164 Search Results

A first search for beyond the standard model physics in jet multiplicity patterns of multilepton events is presented, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb⁻¹ of 13 TeV proton-proton collisions recorded by the CMS detector at the LHC. The search uses observed jet multiplicity distributions in one-, two-, and four-lepton events to explore possible enhancements in jet production rate in three-lepton events with and without bottom quarks. The data are found to be consistent with the standard model expectation. The results are interpreted in terms of supersymmetric production of electroweak chargino-neutralino superpartners with cascade decaysmore » terminating in prompt hadronic 𝑅-parity violating interactions.« less

This Letter presents the first search for bottom quark associated production of the standard model Higgs boson, in final states with leptons. Higgs boson decays to pairs of tau leptons and pairs of leptonically decaying W bosons are considered. The search is performed using data collected from 2016 to 2018 by the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb^-1. Upper limits at the 95% confidence level are placed on the signal strength for Higgs boson production in association with bottom quarks; the observed (expected) upper limit ismore » 3.7 (6.1) times the standard model prediction« less

A first study is presented of the cross section for the scattering of same-sign W boson pairs via the detection of a τ lepton. The data from proton-proton collisions at the center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV were collected by the CMS detector at the LHC, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb⁻¹. Events were selected that contain two jets with large pseudorapidity and large invariant mass, one τ lepton, one light lepton (e or μ), and significant missing transverse momentum. The measured cross section for electroweak same-sign WW scattering is $$1.44^{+0.63}_{-0.56}$$ times the standard model prediction. In addition,more » a search is presented for the indirect effects of processes beyond the standard model via the effective field theory framework, in terms of dimension-6 and dimension-8 operators.« less

Despite the f₀(980) hadron having been discovered half a century ago, the question about its quark content has not been settled: it might be an ordinary quark-antiquark ($$q\bar{q}$$) meson, a tetraquark ($$q\bar{q}$$$$q\bar{q}$$) exotic state, a kaon-antikaon ($$K\bar{K}$$) molecule, or a quark-antiquark-gluon ($$q\bar{q}$$g) hybrid. This paper reports strong evidence that the f₀(980) state is an ordinary $$q\bar{q}$$ meson, inferred from the scaling of elliptic anisotropies (v₂) with the number of constituent quarks (n_q), as empirically established using conventional hadrons in relativistic heavy ion collisions. The f₀(980) state is reconstructed via its dominant decay channel f₀(980) → π⁺π⁻, in proton-lead collisions recordedmore » by the CMS experiment at the LHC, and its v₂ is measured as a function of transverse momentum (p_T). It is found that the n_q = 2 ($$q\bar{q}$$ state) hypothesis is favored over n_q = 4 ($$q\bar{q}$$$$q\bar{q}$$ or $$K\bar{K}$$ states) by 7.7, 6.3, or 3.1 standard deviations in the p_T < 10, 8, or 6 GeV/c ranges, respectively, and over n_q = 3 ($$q\bar{q}$$g hybrid state) by 3.5 standard deviations in the p_T < 8 GeV/c range. This result represents the first determination of the quark content of the f₀(980) state, made possible by using a novel approach, and paves the way for similar studies of other exotic hadron candidates.« less

Salient aspects of the commissioning, calibration, and performance of the CMS silicon strip tracker are discussed, drawing on experience during operation with proton-proton collisions delivered by the CERN LHC. The data were obtained with a variety of luminosities. The operating temperature of the strip tracker was changed several times during this period and results are shown as a function of temperature in several cases. Details of the system performance are presented, including occupancy, signal-to-noise ratio, Lorentz angle, and single-hit spatial resolution. Saturation effects in the APV25 readout chip preamplifier observed during early Run 2 are presented, showing the effect onmore » various observables and the subsequent remedy. Studies of radiation effects on the strip tracker are presented both for the optical readout links and the silicon sensors. The observed effects are compared to simulation, where available, and they generally agree well with expectations.« less

A search for flavor-changing neutral current interactions of the top quark (𝑡) and the Higgs boson (𝐻) is presented. The search is based on proton-proton collision data collected in 2016–2018 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb⁻¹. Events containing a pair of leptons with the same-sign electric charge and at least one jet are considered. The results are used to constrain the branching fraction (ℬ) of the top quark decaying to a Higgs boson and an up (𝑢) or charm (𝑐) quark. No significantmore » excess above the estimated background was found. The observed (expected) upper limits at a 95% confidence level are found to be 0.072% (0.059%) for ℬ⁡(𝑡 → 𝐻⁡𝑢) and 0.043% (0.062%) for ℬ⁡(𝑡 → 𝐻⁡𝑐). These results are combined with two other searches performed by the CMS Collaboration for flavor-changing neutral current interactions of top quarks and Higgs bosons in final states where the Higgs boson decays to either a pair of photons or a pair of bottom quarks. The resulting observed (expected) upper limits at the 95% confidence level are 0.019% (0.027%) for ℬ⁡(𝑡 → 𝐻⁡𝑢) and 0.037% (0.035%) for ℬ⁡(𝑡 → 𝐻⁡𝑐).« less

