Search for light charged Higgs bosons decaying to charm and strange quarks in $$ t\overline{t} $$ events in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$ TeV

Journal of High Energy Physics, vol. 2026

Abstract

A bstract A search is presented for a light charged Higgs boson H ± in top quark pair production ( $$ \mathrm{t}\overline{\mathrm{t}} $$ t t ¯ ), where one of the top quarks decays to an H ± and a bottom quark, while the other decays to a W ∓ boson and a bottom quark. The H ± is assumed to decay into a charm and a strange quark, whereas the W ∓ boson decays into a charged lepton (electron or muon) and a neutrino. Results are reported based on proton-proton collision data at $$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$ s = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb − 1 . The analysis probes H ± masses in the range 40 to 160 GeV using the invariant mass spectrum of the two light jets, where light jets are defined as jets that do not satisfy the bottom quark tagging requirement. The observed yield is found to be consistent with standard model predictions. Upper limits are set on the branching fraction ℬ(t → H ± b), with values in the range of 0.07–1.12% (0.12–1.20% expected) at 95% confidence level, under the assumption that ℬ(H ± → cs) = 100%. These are the first direct limits on charged Higgs bosons produced in top quark decays for masses between 40 and 50 GeV, and the most stringent limits to date in the 70–110 GeV range.

Authors 98

1. A Hayrapetyan

   A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory

   Affiliation as printed

   Yerevan Physics Institute

2. В. Макаренко

   A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory

   Affiliation as printed

   Yerevan Physics Institute

3. A. Tumasyan

   A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory · Yerevan State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Yerevan Physics Institute

   Yerevan State University

4. W. Adam

   Institute of High Energy Physics

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Hochenergiephysik

5. L. Benato

   Institute of High Energy Physics

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Hochenergiephysik

6. T. Bergauer

   Institute of High Energy Physics

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Hochenergiephysik

7. M. Dragicevic

   Institute of High Energy Physics

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Hochenergiephysik

8. Priya Sajid Hussain

   Institute of High Energy Physics

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Hochenergiephysik

9. M. Jeitler

   Institute of High Energy Physics · TU Wien

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Hochenergiephysik

   TU Wien

10. Natascha Krammer

    Institute of High Energy Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Hochenergiephysik

11. Dietrich Liko

    Institute of High Energy Physics · University of California, Santa Barbara

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Hochenergiephysik

    University of California, Santa Barbara — Department of Physics

12. M. Matthewman

    Institute of High Energy Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Hochenergiephysik

13. J. Schieck

    Institute of High Energy Physics · TU Wien

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Hochenergiephysik

    TU Wien

14. R. Schöfbeck

    Institute of High Energy Physics · TU Wien

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Hochenergiephysik

    TU Wien

15. Maryam Shooshtari

    Institute of High Energy Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Hochenergiephysik

16. M. Sonawane

    Institute of High Energy Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Hochenergiephysik

17. N. Van Den Bossche

    Institute of High Energy Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Hochenergiephysik

18. W. Waltenberger

    Institute of High Energy Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Hochenergiephysik

19. C.-E. Wulz

    Institute of High Energy Physics · TU Wien

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Hochenergiephysik

    TU Wien

20. X. Janssen

    University of Antwerp

    Affiliation as printed

    Universiteit Antwerpen

21. H. Kwon

    University of Antwerp

    Affiliation as printed

    Universiteit Antwerpen

22. Daniel Ocampo Henao

    University of Antwerp

    Affiliation as printed

    Universiteit Antwerpen

23. T. Van Laer

    University of Antwerp

    Affiliation as printed

    Universiteit Antwerpen

24. P. Van Mechelen

    University of Antwerp

    Affiliation as printed

    Universiteit Antwerpen

25. Donya Ahmadi

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

26. Jas Bierkens

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

27. N. Breugelmans

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

28. J. D’Hondt

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

29. Soumya Dansana

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

30. A. De Moor

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

31. M. Delcourt

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

32. C. Gupta

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

33. F. Heyen

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

34. Y. Hong

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

35. Pavlo Kashko

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

36. S. Lowette

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

37. Inna Makarenko

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

38. Saranya Nandakumar

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

39. S. Tavernier

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

40. M. Tytgat

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel · Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

41. G. P. Van Onsem

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

42. Senne Van Putte

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

43. David Vannerom

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

44. Tiepolo Wybouw

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    Affiliation as printed

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

45. A. Beshr

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

46. B. Bilin

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

47. B. Clerbaux

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

48. A. K. Das

    Université Libre de Bruxelles · University of Notre Dame

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Notre Dame

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

49. I. De Bruyn

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

50. G. De Lentdecker

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

51. Eliott Ducarme

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

52. Hugues Evard

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

53. L. Favart

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

54. Ali Khalilzadeh

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

55. Andrea Malara

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

56. M. A. Shahzad

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

57. A. Sharma Aachen III. Physikalisches Institut A

    RWTH Aachen University · Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    RWTH Aachen University, III. Physikalisches Institut A

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

58. Laurent Thomas

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

59. M. Vanden Bemden

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

60. Catherine Vander Velde

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

61. Pascal Vanlaer

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

62. Fengwangdong Zhang

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

63. A. Cauwels

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

64. M. De Coen

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

65. D. Dobur

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

66. Cristina Giordano

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

67. G. Gökbulut

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

68. Karam Kaspar

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

69. D. Kavtaradze

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

70. David Marckx

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

71. K. Skovpen

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

72. A. M. Tomaru

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

73. Jan van der Linden

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

74. Jean‐Marc Vanden‐Broeck

    Ghent University

    Affiliation as printed

    Ghent University

75. H. Aarup Petersen

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

76. S. Bein

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

77. A. Benecke

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

78. Agni Bethani

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

79. G. Bruno

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

80. Alessandra Cappati

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

81. J. De Favereau De Jeneret

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

82. Christophe Delaere

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

83. Francisco Gameiro Casalinho

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

84. ANDREA GIAMMANCO

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

85. Ahmet Oguz Guzel

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

86. V. Lemaitre

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

87. V. Lemaitre

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

88. Paul Malek

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

89. S. Turkcapar

    UCLouvain

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Catholique de Louvain

90. Gilvan Augusto Alves

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas

91. M. Barroso Ferreira Filho

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas

92. E. Coelho

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas

93. Marcos Venicio Gonçalves Sales

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas

94. C. Hensel

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas

95. D. Matos Figueiredo

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas

96. T. Menezes De Oliveira

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas

97. Clemencia Mora Herrera

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas

98. P. Rebello Teles

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas