Higgs physics at the LHC

 The Standard Model of particle physics developed about 25 years ago has been a major success. With the prediction of the neutral currents and the masses of the heavy vector bosons some of the major elements of the theory were demonstrated. On the level of precision physics, the last many years of data produced by LEP1 at the Z ⁰ resonance in e ⁺e ^- collisions, has shown that the standard model also describe the different radiative corrections with remarkable accuracy. There are at present no experimental results which are not satisfactory described by the Standard Model.

This chapter will treat the physics behind a Standard Model Higgs sector. After a short introduction to the Higgs mechanism the main part of the chapter will be aimed at the production and decay channels of a Higgs particle produced in the proton collisions at the LHC. Some comments will be given on alternative theories extending or replacing the standard model.