Speedy Higgs boson discovery in decays to tau lepton pairs : h->tau,tau

Abstract

Discovery of the Higgs boson in any decay channel depends on the existence of event variables or cuts with sensitivity to the presence of the Higgs. We demonstrate the non-optimality of the kinematic variables which are currently expected to play the largest role in the discovery (or exclusion) of the Higgs at the LHC in the tau channel. Any LHC collaboration looking for opportunities to gain advantages over its rivals should, perhaps, consider the alternative strategy we propose.

Comments: 4 pages. 3 figures. Additional material in version 2: Figure 2c (distribution of m_tautau^true), Figure 3 (showing the relative sensitivity of different projections), related discussion