The first observation of electroweak production of a photon in association with two forward jets in proton-proton collisions is presented. The measurement uses data recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC during 2016$-$2018 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The analysis is performed in a region enriched in photon production via vector boson fusion, with a requirement on the transverse momentum of the photon to exceed 200 GeV. The cross section is measured to be 202$^{+36}_{-32}$ fb, at a significance with respect to the null hypothesis that exceeds five standard deviations. This is in agreement with the standard model prediction of 177$^{+13}_{-12}$ fb. Differential cross sections are measured as a function of various observables. Limits are set on dimension-6 effective field theory operators that contribute to the WW$γ$ interaction. The observed 95% confidence intervals for the corresponding Warsaw basis Wilson coefficients $c_\mathrm{W}$ and $c_\mathrm{HWB}$ are [$-$0.11, 0.16] and [$-$1.6, 1.5], respectively.
Summary of uncertainties affecting the measurement as extracted from the fit to data. The total uncertainty is obtained by adding individual contributions in quadrature.
The rapidity gap fraction as a function of $p_{\mathrm{T}^{veto}}$ in data and simulated samples for EW $\gamma$jj and QCD $\gamma$jj. The black points with error bars represent the data and their statistical uncertainties. The theory prediction, calculated using Madgraph5_aMC@NLO version 2.6.5 at NLO in QCD together with PYTHIA version 8.240, as well as MC statistical uncertainties are shown by the colored band.
Normalized differential cross sections, compared with the SM predictions, as a function of the absolute value of pseudorapidity of the leading jet in transverse momentum. The SM predictions are obtained using Madgraph5_aMC@NLO version 2.6.5 at NLO in QCD with PYTHIA version 8.240
Inclusive and differential cross section measurements of top quark pair ($\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$) production in association with a photon ($γ$) are performed as a function of lepton, photon, top quark, and $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ kinematic observables, using data from proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Events containing two leptons (electrons or muons) and a photon in the final state are considered. The fiducial cross section of $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}γ$ is measured to be 137 $\pm$ 8 fb, in a phase space including events with a high momentum, isolated photon. The fiducial cross section of $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}γ$ is also measured to be 56 $\pm$ 5 fb when considering only events where the photon is emitted in the production part of the process. Both measurements are in agreement with the theoretical predictions, of 126 $\pm$ 19 fb and 57 $\pm$ 5 fb, respectively. Differential measurements are performed at the particle and parton levels. Additionally, inclusive and differential ratios between the cross sections of $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}γ$ and $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ production are measured. The inclusive ratio is found to be 0.0133 $\pm$ 0.0005, in agreement with the standard model prediction of 0.0127 $\pm$ 0.0008. The top quark charge asymmetry in $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}γ$ production is also measured to be $-$0.012 $\pm$ 0.042, compatible with both the standard model prediction and with no asymmetry.
Absolute differential distributions of the leading top quark $p_{\mathrm{T}}$. The nominal MC prediction used to compare the experimental results to is obtained with Madgraph5 at NLO in QCD for photons from the production part of the process and Madgraph5 at LO in QCD for photons from the decay part of the process. The alternative prediction is obtained with Madgraph5 at NLO in QCD for photons from the production part of the process and a POWHEG+Pythia $\mathrm{tt}$ simulation at NLO in QCD for photons from the decay part of the process.
Normalized differential distributions of the leading top quark $p_{\mathrm{T}}$. The nominal MC prediction used to compare the experimental results to is obtained with Madgraph5 at NLO in QCD for photons from the production part of the process and Madgraph5 at LO in QCD for photons from the decay part of the process. The alternative prediction is obtained with Madgraph5 at NLO in QCD for photons from the production part of the process and a POWHEG+Pythia $\mathrm{tt}$ simulation at NLO in QCD for photons from the decay part of the process.
Absolute differential distributions of the $\Delta R (\gamma,\mathrm{tt})$. The nominal MC prediction used to compare the experimental results to is obtained with Madgraph5 at NLO in QCD for photons from the production part of the process and Madgraph5 at LO in QCD for photons from the decay part of the process. The alternative prediction is obtained with Madgraph5 at NLO in QCD for photons from the production part of the process and a POWHEG+Pythia $\mathrm{tt}$ simulation at NLO in QCD for photons from the decay part of the process.
