Measurements of differential cross sections are presented for inclusive isolated-photon production in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV provided by the LHC and using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment. The cross sections are measured as functions of the photon transverse energy in different regions of photon pseudorapidity. The photons are required to be isolated by means of a fixed-cone method with two different cone radii. The dependence of the inclusive-photon production on the photon isolation is investigated by measuring the fiducial cross sections as functions of the isolation-cone radius and the ratios of the differential cross sections with different radii in different regions of photon pseudorapidity. The results presented in this paper constitute an improvement with respect to those published by ATLAS earlier: the measurements are provided for different isolation radii and with a more granular segmentation in photon pseudorapidity that can be exploited in improving the determination of the proton parton distribution functions. These improvements provide a more in-depth test of the theoretical predictions. Next-to-leading-order QCD predictions from JETPHOX and SHERPA and next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD predictions from NNLOJET are compared to the measurements, using several parameterisations of the proton parton distribution functions. The measured cross sections are well described by the fixed-order QCD predictions within the experimental and theoretical uncertainties in most of the investigated phase-space region.
The leptonic and inclusive hadronic decay branching fractions of the W boson are measured using proton-proton collision data collected at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. Events characterized by the production of one or two W bosons are selected and categorized based on the multiplicity and flavor of reconstructed leptons, the number of jets, and the number of jets identified as originating from the hadronization of b quarks. A binned maximum likelihood estimate of the W boson branching fractions is performed simultaneously in each event category. The measured branching fractions of the W boson decaying into electron, muon, and tau lepton final states are (10.83 $\pm$ 0.10)%, (10.94 $\pm$ 0.08)%, and (10.77 $\pm$ 0.21)%, respectively, consistent with lepton flavor universality for the weak interaction. The average leptonic and inclusive hadronic decay branching fractions are estimated to be (10.89 $\pm$ 0.08)% and (67.32 $\pm$ 0.23)%, respectively. Based on the hadronic branching fraction, three standard model quantities are subsequently derived: the sum of squared elements in the first two rows of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix $\sum_{ij}\vert V_{ij}\vert^{2}$ = 1.984 $\pm$ 0.021, the CKM element $\vert V_\mathrm{cs}\vert$ = 0.967 $\pm$ 0.011, and the strong coupling constant at the W boson mass scale, $\alpha_\mathrm{S}(m^2_\mathrm{W})$ = 0.095 $\pm$ 0.033.
Event-shape variables, which are sensitive to perturbative and nonperturbative aspects of quantum chromodynamic (QCD) interactions, are studied in multijet events recorded in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV. Events are selected with at least one jet with transverse momentum pt > 110 GeV and pseudorapidity abs(eta) < 2.4, in a data sample corresponding to integrated luminosities of up to 5 inverse femtobarns. The distributions of five event-shape variables in various leading jet pt ranges are compared to predictions from different QCD Monte Carlo event generators.
A measurement of WZ electroweak (EW) vector boson scattering is presented. The measurement is performed in the leptonic decay modes WZ $\to$ $\ell\nu\ell'\ell'$, where $\ell, \ell' = $ e, $\mu$. The analysis is based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV at the LHC collected with the CMS detector and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The WZ plus two jet production cross section is measured in fiducial regions with enhanced contributions from EW production and found to be consistent with standard model predictions. The EW WZ production in association with two jets is measured with an observed (expected) significance of 2.2 (2.5) standard deviations. Constraints on charged Higgs boson production and on anomalous quartic gauge couplings in terms of dimension-eight effective field theory operators are also presented.
This paper reports on a search for an extended scalar sector of the standard model, where a new CP-even (odd) boson decays to a Z boson and a lighter CP-odd (even) boson, and the latter further decays to a b quark pair. The Z boson is reconstructed via its decays to electron or muon pairs. The analysed data were recorded in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = $ 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC during 2016, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. Data and predictions from the standard model are in agreement within the uncertainties. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the production cross section times branching fraction, with masses of the new bosons up to 1000 GeV. The results are interpreted in the context of the two-Higgs-doublet model.
Measurements of the ZZ production cross sections in proton-proton collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV are presented. Candidate events for the leptonic decay mode ZZ to 2 l 2 nu, where l denotes an electron or a muon, are reconstructed and selected from data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.1 (19.6) inverse femtobarns at 7 (8) TeV collected with the CMS experiment. The measured cross sections, sigma(pp to ZZ) = 5.1 -1.4 +1.5 (stat) -1.1 +1.4 (syst) +/- 0.1 (lumi) pb at 7 TeV, and 7.2 -0.8 +0.8 (stat.) -1.5 +1.9 (syst) +/- 0.2 (lumi) pb at 8 TeV, are in good agreement with the standard model predictions with next-to-leading-order accuracy. The selected data are analyzed to search for anomalous triple gauge couplings involving the ZZ final state. In the absence of any deviation from the standard model predictions, limits are set on the relevant parameters. These limits are then combined with the previously published CMS results for ZZ in 4 l final states, yielding the most stringent constraints on the anomalous couplings.
