Search for heavy pseudoscalar and scalar bosons decaying to a top quark pair in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

The CMS collaboration Hayrapetyan, Aram ; Makarenko, Vladimir ; Tumasyan, Armen ; et al.
CMS-HIG-22-013, 2025.
Inspire Record 2942928 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.159298

A search for pseudoscalar or scalar bosons decaying to a top quark pair ($\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$) in final states with one or two charged leptons is presented. The analyzed proton-proton collision data was recorded at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The invariant mass $m_\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ of the reconstructed $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ system and variables sensitive to its spin and parity are used to discriminate against the standard model $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ background. Interference between pseudoscalar or scalar boson production and the standard model $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ continuum is included, leading to peak-dip structures in the $m_\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ distribution. An excess of the data above the background prediction, based on perturbative quantum chromodynamics (QCD) calculations, is observed near the kinematic $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ production threshold, while good agreement is found for high $m_\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$. The data are consistent with the background prediction if the contribution from the production of a color-singlet ${}^1\mathrm{S}_0^{[1]}$$\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ quasi-bound state $η_\mathrm{t}$, predicted by nonrelativistic QCD, is added. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the coupling between the pseudoscalar or scalar bosons and the top quark for boson masses in the range 365$-$1000 GeV, relative widths between 0.5 and 25%, and two background scenarios with or without $η_\mathrm{t}$ contribution.

1000 data tables

Observed values of twice the negative log-likelihood with respect to the SM (corresponding to $g_{A t \bar t} = g_{H t \bar t} = 0$) for the simultaneous presence of A, $m_A = 450$ GeV, $\Gamma_A/m_A = 5.0$% and H, $m_H = 400$ GeV, $\Gamma_H/m_H = 2.0$% as a function of the coupling modifiers $g_{A t \bar t}$ and $g_{H t \bar t}$.

Observed values of twice the negative log-likelihood with respect to the SM (corresponding to $g_{A t \bar t} = g_{H t \bar t} = 0$) for the simultaneous presence of A, $m_A = 450$ GeV, $\Gamma_A/m_A = 21.0$% and H, $m_H = 700$ GeV, $\Gamma_H/m_H = 2.0$% as a function of the coupling modifiers $g_{A t \bar t}$ and $g_{H t \bar t}$.

Observed values of twice the negative log-likelihood with respect to the SM (corresponding to $g_{A t \bar t} = g_{H t \bar t} = 0$) for the simultaneous presence of A, $m_A = 450$ GeV, $\Gamma_A/m_A = 5.0$% and H, $m_H = 400$ GeV, $\Gamma_H/m_H = 5.0$% as a function of the coupling modifiers $g_{A t \bar t}$ and $g_{H t \bar t}$.

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Observation of a pseudoscalar excess at the top quark pair production threshold

The CMS collaboration Hayrapetyan, Aram ; Makarenko, Vladimir ; Tumasyan, Armen ; et al.
Rept.Prog.Phys. 88 (2025) 087801, 2025.
Inspire Record 2905701 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.156815

A search for resonances in top quark pair ($\text{t}\bar{\text{t}}$) production in final states with two charged leptons and multiple jets is presented, based on proton-proton collision data collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, corresponding to 138 fb$^{-1}$. The analysis explores the invariant mass of the $\text{t}\bar{\text{t}}$ system and two angular observables that provide direct access to the correlation of top quark and antiquark spins. A significant excess of events is observed near the kinematic $\text{t}\bar{\text{t}}$ threshold compared to the nonresonant production predicted by fixed-order perturbative quantum chromodynamics (pQCD). The observed enhancement is consistent with the production of a color-singlet pseudoscalar ($^1$S$^{[1]}_0$) quasi-bound toponium state, as predicted by nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics. Using a simplified model for $^1$S$^{[1]}_0$ toponium, the cross section of the excess above the pQCD prediction is measured to be 8.8 $^{+1.2}_{-1.4}$ pb.

0 data tables