Search for the flavor-changing neutral current interactions of the top quark and the Higgs boson which decays into a pair of b quarks at √ s = 13 TeV

• Main Authors: Sirunyan, A. M., Tumasyan, A. R., Adam, Wolfgang, Ambrogi, Federico, Asilar, Ece, Md. Ali, Mohd. Adli
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English
• Published: Springer Nature 2018
• Subjects: Q Science (General); QC Physics
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/70415/1/70415_Search%20for%20the%20flavor-changing%20neutral%20current_article.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/70415/7/70415_Search%20for%20the%20flavor-changing%20neutral%20current_WOS.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/70415/; https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2FJHEP06%282018%29102.pdf

A search for flavor-changing neutral currents (FCNC) in events with the top quark and the Higgs boson is presented. The Higgs boson decay to a pair of b quarks is considered. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb−1 recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV. Two channels are considered: single top quark FCNC production in association with the Higgs boson (pp → tH), and top quark pair production with FCNC decay of the top quark (t → qH). Final states with one isolated lepton and at least three reconstructed jets, among which at least two are associated with b quarks, are studied. No significant deviation is observed from the predicted background. Observed (expected) upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the branching fractions of top quark decays, B(t → uH) < 0.47% (0.34%) and B(t → cH) < 0.47% (0.44%),assuming a single nonzero FCNC coupling