Search for charged Higgs bosons in e+e− collisions at √s=130–172 GeV

Abstract A search is described to detect charged Higgs bosons via the process e + e − →H + H − , using data collected by the OPAL detector at center-of-mass energies of 130–172 GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 25 pb −1 . The decay channels are assumed to be H + → q q ′ and H + → τ + ν τ . No evidence for charged Higgs boson production is observed. The lower limit for its mass is determined to be 52 GeV at 95% confidence level, independent of the H + → τ + ν τ branching ratio.