Low mass Higgs signals at the LHC in the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

In the NMSSM, because of introducing a complex singlet superfield, the lightest CP-odd Higgs boson, a1, can be a singlet-like state with a tiny doublet component in large regions of parameter space. In this paper, we examine the discovery potential of a1 produced in association with a bottom–antibottom pair at the LHC through τ+τ− and γγ decay modes. It is shown that an a1 with mass ≤MZ can be extracted from the SM backgrounds by using the τ+τ− decay channel, a possibility precluded to the MSSM. In contrast, the γγ decay mode is overwhelmed by backgrounds despite the fact that the branching ratio of this mode can reach unity when a1 is a pure singlet.