Novel Higgs-to-125 GeV Higgs boson decays in the complex NMSSM
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Abstract
In the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model (NMSSM) a variety of parameter configurations yields a Higgs boson consistent with the one observed at the LHC. Additionally, the Higgs sector of the model can contain explicit charge parity ($CP$)-violating phases even at the tree level, in contrast with the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). In this article we present the one-loop Higgs boson mass matrix of the complex NMSSM in the renormalization-group-improved effective potential approach. We also present the trilinear Higgs boson self couplings as well as various partial decay widths of a generic $CP$-mixed Higgs boson in the model. We then analyze a very interesting phenomenological scenario wherein the decay of a relatively light pseudoscalar-like Higgs boson into $\ensuremath{\sim}125\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ standard model-like Higgs boson(s) is induced by nonzero $CP$-violating phases. We discuss in detail a few benchmark cases in which such a decay can contribute significantly to the production of SM-like Higgs bosons at the LHC on top of the gluon fusion process. It can thus be partially responsible for the $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ excess near 125 GeV due to the subsequent decay of the SM-like Higgs boson. Such a scenario is extremely difficult to realize in the complex MSSM and, if probed at the LHC, it could provide an indication of the nonminimal nature of supersymmetry.