h, ℓ+jets, and ℓℓ’ (ℓ =e, μ) are considered in the search. No signal is observed and 95% confidence level upper limits are set on the charged Higgs boson production. A model-independent upper limit on the product branching fraction B(t→H±b)B(H±→τ±ντ)=1.2−0.15%B(t→H±b)B(H±→τ±ντ)=1.2−0.15% is obtained in the mass range m H± = 80–160 GeV, while the upper limit on the cross section times branching fraction σ(pp→t(b)H±)B(H±→ τ±ντ)=0.38−0.025σ(pp→t(b)H±)B(H±→ τ±ντ)=0.38−0.025 pb is set in the mass range m H+ = 180–600 GeV. Here, σ(pp → t(b)H±) stands for the cross section sum σ(pp→t¯(b)H+)+σ(pp→t(b¯¯¯)H−)σ(pp→t¯(b)H+)+σ(pp→t(b¯)H−). Assuming B(H±→tb)=1B(H±→tb)=1, an upper limit on σ(pp → t(b)H±) of 2.0–0.13 pb is set for m H± = 180–600 GeV. The combination of all considered decay modes and final states is used to set exclusion limits in the m H±−tan βparameter space in different MSSM benchmark scenarios.