Search for neutral MSSM Higgs bosons at LEP

The four LEP collaborations, ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL, have searched for the neutral Higgs bosons which are predicted by the Minimal Supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). The data of the four collaborations are statistically combined and examined for their consistency with the background hypothesis and with a possible Higgs boson signal. The combined LEP data show no significant excess of events which would indicate the production of Higgs bosons. The search results are used to set upper bounds on the cross-sections of various Higgs-like event topologies. The results are interpreted within the MSSM in a number of “benchmark” models, including CP-conserving and CP-violating scenarios. These interpretations lead in all cases to large exclusions in the MSSM parameter space. Absolute limits are set on the parameter cosβ and, in some scenarios, on the masses of neutral Higgs bosons.     

Search for neutralino pair production at \sqrt{s} = 189 GeV

A search for pair-production of neutralinos at a LEP centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV gave no evidence for a signal. This limits the neutralino production cross-section and excludes regions in the parameter space of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). Received: 22 November 2000 / Revised version: 11 January 2001 / Published online: 15 March 2001     

Search for SUSY in the AMSB scenario with the DELPHI detector

The DELPHI experiment at the LEP e ⁺ e^- collider collected almost 700 pb^-1 at centre-of-mass energies above the Z⁰ mass pole and up to 208 GeV. Those data were used to search for SUSY in the Anomaly Mediated SUSY Breaking (AMSB) scenario with a flavour independent common sfermion mass parameter. The searches covered several possible signatures experimentally accessible at LEP, with either the neutralino, the sneutrino or the stau being the Lightest Supersymmetric Particle (LSP). They included: the search for nearly mass-degenerate chargino and neutralino, which is a typical feature of AMSB; the search for Standard-Model-like or invisibly decaying Higgs boson; the search for stable staus; the search for cascade decays of SUSY particles resulting in the LSP and a low multiplicity final state containing neutrinos. No evidence of a signal was found, and thus constraints were set in the space of the parameters of the model.Received: 3 September 2003, Revised: 3 February 2004, Published online: 9 March 2004     

Looking for the LEP at LEP. The excited neutrino scenario

It is suggested to use LEP for a systematic search of excited neutrinos. These are expected to be the lightest excited particles (LEPs) in models of substructure and therefore could be the first direct signal of compositeness in the fermionic sector. Their signatures and production are presented. It is shown how one can extract their masses and couplings or else set limits on these parameters in case of a negative search. A comparison with heavy sequential neutrinos and heavy neutrals emanating from theories of grand unification and supersymmetry is briefly made.     

Search for pair production of heavy objects in 4-jet events at} $sqrt{s}=130-136 {⤪ GeV}$ DELPHI Collaboration

Results are presented of a search for pair production of heavy objects decaying into four hadronic jets, as expected for example from associated or pair production of MSSM Higgs bosons, hA or H⁺H^?, using a data sample of 5.9pb^?1 of e⁺e^? collisions at $sqrt{s}=130-136 {? GeV}$ collected with the DELPHI detector at LEP in November 1995. The data and expectations from standard processes agree after four-jet selections. An analysis based on b-tagging finds no hA candidate with high mass. A study optimized to search for H⁺H^?events with mass in the 40–50 GeV/c² range also finds no candidate. Finally a comparison is made with a recent ALEPH analysis which found an excess of four-jet events with high multiplicity and high mass. Such a signal is not observed in the DELPHI data, although a slight excess in the mass region around 105 GeV/c² is seen.     

Observation of doubly-charmed B decays at LEP

A search for doubly-charmed B decays with both charmed mesons reconstructed is performed, using about 3.8 million hadronic Z decays recorded with the ALEPH detector at LEP. A clear signal is observed in the channels and (where D can be either a D, a D or a D), providing the first direct evidence for doubly-charmed B decays involving no production. Evidence for associated and production in the decays is also presented and some candidates for completely reconstructed decays , and are observed. Furthermore, candidates for the two-body Cabibbo suppressed decays and are also observed. Measurements of the corresponding branching fractions are extracted. Received: 6 March 1998 / Published online: 23 June 1998     

Bose-Einstein and colour interference in W-pair decays

We study effects on the W mass measurements at LEP2 from non-perturbative interference effects in the fully hadronic decay channel. Based on a model for Bose-Einstein interference, which is in agreement with LEP1 data, we argue that there are no Bose-Einstein correlations between bosons coming from the different W's. For small reconnection probabilities we rule out the possible experimental signal of colour interference at LEP2, suggested in [1]. The conclusions from this paper are that the theoretical uncertainties in the W mass determination should be smaller than the experimental statistical error. Received: 3 November 1997 / Published online: 10 March 1998     

