PreprintCC BY 4.0HAL
Constraints on the Higgs boson total width from on-shell signal-background interference in the H→γγ decay channel with pp collisions at √s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector
Abstract
The total decay width of the Higgs boson, ΓH, encodes all of its decay modes; any decay into particles beyond the Standard Model (SM) would increase ΓH above the SM prediction of 4.1 MeV. In this Letter, a direct, on-shell measurement of ΓH is reported, exploiting the interference between the resonant H → γγ amplitude and the continuum diphoton background, which distorts the diphoton invariant mass distribution in a way that depends on ΓH without requiring assumptions on the Higgs boson couplings. Using 140 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data at √s=13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the LHC, an observed (expected) upper limit of ΓH < 307 (258) MeV is set at 95% confidence level, approximately 75 (63) times the SM prediction. Unlike indirect off-shell constraints on ΓH, this measurement does not rely on assumptions about the Higgs boson couplings, providing a novel complementary probe sensitive to potential Higgs boson decays into new particles.
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BibTeX
@misc{aad2026constraints,
title = {{Constraints on the Higgs boson total width from on-shell signal-background interference in the $H\toγγ$ decay channel with $pp$ collisions at $\sqrts=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector}},
author = {Georges Aad and Erlend Aakvaag and Braden Keim Abbott and Sara Abdelhameed and Kira Abeling and Nils Julius Abicht and Haider Abidi and Mohammed Aboelela and Asmaa Aboulhorma and Halina Abramowicz and Bobby Samir Acharya and Anke Ackermann and Jona Ackerschott and Claire Adam Bourdarios and Leszek Adamczyk and Sagar Addepalli and Jahred Adelman and Habeeb Adenle and Aytul Adiguzel and Tim Adye and Tony Affolder and Yoav Afik and Merve Nazlim Agaras and Anamika Aggarwal and Catalin Agheorghiesei and Ammara Ahmad and Faig Ahmadov and Sonakshi Ahuja and Xiaocong Ai and Giulio Aielli and Arya Aikot and Malak Ait Tamlihat and Torsten Akesson and Daiya Akiyama and Sina Aktas and Gian Luigi Alberghi and Justin Albert and Una Helena Alberti and Pietro Albicocco and Sara Alderweireldt and Zackary Lee Alegria and Martin Aleksa and Igor Alexandrov and Calin Alexa and Theodoros Alexopoulos and Fabrizio Alfonsi and Malte Algren and Muhammad Alhroob and Babar Ali and Hanadi Ali and Shahzad Ali and Samuel William Alibocus and Malik Aliev and Gianluca Alimonti and Corentin Allaire and Benedict Allbrooke and Derrick Allen and Jonny Allen and Camron Stephen Alley and Earl Russel Tang Almazan},
howpublished = {HAL},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.19948},
eprint = {2609.19948},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05763125v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Constraints on the Higgs boson total width from on-shell signal-background interference in the H→γγ decay channel with pp collisions at √s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector
AU - Georges Aad
AU - Erlend Aakvaag
AU - Braden Keim Abbott
AU - Sara Abdelhameed
AU - Kira Abeling
AU - Nils Julius Abicht
AU - Haider Abidi
AU - Mohammed Aboelela
AU - Asmaa Aboulhorma
AU - Halina Abramowicz
AU - Bobby Samir Acharya
AU - Anke Ackermann
AU - Jona Ackerschott
AU - Claire Adam Bourdarios
AU - Leszek Adamczyk
AU - Sagar Addepalli
AU - Jahred Adelman
AU - Habeeb Adenle
AU - Aytul Adiguzel
AU - Tim Adye
AU - Tony Affolder
AU - Yoav Afik
AU - Merve Nazlim Agaras
AU - Anamika Aggarwal
AU - Catalin Agheorghiesei
AU - Ammara Ahmad
AU - Faig Ahmadov
AU - Sonakshi Ahuja
AU - Xiaocong Ai
AU - Giulio Aielli
AU - Arya Aikot
AU - Malak Ait Tamlihat
AU - Torsten Akesson
AU - Daiya Akiyama
AU - Sina Aktas
AU - Gian Luigi Alberghi
AU - Justin Albert
AU - Una Helena Alberti
AU - Pietro Albicocco
AU - Sara Alderweireldt
AU - Zackary Lee Alegria
AU - Martin Aleksa
AU - Igor Alexandrov
AU - Calin Alexa
AU - Theodoros Alexopoulos
AU - Fabrizio Alfonsi
AU - Malte Algren
AU - Muhammad Alhroob
AU - Babar Ali
AU - Hanadi Ali
AU - Shahzad Ali
AU - Samuel William Alibocus
AU - Malik Aliev
AU - Gianluca Alimonti
AU - Corentin Allaire
AU - Benedict Allbrooke
AU - Derrick Allen
AU - Jonny Allen
AU - Camron Stephen Alley
AU - Earl Russel Tang Almazan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/17
PB - HAL
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.19948
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05763125v1
AB - The total decay width of the Higgs boson, Γ_H, encodes all of its decay modes; any decay into particles beyond the Standard Model (SM) would increase Γ_H above the SM prediction of 4.1 MeV. In this Letter, a direct, on-shell measurement of Γ_H is reported, exploiting the interference between the resonant H → γγ amplitude and the continuum diphoton background, which distorts the diphoton invariant mass distribution in a way that depends on Γ_H without requiring assumptions on the Higgs boson couplings. Using 140 fb^−1 of proton-proton collision data at √s=13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the LHC, an observed (expected) upper limit of Γ_H < 307 (258) MeV is set at 95% confidence level, approximately 75 (63) times the SM prediction. Unlike indirect off-shell constraints on Γ_H, this measurement does not rely on assumptions about the Higgs boson couplings, providing a novel complementary probe sensitive to potential Higgs boson decays into new particles.
ER -