# 1 Introduction

## 1 Introduction

We present a search for a di-photon resonance produced in $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}`$ collisions at LEP. The data were taken by the OPAL detector at centre-of-mass energies $`E_{\mathrm{cm}}`$ up to 189 GeV. The search is sensitive to the process $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{X}Y`$, with $`\mathrm{X}\gamma \gamma `$ and $`\mathrm{Y}\mathrm{f}\overline{\mathrm{f}}`$, where $`\mathrm{f}\overline{\mathrm{f}}`$ may be quarks, charged leptons, or a neutrino pair. In a Standard Model scenario, Y is a $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ and X is a Higgs boson decaying into two photons. A more general search is achieved by removing the restriction that Y is a $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$.

In the minimal Standard Model, the single Higgs boson can decay into two photons via a quark- or W-boson loop . The rate is too small for observation at existing accelerators even for a kinematically accessible Higgs boson, but other theoretical models can accommodate large $`\mathrm{h}^0\gamma \gamma `$ branching ratios . Throughout this paper, “$`\mathrm{h}^0`$” refers to a neutral CP-even scalar where non-minimal Higgs sector models are discussed. Particularly interesting are non-minimal Higgs sectors wherein some Higgs components couple only to bosons . This class of “fermiophobic” Higgs models includes the “Bosonic” Higgs model , and Type I Two-Higgs Doublet models with fermiophobic couplings . In Higgs triplet models , the particles formed from the triplet fields are fermiophobic.

There are existing limits on the production of a di-photon resonance which couples to the $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$. Using data taken up to $`E_{\mathrm{cm}}`$=183 GeV, OPAL has set upper limits on the branching ratio $`\mathrm{h}^0\gamma \gamma `$ for masses up to 92 GeV  and obtained a 95% confidence level (CL) lower mass limit of 90.0 GeV for a fermiophobic Higgs scalar. Other collaborations  have recently reported limits on photonic Higgs boson decays. The lower mass region ($`M_{\gamma \gamma }`$$`<`$ 60 GeV) has been searched previously using data from LEP-I .

## 2 Data and Monte Carlo Samples

The analysis is performed on the data collected with the OPAL detector  during the 1998 LEP run. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of $`182.6\pm 0.8`$ pb<sup>-1</sup> collected at a luminosity-weighted $`E_{\mathrm{cm}}`$ of $`188.63\pm 0.04`$ GeV.

To assess the sensitivity of the analysis to signals, two production models are considered: the Standard Model process $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{h}^0\mathrm{Z}^0`$, and Two Higgs Doublet models (2HDM) for $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{h}^0\mathrm{A}^0`$. The process $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{h}^0\mathrm{Z}^0`$, $`\mathrm{h}^0\gamma \gamma `$ was simulated for each $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ decay channel using the HZHA generator . For the general search, mass grids were generated using the $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{h}^0\mathrm{Z}^0`$ and $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{h}^0\mathrm{A}^0`$ processes as models for $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{X}Y,\mathrm{X}\gamma \gamma ,\mathrm{Y}\mathrm{f}\overline{\mathrm{f}}`$.

The dominant background to this search arises from the emission of two energetic initial state radiation (ISR) photons in hadronic events from $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}(\gamma /\mathrm{Z})^{}\mathrm{q}\overline{\mathrm{q}}`$. This process was simulated using the KK2f generator using CEEX  ISR modelling, and with the set of hadronization parameters described in reference . Other Standard Model backgrounds, particularly those from 4-fermion processes, primarily affect the leptonic and missing energy modes of the search. Four-fermion processes were modelled using the Vermaseren  and grc4f  generators implemented in the KORALW  Monte Carlo program. The programs BHWIDE  and TEEGG  were employed to model the s- and t-channel backgrounds from Bhabha scattering. The processes $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{}^+\mathrm{}^{}`$ with $`\mathrm{}\mu ,\tau `$ were simulated using KORALZ . The KORALZ program was also used to generate events of the type $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\nu \overline{\nu }\gamma (\gamma )`$. The process $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\gamma \gamma `$ was simulated using the RADCOR generator . Simulated events were processed using the full OPAL detector Monte Carlo  and analyzed in the same manner as the data.