This paper presents a combination of searches for the nonresonant production of Higgs boson pairs (HH) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data set was collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC from 2016 to 2018 and corresponds to a total integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The observed (expected) upper limit on the inclusive HH production cross section relative to the standard model (SM) prediction is found to be 3.5 (2.5). Assuming all other Higgs boson couplings are equal to their SM values, the Higgs boson trilinear self-coupling modifier $κ_λ=λ_3/λ_{3}^\text{SM}$ is constrained in the range $-$1.35 $\leq$$κ_λ$$\leq$ 6.37 at 95% confidence level. Similarly, for the coupling modifier $κ_{2\mathrm{V}}$, which governs the interaction between two vector bosons and two Higgs bosons, we have excluded $κ_{2\mathrm{V}}$ = 0 at more than 5 standard deviations for all values of $κ_λ$. At 95% confidence level assuming other couplings are equal to their SM values, $κ_{2\mathrm{V}}$ is constrained in the range 0.64 $\leq$ $κ_{2\mathrm{V}}$ $\leq$ 1.40. This work also studies HH production in several new physics scenarios, using the Higgs effective field theory (HEFT) framework. The HEFT framework is further exploited to study various ultraviolet complete models with an extended Higgs sector and set constraints on specific parameters. An extrapolation of the results to the integrated luminosity expected after the high-luminosity upgrade of the LHC is reported as well.
Values of the effective Lagrangian couplings for the Higgs Effective field theory benchmarks proposed in Ref. [33].
Values of the effective Lagrangian couplings for the Higgs Effective field theory benchmarks proposed in Ref. [34].
Summary of results for the HH analyses included in this combination. The second column is the observed (expected) 95$\%$ CL upper limit on the inclusive signal strength $r$. The third (fourth) column is the allowed 68$\%$ CL interval for the coupling modifier $\kappa_\lambda$ ($\kappa _{2V}$). The last column indicates whether the analysis is included in the results using the HEFT parametrisation.
A search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a charm quark-antiquark pair, H $\to$$\mathrm{c\bar{c}}$, produced in association with a top quark-antiquark pair ($\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$H) is presented. The search is performed with data from proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Advanced machine learning techniques are employed for jet flavor identification and event classification. The Higgs boson decay to a bottom quark-antiquark pair is measured simultaneously and the observed $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$H (H $\to$$\mathrm{b\bar{b}}$) event rate relative to the standard model expectation is 0.91 $^{+0.26}_{-0.22}$. The observed (expected) upper limit on the product of production cross section and branching fraction $σ$($\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$H) $\mathcal{B}$(H $\to$$\mathrm{c\bar{c}}$) is 0.11 (0.13) pb at 95% confidence level, corresponding to 7.8 (8.7) times the standard model prediction. When combined with the previous search for H $\to$ $\mathrm{c\bar{c}}$ via associated production with a W or Z boson, the observed (expected) 95% confidence interval on the Higgs-charm Yukawa coupling modifier, $κ_\mathrm{c}$, is $\lvert{κ_\mathrm{c}}\rvert$ $\lt$ 3.5 (2.7), the most stringent constraint to date.
Upper limits on the signal strength for $\text{H}\to\text{c}\overline{\text{c}}$ decays with respect to the standard model expectation of unity.
Upper limits on the signal strength for $\text{t}\overline{\text{t}}\text{H}(\text{H}\to\text{c}\overline{\text{c}})$ decays with respect to the standard model expectation of unity.
Signal strength and significance for $\text{t}\overline{\text{t}}\text{H}(\text{H}\to\text{b}\overline{\text{b}})$ decays with respect to the standard model expectation of unity.
The first observation of coherent $ϕ$(1020) meson photoproduction off heavy nuclei is presented using ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.36 TeV. The data were collected by the CMS experiment and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 1.62 $μ$b$^{-1}$. The $ϕ$(1020) meson signals are reconstructed via the K$^+$K$^-$ decay channel. The production cross section is presented as a function of the $ϕ$(1020) meson rapidity in the range 0.3 $\lt$$\lvert y\rvert$$\lt$ 1.0, probing gluons that carry a fraction of the nucleon momentum ($x$) around $10^{-4}$. The observed cross section exhibits little dependence on rapidity and is significantly suppressed, by a factor of ${\sim}$5, compared to a baseline model that treats a nucleus as a collection of free nucleons. Theoretical models that incorporate the nuclear shadowing effect generally provide a better description of the $ϕ$(1020) data than those incorporating gluon saturation. This study establishes a powerful new tool for exploring nuclear effects and nuclear gluonic structure in the small-$x$ regime at a unique energy scale bridging the perturbative and nonperturbative quantum chromodynamics domains.
The differential coherent $\phi$ photoproduction cross section and the nuclear suppression factor as a function of rapidity.
Incoherent J/$ψ$ photoproduction in heavy ion ultraperipheral collisions (UPCs) provides a sensitive probe of localized, fluctuating gluonic structures within heavy nuclei. This study reports the first measurement of the photon-nucleon center-of-mass energy ($W_{γ\mathrm{N}}$) dependence of this process in PbPb UPCs at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV, using 1.52 nb$^{-1}$ of data recorded by the CMS experiment. The measurement covers a wide $W_{γ\mathrm{N}}$ range of $\approx$ 40-400 GeV, probing gluons carrying a fraction $x$ of nucleon momentum down to an unexplored region of 6.5 $\times$ 10$^{-5}$. Compared to baseline predictions neglecting nuclear effects, the measured cross sections exhibit significantly greater suppression at lower $x$. Additionally, the ratio of incoherent to coherent photoproduction is found to be constant across the probed $W_{γ\mathrm{N}}$ and $x$ range, disfavoring the establishment of the black disk limit. This study provides critical insights into the $x$-dependent evolution of fluctuating gluonic structures within nuclei and calls for further advancements in theoretical models incorporating nuclear shadowing and gluon saturation.
The differential incoherent $\mathrm{J}/\psi$ photoproduction cross section as a function of $|y|$, in different neutron multiplicity classes.
The differential incoherent $\mathrm{J}/\psi$ photoproduction cross section as a function of $y$, in different neutron multiplicity classes.
The incoherent $\mathrm{J}/\psi$ photoproduction cross section as a function of photon-nuclear center-of-mass energy per nucleon $W_{\gamma \mathrm{N}}^{\mathrm{Pb}}$ or Bjorken $x$, measured in PbPb ultra-peripheral collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV. The $W_{\gamma \mathrm{N}}^{\mathrm{Pb}}$ values used correspond to the center of each rapidity range. The theoretical uncertainties is due to the uncertainties in the photon flux.
Bound states of charm and anticharm quarks, known as charmonia, have a rich spectroscopic structure that can be used to probe the dynamics of hadron production in high-energy hadron collisions. Here, the cross section ratio of excited ($ψ$(2S)) and ground state (J/$ψ$) vector mesons is measured as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity in proton-lead (pPb) collisions at a center-of-mass (CM) energy per nucleon pair of 8.16 TeV. The data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 175 nb$^{-1}$ were collected using the CMS detector. The ratio is measured separately for prompt and nonprompt charmonia in the transverse momentum range 6.5 $\lt$$p_\text{T}$$\lt$ 30 GeV and in four rapidity ranges spanning $-$2.865 $\lt$$y_\text{CM}$$\lt$ 1.935. For the first time, a statistically significant multiplicity dependence of the prompt cross section ratio is observed in proton-nucleus collisions. There is no clear rapidity dependence in the ratio. The prompt measurements are compared with a theoretical model which includes interactions with nearby particles during the evolution of the system. These results provide additional constraints on hadronization models of heavy quarks in nuclear collisions.
Normalized $\sigma_{\psi(2S)}/\sigma_{J/\psi}$ in $6.5<p_T<30.0\,GeV$ and $ -2.865 < y_{CM} < -2$ as functions of normalized $\text{N}^{{\text{corr.}}}_{\text{track}}$
Normalized $\sigma_{\psi(2S)}/\sigma_{J/\psi}$ in $6.5<p_T<30.0\,GeV$ and $ -2 < y_{CM} < -1$ as functions of normalized $\text{N}^{{\text{corr.}}}_{\text{track}}$
Normalized $\sigma_{\psi(2S)}/\sigma_{J/\psi}$ in $6.5<p_T<30.0\,GeV$ and $ -1 < y_{CM} < 1$ as functions of normalized $\text{N}^{{\text{corr.}}}_{\text{track}}$
A measurement of the top quark pair ($\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$) production cross section in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC in autumn 2017, in dedicated runs with low-energy and low-intensity conditions with respect to the default configuration, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 302 pb$^{-1}$. The measurement is performed using events with one electron or muon, and multiple jets, at least one of them being identified as originating from a b quark (b tagged). Events are classified based on the number of all reconstructed jets and of b-tagged jets. Multivariate analysis techniques are used to enhance the separation between the signal and backgrounds. The measured cross section is 62.5 $\pm$ 1.6 (stat) $^{+2.6}_{-2.5}$ (syst) $\pm$ 1.2 (lumi) pb. A combination with the result in the dilepton channel based on the same data set yields a value of 62.3 $\pm$ 1.5 (stat) $\pm$ 2.4 (syst) $\pm$ 1.2 (lumi) pb, to be compared with the standard model prediction of 69.5 $^{+3.5}_{-3.7}$ pb at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.
Distributions for data and expected signal and background contributions of the most discriminating input variables (\ensuremath{\Delta R_\mathrm{med}(\mathrm{j,j')}}) used for the random forest training, in the 3j1b category, before the maximum likelihood fit. The vertical error bars represent the statistical uncertainty in the data, and the shaded band the uncertainty in the prediction. All uncertainties considered in the analysis are included in the uncertainty band. The lower panels show the data-to-prediction ratio. The first and last bins in each distribution include underflow and overflow events, respectively.
