Higgs boson production in association with a photon in vector boson fusion at the LHC

l Higgs boson production in association with two forward jets and a central photon at the CERN Large Hadron Collider is analyzed, for the Higgs boson decaying into a b (b) over bar pair in the m(H) less than or similar to 140 GeV mass region. We study both irreducible and main reducible backgrounds at parton level. Compared to the Higgs production via vector-boson fusion. the request of a further photon at moderate rapidities dramatically enhances the signal/background ratio. Inclusive cross sections for p(T)(gamma) greater than or similar to 20 GeV can reach a few tens of fb's. After a suitable choice of kinematical cuts. the cross section ratio for signal and irreducible-background can be enhanced up to greater than or similar to 1/10, with a signal cross section of the order of a few fb's, for m(H) similar to 120 GeV. The request of a central photon radiation also enhances the relative signal sensitivity to the W W H coupling with respect to the ZZH coupling. Hence, a determination of the cross section for the associated production of a Higgs boson decaying into a b (b) over bar pair plus a central photon in vector-boson fusion could help in constraining the bbH coupling, and the WWH coupling as well. A preliminary study of QCD showering effects points to a further significant improvement of the signal detectability over the background. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.