Next-to-next-to-leading order event generation for VH production with H → $$ b\overline{b} $$ decay
Silvia Zanoli, Mauro Chiesa, Emanuele Ré, Marius Wiesemann, Giulia Zanderighi
Abstract
A bstract We consider the Higgsstrahlung process in hadronic collisions and present the computation of next-to-next-to-leading order predictions matched to parton showers for both production and H → $$ b\overline{b} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:math> decay employing the M i NNLO PS method. We present predictions for ZH and W ± H production including spin correlations and off-shell effects by calculating the full processes pp → ℓ + ℓ − H → ℓ + ℓ − $$ b\overline{b} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:math> , pp → $$ {\nu}_{\ell }{\overline{\nu}}_{\ell }H $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:msub> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> </mml:math> → $$ {\nu}_{\ell }{\overline{\nu}}_{\ell }b\overline{b} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:msub> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:math> and pp → ℓ ± ν ℓ H → $$ {\ell}^{\pm }{\overline{\nu}}_{\ell }b\overline{b} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:msub> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:math> in the narrow-width approximation for the Higgs boson. For the W ± H process, NNLO+PS accuracy in production and decay is achieved for the first time. Our calculations are validated against earlier simulations in the NNLOPS approach that includes NNLO corrections via multi-differential reweighting. The new M i NNLO PS generators for these processes, which evaluate NNLO corrections on-the-fly in the event generation, will supersede those earlier calculations. Our predictions are in good agreement with recent measurements of the Higgsstrahlung cross sections.