Particle Physics in Birmingham

Particle Physics Seminar

Wednesday 11th January 2017 at 13:00
Poynting Small Lecture Theatre

(tea, coffee and biscuits served at 12:45 in adjacent lobby)

Searches at ATLAS for Rare Higgs' Decay Modes

Rhys Owen (Birmingham University)


Abstract

Following the discovery of a Standard Model-like Higgs boson, efforts are now focusing on the full characterisation of its properties. Despite the progress made, little is still known about the Higgs boson couplings to light fermions. Direct measurements of the Higgs boson couplings to light quarks are plagued by small rates in the SM making them difficult to separate from the huge hadronic backgrounds. A novel experimental way to access these couplings is provided by decays of the Higgs boson to a meson and a photon. I will discuss the status of searches for such decays and the prospects for the future.