Measurement of Simplified Template Cross Sections of the Higgs Boson Produced in Association With W or Z Bosons in the Formula Presented Decay Channel in Proton-Proton Collisions at Formula Presented

Abstract

Differential cross sections are measured for the standard model Higgs boson produced in association with vector bosons (Formula Presented, Formula Presented) and decaying to a pair of Formula Presented quarks. Measurements are performed within the framework of the simplified template cross sections. The analysis relies on the leptonic decays of the Formula Presented and Formula Presented bosons, resulting in final states with 0, 1, or 2 electrons or muons. The Higgs boson candidates are either reconstructed from pairs of resolved Formula Presented-tagged jets, or from single large-radius jets containing the particles arising from two Formula Presented quarks. Proton-proton collision data at Formula Presented, collected by the CMS experiment in 2016-2018 and corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of Formula Presented, are analyzed. The inclusive signal strength, defined as the product of the observed production cross section and branching fraction relative to the standard model expectation, combining all analysis categories, is found to be Formula Presented. This corresponds to an observed (expected) significance of 6.3 (5.6) standard deviations. © 2024 CERN, for the CMS Collaboration.