201 Search Results

The strange quark content of the proton is probed through the measurement of the production cross section for a W boson and a charm (c) quark in proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13$$\,\text {Te}\hspace{-.08em}\text {V}$$. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 138$$\,\text {fb}^{-1}$$ collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The W bosons are identified through their leptonic decays to an electron or a muon, and a neutrino. Charm jets are tagged using the presence of a muon or a secondary vertex inside the jet. The $$\hbox {W}+\hbox {c}$$ production crossmore » section and the cross section ratio $$R_\textrm{c}^{\pm }= \sigma ({\hbox {W}}^{+}+\bar{\text {c}})/\sigma (\hbox {W}^{-}+{\textrm{c}})$$ are measured inclusively and differentially as functions of the transverse momentum and the pseudorapidity of the lepton originating from the W boson decay. The precision of the measurements is improved with respect to previous studies, reaching 1% in $$R_\textrm{c}^{\pm }= 0.950 \pm 0.005\,\text {(stat)} \pm 0.010 \,\text {(syst)} $$. The measurements are compared with theoretical predictions up to next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.« less

The first search is presented for vector-like leptons (VLLs) in the context of the “4321 model”, an ultraviolet-complete model with the potential to explain existing B physics measurements that are in tension with standard model predictions. The analyzed data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 96.5 ${\text{fb}}^{-1}$ , were recorded in 2017 and 2018 with the CMS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13\text{TeV}$ . Final states with ≥3 b -tagged jets and two third-generation leptons (ττ, $\mathrm{\tau }{more »}_{}$ ν τ , or ${\mathrm{\nu }}_{\mathrm{\tau }}{\mathrm{\nu }}_{\mathrm{\tau }}$ ) are considered. Upper limits are derived on the VLL production cross section in the VLL mass range 500–1050 GeV. The maximum likelihood fit prefers the presence of signal at the level of 2.8 standard deviations, for a representative VLL mass point of 600 GeV. As a consequence, the observed upper limits are approximately double the expected limits.« less

A data sample containing top quark pairs ($$\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$$) produced in association with a Lorentz-boosted Z or Higgs boson is used to search for signs of new physics using effective field theory. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$$^{-1}$$ of proton-proton collisions produced at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the LHC and collected by the CMS experiment. Selected events contain a single lepton and hadronic jets, including two identified with the decay of bottom quarks, plus an additional large-radius jet with high transverse momentum identified as a Z or Higgs boson decaying to a bottom quarkmore » pair. Machine learning techniques are employed to discriminate between $$\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$$Z or $$\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$$H events and events from background processes, which are dominated by $$\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$$ + jets production. No indications of new physics are observed. The signal strengths of boosted $$\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$$Z and $$\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$$H production are measured, and upper limits are placed on the $$\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$$Z and $$\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$$H differential cross sections as functions of the Z or Higgs boson transverse momentum. The effects of new physics are probed using a framework in which the standard model is considered to be the low-energy effective field theory of a higher energy scale theory. Eight possible dimension-six operators are added to the standard model Lagrangian and their corresponding coefficients are constrained via fits to the data.« less

The production of a top quark-antiquark pair in association with a W boson ($$ \textrm{t}\overline{\textrm{t}}\textrm{W} $$) is measured in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The analyzed data was recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$$^{−1}$$. Events with two or three leptons (electrons and muons) and additional jets are selected. In events with two leptons, a multiclass neural network is used to distinguish between the signal and background processes. Events with three leptons are categorized based on the number of jets and of jets originating frommore » b quark hadronization, and the lepton charges. The inclusive $$ \textrm{t}\overline{\textrm{t}}\textrm{W} $$ production cross section in the full phase space is measured to be 868 ± 40(stat) ± 51(syst) fb. The $$ \textrm{t}\overline{\textrm{t}}\textrm{W} ^{+}$$ and $$ \textrm{t}\overline{\textrm{t}}\textrm{W} ^{−}$$ cross sections are also measured as 553 ± 30(stat) ± 30(syst) and 343 ± 26(stat) ± 25(syst) fb, respectively, and the corresponding ratio of the two cross sections is found to be $$ 1.61\pm 0.15{\left(\textrm{stat}\right)}_{-0.05}^{+0.07}\left(\textrm{syst}\right) $$. The measured cross sections are larger than but consistent with the standard model predictions within two standard deviations, and represent the most precise measurement of these cross sections to date.[graphic not available: see fulltext]« less

A search for pair production of the supersymmetric partner of the top quark, the top squark, in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 13 TeV is presented in final states containing at least one hadronically decaying tau lepton and large missing transverse momentum. This final state is highly sensitive to scenarios of supersymmetry in which the decay of the top squark to tau leptons is enhanced. The search uses a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$$^{−1}$$, which was recorded with the CMS detector during 2016–2018. No significant excess is observed with respect to the standardmore » model predictions. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level on the masses of the top squark and the lightest neutralino are presented under the assumptions of simplified models. The results probe top squark masses up to 1150 GeV for a nearly massless neutralino. This search covers a relatively less explored parameter space in the context of supersymmetry, and the exclusion limit is the most stringent to date for the model considered here.[graphic not available: see fulltext]« less

