Constraints on anomalous Higgs boson couplings to vector bosons and fermions using the $γγ$ final state in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

Abstract

Possible anomalous couplings of the Higgs boson to vector bosons and fermions are studied using Higgs boson candidates decaying to a pair of photons. The study is based on proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Events with Higgs boson candidates produced via gluon fusion, electroweak vector boson fusion and in association with a vector boson, are categorized using matrix element techniques and multivariate discriminants. The $CP$ properties of the Higgs boson couplings to gluons through loops of heavy particles, as well as the tensor structure of its interactions with two electroweak bosons, are investigated. The results are interpreted in terms of the fractional contributions of anomalous Higgs boson couplings to the total production cross section of each process and are found to be consistent with the standard model expectations.