Differential cross sections for the Drell-Yan process, including Z boson production, using the dimuon decay channel are measured in proton-lead (pPb) collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of 8.16 TeV. A data sample recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC is used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 173 nb$^{-1}$. The differential cross section as a function of the dimuon mass is measured in the range 15-600 GeV, for the first time in proton-nucleus collisions. It is also reported as a function of dimuon rapidity over the mass ranges 15-60 GeV and 60-120 GeV, and ratios for the p-going over the Pb-going beam directions are built. In both mass ranges, the differential cross sections as functions of the dimuon transverse momentum $p_\mathrm{T}$ and of a geometric variable $\phi^*$ are measured, where $\phi^*$ highly correlates with $p_\mathrm{T}$ but is determined with higher precision. In the Z mass region, the rapidity dependence of the data indicate a modification of the distribution of partons within a lead nucleus as compared to the proton case. The data are more precise than predictions based upon current models of parton distributions.

Searches for anomalous top quark-antiquark production are presented, based on pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 inverse femtobarns, were collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The observed ttbar invariant mass spectrum is found to be compatible with the standard model prediction. Limits on the production cross section times branching fraction probe, for the first time, a region of parameter space for certain models of new physics not yet constrained by precision measurements.

The W+W- and ZZ production cross sections are measured in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV with the CMS experiment at the LHC in data samples corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 5.3 inverse femtobarns. The measurements are performed in the leptonic decay modes W+W- to l' nu l'' nu and ZZ to 2l 2l', where l = e, mu and l'(l'') = e, mu, tau. The measured cross sections sigma(pp to W+W-) = 69.9 +/- 2.8 (stat.) +/- 5.6 (syst.) +/- 3.1 (lumi.) pb and sigma(pp to ZZ) = 8.4 +/- 1.0 (stat.) +/- 0.7 (syst.) +/- 0.4 (lumi.) pb, for both Z bosons produced in the mass region 60 < m[Z] < 120 GeV, are consistent with standard model predictions. These are the first measurements of the diboson production cross sections at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV.

Measurements of the differential and double-differential Drell-Yan cross sections in the dielectron and dimuon channels are presented. They are based on proton-proton collision data at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 inverse femtobarns. The measured inclusive cross section in the Z peak region (60-120 GeV), obtained from the combination of the dielectron and dimuon channels, is 1138 +/- 8 (exp) +/- 25 (theo) +/- 30 (lumi) pb, where the statistical uncertainty is negligible. The differential cross section d(sigma)/d(m) in the dilepton mass range 15 to 2000 GeV is measured and corrected to the full phase space. The double-differential cross section d2(sigma)/d(m)d(abs(y)) is also measured over the mass range 20 to 1500 GeV and absolute dilepton rapidity from 0 to 2.4. In addition, the ratios of the normalized differential cross sections measured at sqrt(s) = 7 and 8 TeV are presented. These measurements are compared to the predictions of perturbative QCD at next-to-leading and next-to-next-to-leading (NNLO) orders using various sets of parton distribution functions (PDFs). The results agree with the NNLO theoretical predictions computed with FEWZ 3.1 using the CT10 NNLO and NNPDF2.1 NNLO PDFs. The measured double-differential cross section and ratio of normalized differential cross sections are sufficiently precise to constrain the proton PDFs.

A search for neutral Higgs bosons in the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model (MSSM) decaying to tau-lepton pairs in pp collisions is performed, using events recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 24.6 fb$^{-1}$, with 4.9 fb$^{-1}$ at 7 TeV and 19.7 fb$^{-1}$ at 8 TeV. To enhance the sensitivity to neutral MSSM Higgs bosons, the search includes the case where the Higgs boson is produced in association with a b-quark jet. No excess is observed in the tau-lepton-pair invariant mass spectrum. Exclusion limits are presented in the MSSM parameter space for different benchmark scenarios, $m_\mathrm{h}^\text{max}$, $m_\mathrm{h}^{\text{mod}+}$, $m_\mathrm{h}^{\text{mod}-}$, light-stop, light-stau, $\tau$-phobic, and low-$m_\mathrm{H}$. Upper limits on the cross section times branching fraction for gluon fusion and b-quark associated Higgs boson production are also given.