Distributions for data and expected signal and background contributions of the most discriminating input variables (\ensuremath{\mathit{m}(\mathrm{u},\mathrm{u'})}) used for the random forest training, in the 3j1b category, before the maximum likelihood fit. The vertical error bars represent the statistical uncertainty in the data, and the shaded band the uncertainty in the prediction. All uncertainties considered in the analysis are included in the uncertainty band. The lower panels show the data-to-prediction ratio. The first and last bins in each distribution include underflow and overflow events, respectively.
Distributions for data and expected signal and background contributions of the MVA score for the e + jets channel in the 3j1b category, before the maximum likelihood fit. The vertical error bars represent the statistical uncertainty in the data, and the shaded band the uncertainty in the prediction. All uncertainties considered in the analysis are included in the uncertainty band. The lower panels show the data-to-prediction ratio. The first and last bins in each distribution include underflow and overflow events, respectively.
A search is presented for the pair production of new heavy resonances, each decaying into a top quark (t) or antiquark and a gluon (g). The analysis uses data recorded with the CMS detector from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Events with one muon or electron, multiple jets, and missing transverse momentum are selected. After using a deep neural network to enrich the data sample with signal-like events, distributions in the scalar sum of the transverse momenta of all reconstructed objects are analyzed in the search for a signal. No significant deviations from the standard model prediction are found. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the product of cross section and branching fraction squared for the pair production of excited top quarks in the $\mathrm{t^*}$ $\to$ tg decay channel. The upper limits range from 120 to 0.8 fb for a $\mathrm{t^*}$ with spin-1/2 and from 15 to 1.0 fb for a $\mathrm{t^*}$ with spin-3/2. These correspond to mass exclusion limits up to 1050 and 1700 GeV for spin-1/2 and spin-3/2 $\mathrm{t^*}$ particles, respectively. These are the most stringent limits to date on the existence of $\mathrm{t^*}$ $\to$ tg resonances.
Expected and observed 95% CL upper limits on the product of the $t^{*} \overline{t}^{*}$ production cross section and the branching fraction squared $BR^2(t^{*} \rightarrow tg)$ for a spin-1/2 $t^{*}$ as a function of $m_{t^{*}}$. The inner (green) and outer (yellow) bands give the central probability intervals containing 68 and 95% of the expected upper limits under the background-only hypothesis. The cross section predicted by theory, following an EFT approach, is shown in blue, assuming $BR(t^{*} \rightarrow tg)=1$.
Expected and observed 95% CL upper limits on the product of the $t^{*} \overline{t}^{*}$ production cross section and the branching fraction squared $BR^2(t^{*} \rightarrow tg)$ for a spin-3/2 $t^{*}$ as a function of $m_{t^{*}}$. The inner (green) and outer (yellow) bands give the central probability intervals containing 68 and 95% of the expected upper limits under the background-only hypothesis. The cross section predicted by theory, following an EFT approach, is shown in blue, assuming $BR(t^{*} \rightarrow tg)=1$. The results of the previous CMS analysis, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 $fb^{-1}$, are shown in red.
Distributions in $S_T$ in the SR for the muon channel, after a background-only fit to the data. The signal distributions are scaled to the cross section predicted by the theory. The hatched bands show the post-fit uncertainty band, combining all sources of uncertainty. The ratio of data to the background predictions is shown in the panels below the distributions.
An analysis of the production of a Higgs boson ($H$) in association with a top quark-antiquark pair ($\mathrm{t\bar{t}}H$) or a single top quark ($tH$) is presented. The Higgs boson decay into a bottom quark-antiquark pair ($H \to\mathrm{b\bar{b}}$) is targeted, and three different final states of the top quark decays are considered, defined by the number of leptons (electrons or muons) in the event. The analysis utilises proton-proton collision data collected at the CERN LHC with the CMS experiment at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV in 2016-2018, which correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The observed $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}H$ production rate relative to the standard model expectation is 0.33 $\pm$ 0.26 = 0.33 $\pm$ 0.17 (stat) $\pm$ 0.21 (syst). Additionally, the $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}H$ production rate is determined in intervals of Higgs boson transverse momentum. An upper limit at 95% confidence level is set on the tH production rate of 14.6 times the standard model prediction, with an expectation of 19.3 $^{+9.2}_{-6.0}$. Finally, constraints are derived on the strength and structure of the coupling between the Higgs boson and the top quark from simultaneous extraction of the $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}H$ and $tH$ production rates, and the results are combined with those obtained in other Higgs boson decay channels.
Best fit results of the ttH signal-strength modifier in each channel, in each year, and in the combination of all channels and years. Uncertainties are correlated between the channels and years.
Likelihood-ratio test statistic as a function of the ttH strength modifiers $\mu_{ttH}$ and the $ttB$ background normalisation. The observed best fit point is $(\mu_{ttH}, ttB) = (0.33, 1.19)$.
Best fit results of the ttH signal-strength modifiers in the different Higgs pT bins of the STXS measurement.