Alignment and enhanced multi-Higgs production
Contrary to conventional expectations, we identify a class of extended scalar-sector scenarios in which final states with two, three, or four Higgs bosons constitute the leading discovery channels for new physics at the LHC. In these scenarios, higher-dimensional interactions, together with suppressed Higgs-scalar mixing near the alignment limit, reorganize the decay patterns of new scalar states, suppressing conventional modes while enhancing multi-Higgs final states. We illustrate the emergence of dominant triple- and quadruple-Higgs signatures in two representative realizations: a single-scalar extension of the Standard Model, where higher-dimensional operators suppress conventional two-body decays while preserving couplings to higher-multiplicity Higgs final states; and a two-singlet scenario, where similar signatures arise through cascade decays with a simpler operator structure. In both cases, the new scalar states can be produced via gluon fusion, yielding potentially observable rates for multi-Higgs production at the LHC. Although both realizations lead to identical final states, they exhibit distinct kinematic features reflecting their underlying topologies, providing a direct handle on the dynamics.
Authors
- Carlos E. M. Wagner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6407-623X)
- Subhojit Roy
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical review. D/Physical review. D.
- Published
- 2026-10-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/2spx-9pk6
- Primary Topic
- Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy
- University of Chicago
- Institut Périmètre de physique théorique
- Argonne National Laboratory
- Fermilab