Search for a Heavy Pseudoscalar Higgs Boson Decaying to a 125 GeV Higgs Boson and a Z Boson in Final States with Two Tau and Two Light Leptons in Proton-Proton Collisions at √s = TeV

Abstract

A search for a heavy pseudoscalar Higgs boson, A, decaying to a 125 GeV Higgs boson h and a Z boson is presented. The h boson is identified via its decay to a pair of tau leptons, while the Z boson is identified via its decay to a pair of electrons or muons. The search targets the production of the A boson via the gluon-gluon fusion process, gg -> A, and in association with bottom quarks, . The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb(-1) collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of TeV. Constraints are set on the product of the cross sections of the A production mechanisms and the A -> Zh decay branching fraction. The observed (expected) upper limit at 95% confidence level ranges from 0.049 (0.060) pb to 1.02 (0.79) pb for the gg -> A process and from 0.053 (0.059) pb to 0.79 (0.61) pb for the process in the probed range of the A boson mass, m(A), from 225 GeV to 1 TeV. The results of the search are used to constrain parameters within the benchmark scenario of the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model. Values of tan beta below 2.2 are excluded in this scenario at 95% confidence level for all m(A) values in the range from 225 to 350 GeV.