Measurements of light-by-light scattering (LbL, γγ → γγ) and the Breit-Wheeler process (BW, γγ → e⁺e⁻) are reported in ultraperipheral PbPb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV. The data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.7 nb⁻¹, was collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2018. Events with an exclusively produced γγ or e⁺e⁻ pair with invariant masses m^γγ,ee > 5 GeV, along with other fiducial criteria, are selected. The measured BW fiducial production cross section, σ_fid(γγ → e⁺e⁻) = 263.5 ± 1.8(stat) ± 17.8(syst) μb, as well as the differentialmore » distributions for various kinematic observables, are in agreement with leading-order quantum electrodynamics predictions complemented with final-state photon radiation. The measured differential BW cross sections allow discrimination between different theoretical descriptions of the photon flux of the lead ion. In the LbL final state, 26 exclusive diphoton candidate events are observed compared with 12.0 ± 2.9 expected for the background. Combined with previous results, the observed significance of the LbL signal with respect to the background-only hypothesis is above five standard deviations. The measured fiducial LbL scattering cross section, σ_fid(γγ → γγ) = 107 ± 24(stat) ± 13(syst) nb, is in agreement with next- to-leading-order predictions. Limits on the production of axion-like particles coupled to photons are set over the mass range 5–100 GeV, including the most stringent limits to date in the range of 5–10 GeV.« less

Measurements of the production yields of charm baryons (Λ$$^+_c$$ ) and charm mesons (D⁰ ) in proton-lead collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 8.16 TeV are presented. The data were collected in 2016 with the CMS experiment and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 186 nb^-1. The Λ$$^+_c$$ baryon is reconstructed from the decay channel Λ$$^+_c$$ → K$$^0_S$$p , while the D⁰ meson is reconstructed via D⁰ → K^-π⁺. The Λ$$^+_c$$ baryon and D⁰ meson yields are extracted in several charged-particle multiplicity classes. No strong multiplicity dependence of the Λ$$^+_c$$-to-D⁰ yield ratio is observed, unlike the observed strange baryonmore » to strange meson yield ratio of $$Λ/\bar{Λ}$$to K$$^0_S$$, which shows a strong multiplicity dependence. This observation indicates different mechanisms for the multiplicity evolution of hadronization processes for charm and strange quarks and provides new constraints to the understanding of heavy flavor production and collectivity in small collision systems.« less

A measurement of the Higgs boson mass and width via its decay to two 𝑍 bosons is presented. Proton-proton collision data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb⁻¹ at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, is used. The invariant mass distribution of four leptons in the on-shell Higgs boson decay is used to measure its mass and constrain its width. This yields the most precise single measurement of the Higgs boson mass to date, 125.04 ± 0.12  GeV, and an upper limit on the width Γ_𝐻 < 330 MeV at 95% confidence level. A combination ofmore » the on- and off-shell Higgs boson production decaying to four leptons is used to determine the Higgs boson width, assuming that no new virtual particles affect the production, a premise that is tested by adding new heavy particles in the gluon fusion loop model. This result is combined with a previous CMS analysis of the off-shell Higgs boson production with decay to two leptons and two neutrinos, giving a measured Higgs boson width of 3.0$$^{+2.0}_{−1.5}$$ MeV, in agreement with the standard model prediction of 4.1 MeV. The strength of the off-shell Higgs boson production is also reported. The scenario of no off-shell Higgs boson production is excluded at a confidence level corresponding to 3.8 standard deviations.« less

The forward-backward asymmetry in Drell-Yan production and the effective leptonic electroweak mixing angle are measured in proton-proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s}$$ = 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$$^{-1}$$. The measurement uses both dimuon and dielectron events, and is performed as a function of the dilepton mass and rapidity. The unfolded angular coefficient $$A_4$$ is also extracted, as a function of the dilepton mass and rapidity. Using the CT18Z set of parton distribution functions, we obtain $$\sin^{2}\theta^\ell_\text{eff}$$ = 0.23152 $$\pm$$ 0.00031, where the uncertainty includes the experimental and theoretical contributions. The measuredmore » value agrees with the standard model fit result to global experimental data. This is the most precise $$\sin^{2}\theta^\ell_\text{eff}$$ measurement at a hadron collider, with a precision comparable to the results obtained at LEP and SLD.« less