Search for a resonance decaying into a scalar particle and a Higgs boson in the final state with two bottom quarks and two photons with 199 fb−1 of data collected at s=13 and 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract

A search for the resonant production of a heavy scalar X decaying into a lighter scalar S and a Higgs boson, through the process X→S(→bb¯)H(→γγ), where the two photons are consistent with the Higgs boson decay, is performed. The search is conducted using integrated luminosities of 140 and 59 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data at centre-of-mass energies of 13 and 13.6 TeV, respectively, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The search is performed over the mass ranges of 170 ≤ mX ≤ 1000 GeV and 15 ≤ mS ≤ 500 GeV. No significant excess over the Standard Model background predictions is observed and limits at 95% confidence level are set on the product of cross section and branching fraction for the process X→S(→bb¯)H(→γγ) at 13 TeV, ranging from 9 fb to 0.06 fb.