Probing axionlike particles with γγ final states from vector boson fusion processes at the LHC

We perform a feasibility study to search for axionlike particles (ALPs) using vector boson fusion (VBF) processes at the LHC. We work in an effective field theory framework with a cutoff scale Lambda and ALP mass m(a), and assume that ALPs couple to photons with strength proportional to 1/Lambda. Assuming proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV, we present the total VBF ALP production cross sections, ALP decay widths and lifetimes, and relevant kinematic distributions as a function of m(a) and Lambda. We consider the a -> gamma gamma decay mode to show that the requirement of an energetic diphoton pair combined with two forward jets with large dijet mass and pseudorapidity separation can significantly reduce the Standard Model backgrounds, leading to a 5 sigma discovery reach for 10 MeV less than or similar to m(a) less than or similar to 1 TeV with Lambda less than or similar to 2 TeV, assuming an integrated luminosity of 3000 fb(-1). In particular, this extends the LHC sensitivity to a previously unstudied region of the ALP parameter space.