Abstract
A search for a Higgs boson in the four-lepton decay channel , with each boson decaying to an electron or muon pair, is reported. The search covers Higgs boson mass hypotheses in the range of . The analysis uses data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of recorded by the CMS detector in collisions at from the LHC. Seventy-two events are observed with four-lepton invariant mass (with 13 below 160 GeV), while () events are expected from background. The four-lepton mass distribution is consistent with the expectation of standard model background production of pairs. Upper limits at 95% confidence level exclude the standard model Higgs boson in the ranges of 134–158 GeV, 180–305 GeV, and 340–465 GeV. Small excesses of events are observed around masses of 119, 126, and 320 GeV, making the observed limits weaker than expected in the absence of a signal.
- Received 9 February 2012
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.111804
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© 2012 CERN, for the CMS Collaboration
Viewpoint
Homing in on the Higgs Boson
Published 13 March 2012
There are encouraging hints that the Higgs boson may have been observed at the Large Hadron Collider.
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