Search for the Standard Model Higgs boson decaying into b(b)over-bar produced in association with top quarks decaying hadronically in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract

A search for Higgs boson production in association with a pair of top quarks (t (t) over barH) is performed, where the Higgs boson decays to b (b) over bar, and both top quarks decay hadronically. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb(-1) of pp collisions at root s = 8 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The search selects events with at least six energetic jets and uses a boosted decision tree algorithm to discriminate between signal and Standard Model background. The dominant multijet background is estimated using a dedicated data-driven technique. For a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV, an upper limit of 6.4 (5.4) times the Standard Model cross section is observed (expected) at 95% confidence level. The best-fit value for the signal strength is mu = 1.6 +/- 2.6 times the Standard Model expectation for m(H) = 125 GeV. Combining all t (t) over barH searches carried out by ATLAS at root s = 8 and 7 TeV, an observed (expected) upper limit of 3.1 (1.4) times the Standard Model expectation is obtained at 95% confidence level, with a signal strength mu = 1.7 +/- 0.8