Search for the SM and MSSM Higgs boson in the t(t)over-bar-H,H→b(b)over-bar channel

A detailed study of the associated Standard Model Higgs boson production t (t) over bar H with H --> b (b) over bar is presented for the SM and MSSM scenarios. For Higgs boson masses from 80 to 120 GeV and an integrated luminosity of 3 . 10(4) pb(-1) a clear evidence for an excess of events with four b-tagged jets over the background from W + jets and t (t) over bar production should be observable. However, a clean reconstruction of the H --> b (b) over bar mass peak will be difficult because of the combinatorial background from the signal itself. This problem can be to a large extent overcome if both top-quark decays are reconstructed in addition to the reconstruction of the H --> b (b) over bar mass peak. In the MSSM scenario, the low tan beta region (up to tan beta similar to 6) for an integrated luminosity of 3 . 10(4) pb(-1) and most of the (m(A),tan beta) parameter space for an integrated luminosity of 10(5) pb(-1) would be accessible with this channel. Excellent b-tagging capability and good efficiency for jet reconstruction are however necessary to explore this channel to its full potential.