$Z$ POLARIZATION IN $pp\rightarrow ZZ\rightarrow \ell^+\ell^-\nu \bar{\nu}$ AT THE LHC

Abstract

We evaluate the feasibility of measuring the $Z$ polarization from a heavy Higgs signal in the decay channel $H\rightarrow ZZ \rightarrow \ell^+ \ell^-\nu\bar{\nu}$. Including gluon fusion production of the Higgs, continuum production of $Z$ pairs and the QCD background of single $Z$ production with a missing jet, we find that the average value of a new variable to measure the $Z$ polarization, as a function of transverse mass, will demonstrate the existence of a Higgs boson for heavy Higgs masses up to 800 GeV at the LHC with an integrated luminosity of 10$^5$ pb$^{-1}$.