A search for direct production of Higgs bosons in the di-tau decay mode is performed with 86.3 ± 3.5 pb−1 of data collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab during the 1994-1995 data taking period of the Tevatron. We search for events where one tau decays to an electron plus neutrinos and the other tau decays hadronically. We perform a counting experiment and set limits on the cross section for supersymmetric Higgs boson production where tan [beta] is large and m{sub A} is small. For a benchmark parameter space point where m{sub A{sup 0}} = 100 GeV/c2 and tan [beta] = 50, we limit the production cross section multiplied by the branching ratio to be less than 77.9 pb at the 95% confidence level compared to theoretically predicted value of 11.0 pb. This is the first search for Higgs bosons decaying to tau pairs at a hadron collider.

A search for directly produced Supersymmetric Higgs Bosons has been performed in the di-tau decay channel in 86.3 [+-] 3.5 pb[sup -1] of data collected by CDF during Run1b at the Tevatron. The authors search for events where one tau decays to an electron and the other tau decays hadronically. They perform a counting experiment and set limits on the cross section for Higgs production in the high tan [beta]region of the m[sub A]-tan [beta] plane. For a benchmark parameter space point where m[sub A] = 100 and tan [beta] = 50, they set a 95% confidence level upper limit at 891 pb compared to the theoretically predicted cross section of 122 pb. For events where the tau candidates are not back-to-back, they utilize a di-tau mass reconstruction technique for the first time on hadron collider data. Limits based on a likelihood binned in di-tau mass from non-back-to-back events alone are weaker than the limits obtained from the counting experiment using the full di-tau sample.

A search for directly produced Supersymmetric Higgs Bosons has been performed in the di-tau decay channel in 86.3 {+-} 3.5 pb{sup -1} of data collected by CDF during Run1b at the Tevatron. They search for events where one tau decays to an electron and the other tau decays hadronically. They perform a counting experiment and set limits on the cross section for Higgs production in the high tan {beta} region of the m{sub A}-tan {beta} plane. For a benchmark parameter space point where m{sub A} = 100 and tan {beta} = 50, they set a 95% confidence level upper limit at 891 pb compared to the theoretically predicted cross section of 122 pb. For events where the tau candidates are not back-to-back, they utilize a di-tau mass reconstruction technique for the first time on hadron collider data. Limits based on a likelihood binned in di-tau mass from non-back-to-back events alone are weaker than the limits obtained from the counting experiment using the full di-tau sample.

This thesis presents a study of the scalar sector in the standard model (SM), as well as various searches for an extended scalar sector in theories beyond the SM (BSM). The first part of the thesis details the search for an SM Higgs boson decaying to taus, and produced by gluon fusion, vector boson fusion, or associated production with a vector boson, leading to evidence for decays of the Higgs boson to taus. In turn, the second part highlights several searches for an extended scalar sector, with scalar boson decays to taus. In all of the analyses presented, at least one scalar boson decays to a pair of taus. The results draw on data collected by the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector during proton–proton collisions with a center-of-mass energy of 7 or 8 TeV.

A search for the Higgs boson decaying to $\tau\tau$ using 7.8~fb$^{-1}$ of $p\bar{p}$ collisions at 1.96~TeV collected with CDF II detector is presented. The search is sensitive to four production mechanisms of the Higgs boson: ggH, WH, ZH and VBF. Modes where one tau decay leptonically, and another decay, hadronically, are considered. Two novel techniques are developed and used in the search. A Probabilistic Particle Flow Algorithm is used for energy measurements of the hadronic tau candidates. The signal is discriminated from backgrounds by the Missing Mass Calculator, which allows for full invariant mass reconstruction of $\tau\tau$ pair. The data are found to be consistent with the background only hypothesis. Therefore a 95\% confidence level upper limit on the Standard Model Higgs boson cross section was set. At $M_H$$=$120~GeV/$c^2$ observed limit is 14.9$\times\sigma_{SM}\times Br(\Htt)$.

The Standard Model predicts the existence of one neutral scalar Higgs boson, which is a remnant of the mechanism that breaks the SU(2)[sub L]xU(1)[sub Y] electroweak symmetry and generates masses for the heavy vector bosons and fermions. Many extensions to the Standard Model predict two or more Higgs doublets, resulting in a larger spectrum of Higgs bosons including a charged Higgs boson (H[sup [+-]]). For a light charged Higgs boson mass, the top decay into a charged Higgs boson and bottom quark might occur. This thesis presents results of a direct search for this top quark decay mode via the charged Higgs decay to a tau lepton and tau-neutrino, using the hadronic decays of the tau leptons. The search data consist of 100 pb[sup -1] of Run 1 data collected between 1992-1995 at the CDF detector, from p[anti p] collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.8 TeV produced at Fermilab's Tevatron accelerator. A total of seven events are observed in two search channels with an expected background contribution of 7.4[+-]2.0 events coming from fake taus (5.4[+-]1.5), heavy vector boson decays with jets (1.9[+-]1.3) and dibosons(0.08[+-]0.06). Lacking evidence for a signal, we set limits on charged Higgs production at the 95% confidence level in the charged Higgs mass plane versus tan[beta](a parameter of the theory) for a top quark mass of 175 GeV/c[sup 2] and for top production cross sections ([sigma][sub t[anti t]]) of 5.0 and 7.5 pb, assuming the Type-II Two-Higgs-Doublet-Model. For large tan[beta], this analysis excludes a charged Higgs boson of mass below 147(158)GeV/c[sup 2] for [sigma][sub t[anti t]]=5.0(7.5)pb. Using the Standard Model measured top quark cross section from CDF, this limit increases to 168 GeV/c[sup 2] and we also exclude a branching fraction of top decays via this charged Higgs mode of greater than 43% for charged Higgs masses below 168 GeV/c[sup 2].