Search for a new heavy scalar resonance decaying into the Higgs boson and a new scalar particle in the $\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}}\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}}$ final state using proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

Abstract

A search for a new heavy scalar resonance (X) decaying into the 125 GeV standard model Higgs boson (H) and a new scalar particle (Y) in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV is presented. The analysis is performed using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the CMS detector during LHC Run 2. The $\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}}\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}}$ final state is used as a probe to search for phenomena beyond the standard model where, in the X $\to$ YH process, the Y and H each decay into a bottom quark-antiquark pair. A range of masses from 400 GeV to 1.6 TeV for the resonance X and from 60 GeV to 1.4 TeV for the scalar Y is investigated. The observations are in agreement with the background-only hypothesis. The largest excess, with a local (global) significance of 3.47 (2.44) standard deviations, is observed for hypothetical X and Y masses of 600 and 400 GeV, respectively. Upper limits at 95% confidence level on the production cross section times branching fraction are presented for signal mass hypotheses in the range of the search. Results are interpreted within the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model scenario.