Search for resonant diphoton production with the D0 detector

Area of Science:

• High Energy Physics
• Particle Physics
• Collider Physics

Background:

• The Standard Model of particle physics describes fundamental particles and forces.
• Searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model are crucial for understanding the universe.
• The diphoton final state is a clean channel for searching for new resonances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To search for a narrow resonance in the inclusive diphoton final state.
• To set upper limits on the production cross section times branching ratio for such a resonance.
• To interpret the results in the context of electroweak symmetry breaking models, including a Higgs boson decaying into two photons.

Main Methods:

• Utilized approximately 2.7 fb^-1 of data collected by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron proton-antiproton Collider.
• Searched for a narrow resonance in the diphoton invariant mass spectrum.
• Compared observed data with Standard Model background predictions.

Main Results:

• Observed good agreement between the data and the background prediction.
• Set the first 95% confidence level (C.L.) upper limits on the production cross section times branching ratio for resonance masses between 100 and 150 GeV.
• No significant excess was observed, indicating no evidence for a narrow resonance in this channel and mass range.

Conclusions:

• The search places constraints on new physics models predicting a resonance decaying to diphotons.
• The results contribute to the ongoing quest for physics beyond the Standard Model.
• This study provides valuable information for future searches at higher energy colliders.