## 3 Event Selection

In our searches for the generic process $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{X}Y`$, we consider three event topologies which are motivated mainly by the particular case where X is a generic Higgs boson decaying into a pair of photons, and Y is the $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ boson decaying either into (1) a $`\mathrm{q}\overline{\mathrm{q}}`$ pair, or (2) a pair of oppositely charged leptons, or (3) a $`\nu \overline{\nu }`$ pair. The search topologies are therefore:

* Two energetic photons recoiling against a hadronic system.
* Two energetic photons produced in association with charged leptons.
* Two energetic photons and no other significant detector activity.

In the $`\mathrm{h}^0`$$`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ search, the mass recoiling from the di-photon system is required to be consistent with the $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ mass for all topologies, while in the general search this condition is not required. A background common to all search modes arises from events with two visible ISR photons, resulting in an on-shell $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ recoiling from a di-photon system.

The selection criteria employed in this search are very similar to those described in reference . For all topologies, charged tracks (CT) and unassociated electromagnetic calorimeter (EC) clusters are required to satisfy the criteria defined in reference . “Unassociated” EC clusters are defined by the requirement that no charged tracks point to the cluster. For each channel, preselection cuts are applied which employ the following measured quantities:

* $`E_{\mathrm{vis}}`$ and $`\stackrel{}{p}_{\mathrm{vis}}`$: the scalar and vector sums of charged track momenta, unassociated EC and unassociated hadron calorimeter cluster energies.
* $`R_{\mathrm{vis}}\frac{E_{\mathrm{vis}}}{E_{\mathrm{cm}}}`$.
* Visible momentum along the beam direction: $`|\mathrm{\Sigma }p_z^{\mathrm{vis}}|`$, where all tracks and unassociated clusters are summed over.

### 3.1 Photon Pair Identification

After channel-dependent preliminary cuts based on data quality and rudimentary event topology (described in the next sections), events are required to have a photon pair satisfying several criteria. Photon identification is accomplished by identifying clusters in the electromagnetic calorimeter. These EC clusters are combined with the information from the tracking detectors to identify photon candidates if the lateral spread of the clusters satisfies the criteria described in reference . The photon detection efficiency is increased by including photon conversions into $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}`$ pairs using the methods described in reference .

The most significant background to all search channels are processes having two ISR photons. Photons from ISR are peaked along the beam direction, hence cutting on the photon polar angle $`|\mathrm{cos}(\theta _\gamma )|<0.875`$ is very effective in reducing the background acceptances without significantly decreasing the efficiencies for potential signals. Figure 1 shows the distribution of $`E_{\gamma 1}`$, the highest-energy photon, in events having hadronic activity (criterion A1 described below), where at least one photon has $`E_\gamma >0.05\times E_{\mathrm{b}eam}`$ and $`|\mathrm{cos}(\theta _\gamma )|<0.875`$. Also shown is the simulated Standard Model background. The overall number of background photons, their energies, and their polar angle distribution (not shown) describe the data to better than 10%. The photon pair acceptance criteria is thus summarized by the following requirements on the two highest-energy photons in the event:

* The two photon candidates are required to be in the fiducial region $`|\mathrm{cos}(\theta _\gamma )|<0.875`$, where $`\theta _\gamma `$ is the angle of the photon with respect to the $`\mathrm{e}^{}`$ beam direction.
* The higher energy photon is required to have $`E_\gamma /E_{\mathrm{b}eam}>0.10`$ and the second-highest-energy photon is required to have $`E_\gamma /E_{\mathrm{b}eam}>0.05`$.

After the final channel cuts described in the next sections, there are no events in which more than one photon pair is found.

### 3.2 Hadronic Channel

The hadronic channel is characterized by two photons recoiling against a hadronic system. In addition to double ISR, backgrounds also arise from radiative $`\mathrm{Z}^0\gamma `$ events where a decay product of the $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$, such as an isolated $`\pi ^0`$ or $`\eta `$ meson, mimics a photon, or there is an energetic final state radiation (FSR) photon. In these cases, the recoil mass against the di-photon system will tend to be lower than the $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ mass; therefore, this background can be suppressed by requiring a recoil mass consistent with that of the $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$. In the general search for XY $``$ $`\gamma \gamma +\mathrm{hadrons}`$, there is no recoil mass constraint to help suppress backgrounds from fake photons.