LEP Higgs boson searches beyond the standard model and minimum supersymmetric standard model

Ever since the center-of-mass energy was increased in 1995 above the Zℴ resonance, the four LEP experiments (ALEPH, DELPHI, OPAL and L3) have renewed their effort to search for the Higgs boson. Data taking ended in the year 2000 with about 130 pb⁻¹ of data collected per experiment above 206 GeV ine ⁺ e ⁻¹ collisions but the data analysis is still very active. Most recently, the wealth of theoretical models and predictions has stimulated new analyses and model interpretations which go beyond the standard model and minimal supersymmetric standard model. These include the searches for charged Higgs bosons, models with two Higgs field doublets, searches for ‘fermiophobic’ Higgs decay, invisible Higgs boson decays, decay-mode independent searches, and limits on Yukawa and anomalous Higgs couplings. I review the searches done by the four LEP experiments and present the LEP combined results when they exist.     

Search for invisibly decaying Higgs bosons with large decay width using the OPAL detector at LEP

This paper describes a topological search for an invisibly decaying Higgs boson, H, produced via the Bjorken process (e⁺e^-→HZ). The analysis is based on data recorded using the OPAL detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies from 183 to 209 GeV corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 629 pb^-1. In the analysis only hadronic decays of the Z boson are considered. A scan over Higgs boson masses from 1 to 120 GeV and decay widths from 1 to 3000 GeV revealed no indication for a signal in the data. From a likelihood ratio of expected signal and standard model background we determine upper limits on cross-section times branching ratio to an invisible final state. For moderate Higgs boson decay widths, these range from about 0.07 pb (M_H=60 GeV) to 0.57 pb (M_H=114 GeV). For decay widths above 200 GeV the upper limits are of the order of 0.15 pb. The results can be interpreted in general scenarios predicting a large invisible decay width of the Higgs boson. As an example we interpret the results in the so-called stealthy Higgs scenario. The limits from this analysis exclude a large part of the parameter range of this scenario experimentally accessible at LEP 2.     

Cosmic ray studies with the L3-cosmics program at CERN

The L3 detector at the CERN electron-positron collider had a muon spectrometer which was employed during the last years of LEP operation for cosmic ray studies. The results of this program include a precise muon spectrum and charge ratio between 20 GeV and 3 TeV, a limit on TeV primary antiprotons from a study of the Moon’s shadow, the (possible) observation of a are signal from a fixed position in the northern hemisphere through muons, a solar anisotropy of 200 GeV protons, and other results. Negative limits on muons associated with known H.E. gamma sources or gamma bursts, the search for anomalous H.E. interaction or decay events such as reported from the Kolar Gold Fields, and a search for muons correlated with a solar are are also noted.     

Should we still believe in constrained supersymmetry?

We calculate partial Bayes factors to quantify how the feasibility of the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model (CMSSM) has changed in the light of a series of observations. This is done in the Bayesian spirit where probability reflects a degree of belief in a proposition and Bayes’ theorem tells us how to update it after acquiring new information. Our experimental baseline is the approximate knowledge that was available before LEP, and our comparison model is the Standard Model with a simple dark matter candidate. To quantify the amount by which experiments have altered our relative belief in the CMSSM since the baseline data we compute the partial Bayes factors that arise from learning in sequence the LEP Higgs constraints, the XENON100 dark matter constraints, the 2011 LHC supersymmetry search results, and the early 2012 LHC Higgs search results. We find that LEP and the LHC strongly shatter our trust in the CMSSM (with M ₀ and M _1/2 below 2 TeV), reducing its posterior odds by approximately two orders of magnitude. This reduction is largely due to substantial Occam factors induced by the LEP and LHC Higgs searches.     

Search for Higgs Bosons at LEP2 and Hadron Colliders

The search for the Higgs boson was one of the most relevant issues of the final years of LEP running at high energies. An excess of 3σ beyond the background expectation has been found, consistent with the production of the Higgs boson with a mass near 115 GeV/c². At the upgraded TeVatron and at LHC the search for the Higgs boson will continue. At TeVatron Higgs bosons can be detected with masses up to 180 GeV with an assumed total integrated luminosity of 20 fb^—1. LHC has the potential to discover the Higgs boson in many different decay channels for Higgs masses up to 1 TeV. It will be possible to measure Higgs boson parameters, such as mass, width, and couplings to fermions and bosons. The results from Higgs searches at LEP2 and the possibilities for searches at hadron colliders will be reviewed.     

Complete LEP data: Status of Higgs boson searches

The LEP experiments completed data taking in November 2000. New preliminary combined results of the four LEP experiments ALEPH, DELPHI, L3, and OPAL are presented for various Higgs boson searches.     

