A search for the standard model Higgs Boson decaying to muons in LHC data with the CMS experiment

After the discovery of a 125 GeV Higgs boson with standard model-like properties in 2012, it is now important to confirm that all of the properties of the boson are consistent with the standard model. This includes searching for all of the possible decays of the standard model Higgs boson, even ones that are not yet detectable, such as the decay to a pair of muons of opposite charges, mu+mu-. If a larger than expected rate is observed this would be an exciting sign of new physics.;This dissertation presents a search for a standard model Higgs boson decaying to mu+mu-. using the CMS detector. The search uses LHC proton-proton collision data at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV collected in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The sensitivity of the search corresponds to an expected upper limit on the rate of 6.6 times the standard model for a 125 GeV Higgs boson decaying to mu+mu -, at a 95% confidence level. The search finds no significant evidence of a Higgs boson decaying to mu+mu- for Higgs boson masses of 120--150 GeV. The observed data excludes 7.4 times the standard model rate, for a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV, at a 95% confidence level. Results are also presented detailing how much data is required at a center of mass energy of 14 TeV to exclude the standard model Higgs boson decay to mu+mu- or to discover it and measure its rate.