Title: Higgs-Motivated Search Strategies for Supersymmetry at CMS

Abstract:

The discovery of a Higgs boson has addressed critical open questions in the standard model of particle physics, but there is strong evidence that it is incomplete. In this talk, I will discuss two complementary strategies for beyond-the-standard model physics searches at the LHC, which are motivated by the Higgs boson. The first is a direct search for supersymmetric top quark partners, which may play a key role in stabilizing the Higgs boson mass at the electroweak scale. The second is a novel approach that uses the Higgs boson as a probe to search for supersymmetric particles. I will discuss current results and constraints based on the 8 TeV data sample collected in 2012, and prospects for discoveries in future data.