$h^0\to W^{+}{W}^{-}\text{ra}{\ell }^{+}{\ell }^{{}^{\prime }-}{\nu }_{\ell }{\bar{\nu }}_{{\ell }^{\prime }}$ as the Dominant SM Higgs Search Mode at the LHC for $M_{h^0}$= 155-180 GeV

Abstract

We show that the Standard Model Higgs decay $h^0\to W^{+}{W}^{-}\to l^{+}{l}^{-}\nu \bar{\nu }$ is the most sensitive mode for SM Higgs searches in the range 155-180 GeV. The previously considered mode $h^0\to Z^0{Z}^{0\ast }\to l^{+}{l}^{-}{l}^{+}{l}^{-}$ has a significantly lower search sensitivity. We place particular emphasis on two new cuts based on (i) the boost and (ii) the spin-correlation of the $W^{+}{W}^{-}$-system. The distribution we obtain from our combined cuts shows a mass sensitive peak which probably allows a mass determination to $\pm$ 5 GeV for 5 fb^{-1}. This contribution complements our earlier published paper.

Comments: 10 pages, Latex, 6 figures, Talk given at Ringberg Higgs Workshop, Dec. 1996, 6 new figures not included in published version