Search for the standard model higgs boson in the H→WW→lνq ′q̄ decay channel

We present a search for the standard model Higgs boson (H) in pp - collisions at √s=1.96 TeV in events containing a charged lepton (l), missing transverse energy, and at least two jets, using 5.4 fb -1 of integrated luminosity recorded with the D∅ detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. This analysis is sensitive primarily to Higgs bosons produced through the fusion of two gluons or two electroweak bosons, with subsequent decay H→WW→lνq'q - , where l is an electron or muon. The search is also sensitive to contributions from other production channels, such as WH→lνbb - . In the absence of a signal, we set limits at the 95% C.L. on the cross section for H production σ(pp - →H+X) in these final states. For a mass of M H =160 GeV, the limit is a factor of 3.9 larger than the cross section in the standard model and consistent with an a priori expected sensitivity of 5.0.