The hadronic channel candidate selection is summarized in Table 1. Candidate events are required to satisfy the following criteria:

* The standard hadronic event preselection described in reference  with the additional requirements:

+ $`R_{\mathrm{vis}}>0.5`$ and $`|\mathrm{\Sigma }p_z^{\mathrm{vis}}|<0.6E_{\mathrm{beam}}`$;
    + at least 2 electromagnetic clusters with $`E/E_{\mathrm{beam}}>0.05`$.
* The photon pair criteria described in Section 3.1.
* To suppress the background from FSR and fake photons, the charged tracks and unassociated clusters were grouped into two jets using the Durham scheme , excluding the photon candidates. Both photon candidates are then required to satisfy $`p_{\mathrm{T},jet\gamma }>5`$ GeV, where $`p_{\mathrm{T},jet\gamma }`$ was defined as the photon momentum transverse to the axis defined by the closest jet.

In the case of double ISR emission in the hadron channel, the photons tend to have a large energy difference. We therefore employ the quantity $`\mathrm{\Delta }E=(E_{\gamma 1}E_{\gamma 2})/\mathrm{E}_o`$, where $`E_{\gamma 1}`$ and $`E_{\gamma 2}`$ are the first- and second-highest-energy photons in the event, and $`\mathrm{E}_o=(\mathrm{E}_{\mathrm{cm}}^{}{}_{}{}^{2}M_\mathrm{Z}^2)/(2\mathrm{E}_{\mathrm{cm}})`$ is the energy of a single photon recoiling from the $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$.

* $`\mathrm{\Delta }E<0.5`$.
* For the $`\mathrm{h}^0\mathrm{Z}^0`$ topology, the invariant mass recoiling from the di-photon must satisfy $`|M_{\mathrm{r}ecoil}M_\mathrm{Z}|<20`$ GeV.

For the general search topology, where no explicit recoil mass cut is made, 16 events are observed, while $`17.4\pm 1.7`$ are expected from Standard Model backgrounds. The uncertainty shown is for Monte Carlo statistics only <sup>1</sup><sup>1</sup>1Unless otherwise specified, all errors quoted are statistical only.. After applying the cut (A5) on the recoil mass, 10 events remain, compared to an expectation of $`9.0\pm 1.3`$ events. The efficiencies for this analysis to accept events for Higgs masses of 30 to 100 GeV are shown in Table 4.

### 3.3 Charged Lepton Channel

This channel searches for events in the $`\gamma \gamma \mathrm{}^+\mathrm{}^{}`$ final state. Even in the case of $`\mathrm{}=\tau `$, this channel has a very clean signature, and therefore only one selection procedure is required for the $`\mathrm{e},\mu `$ and $`\tau `$ channels. Charged leptons are identified as low multiplicity jets formed from charged tracks and isolated EC clusters. A high efficiency is maintained for $`\tau `$ leptons by allowing single charged tracks to define a “jet” without requiring explicit lepton identification. This channel is sufficiently free of background to allow acceptance of events where one of the charged leptons was not reconstructed or was lost in uninstrumented regions of the detector. The most serious background comes from Bhabha scattering with initial and/or final state radiation.

The leptonic channel event selection is summarized in Table 2. Leptonic channel candidates are required to satisfy the following criteria:

* The low multiplicity preselection of reference  and:

+ $`R_{\mathrm{vis}}>0.2`$ and $`|\mathrm{\Sigma }p_z^{\mathrm{vis}}|<0.8E_{\mathrm{beam}}`$;
    + number of EC clusters not associated with tracks: $`N_{\mathrm{EC}}10`$;
    + number of charged tracks: $`1N_{\mathrm{CT}}7`$;
    + at least 2 electromagnetic clusters with $`E/E_{\mathrm{beam}}>0.05`$.
* The photon pair criteria described in Section 3.1.
* For events having only one charged track, require:

+ the track not to be associated with a converted photon;
    + the track to have momentum satisfying $`p>0.2E_{\mathrm{b}eam}`$;
    + direction of event missing momentum: $`|\mathrm{cos}\theta _{\mathrm{m}iss}|>0.90`$.
* For events having two or more charged tracks, the event is forced to have 2 jets within the Durham scheme, excluding the identified di-photon candidate.
* For the $`\mathrm{h}^0`$$`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ search, the recoil mass to the di-photon is required to be consistent with the $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$: $`|M_{\mathrm{recoil}}M_\mathrm{Z}|<20`$ GeV.

