Higgs boson re-discovery from a CERN dataset (for a project)

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on rediscovering the Higgs boson using a dataset from CERN, specifically analyzing the invariant mass around 125 GeV. The user is attempting to identify the gap in the invariant mass diagram associated with the Higgs boson decay to two photons and the decay process H->ZZ->4l. Despite plotting histograms of Z boson invariant masses, the user reports not observing any significant anomalies. The conversation emphasizes the importance of dataset size and proper analysis techniques to detect the Higgs boson signature.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Higgs boson physics and decay channels, specifically H->ZZ->4l.
  • Familiarity with invariant mass calculations in particle physics.
  • Experience with data analysis tools for particle physics, such as ROOT or Python libraries.
  • Knowledge of CERN's open datasets and their structure.
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore the use of ROOT for analyzing particle physics datasets.
  • Learn about the significance of invariant mass distributions in identifying particle decays.
  • Research techniques for applying cuts in data analysis to enhance signal detection.
  • Investigate the properties of the Higgs boson and its decay channels in detail.
USEFUL FOR

Students and researchers in particle physics, data analysts working with CERN datasets, and anyone interested in the methodologies for discovering elementary particles like the Higgs boson.

omerel
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Homework Statement
Seminar Project
Relevant Equations
H -> ZZ -> 4l (muons)
Hi everyone!
I'm working on a seminar project on elementary particles, and I'm supposed to introduce the LHC and rediscover the Higgs boson from a dataset I got from CERN open source.
I don't understand how am I supposed to discover the gap (in the invariant mass diagram) around the Higgs boson mass (125 GeV).
I've watched CERN's official video on the Higgs discovery (Higgs boson decay to two photons), and several code implementations relevant to my problem (H->ZZ->4l) and couldn't understand the idea of how you actually see the gap around 125 GeV?
When I plot the histogram of Z boson invariant masses, I do not see anything unusual.
For your convenience, I attached two of my histograms- one for Z boson pairs invariant mass (i.e came from the same decay) and the second is the invariant mass of a single Z boson invariant mass. The invariant mass is in GeV units. pairs.PNG
 

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    single.PNG
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What is this gap you are talking about?

What is the dataset you are looking at? Is it big enough to see the Higgs? The Z peak seems awfully small.
 
Can you provide more information on how you analyzed the data? E.g. cuts used and so on. Also provide a link to the dataset

One Z is off shell so you can not write "invariant mass of two Z" here
 

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