Strategy for discovering a low-mass Higgs boson at the Fermilab Tevatron

We have studied the potential of the CDF and DOe experiments to discover a low-mass standard model Higgs boson, during run II, via the processes pp(bar sign){yields}WH{yields}l{nu}bb(bar sign), pp(bar sign){yields}ZH{yields} l{sup +}l{sup -}bb(bar sign) and pp(bar sign){yields}ZH{yields}{nu}{nu}(bar sign)bb(bar sign). We show that a multivariate analysis using neural networks that exploits all the information contained within a set of event variables leads to a significant reduction, with respect to any equivalent conventional analysis, in the integrated luminosity required to find a standard model Higgs boson in the mass range 90 GeV/c{sup 2}<M{sub H}<130 GeV/c{sup 2}. The luminosity reduction is sufficient to bring the discovery of the Higgs boson within reach of the Fermilab Tevatron experiments, given the anticipated integrated luminosities of run II, whose scope has recently been expanded. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.