For the general search, 20 events survive cuts B1-B4, compared to $`25.6\pm 1.6`$ expected from Standard Model backgrounds. After the recoil mass requirement, the number of observed events is 7, with the background expectation of $`8.9\pm 1.0`$. The efficiencies for Higgs masses of 30 to 100 GeV are given in Table 4.

### 3.4 Missing Energy Channel

The missing energy channel is characterized by two photons and no other significant detector activity. An irreducible Standard Model background is the process $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\nu \overline{\nu }\gamma \gamma `$. Other potential backgrounds include $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\gamma \gamma (\gamma )`$ and radiative Bhabha scattering with one or more unobserved electrons. These backgrounds tend to produce photons near the beam directions; therefore, they can be effectively dealt with by the restriction on the polar angles of the two photons and by requiring consistency with a di-photon recoiling from a massive object.

The event selection for the missing energy channel is summarized in Table 3. Candidates in the missing energy channel are required to satisfy the following criteria:

* The low multiplicity preselection of reference  with the further requirement that the event satisfy the cosmic ray and beam-wall/beam-gas vetoes described in reference , and:

+ number of EC clusters not associated with tracks: $`N_{\mathrm{EC}}4`$;
    + number of charged tracks: $`N_{\mathrm{NCT}}3`$;
    + $`|\mathrm{\Sigma }p_z^{\mathrm{vis}}|<0.8E_{\mathrm{beam}}`$;
    + at least 2 electromagnetic clusters with $`E/E_{\mathrm{beam}}>0.05`$.
* The photon pair criteria described in Section 3.1.
* Consistency with the hypothesis that the di-photon system is recoiling from a massive body:

+ The momentum component of the di-photon system in the plane transverse to the beam axis: $`p_T(\gamma \gamma )>0.05E_{\mathrm{b}eam}`$.
    + The angle between the two photons in the plane transverse to the beam axis: $`|\varphi _{\gamma \gamma }180^{}|>2.5^{}`$.
    + The polar angle of the momentum of the di-photon system: $`|\mathrm{cos}\theta _{\gamma \gamma }|<0.966`$.
* Events are required to have no charged track candidates (other than those associated with an identified photon conversion).
* Veto on unassociated calorimeter energy: the energy observed in the electromagnetic calorimeter not associated with the 2 photons is required to be less than 3 GeV.
* For the $`\mathrm{h}^0`$$`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ search, the recoil mass against the di-photon is required to be consistent with the $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$: $`|M_{\mathrm{recoil}}M_\mathrm{Z}|<20`$ GeV.

The number of events passing the general cuts C1-C5 is 8, compared to the Standard Model background expectation of $`11.2\pm 0.5`$. After application of the recoil mass cut (C6), 5 candidates remain compared to an expectation of $`7.1\pm 0.3`$ events from Standard Model sources. The efficiencies for Higgs masses from 30 to 100 GeV are summarized in Table 4.

### 3.5 Systematic Errors

The dominant systematic uncertainty for acceptances arises from the photon detection efficiency, primarily due to the simulation of the photon isolation criteria . This uncertainty is estimated to be 3% of the acceptance from comparison of data with Standard Model backgrounds. Photon energies and angles are well measured and consequently lead to a systematic uncertainty on the efficiencies of 0.6%, as determined from the measured di-photon recoil mass distribution. The systematic error on the integrated luminosity of the data is 0.4% and contributes negligibly to the limits. The uncertainty from simulation Monte Carlo statistics is typically better than 4%. From the differences observed in the comparison of data and simulations of Standard Model backgrounds (particularly the KK2f modelling of ISR), the systematic uncertainty for backgrounds is taken to be 10%; this value is subtracted from the predicted background in the setting of limits. A systematic error on the photon energy scale is estimated to be 0.25 GeV for 72 GeV photons using the fitted single-photon ISR peak in Figure 1 compared to the expected value based on the precisely known beam energy and $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ mass. This leads to a systematic uncertainty on the di-photon mass of 0.35 GeV at a mass of 100 GeV.

The background events in the missing energy channel include a component from Compton scattering in the beams, which is modelled by the TEEGG Monte Carlo. The photons from this process have a high probability to be found in the near the cut on polar angle. The photon energy uncertainty is rather large (5-9 GeV) in these regions because of the corrections for passage through significant material.

