Erlangen 2026 – scientific programme

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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 25: Higgs Physics III

T 25.4: Talk

Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 17:00–17:15, KH 00.016

STXS Measurements of H  →  γγ Cross Sections with 13.6 TeV CMS Data — Johannes Erdmann and •Maximilian Wrabetz — III. Physikalisches Institut A, RWTH Aachen University

The discovery of the Higgs boson opened the way to test the standard model through precise measurements of its production and decay properties. As the experimental precision increases with the large Run 3 datasets, a key challenge is to design measurements that remain interpretable in the presence of potential physics beyond the standard model (BSM), while maintaining minimal dependence on theoretical assumptions.

This contribution discusses the ongoing efforts within the CMS experiment to perform Higgs boson cross-section measurements in the simplified template cross section (STXS) framework, using events in which the Higgs boson decays into a pair of photons. The analysis makes use of proton-proton collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of √s=13.6 TeV.

The STXS framework partitions Higgs production into a set of well-defined particle-level bins, characterised by the production mode and key kinematic variables. This granular binning reduces the dependence on detailed SM modelling and isolates specific regions of phase space that are particularly sensitive to potential BSM contributions. The talk will outline the analysis strategy and highlight selected methodological components, with a focus on ongoing developments.

Keywords: Higgs boson; STXS; simplified template cross sections; diphoton; CMS