Thermal width of the Higgs boson in hot QCD matter

Abstract

Following Caron-Huot and combining results for the thermal dependence of spectral functions at large time-like momenta, we write an explicit expression for the thermal width of the Higgs boson to $\mathcal{O}({\alpha }_{\mathrm{s}})$ for $T\ll M_H$. It is an $\mathcal{O}({\alpha }_{\mathrm{s}}(T/M_H{)}^4)$ correction for $H\to gg$ and $H\to q\bar{q}$. We also compile corresponding results for the thermal width of the $Z$-boson, and we recall which generic structures of the field theory, accessible via the operator product expansion, fix the $T/M$-dependence of the decay of heavy particles.

Comments: 5 pages plus appendices. v2: minor modifications, version accepted for publication in PRD