## 4 Results

Figure 2 shows the di-photon mass versus the recoil mass for all candidate events passing the general search cuts. The distribution of di-photon masses for the $`\mathrm{h}^0`$$`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ search candidates is shown in Figure 3, together with the simulation of Standard Model backgrounds. Combining all three general search channels results in 44 observed events versus $`54.2\pm 2.5`$ expected from Standard Model sources. Summing over all three $`\mathrm{h}^0`$$`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ channel decay modes and expected background sources yields $`25.0\pm 1.7`$ events expected versus 22 observed.

### 4.1 General Search Results

Using only the data taken at $`E_{\mathrm{cm}}`$=189 GeV, we set limits for the production mode $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{X}Y`$, where X is any scalar resonance decaying into di-photons. The candidate events from the general search (no recoil mass cut) are used to set upper limits on $`\sigma (\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{X}Y)\times B(\mathrm{X}\gamma \gamma )\times B(\mathrm{Y}f\overline{f})`$. Such results are valid independent of the nature of Y, provided it decays to a fermion pair and has negligible width. The search is also restricted to X and Y masses above 10 GeV and below 180 GeV in order to allow the decay products to have sufficient energies and momenta to give reasonable search acceptances.

The event candidates from the general search are used to calculate 95% CL upper limits on the number of events in 1 GeV \[$`M_\mathrm{X},M_\mathrm{Y}`$\] mass bins, where $`M_\mathrm{X}`$ corresponds to the di-photon mass and $`M_\mathrm{Y}`$ to the recoil mass. Efficiencies for signals were calculated using two grids of simulated signals which were interpolated from Monte Carlo samples generated in 10 GeV \[$`M_\mathrm{X},M_\mathrm{Y}`$\] steps using the $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{h}^0\mathrm{Z}^0`$ and the $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{h}^0\mathrm{A}^0`$ processes as models for the $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{X}Y\gamma \gamma +\mathrm{f}\overline{f}`$ final state. The grid was generated for X masses from 10 to 180 GeV and Y masses from 10 to 180 GeV such that $`M_\mathrm{X}+M_\mathrm{Y}>M_\mathrm{Z}`$. This latter constraint was motivated by the higher sensitivity of searches performed at $`E_{\mathrm{cm}}`$=$`M_\mathrm{Z}`$. For each \[$`M_\mathrm{X},M_\mathrm{Y}`$\] bin, the 95% CL upper limit on the number of signal events is computed using the frequentist method of reference . This statistical procedure incorporates the di-photon mass resolution (typically less than 2 GeV for $`M_{\gamma \gamma }`$$`<`$100 GeV). The effect of the systematic error for efficiencies and background modelling is incorporated by reducing the subtracted background by the systematic, but using an additional systematic uncertainty of 5% to account for interpolation error in the efficiency grid (especially near kinematic limits).

Figure 4 shows the 95% CL upper limits on $`\sigma (\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{X}Y)\times B(\mathrm{X}\gamma \gamma )\times B(\mathrm{Y}f\overline{f})`$. To present the limits only as a function of $`M_\mathrm{X}`$, the figure shows the weakest limit obtained in each $`M_\mathrm{X}`$ bin as $`M_\mathrm{Y}`$ was scanned subject to the constraints mentioned above. For a scalar/vector hypothesis for X/Y, the efficiency is found to be the same to within 5% with that for a scalar/scalar hypothesis; the lower of these efficiencies is used in setting the limits. For the lepton search channel, the efficiency for Y $`\tau ^+\tau ^{}`$ is used, as it turns out to have the lowest of the dilepton efficiencies. Cross section limits of 30 – 100 fb are obtained over $`10<M_\mathrm{X}<180`$ GeV.

### 4.2 Search for the Standard Model Higgs Boson

The events passing all $`\mathrm{h}^0`$$`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ cuts are used to set an upper limit on the di-photon branching ratio of a particle having the Standard Model Higgs boson production rate. For each 1 GeV di-photon mass bin, the 95% CL upper limit on the number of signal events is computed using the frequentist method and background subtraction as in the previous section, with the efficiencies now including the Standard Model $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ branching fractions. Figure 5 shows the 95% CL upper limit for the di-photon branching ratio obtained by combining the $`E_{\mathrm{cm}}`$=189 GeV candidate events with those from OPAL searches at $`E_{\mathrm{cm}}`$=91–183 GeV , where the Standard Model $`\mathrm{h}^0\mathrm{Z}^{0()}`$ production cross section is assumed at each $`E_{\mathrm{cm}}`$. For masses lower than approximately 60 GeV, LEP-1 limits for $`B(\mathrm{h}^0\gamma \gamma )`$ have been inferred from references .

