New constraints on a light CP-odd Higgs boson and related NMSSM Ideal Higgs Scenarios

Abstract

Recent BaBar limits on $\br(Î¥(3S)\to \gam a\to \gam τ^+τ^-)$ and $\br(Î¥(3S)\to \gam a\to \gam μ^+μ^-)$ provide increased constraints on the $a b\anti b$ coupling of a CP-odd Higgs boson, $a$, with $m_a<M_{\hat{I}\yen (3S)}$. We extract these limits from the BaBar data and compare to the limits previously obtained using other data sets, especially the CLEO-III $\br(Î¥(1S)\to \gam\toτ^+τ^-)$ limits. Comparisons are made to predictions in the context of "ideal"-Higgs NMSSM scenarios, in which the lightest CP-even Higgs boson, $h_1$, can have mass below $105\gev$ (as preferred by precision electroweak data) and yet can escape old LEP limits by virtue of decays to a pair of the lightest CP-odd Higgs bosons, $h_1\to a_1{a}_1$, with $m_{a_1}<2m_B$. Most such scenarios with $m_{a_1}<2m_{\ddot{I}}„$ are eliminated, but the bulk of the $m_{a_1}>7.5\gev$ scenarios, which are theoretically the most favored, survive. We also outline the impact of the new ALEPH LEP results in the $\epem\to Z+4τ$ channel. For $\tan {\hat{I}}^2\ge 3$, only NMSSM ideal Higgs scenarios with $m_{h_1}\gsim 98\gev$ and $m_{a_1}$ close to $2m_B$ satisfy the ALEPH limits. For $\tanβ\lsim 2$, the ALEPH limits are easily satisfied for the most theoretically preferred NMSSM scenarios, which are those with $m_{a_1}$ close to $2m_B$ and $m_{h_1}\sim 90\gev-100\gev$.

24 pages, 25 figures, paper updated to incorporate final ALEPH limits in Z+4τchannel.