Search for invisible decays of Higgs bosons in the vector boson fusion production mode

A search for invisible decays of Higgs bosons in the vector boson fusion production mode is carried out using data recorded by the CMS detector at the LHC in 2012 at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.2 fb$^{-1}$. Limits are set on the production cross section times invisible branching fraction, as a function of the Higgs boson mass. Assuming standard model Higgs boson cross sections and acceptances, the observed (expected) upper limit on the invisible branching fraction at $m_\rm{H}=125$ GeV is found to be 0.57 (0.40) at 95\% confidence level. The previous CMS limit in this channel at the same confidence level was 0.65 (0.49).