The limits on $`B(\mathrm{h}^0\gamma \gamma )`$ are used to rule out Higgs bosons in certain non-minimal models. Shown in Figure 5 is the $`\mathrm{h}^0\gamma \gamma `$ branching ratio in the Standard Model computed using HDECAY  with the fermionic couplings switched off. A 95% CL lower mass limit for such fermiophobic Higgs bosons is set at 96.2 GeV, where the predicted branching ratio crosses the upper-limit curve.

### 4.3 The Higgs Triplet Model

It is possible that a non-minimal Higgs sector incorporates triplet fields; particles formed exclusively from such fields are fermiophobic. The minimal Higgs Triplet model (HTM)  requires the inclusion of two triplet fields in order to have the $`\rho `$-parameter near unity. The model has 10 Higgs bosons in the form of a fiveplet ($`H_5`$), a threeplet ($`H_3`$), and two singlets ($`H_1`$). The $`H_5^0`$ and one of the singlets, $`H_1^0^{}`$, are formed from the triplet field, apart from possible mixing with doublet components. Akeroyd  has shown that measurements constrain the mixing parameters so that the $`H_1^0^{}`$ is almost entirely fermiophobic, and therefore could be interpreted as the X in this search.

The process $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{H}_1^0^{}\mathrm{Z}^0`$ occurs at the Standard Model $`\mathrm{h}^0`$$`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ rate modified by the factor $`\frac{8}{3}\mathrm{sin}^2\theta _H`$, where the angle $`\theta _H`$ is a parameter of the model describing the mixing of the doublet and triplet fields. Limits on $`\theta _H`$ can therefore be inferred from Figure 5 by dividing the upper limit by the fermiophobic di-photon branching ratio. The limits on $`\theta _H`$ obtained from this experiment are more restrictive than limits inferred from the $`\mathrm{Z}^0`$ width  up to an $`H_1^0^{}`$ mass of approximately 96 GeV.

## 5 Conclusions

A search for the production of Higgs bosons and other new particles decaying to photon pairs has been performed using 182.6 pb<sup>-1</sup> of data taken at an average centre-of-mass energy of 188.6 GeV. Model independent upper limits are obtained on $`\sigma (\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{X}Y)\times B(\mathrm{X}\gamma \gamma )\times B(\mathrm{Y}f\overline{f})`$. Limits of 30 – 100 fb are obtained over $`10<M_\mathrm{X}<180`$ GeV, where $`10<M_\mathrm{Y}<180`$ GeV and $`M_\mathrm{X}+M_\mathrm{Y}>M_\mathrm{Z}`$, for Y either a scalar or vector particle, provided that the Y decays to a fermion pair.

The results of this search have been combined with previous OPAL results to set limits on $`B`$($`\mathrm{h}^0\gamma \gamma `$) up to a Higgs boson mass of 100 GeV, provided the Higgs particle is produced via $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{h}^0\mathrm{Z}^0`$ at the Standard Model rate. A lower mass bound of 96.2 GeV is set at the 95% confidence level for Higgs particles which do not couple to fermions.

Acknowledgements

We particularly wish to thank the SL Division for the efficient operation of the LEP accelerator at all energies and for their continuing close cooperation with our experimental group. We thank our colleagues from CEA, DAPNIA/SPP, CE-Saclay for their efforts over the years on the time-of-flight and trigger systems which we continue to use. In addition to the support staff at our own institutions we are pleased to acknowledge the   
Department of Energy, USA,   
National Science Foundation, USA,   
Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, UK,   
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada,   
Israel Science Foundation, administered by the Israel Academy of Science and Humanities,   
Minerva Gesellschaft,   
Benoziyo Center for High Energy Physics,   
Japanese Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (the Monbusho) and a grant under the Monbusho International Science Research Program,   
Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS),   
German Israeli Bi-national Science Foundation (GIF),   
Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Germany,   
National Research Council of Canada,   
Research Corporation, USA,   
Hungarian Foundation for Scientific Research, OTKA T-016660, T023793 and OTKA F-023259.