We consider the Higgs boson signals from pair production at the LHC within the framework of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) in the nondecoupling (low-$m_A$) region. In light of the recent observation of a SM-like Higgs boson, we argue that the exploration for Higgs pair production at the LHC is a crucial next step to probe the MSSM Higgs sector. We emphasize that the production of $H^{\pm }{A}^0$ and $H^{+}{H}^{-}$ depends only on the electroweak gauge couplings while all the leading Higgs production channels via gluon fusion, vector-boson fusion, and Higgsstrahlung depend on additional free Higgs sector parameters. In the nondecoupling region, the five MSSM Higgs bosons are all relatively light and pair production signals may be accessible. We find that at the 8 TeV LHC, a $5\sigma$ signal for $H^{\pm }{A}^0$, $H^{\pm }{h}^0\to {\tau }^{\pm }\nu b\overline{b}$ and $H^{+}{H}^{-}\to {\tau }^{+}\nu {\tau }^{-}\nu$ are achievable with an integrated luminosity of $7(11){\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$ and $24(48){\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$, respectively for $m_A=95(130)\mathrm{GeV}$. At the 14 TeV LHC, a $5\sigma$ signal for these two channels would require as little as $4(7){\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$ and $10(19){\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$, respectively.

• Received 5 July 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.86.074003