Higgs search: present and future

In this talk I review theoretical bounds on mass of the Higgs scalar in the Standard Model (SM) and then summarise current experimental limits from the LEP experiments. Following this I discuss the search strategies for the SM Higgs at LEP 200 and the TeV energye ⁺ e ^? colliders which are under discussion. This will be followed by a summary of the Higgs search potential of the pp supercolliders such as SSC/LHC. I then close with a brief discussion of a ‘Dark Higgs’ whose dominant decay modes are into invisible channels.     

Three-body decays of Higgs bosons at LEP2 and application to a hidden fermiophobic Higgs

We study the decays of Higgs bosons to a lighter Higgs boson and a virtual gauge boson in the context of the non-supersymmetric two-Higgs doublet model (2HDM). We consider the phenomenological impact at LEP2 and find that such decays, when open, may be dominant in regions of parameter space and thus affect current Higgs boson search techniques. Three-body decays would be a way of producing light neutral Higgs bosons which have so far escaped detection at LEP due to suppressed couplings to the Z, and are of particular importance in the 2HDM (Model I) which allows both a light fermiophobic Higgs and a light charged scalar.     

L3实验结果介绍(Ⅰ)

LEP运行的第一年,OPAL,ALEPH,L3和DELPHI四个实验已收集和分析了不少于五十万个Z°粒子衰变。这些实验的主要目的之一是通过精确测量Z°参数来检验标准模型。本文通过介绍L3实验的结果,说明LEP实验已达到的精度,和标准模型对这些参数的预言与测量值符合的程度。     

Search for lepton flavour number violating Z0- decays

A search for lepton flavour number violating Z⁰ decays in the channels Z ⁰ → μτ, Z ⁰ → eτ, Z ⁰ → eμ, using the DELPHI detector with data collected during the 1991–94 LEP runs, is described. No signal was found. Upper limits at 95% confidence level for the respective branching fractions of 1.2 × 10^?5, 2.2 × 10^?5, and 0.25 × 10^?5, were obtained.     

HiggsBounds-4: improved tests of extended Higgs sectors against exclusion bounds from LEP,the Tevatron and the LHC

We describe the new developments in version 4 of the public computer code HiggsBounds. HiggsBounds is a tool to test models with arbitrary Higgs sectors, containing both neutral and charged Higgs bosons, against the published exclusion bounds from Higgs searches at the LEP, Tevatron and LHC experiments. From the model predictions for the Higgs masses, branching ratios, production cross sections and total decay widths—which are specified by the user in the input for the program—the code calculates the predicted signal rates for the search channels considered in the experimental data. The signal rates are compared to the expected and observed cross section limits from the Higgs searches to determine whether a point in the model parameter space is excluded at 95 % confidence level. In this paper we present a modification of the HiggsBounds main algorithm that extends the exclusion test in order to ensure that it provides useful results in the presence of one or more significant excesses in the data, corresponding to potential Higgs signals. We also describe a new method to test whether the limits from an experimental search performed under certain model assumptions can be applied to a different theoretical model. Further developments discussed here include a framework to take into account theoretical uncertainties on the Higgs mass predictions, and the possibility to obtain the $\chi ^2$ likelihood of Higgs exclusion limits from LEP. Extensions to the user subroutines from earlier versions of HiggsBounds are described. The new features are demonstrated by additional example programs.     

Search for the Standard Model Higgs boson with the OPAL detector at LEP

This paper summarises the search for the Standard Model Higgs boson in e ⁺ e ^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies up to 209 GeV performed by the OPAL Collaboration at LEP. The consistency of the data with the background hypothesis and various Higgs boson mass hypotheses is examined. No indication of a signal is found in the data and a lower bound of 112.7 Gev/c² is obtained on the mass of the Standard Model Higgs boson at the 95% CL. Received: 13 March 2002 / Revised version: 9 October 2002 / Published online: 13 December 2002     

Search for pair-produced leptoquarks in e + e- interactions at $\sqrt{s} \simeq 189\text{--}209$ GeV

A search for pair-produced leptoquarks is performed using collision events collected by the OPAL detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 209 GeV. The data sample corresponds to a total integrated luminosity of 596 pb^-1. The leptoquarks are assumed to be produced via couplings to the photon and the Z⁰. For a given search channel only leptoquark decays involving a single lepton generation are considered. No evidence for leptoquark pair production is observed. Lower limits on masses for scalar and vector leptoquarks are calculated. The results improve most of the LEP limits derived from previous searches for the pair production process by 10-25 GeV, depending on the leptoquark quantum numbers.Received: 6 May 2003, Published online: 24 October 2003