Prospect and implications of $cg\to b{H}^{+}\to bA{W}^{+}$ production at the LHC

Abstract

We study the prospect for discovering the $cg\to b{H}^{+}\to bA{W}^{+}$ process at the LHC. Induced by the top-flavor changing neutral Higgs coupling ${\rho }_{tc}$, the process may emerge if $m_{H^{+}}>m_A+m_{W^{+}}$, where $H^{+}$ and $A$ are charged and $CP$-odd Higgs bosons in the general two Higgs Doublet Model (g2HDM). We show that the $cg\to b{H}^{+}\to bA{W}^{+}$ process can be discovered at LHC Run 3, while the full Run 2 data at hand can constrain the parameter space significantly by searching for the same-sign dilepton final state. The process has unique implications on the hint of $gg\to A\to t\bar{t}$ excess at $m_A\approx 400$ GeV reported by CMS. When combined with other existing constraints, the $cg\to b{H}^{+}\to bA{W}^{+}$ process can essentially rule out the g2HDM explanation of such an excess.

Comments: matches the published version