Search for Higgs boson decay to a charm quark-antiquark pair via $t\overline{tH}$ production

Abstract

In these proceedings, a search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a charm quark-antiquark pair, $H\to c\bar{c}$, produced in association with a top quark-antiquark pair ($t\overline{tH}$) is presented. The search is performed using proton-proton collision data collected by the CMS experiment at $s=13$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb${}^{-1}$. The Higgs boson decay to a bottom quark-antiquark pair is measured simultaneously and the observed $t\overline{tH(H\to bb)}$ event rate relative to the standard model expectation is found to be $0.91_{-0.22}^{+0.26}$. The observed (expected) upper limit at 95\% confidence level (CL) for $t\overline{tH(H\to cc)}$ production is 7.8 (8.7) times the standard model prediction. Combined with a previous search for $H\to c\bar{c}$ via associated production with a W or Z boson, the observed (expected) 95\% CL interval on the Higgs-charm Yukawa coupling modifier, ${\kappa }_c$, is ${\kappa }_c<3.5$ (${\kappa }_c<2.7$).

Contribution to the 59th Rencontres de Moriond on QCD & High Energy Interactions, La Thuile, Italy, 30 Mar - 6 Apr, 2025