UC San Diego

A search for the Standard Model Higgs boson decaying to W⁺W⁻ is presented. Data is taken from pp collisions with center of mass energy sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the LHC using the CMS detector over the course of 2011. The sum of the data collected amounts to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb⁻. Identification of W⁺W⁻ candidates is performed by searching for leptonic decays of both W bosons. The resulting signature is two oppositely charged leptons, electrons or muons, plus significant missing transverse energy in the final state. The other Standard Model processes which only serve as background to the Higgs boson search are removed via a series of selections aimed to reduce the backgrounds while keeping the highest possible signal-to-background ratio. The Higgs boson signal is identified over the non-resonant W⁺W⁻ production by exploiting the spin correlation of the H [right arrow] WW decays. Details concerning the analysis selection criteria, the data-driven estimates of the major background processes and the systematic uncertainties of the analysis are all presented in detail. As no significant excess of events are observed above the Standard Model background estimates, upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production with respect to the Standard Model prediction. Exclusion of the Higgs boson is extended with respect to previous measurements to a range of 132- 238 GeV with a 95% confidence level