Interference effects in gluon-fusion Higgs boson production

Abstract

In this contribution we summarize recent progress in higher-order computations of signal-background interference effects in Higgs boson production via gluon fusion. The focus is on the resonance region, where interference terms are most significant relative to the pure signal contribution when the Higgs boson decay is loop-induced. We present results for the well-studied $gg\to H\to \gamma \gamma$ process and for the rare $gg\to H\to Z\gamma$ mode. In both cases, the interference is destructive, reducing the resonant Higgs boson production rate by about 1.6\% in the diphoton channel and by roughly 3\% in the $Z\gamma$ decay mode.

Comments: 13 pages, 2 tables, 2 figures, contribution to the LHC Higgs Working Group Report 5