22 Search Results

A search for a Higgs boson produced in association with a W or Z boson and decaying via a soft unclustered energy pattern (SUEP) is presented. The analysis is based on proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138fb−1 collected between 2016 and 2018 at the LHC. Final states with a leptonic W or Z boson decay associated with a high multiplicity of low-momentum charged particles are explored for the first time. The results show no significant excess over the standard model background expectation. Limits are set on the production cross section of a Higgs boson that decaysmore » to a SUEP, for a range of parameters of the SUEP model. Material is provided to facilitate further interpretation of the results.« less

Production fraction ratios of $B^{+}$ , $B^0$ , and $B_s^0$ mesons are measured in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13\mathrm{TeV}$ using a special dataset recorded in 2018 with high-rate triggers designed to collect an unbiased sample of $10^{10}$ $b$ hadrons with the CMS experiment at the LHC. These data allow the study of the open-charm decays of $B$ mesons ( $B_{\left(s\right)}\to \pi D_{more »}$ ( s ) ) where the $D$ meson decays into fully hadronic final states. By utilizing known branching fractions and precise theoretical calculations, production fraction ratios as functions of $B$ meson transverse momentum $\left(p_{\mathrm{T}}\right)$ and rapidity ( $y$ ) are measured using open-charm decays in the kinematic range of $8<p_{\mathrm{T}}<60\mathrm{GeV}$ and $\left|y\right|<2.25$ . In addition, the same dataset is used to measure the relative production fraction ratios with the charmonium decay channels [ $B_{\left(s\right)}\to XJ/\psi$ with $X$ indicating a $K^{+}$ , $K^{*}(892{)}^0$ , or $\varphi \left(1020\right)$ meson] where the $J/\psi$ meson decays into a pair of muons. The open-charm results are used to normalize the relative production fraction ratios obtained from the charmonium samples. Measurements of the ratios of branching fractions of $B$ meson decays to charmonium and open-charm final states are also reported, which will improve the world-average values of these ratios. Finally, we test isospin invariance in $B$ meson production in proton-proton collisions and observe that it holds within the experimental precision.« less

This analysis presents an observation of the photon-fusion production of W boson pairs using the CMS detector at the LHC. The total cross section of the W$$^{+}$$W$$^{−}$$ production in photon fusion is measured using proton-proton collision data with an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$$^{−1}$$ collected with the CMS detector in 2016–2018 at a center-of-mass energy of $$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$ TeV. Events are selected in the final state with one isolated electron and one isolated muon, and no additional tracks associated with the electron-muon production vertex. The total and fiducial production cross sections are $$ {643}_{-78}^{+82} $$ fb and $$ {3.96}_{-0.51}^{+0.53}more » $$ fb, respectively, in agreement with the standard model predictions of 631 ± 126 fb and 3.87 ± 0.77 fb. This agreement enables stringent constraints on anomalous quartic gauge couplings within a dimension-8 effective field theory framework.[graphic not available: see fulltext]« less

A search for the pair production of heavy spin- $1/2$ or spin- $3/2$ resonances ( $t^{*}$ ) in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13\mathrm{TeV}$ is presented. Data collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC from 2016 to 2018 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $138{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$ are used. The analysis targets benchmark signal scenarios where one $t^{*}$ decays into a top quark ( $t$ ) and a photon ( $\gamma$ ), and the other into a $t$ quarkmore » and a gluon ( $g$ ), i.e., $pp\to t^{*}\overline{t^{*}}\to tt\gamma g$ . All-hadronic final states from the $t$ pair decay chain are selected using jet substructure techniques. The signal is probed as a function of the $t^{*}$ candidate mass, which is reconstructed using the photon and a top quark candidate jet. No significant deviation from the background-only hypothesis is found. Observed (expected) upper limits on the signal cross section at 95% confidence level are set, excluding masses of spin- $1/2$ $t^{*}$ particles below 930 (930) GeV and spin- $3/2$ $t^{*}$ particles below 1330 (1390) GeV. This analysis marks the first search for heavy resonances in the $t\overline{t}\gamma g$ channel. Exploiting the high-energy photon to reduce the backgrounds, this search achieves sensitivity competitive with $pp\to t^{*}\overline{t^{*}}\to t\overline{t}gg$ searches for spin- $1/2$ $t^{*}$ despite the small expected $t^{*}\to t\gamma$ branching fraction.« less

A search for heavy long-lived charged particles at the LHC is presented. Particles interacting with the CMS muon detector across several bunch crossings are searched for using a data sample of proton-proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s}$$ = 13.6 TeV collected with the CMS detector in 2024, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.7 fb$$^{-1}$$. This is the first search relying on the novel level-1 trigger scouting data set collected without any trigger selection, allowing correlations between bunch crossings to be analyzed. The results are interpreted as upper limits on the cross sections of several benchmark processes with pair production of heavymore » long-lived charged particles. Upper limits on the fiducial cross section of a heavy long-lived charged particle with $$p_\mathrm{T}$$$$\gt$$ 500 GeV and $$\lvertη\rvert$$$$\lt$$ 0.83 are also set in different ranges of $β=v/c$. This analysis is a crucial proof of concept for the level-1 trigger data scouting system and complements existing searches for heavy long-lived charged particles by extending the sensitivity to lower $$β$$ values.« less

