Evidence for a narrow Higgs-like diphoton resonance with a mass of 125 GeV in pp collisions at [square root of]s = 7 - 8 TeV
Name
850420446-MIT.pdf
Description
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Author(s)
Bendavid, Joshua Lorne
Advisor(s)
Christoph M.E. Paus.
Date Issued
2013
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
We have performed a search for the production of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to diphotons in pp collisions at the LHC at [square root of]s = 7-8 TeV with the CMS detector. Having analyzed data corresponding to 5.1 fb-1 at [square root of]s = 7 TeV (2011) and 5.3 fb-1 at [square root of]s = 8 TeV (2012), a statistically significant excess of events is observed with respect to the background prediction. Interpreted as a standard model Higgs, this excess has a local significance of 4.1 standard deviations, with the maximum significance occurring for a Higgs mass of 125 GeV. Taking into account the trials factor given the search range of 110 GeV to 150 GeV in Higgs mass, this excess has a global significance of 3.2 standard deviations. This constitutes evidence for a new particle decaying to diphotons with a mass of around 125 GeV. The rate of observed events is consistent with predictions for the standard model Higgs boson.
Description
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics, 2013.
In title on title-page, "[square root of]" appears as the mathematical symbol. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 153-158).
Subjects
Physics.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
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