The differential cross-section for the inclusive production of $\psi(2S)$ mesons in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ =7 TeV has been measured with the LHCb detector. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 36 pb$^{-1}$ collected during 2010. The $\psi(2S)$ mesons are reconstructed in the decay channels $\psi(2S) \rightarrow \mu^{+} \mu^{-}$ and $\psi(2S)$ $\rightarrow$ $J$/$\psi \pi^{+}\pi^{-}$, with the $J$/$\psi$ meson decaying into two muons. Results are presented both for promptly produced $\psi(2S)$ mesons and for those originating from $b$-hadron decays. In the kinematic range $p_{\rm T}(\psi(2S))$ $\leq$ 16 GeV/$c$ and 2 < $y$($\psi(2S))$ $\leq$ 4.5 we measure \begin{eqnarray*} \sigma_{\rm prompt}(\psi(2S)) &=& 1.44 \pm 0.01~(\text{stat})\pm 0.12~(\text{syst})^{+0.20}_{-0.40}~(\text{pol})~{\rm \mu b}, \\ \sigma_{b}(\psi(2S)) &=& 0.25 \pm 0.01~(\text{stat}) \pm 0.02~(\text{syst})~{\rm \mu b}, \end{eqnarray*} where the last uncertainty on the prompt cross-section is due to the unknown $\psi(2S)$ polarization. Recent QCD calculations are found to be in good agreement with our measurements. Combining the present result with the LHCb $J$/$\psi$ measurements we determine the inclusive branching fraction \begin{equation*} \mathcal{B}(b \rightarrow \psi(2S) X) = (2.73 \pm 0.06~(\text{stat}) \pm 0.16~(\text{syst}) \pm 0.24~(\text{BF})) \times 10^{-3}, \end{equation*} where the last uncertainty is due to the $\mathcal{B}(b \rightarrow J/\psi X)$, $\mathcal{B}(J/\psi \rightarrow \mu^+ \mu^-)$ and $\mathcal{B}(\psi(2S) \rightarrow e^+ e^-)$ branching fraction uncertainties. All above results are corrected by an erratum included as an appendix.
A search is presented for a right-handed W boson (W$_\mathrm{R}$) and a heavy neutrino (N), in a final state consisting of two same-flavor leptons (ee or $\mu\mu$) and two quarks. The search is performed with the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC using a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The search covers two regions of phase space, one where the decay products of the heavy neutrino are merged into a single large-area jet, and one where the decay products are well separated. The expected signal is characterized by an excess in the invariant mass distribution of the final-state objects. No significant excess over the standard model background expectations is observed. The observations are interpreted as upper limits on the product of W$_\mathrm{R}$ production cross sections and branching fractions assuming that couplings are identical to those of the standard model W boson. For N masses $m_\mathrm{N}$ equal to half the W$_\mathrm{R}$ mass $m_\mathrm{W_R}$ ($m_\mathrm{N}$ = 0.2 TeV), $m_\mathrm{W_R}$ is excluded at 95% confidence level up to 4.7 (4.8) and 5.0 (5.4) TeV for the electron and muon channels, respectively. This analysis provides the most stringent limits on the W$_\mathrm{R}$ mass to date.
Four-lepton production in proton-proton collisions, $\mathrm{pp}\to (\mathrm{Z}/ \gamma^*)(\mathrm{Z}/\gamma^*) \to 4\ell$, where $\ell = \mathrm{e}$ or $\mu$, is studied at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The ZZ production cross section, $\sigma(\mathrm{pp} \to \mathrm{Z}\mathrm{Z}) = 17.2 \pm 0.5\text{ (stat) }\pm 0.7\text{ (syst) }\pm 0.4(\mathrm{theo}) \pm 0.4\text{ (lumi)}$ pb, measured using events with two opposite-sign, same-flavor lepton pairs produced in the mass region $60 < m_{\ell^+\ell^-} < $120 GeV, is consistent with standard model predictions. Differential cross sections are measured and are well described by the theoretical predictions. The Z boson branching fraction to four leptons is measured to be $\mathcal{B}(\mathrm{Z}\to 4\ell) = 4.8 \pm 0.2\text{ (stat) }\pm 0.2\text{ (syst) } \pm 0.1\text{ (theo) }\pm 0.1\text{ (lumi) }\times 10^{-6}$ for events with a four-lepton invariant mass in the range 80 $ < m_{4\ell} < $ 100 GeV and a dilepton mass $m_{\ell\ell} > $4 GeV for all opposite-sign, same-flavor lepton pairs. The results agree with standard model predictions. The invariant mass distribution of the four-lepton system is used to set limits on anomalous ZZZ and ZZ$\gamma$ couplings at 95% confidence level: $-0.0012 < f_4^\mathrm{Z} < 0.0010$, $-0.0010 < f_5^\mathrm{Z} < 0.0013$, $-0.0012 < f_4^{\gamma} < 0.0013$, $-0.0012 < f_5^{\gamma} < 0.0013$.
A search for a heavy pseudoscalar Higgs boson, A, decaying to a 125 GeV Higgs boson h and a Z boson is presented. The h boson is identified via its decay to a pair of tau leptons, while the Z boson is identified via its decay to a pair of electrons or muons. The search targets the production of the A boson via the gluon-gluon fusion process, gg $\to$ A, and in association with bottom quarks, $\mathrm{b\bar{b}}$A. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. Constraints are set on the product of the cross sections of the A production mechanisms and the A $\to$ Zh decay branching fraction. The observed (expected) upper limit at 95% confidence level ranges from 0.049 (0.060) pb to 1.02 (0.79) pb for the gg $\to$ A process and from 0.053 (0.059) pb to 0.79 (0.61) pb for the $\text{b}\bar{\text{b}}$A process in the probed range of the A boson mass, $m_\text{A}$, from 225 GeV to 1 TeV. The results of the search are used to constrain parameters within the ${\text{M}_{\text{h,EFT}}^{\text{125}}}$ benchmark scenario of the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model. Values of $\tan\beta$ below 2.2 are excluded in this scenario at 95% confidence level for all $m_\text{A}$ values in the range from 225 to 350 GeV.
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