Electroweak Corrections to pp→μ^{+}μ^{-}e^{+}e^{-}+X at the LHC: A Higgs Boson Background Study

Area of Science:

• High Energy Physics
• Particle Physics
• Quantum Field Theory

Background:

• Four-lepton production is a key process at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
• Understanding electroweak corrections is vital for precise theoretical predictions.
• Previous calculations lacked complete off-shell effects for intermediate bosons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the first complete calculation of next-to-leading-order electroweak corrections to four-lepton production.
• To account for all off-shell effects of intermediate Z bosons and photons.
• To analyze differential cross sections for the mixed final state μ⁺μ⁻e⁺e⁻, relevant for Higgs boson studies.

Main Methods:

• Performed a complete next-to-leading-order electroweak calculation.
• Included all off-shell effects of intermediate Z bosons and photons.
• Focused on the μ⁺μ⁻e⁺e⁻ final state and studied differential cross sections.

Main Results:

• Electroweak corrections were divided into photonic and purely weak components.
• Photonic corrections show patterns similar to W/Z boson production, with large radiative tails.
• Weak corrections are approximately 5% and exhibit sign changes between Z-pair production and Higgs signal regions.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a crucial theoretical advancement for Higgs boson physics at the LHC.
• The detailed analysis of electroweak corrections enhances the precision of four-lepton production predictions.
• Observed variations in weak corrections offer new insights into particle interactions and signal discrimination.