Search for Higgs Production via Vector Boson Fusion in the four-lepton final state using Artificial Neural Networks

This work presents a standalone measurement of the Higgs boson production cross-section in the VBF production mode performed in the H → ZZ → 4l (l=e,μ) channel. The study is done using datasets corresponding to proton-proton collision data produced at the LHC at √s = 13 TeV and collected by the CMS detector, equivalent to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb^-1. A multivariate analysis is performed through the usage of an artificial neural network. Statistical shape analysis developed for two orthogonal jet-based categories is done by combining the discriminant distributions from each category. The Higgs VBF signal strength modifier and the significance of the present analysis have been estimated.