A measurement of total and fiducial inclusive W and Z boson production cross sections in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV is presented. Electron and muon final states are analyzed in a data sample collected with the CMS detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 18.2 +/- 0.5 inverse-picobarns. The measured total inclusive cross sections times branching fractions are $\sigma(pp \to WX) \times B(W \to l\nu)$ = 12.21 +/- 0.03 (stat) +/- 0.24 (syst) +/- 0.32 (lum) nb, and $\sigma(pp \to ZX) \times B(Z \to l^{+}l^{-})$ = 1.15 +/- 0.01 (stat) +/- 0.02 (syst) +/- 0.03 (lum) nb, for the dilepton mass in the range of 60 to 120 GeV. The measured values agree with next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD cross section calculations. Ratios of cross sections are reported with a precision of 2%. This is the first measurement of inclusive W and Z boson production in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV.

Measurements of the cross sections for top quark pairs produced in association with a W or Z boson are presented, using 8 TeV pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.5 inverse femtobarns, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Final states are selected in which the associated W boson decays to a charged lepton and a neutrino or the Z boson decays to two charged leptons. Signal events are identified by matching reconstructed objects in the detector to specific final state particles from ttW or ttZ decays. The ttW cross section is measured to be 382 +117 -102 fb with a significance of 4.8 standard deviations from the background-only hypothesis. The ttZ cross section is measured to be 242 +65 -55 fb with a significance of 6.4 standard deviations from the background-only hypothesis. These measurements are used to set bounds on five anomalous dimension-six operators that would affect the ttW and ttZ cross sections.

A search for neutral Higgs bosons predicted in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) for mu+ mu- decay channels is presented. The analysis uses data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 5.1 and 19.3 inverse femtobarns, respectively. The search is sensitive to Higgs bosons produced through the gluon fusion process or in association with a bb quark pair. No statistically significant excess is observed in the mu+ mu- mass spectrum. Results are interpreted in the framework of several benchmark scenarios, and the data are used to set an upper limit on the MSSM parameter tan(beta) as a function of the mass of the pseudoscalar A boson in the range from 115 to 300 GeV. Model independent upper limits are given for the product of the cross section and branching fraction for gluon fusion and b quark associated production. They are the most stringent limits obtained to date in this channel.

A measurement is presented of the cross section for the electroweak production of a W boson in association with two jets in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The data set was collected with the CMS detector and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 19.3 inverse femtobarns. The measured fiducial cross section for W bosons decaying to electrons or muons and for pT(j1) > 60 GeV, pT(j2) > 50 GeV, |eta(j)| < 4.7, and m(jj) > 1000 GeV is 0.42 +/- 0.04 (stat) +/- 0.09 (syst) +/- 0.01 (lumi) pb. This result is consistent with the standard model leading-order prediction of 0.50 +/- 0.02 (scale) +/- 0.02 (PDF) pb obtained with MADGRAPH5_aMC@NLO 2.1 interfaced to PYTHIA 6.4. This is the first cross section measurement for this process.

The cross section for the production of Z gamma in proton-proton collisions at 8 TeV is measured based on data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.5 inverse femtobarns. Events with an oppositely-charged pair of muons or electrons together with an isolated photon are selected. The differential cross section as a function of the photon transverse momentum is measured inclusively and exclusively, where the exclusive selection applies a veto on central jets. The observed cross sections are compatible with the expectations of next-to-next-to-leading-order quantum chromodynamics. Limits on anomalous triple gauge couplings of Z Z gamma and Z gamma gamma are set that improve on previous experimental results obtained with the charged lepton decay modes of the Z boson.