Higgs Boson Production in Association with Multiple Hard Jets

TL;DR

The paper introduces a novel high-energy factorisation approach to estimate Higgs production in association with multiple hard jets, extending the MRK-based framework with analytic constraints to better describe phase space away from strict MRK. By modifying the FKL amplitudes and matching to fixed-order tree-level results for hjj and hjjj, the authors develop a Monte Carlo generator that can resummate dominant hard-jet radiation while maintaining correct singularity structure. The approach yields improved agreement with fixed-order results, provides insight into jet activity and azimuthal correlations under different cuts, and demonstrates the impact of central jet vetoes and rapidity spans on GGF versus VBF discrimination. This framework offers a practical and extensible tool for collider phenomenology, with potential applications beyond Higgs production in gluon fusion.

Abstract

We elucidate a new technique for estimating the production of multiple (at least two) hard jets in Higgs production via gluon-gluon fusion. The approach is based upon high energy factorisation, with the region of applicability extended by constraints on the analytic behaviour of the scattering amplitudes stemming from known all-order results. The method approximates both real and virtual corrections, and allows for the resummation in an n-parton inclusive event sample of the terms dominant in the high energy limit. The resulting approximation is matched to the known tree level matrix elements for the production of a Higgs boson in association with 2 and 3 jets, and implemented in a Monte Carlo generator. Example results are presented and characteristic radiation patterns discussed.

Figures (4)

• Figure 1: The rapidity distributions of the final state particles in $hjj$ production via GGF at LO.
• Figure 2: $d\sigma/d\phi_{j_aj_b}$ for Higgs boson production in association with two jets. $\phi_{j_aj_b}$ is the azimuthal angle between the two jets.
• Figure 3: The LO $hjj$ and $hjjj$ jet cross-sections obtained using the tree level matrix elements for $h$+4 partons and $h$+5 partons respectively. The uncertainty band of the tree level results are obtained by varying the factorisation and renormalisation scale by a factor 2, either as a common scale (left) or in opposite directions (right).
• Figure 4: The LO $hjj$ and $hjjj$ cross-sections, obtained using similar cuts as Figure 3, but where the two hardest jets must satisfy the rapidity separation constraint. The uncertainty band arises from varying the renormalisation and factorisation scale by a factor or two, either as a common scale (left) or in opposite directions (right).