Higgs production through gluon fusion: updated cross sections at the Tevatron and the LHC

Abstract

We present updated predictions for the total cross section for Higgs boson production by gluon--gluon fusion in hadron collisions. Our calculation includes the most advanced theoretical information available at present for this observable: soft-gluon resummation up to next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy, the exact treatment of the bottom-quark contribution up to next-to-leading order, and two-loop electroweak effects. We adopt the most recent parametrization of parton distribution functions at next-to-next-to-leading order, and we evaluate the corresponding uncertainties. In comparison with our previous central predictions, at the Tevatron the difference ranges from +9% for m_H=115 GeV to -9% for m_H=200 GeV. At the LHC the cross section is instead significantly increased. The effect goes from +30% for m_H=115 GeV to +9% for m_H=300 GeV, and is mostly due to the new parton distribution functions. We also provide new predictions for the LHC at sqrt{s}=10 TeV.