Search for the Higgs Boson in the ZH --> vvbb Channel at CDF Run II (2008); Doctoral thesis

摘要

This analysis focuses on a low mass Higgs boson search with 1.7 fb(sup -1) of data. The focus is on Higgs events in which it is produced in association with a W or Z boson. Such events are expected to leave a distinct signature of large missing transverse energy for either a Z (yields) (nu)(nu) decay or a leptonic W decay in which the lepton goes undetected, as well as jets with taggable secondary vertices from the H (yields) b(bar B) decay. Utilizing a new track based technique for removing QCD multi-jet processes as well as a neural network discriminant, an expected limit of 8.3 times the Standard Model prediction at the 95% CL for a Higgs boson mass of 115 GeV/c(sup 2) is calculated, with an observed limit of 8.0*SM.