Double Higgs production at the HL-LHC: probing a loop-enhanced model with kinematical distributions

Abstract

Abstract We study di-Higgs production via gluon fusion at the high luminosity LHC in the presence of new physics, focusing on the $$b\overline{b }\gamma \gamma $$ final states. Taking a minimal set of three scalar leptoquarks (LQs) with cubic and quartic interactions with the Higgs and choosing four benchmark points with a light LQ, we perform a detailed analysis of differential distributions of the di-Higgs production cross section, studying the imprints of the new physics states running in the loops. Simulating the signal and main backgrounds, we study the influence of the new physics in differential distributions such as the invariant mass of the subsystems of final particles, the transverse momentum, and angular variables, finding in particular a resonance peak associated with the light LQ. It turns out that the angular separation of the photons, which is correlated with the resonance LQ peak, is a very sensitive observable that helps in discriminating the new physics signal from the Standard Model background. We find that for two of our benchmarks discovery could be reached with 3 ab−1, whereas exclusion limits at 95% C.L. could be claimed with 0.60–0.75 ab−1. For the other two benchmarks that have heavier LQ masses significances of order 2σ are possible for 3 ab−1. A similar analysis could be applied to other loop-enhanced models.