Unintegrated gluon distributions and Higgs boson productionin proton-proton collisions

Inclusive cross sections for Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions are calculated in the formalism of unintegrated gluon distributions (UGDFs). Different UGDFs from the literature are used. Although they were constructed in order to describe the HERA deep-inelastic scattering F₂ data, they lead to surprisingly different results for Higgs boson production. We present both the two-dimensional invariant cross section as a function of Higgs boson rapidity and transverse momentum, as well as the corresponding projections on rapidity or transverse momentum. We quantify the differences between different UGDs by applying different cuts on interrelations between the transverse momentum of the Higgs and the transverse momenta of both fusing gluons. We focus on the large rapidity region. The interplay of the gluon-gluon fusion and weak-boson fusion in rapidity and transverse momentum is discussed. We find that above p_t ∼ 50–100 GeV the weak-gauge boson fusion dominates over gluon-gluon fusion. PACS. 12.38.Bx,12.38.Cy,13.85.Qk,14.70.Hp,14.80.Bn     

Higgs boson production on protons within the QCD semihard approach

Higgs boson (H) production in proton-proton collisions via the mechanism of gluon-gluon fusion is considered within the QCD semihard (k _T-factorization) approach. Results are presented that were obtained by calculating the total and differential cross sections for inclusive Higgs boson production in \(p\bar p \to H + X\) processes at the Tevatron collider and LHC energies. It is shown that, even in the leading order, the QCD semihard approach makes it possible to study processes involving the associated production of Higgs bosons and one or two hadron jets. Various azimuthal correlations arising in such processes between the transverse momenta of final particles are analyzed. The dependence of all calculated quantities on the choice of unintegrated gluon distribution in the proton is examined.     

Dijet and photon-jet correlations in proton-proton collisions at RHIC

We discuss correlations in azimuthal angle as well as correlations in two-dimensional space of transverse momenta of two jets as well as photon and jet. Some k_t-factorization subprocesses are included for the first time in the literature. Different unintegrated gluon/parton distributions are used in the k_t-factorization approach. The results depend on UGDF/UPDF used. The collinear NLO 2 ↦3 contributions dominate over k_t-factorization cross section at small relative azimuthal angles as well as for asymmetric transverse momentum configurations.     

Heavy quark and quarkonium production at CERN LEP2: <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis><Subscript>T</Subscript>-factorization versus data

We present calculations of heavy quark and quarkonium production at CERN LEP2 in the k _T-factorization QCD approach. Both direct and resolved photon contributions are taken into account. A conservative error analysis is performed. The unintegrated gluon distribution in the photon is obtained from the full CCFM evolution equation. The traditional color-singlet mechanism to describe the non-perturbative transition of a -pair into a final quarkonium is used. Our analysis covers the polarization properties of heavy quarkonia at moderate and large transverse momenta. We find that the total and differential open charm production cross sections are consistent with the recent experimental data taken by the L3, OPAL and ALEPH collaborations. At the same time the DELPHI data for the inclusive production exceed our predictions, but experimental uncertainties are too large to claim a significant inconsistency. The bottom production in photon-photon collisions at CERN LEP2 is hard to explain within the k _T-factorization formalism.Received: 22 December 2004, Revised: 15 February 2005, Published online: 12 April 2005     

Scalar Higgs boson production in fusion of two off-shell gluons

The amplitude for scalar Higgs boson production in the fusion of two off-shell gluons is calculated including finite (not infinite) masses of quarks in the triangle loop. In comparison to the effective Lagrangian approach, we have found a new term in the amplitude. The matrix element found can be used in the k_⊥-factorization approach to the Higgs boson production. The results are compared with the calculations for on-shell gluons. Small deviations from the cos²φ-dependence are predicted. The off-shell effects found are practically negligible. PACS 12.38.Bx; 14.80.Bn; 12.38.Qk; 13.85.Qk     

Matrix-element corrections to parton shower simulations for Higgs hadroproduction

We implement matrix-element corrections to HERWIG parton shower simulations for Standard Model Higgs boson production at hadron colliders. We study the Higgs transverse momentum distribution and compare different versions of HERWIG and resummed calculations. The HERWIG results exhibit a remarkable improvement as many more events are generated at large transverse momentum after the inclusion of matrix-element corrections.     

