Search for a CP-odd Higgs boson decaying into a heavy CP-even Higgs boson and a Z boson in the l+l-t(t)over-bar and ν(ν)over-barb(b)over-bar final states using 140 fb-1 of data collected with the ATLAS detector

Abstract

A search for a heavy CP-odd Higgs boson, A, decaying into a Z boson and a heavy CP-even Higgs boson, H, is presented. It uses the full LHC Run 2 dataset of pp collisions at root s = 13TeV collected with the ATLAS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb(-1). The search for A -> ZH is performed in the l(+)l(-)t (t) over bar t and nu(nu) over barb (b) over bar final states and surpasses the reach of previous searches in different final states in the region with m(H) > 350 GeV and m(A) > 800 GeV. No significant deviation from the Standard Model expectation is found. Upper limits are placed on the production cross-section times the decay branching ratios. Limits with less model dependence are also presented as functions of the reconstructed m(t (t) over bar) and m(b (b) over bar) distributions in the l(+)l(-)t (t) over bar and nu(nu) over barb (b) over bar channels, respectively. In addition, the results are interpreted in the context of two-Higgs-doublet models.