Advisor(s)
Darien R. Wood
Contributor(s)
Emanuela Barberis, Pran Nath (1939-)
Date of Award
4-2011
Date Accepted
4-2011
Degree Grantor
Northeastern University
Degree Level
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department or Academic Unit
College of Science. Department of Physics.
Keywords
diboson, Facini, missing transverse energy, b-quarks, Tevatron
Subject Categories
Higgs bosons, Neutrinos
Disciplines
Elementary Particles and Fields and String Theory | Physics
Abstract
Presented is a series of analyses which are central to the search for a low-mass Higgs boson. A search for ZZ production in the $ZZ \rightarrow \ell^\minus\ell^\plus v\bar{v}$ channel is introduced then the successful combination of this analysis with with the $ZZ \ell^\plus\ell^\minus\ell\prime^\plus\ell\prime^\minus$ search to produce the first observation of the ZZ process at a hadron collider is then detailed. The final analysis presented is the search for the Higgs in the $ZH \rightarrow v\bar{v} b\bar{b}$ channel and the interpretation as a $ZZ \rightarrow v\bar{v} b\bar{b}$ search in order to validate the techniques. Common themes are discussed, such as multivariate techniques and instrumental backgrounds from energy measurement fluctuations and the tools used to combat them. The formalism of the statistical analysis of the final selected sample is introduced generally and demonstrated in the context of the above mentioned searches. The optimization of the selection through the identification of poorly reconstructed leptons is included as well as the utilization of b-quark identifying tools.
Some space is given to jet reconstruction/identification and the Level 1 Calorimeter Trigger. The efficient identification and calibration of jets is central to many physics analysis especially in the low mass higgs search. Another key component of the $ZH \rightarrow v\bar{v} b\bar{b}$ search is the proficient identification of jets and an imbalance of transverse energy in the first level of the triggering system. Therefore, the Level 1 Calorimeter Trigger, designed to achieve this, is a necessary component for a sensitive $ZH \rightarrow v\bar{v} b\bar{b}$ search.
Document Type
Dissertation
Rights Information
copyright 2011
Rights Holder
Gabriel Facini
Permanent URL
Recommended Citation
Facini, Gabriel, "The road to the Higgs in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at √s= 1.96 TeV" (2011). Physics Dissertations. Paper 23. iris link
Click button above to open, or right-click to save.
COinS