Insight into double-pomeron-exchange Higgs production and backgrounds

We quantify the central inclusive background contributions to exclusive Higgs production at the LHC arising from double-pomeron-exchange processes. We consider the H -> b (b) over bar signal. We study processes mediated by the fusion of two 'hard' pomerons, and also by the fusion of 'soft' pomerons. The latter back-round is found to be very small, and the former is found to be less than the exclusive signal. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.