Heavy-quark hadroproduction in k T -factorization approach with unintegrated gluon distributions

We consider the processes of heavy-quark production using the unintegrated gluon distributions. The numerical predictions for high-energy nucleon-nucleon and photon-nucleon collisions of the k _T -factorization approach (semihard theory) are compared with the experimental data from the Tevatron collider and HERA. The total production cross sections and pT distributions are considered and they are in reasonable agreement with the data for reasonable values of QCD scale. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Higher-order constraints on the Higgs production rate from fixed-target DIS data

The constraints of fixed-target DIS data in fits of parton distributions including QCD corrections to next-to-next-to leading order are studied. We point out a potential problem in the analysis of the NMC data which can lead to inconsistencies in the extracted value for α _s (M _Z ) and the gluon distribution at higher orders in QCD. The implications for predictions of rates for Standard Model Higgs boson production at hadron colliders are investigated. We conclude that the current range of excluded Higgs boson masses at the Tevatron appears to be much too large.     

Comparison of the k T-factorization approach and the QCD parton model for charm and beauty hadroproduction

We compare numerical predictions of the conventional QCD parton model and of the k _T-factorization approach (semihard theory) for heavy-quark production in high-energy hadron collisions. The total production cross sections and one-particle rapidity and p _T distributions, as well as two-particle correlations, are considered. The distinction between the predictions of the two approaches is not very large, while the shapes of the distributions are slightly different.     

High p_T Higgs signal for the LHC

We show that the broad transverse momentum distribution of the Higgs boson produced by WW fusion can provide a viable way to identify decays at the LHC, if particular kinematical configurations with large rapidity gaps are selected. We estimate the event rate of the signal and of the QCD background. We also discuss Higgs boson detection via the and decay modes. Received: 25 April 2001 / Published online: 29 June 2001     

MSSM Higgs boson searches at the Tevatron and the LHC: Impact of different benchmark scenarios

The Higgs boson search has shifted from LEP2 to the Tevatron and will subsequently move to the LHC. The current limits from the Tevatron and the prospective sensitivities at the LHC are often interpreted in specific MSSM scenarios. For heavy Higgs boson production and subsequent decay into or τ⁺τ^–, the present Tevatron data allow one to set limits in the M_A–tan β plane for small M_A and large tan β values. Similar channels have been explored for the LHC, where the discovery reach extends to higher values of M_A and smaller tan β. Searches for MSSM charged Higgs bosons, produced in top decays or in association with top quarks, have also been investigated at the Tevatron and the LHC. We analyze the current Tevatron limits and prospective LHC sensitivities. We discuss how robust they are with respect to variations of the other MSSM parameters and possible improvements of the theoretical predictions for Higgs boson production and decay. It is shown that the inclusion of supersymmetric radiative corrections to the production cross sections and decay widths leads to important modifications of the present limits on the MSSM parameter space. The impact on the region where only the lightest MSSM Higgs boson can be detected at the LHC is also analyzed. We propose to extend the existing benchmark scenarios by including additional values of the higgsino mass parameter μ. This affects only slightly the search channels for a SM-like Higgs boson, while having a major impact on the searches for non-standard MSSM Higgs bosons.     

Differential cross sections for Higgs boson production at tevatron collider energies

The transverse momentum Q(T) distribution is computed for inclusive Higgs boson production at sqrt[S]=1.96 TeV. We include all-orders resummation of large logarithms associated with emission of soft gluons at small Q(T). We provide results for Higgs boson and Z* masses from M(Z) to 200 GeV. The relatively hard transverse momentum distribution for Higgs boson production suggests possibilities for improvement of the signal to background ratio.     

Distinguishing a SM-like MSSM Higgs boson from SM Higgs boson at muon collider

We explore the possibility of distinguishing the SM-like MSSM Higgs boson from the SM Higgs boson via Higgs boson pair production at future muon collider. We study the behavior of the production cross-section in SM and MSSM with Higgs boson mass for various MSSM parameters tan β and m _A . We observe that at fixed CM energy, in the SM, the total cross-section increases with the increase in Higgs boson mass whereas this trend is reversed for the MSSM. The changes that occur for the MSSM in comparison to the SM predictions are quantified in terms of the relative percentage deviation in cross-section. The observed deviations in cross-section for different choices of Higgs boson masses suggest that the measurements of the cross-section could possibly distinguish the SM-like MSSM Higgs boson from the SM Higgs boson.      

