Testing the Higgs system at a photon-photon collider

Abstract

The level of sensitivity of the processes $\gamma\gamma \to ZZ$, $\gamma\gamma \to W^+W^-$ and $\gamma\gamma \to t\bar t$ to the Higgs sector of the Standard Model Lagrangian in the energy region between 200 GeV and 1 TeV is examined. The elementary Higgs boson is taken to have a mass less than 1 TeV. Sizeable effects are found in the $ZZ$ and $t\bar t$ channels if the incoming photons have the same helicity. Also the possibility that the elementary Higgs boson does not exist is examined. Assuming new physics to show up in the TeV energy region the cross sections are evaluated according to the heavy Higgs model. For center of mass energy values close to 1 TeV interesting effects are found in the $t\bar t$ channel if the photons have the same helicity. The limit of large Higgs mass is not unique. The parametrization of this arbitrariness may be interpreted as a representation of the new physics. The effects for the processes $\gamma\gamma\to ZZ$ and $\gamma\gamma\to t\bar t$ are investigated. These effects may be correlated to a possible resonance in $WW$ scattering in the TeV region.