Search for massive WH resonances decaying into the $$\ell \nu \mathrm{b} \overline{\mathrm{b}} $$ ℓ ν b b ¯ final state at $$\sqrt{s}=8$$ s = 8 $$~\text {TeV}$$ TeV

A search for a massive resonance [Formula: see text]decaying into a W and a Higgs boson in the [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]) final state is presented. Results are based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7[Formula: see text] of proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text], collected using the CMS detector at the LHC. For a high-mass ([Formula: see text]1[Formula: see text]) resonance, the two bottom quarks coming from the Higgs boson decay are reconstructed as a single jet, which can be tagged by placing requirements on its substructure and flavour. Exclusion limits at 95 % confidence level are set on the production cross section of a narrow resonance decaying into WH, as a function of its mass. In the context of a little Higgs model, a lower limit on the [Formula: see text] mass of 1.4[Formula: see text] is set. In a heavy vector triplet model that mimics the properties of composite Higgs models, a lower limit on the [Formula: see text] mass of 1.5[Formula: see text] is set. In the context of this model, the results are combined with related searches to obtain a lower limit on the [Formula: see text] mass of 1.8[Formula: see text], the most restrictive to date for decays to a pair of standard model bosons.