A search for dark matter particles produced in association with a Higgs boson decaying to a bottom quark-antiquark pair in proton-proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s}$$ = 13 TeV is presented. The data, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC, correspond to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb$$^{-1}$$. The analysis is performed in exclusive categories targeting both Lorentz-boosted (merged) and resolved b jet pair topologies, covering a wide range of Higgs boson transverse momentum. A statistical combination is made with a previous search using data collected in 2016 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$$^{-1}$$. The observed data agreemore » with the standard model background predictions. Constraints are placed on models predicting new particles or interactions, such as those in the simplified frameworks of baryonic-Z' and 2HDM+a, where the latter is a type-II two-Higgs-doublet model featuring a heavy pseudoscalar with an additional light pseudoscalar. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the production cross section for these models. For the baryonic-Z' model, Z' boson masses below 2.25 TeV are excluded for a dark matter particle candidate mass of 1 GeV. In the 2HDM+a model, heavy pseudoscalar masses between 850 and 1300 GeV are excluded for a light pseudoscalar mass of 350 GeV.« less

The trigger system of the CMS detector is pivotal in the acquisition of data for physics measurements and searches. Studies of final states characterized by hadronic decays of tau leptons require the reconstruction and the identification of genuine tau leptons against quark- and gluon-initiated jets at the trigger level. This is a difficult task, particularly as improvements to the LHC have resulted in an increased number of interactions per bunch crossing in recent years. To address this challenge, a series of machine-learning algorithms with high identification efficiency and low computational cost have been incorporated into the high-level trigger for hadronicallymore » decaying tau leptons. In this paper, these developments and the trigger performance are summarized using data collected by the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions at √(s) = 13.6 TeV in 2022–2023, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 62 fb^-1.« less

Measurements of the spin correlation coefficients in the beam basis are presented for top quark-antiquark $$(t\bar{t}⁢)$$ systems produced in proton-proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s}$$ = 13 TeV collected by the CMS experiment in 2016–2018, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb⁻¹. The $$t\bar{t}$$ system is reconstructed from final states containing an electron or muon and jets. Together with the previously reported results in the helicity basis, these measurements are used to decompose the system into the Bell and spin eigenstates in various kinematic regions. The spin correlation coefficients are also used to evaluate properties of the $$t\bar{t}$$ quantum state,more » such as the purity, von Neumann entropy, and entanglement. All results are consistent with standard model predictions.« less

A search is presented for rare decays of the Z and Higgs bosons to a photon and a J∕ψ or a ψ(2S) meson, with the charmonium state subsequentially decaying to a pair of muons. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 123 fb⁻¹ of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13TeV collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. No evidence for branching fractions of these rare decay channels larger than predicted in the standard model is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set: $$\mathcal{B}$$(H → J∕ψγ ) < 2.6 × 10⁻⁴, $$\mathcal{B}$$(H → ψ(2S)γmore » ) < 9.9 × 10⁻⁴, $$\mathcal{B}$$(Z → J∕ψγ ) < 0.6 × 10⁻⁶, and $$\mathcal{B}$$(Z → ψ(2S)γ ) < 1.3 × 10⁻⁶. The ratio of the Higgs boson coupling modifiers 𝜅_c∕𝜅_γ is constrained to be in the interval (−157, +199) at 95% confidence level. Assuming 𝜅_γ = 1, this interval becomes (−166, +208).« less

Measurements are presented of inclusive and differential cross sections for Z boson associated production of top quark pairs ($$ \textrm{t}\overline{\textrm{t}}\textrm{Z} $$) and single top quarks (tZq or tWZ). The data were recorded in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$$^{−1}$$. Events with three or more leptons, electrons or muons, are selected and a multiclass deep neural network is used to separate three event categories, the $$ \textrm{t}\overline{\textrm{t}}\textrm{Z} $$ and tWZ processes, the tZq process, and the backgrounds. A profile likelihood approach is used to unfold the differential cross sections, tomore » account for systematic uncertainties, and to determine the correlations between the two signal categories in one global fit. The inclusive cross sections for a dilepton invariant mass between 70 and 110 GeV are measured to be 1.14 ± 0.07 pb for the sum of $$ \textrm{t}\overline{\textrm{t}}\textrm{Z} $$ and tWZ, and 0.81 ± 0.10 pb for tZq, in good agreement with theoretical predictions.[graphic not available: see fulltext]« less