Factorization and infrared properties of non-perturbative contributions to DIS structure functions

In this paper we present a new derivation of QCD factorization. We deduce the k _T and collinear factorizations for the DIS structure functions by consecutive reductions of a more general theoretical construction. We begin by studying the amplitude of forward Compton scattering off a hadron target, representing this amplitude as a set of convolutions of two blobs connected by the simplest, two-parton intermediate states. Each blob in the convolutions can contain both the perturbative and non-perturbative contributions. We formulate conditions for separating the perturbative and non-perturbative contributions and attributing them to the different blobs. After that the convolutions correspond to QCD factorization. Then we reduce this totally unintegrated (basic) factorization first to k _T -factorization and finally to collinear factorization. In order to yield a finite expression for the Compton amplitude, the integration over the loop momentum in the basic factorization must be free of both ultraviolet and infrared singularities. This obvious mathematical requirement leads to theoretical restrictions on the non-perturbative contributions (parton distributions) to the Compton amplitude and the DIS structure functions related to the Compton amplitude through the Optical Theorem. In particular, our analysis excludes the use of the singular factors x ^−a (with a>0) in the fits for the quark and gluon distributions because such factors contradict the integrability of the basic convolutions for the Compton amplitude. This restriction is valid for all DIS structure functions in the framework of both k _T -factorization and collinear factorization if we attribute the perturbative contributions only to the upper blob. The restrictions on the non-perturbative contributions obtained in the present paper can easily be extended to other QCD processes where the factorization is exploited.     

Constraints on large-extra-dimensions model through 125 GeV Higgs pair production at the LHC

Based on the analysis of 5?fb^?1 of data at the LHC, the ATLAS and CMS collaborations have presented evidence for a Higgs boson with a mass in the 125 GeV range. We consider the 125 GeV neutral Higgs pair production process in the context of large-extra-dimensions (LED) model including the Kaluza?CKlein (KK) excited gravitons at the LHC. We consider the standard model (SM) Higgs pair production in gluon?Cgluon fusion channel and pure LED effects through graviton exchange as well as their interferences. It is shown that such interferences should be included; the LED model raises the transverse momentum (P _t ) and invariant mass (M _HH ) distributions at high scales of P _t and M _HH of the Higgs pair production. By using the Higgs pair production we could set the discovery limit on the cutoff scale M _S up to 6 TeV for ??=2 and 4.5 TeV for ??=6.     

The transverse momentum of partons in large pT processes

An approximate method is used to investigate the effects of parton transverse momentum in large p_T particle production within the framework of hard scattering models. We derive an approximate expression for the mean bias towards the trigger of each of the two participating partons and find that event one of the partons is biased more than the other, even with a 90° trigger. We treat the transverse momentum of partons and their closely related off-mass-shell behaviour as a perturbation in the equation for the single-particle inclusive cross section, and then expand in a Taylor series. We calculate the first non-zero correction term and find that to this order, the cross section is increased by parton transverse momentum effects by typically a factor of 1.7 for p_T = 3 GeV/c with 〈k_T〉 = 500 MeV/c, or 1.25 for p_T = 3 GeV/c with 〈k_T〉 = 300 MeV/c, and that the correction decreases rapidly with increasing p_T.     

The hadronic tau decay signature of a heavy charged Higgs boson at LHC

The hadronic tau decay channel offers by far the best signature for heavy charged Higgs boson search at the LHC in the large tanβ region. By exploiting the distinct polarization of the tau and its large transverse mass, along with the accompanying missing–p_T, one can probe for a charged Higgs boson up to a mass of about 600 GeV in an essentially background-free environment. The transverse mass distribution of the tau jet also provides a fairly unambiguous estimate of the charged Higgs boson mass.     

Yukawa corrections to the charged Higgs boson production in association with the top quark at hadron colliders

We calculate the Yukawa corrections of order to charged Higgs boson production in association with a top quark at the Tevatron and the LHC. The corrections are not very sensitive to the mass of the charged Higgs boson and can exceed for low values of , where the contribution of the top quark is large, and high values of where the contribution of the bottom quark becomes large. These Yukawa corrections could be significant for charged Higgs boson searches based on this production process, particularly at the LHC where the cross section is relatively large. Received: 12 October 1999 / Revised version: 3 December 1999 / Published online: 6 April 2000     

Electroproduction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">D</Emphasis>*<Superscript>±</Superscript> mesons at high energies

A comparative analysis of the predictions of the collinear parton model and the k _T -factorization approach is performed for the case of the D*-meson electroproduction at the HERA ep collider. It is shown that, owing to effectively taking into account, in noncollinear distributions, next-order corrections in the strong coupling constant α _s , the k _T -factorization approach increases, in contrast to the predictions of the collinear parton model, the absolute value of the cross sections for charmed-meson electroproduction by approximately a factor of 1.5 to 2. As a result, the agreement with experimental data is improved. This is not so only for the pseudorapidity spectrum, whose shape differs considerably from the experimental one and depends greatly on the choice of parametrization of the noncollinear gluon distribution within the proton.