Heavy Neutrino Search via the Higgs boson at the LHC

Abstract

In the inverse see-saw model the effective neutrino Yukawa couplings can be sizable due to a large mixing angle between the light $(\nu )$and heavy neutrinos $(N)$. When the right handed neutrino $(N)$ can be lighter than the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson $(h)$. It can be produced via the on-shell decay of the Higgs, $h\to N\nu$ at a significant branching fraction at the LHC. In such a process $N$ mass can be reconstructed in its dominant $N\to W\ell$ decays. We perform an analysis on this channel and its relevant backgrounds, among which the $W+$jets background is the largest. Considering the existing mixing constraints from the Higgs and electroweak precision data, the best sensitivity of the heavy neutrino search is achieved for benchmark $N$ mass at 100 and 110 GeV for upcoming high luminosity LHC runs.

Comments: 22 pages, 7 Figures, updated analysis, model part extended, matched journal version in EPJC