A search is presented for vector-like T and B quark-antiquark pairs produced in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. Data were collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2016–2018, with an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$$^{−1}$$. Events are separated into single-lepton, same-sign charge dilepton, and multi-lepton channels. In the analysis of the single-lepton channel a multilayer neural network and jet identification techniques are employed to select signal events, while the same-sign dilepton and multilepton channels rely on the high-energy signature of the signal to distinguish it from standard model backgrounds. The data are consistentmore » with standard model background predictions, and the production of vector-like quark pairs is excluded at 95% confidence level for T quark masses up to 1.54 TeV and B quark masses up to 1.56 TeV, depending on the branching fractions assumed, with maximal sensitivity to decay modes that include multiple top quarks. The limits obtained in this search are the strongest limits to date for $$ \textrm{T}\overline{\textrm{T}} $$ production, excluding masses below 1.48 TeV for all decays to third generation quarks, and are the strongest limits to date for $$ \textrm{B}\overline{\textrm{B}} $$ production with B quark decays to tW.[graphic not available: see fulltext]« less

Results are presented of a search for a heavy Majorana neutrino Image 1 decaying into two same-flavor leptons ℓ (electrons or muons) and a quark-pair jet. A model is considered in which the Image 1 is an excited neutrino in a compositeness scenario. The analysis is performed using a sample of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13\text{TeV}$ recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 ${\text{fb}}^{-1}$ . The data are found to be in agreement with the standardmore » model prediction. For the process in which the Image 1 is produced in association with a lepton, followed by the decay of the Image 1 to a same-flavor lepton and a quark pair, an upper limit at 95% confidence level on the product of the cross section and branching fraction is obtained as a function of the Image 1 mass Image 2 and the compositeness scale Λ. For this model the data exclude the existence of Image 3 (Image 4) for Image 2 below 6.0 (6.1) TeV, at the limit where Image 2 is equal to Λ. For Image 5, values of Λ less than 20 (23) TeV are excluded. These results represent a considerable improvement in sensitivity, covering a larger parameter space than previous searches in Image 6 collisions at 13 TeV.« less

A search for the pair production of the lightest supersymmetric partner of the top quark, the top squark ($$ {\overset{\sim }{\textrm{t}}}_1 $$), is presented. The search targets the four-body decay of the $$ {\overset{\sim }{\textrm{t}}}_1 $$, which is preferred when the mass difference between the top squark and the lightest supersymmetric particle is smaller than the mass of the W boson. This decay mode consists of a bottom quark, two other fermions, and the lightest neutralino ($$ {\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$), which is assumed to be the lightest supersymmetric particle. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$$^{−1}$$ ofmore » proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC. Events are selected using the presence of a high-momentum jet, an electron or muon with low transverse momentum, and a significant missing transverse momentum. The signal is selected based on a multivariate approach that is optimized for the difference between m($$ {\overset{\sim }{\textrm{t}}}_1 $$) and m($$ {\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$). The contribution from leading background processes is estimated from data. No significant excess is observed above the expectation from standard model processes. The results of this search exclude top squarks at 95% confidence level for masses up to 480 and 700 GeV for m($$ {\overset{\sim }{\textrm{t}}}_1 $$) − m($$ {\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$) = 10 and 80 GeV, respectively.[graphic not available: see fulltext]« less

Production cross sections of Image 1, Image 2, and Image 3 states decaying into Image 4 in proton-lead ( $\mathrm{p}\mathrm{Pb}$ ) collisions are reported using data collected by the CMS experiment at $\sqrt{s_{{}_{\mathrm{NN}}}}=5.02\text{TeV}$ . A comparison is made with corresponding cross sections obtained with $\mathrm{p}\mathrm{p}$ data measured at the same collision energy and scaled by the Pb nucleus mass number. The nuclear modification factor for Image 1 ismore » found to be Image 5. Similar results for the excited states indicate a sequential suppression pattern, such that Image 6. The suppression of all states is much less pronounced in $\mathrm{p}\mathrm{Pb}$ than in PbPb collisions, and independent of transverse momentum Image 7 and center-of-mass rapidity Image 8 of the individual Image 9 state in the studied range Image 10 and Image 11. Models that incorporate final-state effects of bottomonia in pPb collisions are in better agreement with the data than those which only assume initial-state modifications.« less

Jet production in lead-lead (PbPb) and proton-proton (pp) collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV is studied with the CMS detector at the LHC, using PbPb and pp data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 404 μb$$^{−1}$$ and 27.4 pb$$^{−1}$$, respectively. Jets with different areas are reconstructed using the anti-k$$_{T}$$ algorithm by varying the distance parameter R. The measurements are performed using jets with transverse momenta (p$$_{T}$$) greater than 200 GeV and in a pseudorapidity range of |η| < 2. To reveal the medium modification of the jet spectra in PbPb collisions, the properly normalized ratio of spectramore » from PbPb and pp data is used to extract jet nuclear modification factors as functions of the PbPb collision centrality, p$$_{T}$$ and, for the first time, as a function of R up to 1.0. For the most central collisions, a strong suppression is observed for high-p$$_{T}$$ jets reconstructed with all distance parameters, implying that a significant amount of jet energy is scattered to large angles. The dependence of jet suppression on R is expected to be sensitive to both the jet energy loss mechanism and the medium response, and so the data are compared to several modern event generators and analytic calculations. The models considered do not fully reproduce the data.[graphic not available: see fulltext]« less