Prospects for Higgs Searches via VBF at the LHC with the ATLAS Detector

Abstract

We report on the potential for the discovery of a Standard Model Higgs boson with the vector boson fusion mechanism in the mass range $115<M_H<500 \gev$ with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Feasibility studies at hadron level followed by a fast detector simulation have been performed for $H\to W^{(*)}W^{(*)}\to l^+l^-\sla{p_T}$, $H\to \gamma \gamma$ and $H\to ZZ\to l^{+}{l}^{-}q\bar{q}$. The results obtained show a large discovery potential in the range $115<M_H<300 \gev$. Results obtained with multivariate techniques are reported for a number of channels.

14 pages, 4 figures, contributed to 2003 Les Houches Workshop on Physics at TeV Colliders. Incorporated comments from ATLAS referees