NLO+NLL′ accurate predictions for three-jet event shapes in hadronic Higgs decays
A. Gehrmann–De Ridder, Christian T. Preuss, Daniel Reichelt, S. Schumann
Abstract
A bstract We present resummed predictions at next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy matched to the exact next-to-leading order results for a set of classical event-shape observables in hadronic Higgs decays, i.e., for the channels H → gg 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> . We furthermore consider soft-drop grooming of the hadronic final states and derive corresponding NLO+NLL′ predictions for the groomed thrust observable. Differences in the QCD radiation pattern of gluon- and quark-initiated final states are imprinted in the event-shape distributions, offering separation power for the two decay channels. In particular, we show that ungroomed event shapes in H → gg decays develop a considerably harder spectrum than in 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> decays. We highlight that soft-drop grooming can substantially alter this behaviour, unless rather inclusive grooming parameters are chosen.