Search for anomalous couplings in the Higgs sector at LEP

Abstract

We search for a Higgs particle with anomalous couplings in the e+e- -> H gamma, e+e- -> HZ and e+e- -> He+e- processes with the L3 detector at LEP. We explore the mass range 70GeV < m_H < 170GeV using 176pb^-1 of integrated luminosity at a center-of-mass energy of \sqrt{s} = 189GeV. The Higgs decays H -> bb, H -> gamma gamma and H -> Z gamma are considered in the analysis. No evidence for anomalous Higgs production is found. This is interpreted in terms of limits on the anomalous couplings d, d_B, Delta g_1^Z and Delta kappa_gamma. Limits on the Gamma(H -> gamma gamma) and Gamma(H -> Z gamma) partial widths in the explored Higgs mass range are also obtained.