The production of $\pi^\pm$, ${\rm K}^\pm$, and $(\overline{\rm p})$p is measured in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV in different topological regions. Particle transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) spectra are measured in the ``toward'', ``transverse'', and ``away'' angular regions defined with respect to the direction of the leading particle in the event. While the toward and away regions contain the fragmentation products of the near-side and away-side jets, respectively, the transverse region is dominated by particles from the Underlying Event (UE). The relative transverse activity classifier, $R_{\rm T}=N_{\rm T}/\langle N_{\rm T}\rangle$, is used to group events according to their UE activity, where $N_{\rm T}$ is the measured charged-particle multiplicity per event in the transverse region and $\langle N_{\rm T}\rangle$ is the mean value over all the analysed events. The first measurements of identified particle $p_{\rm T}$ spectra as a function of $R_{\rm T}$ in the three topological regions are reported. The yield of high transverse momentum particles relative to the $R_{\rm T}$-integrated measurement decreases with increasing $R_{\rm T}$ in both the toward and away regions, indicating that the softer UE dominates particle production as $R_{\rm T}$ increases and validating that $R_{\rm T}$ can be used to control the magnitude of the UE. Conversely, the spectral shapes in the transverse region harden significantly with increasing $R_{\rm T}$. This hardening follows a mass ordering, being more significant for heavier particles. The $p_{\rm T}$-differential particle ratios $({\rm p+\overline{p}})/(\pi^+ +\pi^-)$ and $({\rm K^+ +K^-})/(\pi^+ +\pi^-)$ in the low UE limit $(R_{\rm T}\rightarrow 0)$ approach expectations from Monte Carlo generators such as PYTHIA 8 with Monash 2013 tune and EPOS LHC, where the jet-fragmentation models have been tuned to reproduce ${\rm e^+ e^-}$ results.
The fractions of non-prompt (i.e. originating from beauty-hadron decays) D$^0$ and D$^+$ mesons with respect to the inclusive yield are measured as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity in proton$-$proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The results are reported in intervals of transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) and integrated in the range $1 < p_{\rm T} < 24$ GeV/$c$. The fraction of non-prompt D$^0$ and D$^+$ mesons is found to increase slightly as a function of $p_{\rm T}$ in all the measured multiplicity intervals, while no significant dependence on the charged-particle multiplicity is observed. In order to investigate the production and hadronisation mechanisms of charm and beauty quarks, the results are compared to PYTHIA 8 as well as EPOS 3 and EPOS 4 Monte Carlo simulations, and to calculations based on the colour glass condensate including three-pomeron fusion.
The central exclusive production of charged-hadron pairs in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV is examined, based on data collected in a special high-$\beta^*$ run of the LHC. The nonresonant continuum processes are studied with the invariant mass of the centrally produced two-pion system in the resonance-free region, $m_{\pi^+\pi^-}$$\lt$ 0.7 GeV or $m_{\pi^+\pi^-}$$\gt$ 1.8 GeV. Differential cross sections as functions of the azimuthal angle between the surviving protons, squared exchanged four-momenta, and $m_{\pi^+\pi^-}$ are measured in a wide region of scattered proton transverse momenta, between 0.2 and 0.8 GeV, and for pion rapidities $\lvert y\rvert$$\lt$ 2. A rich structure of interactions related to double-pomeron exchange is observed. A parabolic minimum in the distribution of the two-proton azimuthal angle is observed for the first time. It can be interpreted as an effect of additional pomeron exchanges between the protons from the interference between the bare and the rescattered amplitudes. After model tuning, various physical quantities are determined that are related to the pomeron cross section, proton-pomeron and meson-pomeron form factors, pomeron trajectory and intercept, and coefficients of diffractive eigenstates of the proton.
A search is presented for an extended Higgs sector with two new particles, X and $\phi$, in the process $X \to\phi\phi\to(\gamma\gamma)(\gamma\gamma)$. Novel neural networks classify events with diphotons that are merged and determine the diphoton masses. The search uses LHC proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected with the CMS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. No evidence of such resonances is seen. Upper limits are set on the production cross section for $m_X$ between 300 and 3000 GeV and $m_\phi / m_X$ between 0.5 and 2.5%, representing the most sensitive search in this channel.
The first measurement of the top quark pair ($\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$) production cross section in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13.6 TeV is presented. Data recorded with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC in Summer 2022, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.21 fb$^{-1}$, are analyzed. Events are selected with one or two charged leptons (electrons or muons) and additional jets. A maximum likelihood fit is performed in event categories defined by the number and flavors of the leptons, the number of jets, and the number of jets identified as originating from b quarks. An inclusive $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ production cross section of 881 $\pm$ 23 (stat+syst) $\pm$ 20 (lumi) pb is measured, in agreement with the standard model prediction of 924 $^{+32}_{-40}$ pb.
The dependence of the ratio between the B$_\mathrm{s}^0$ and B$^+$ hadron production fractions, $f_\mathrm{s} / f_\mathrm{u}$, on the transverse momentum ($p_\mathrm{T}$) and rapidity of the B mesons is studied using the decay channels B$_\mathrm{s}^0$$\to$ J$/\psi\,\phi$ and B$^+$$\to$ J$/\psi$ K$^+$. The analysis uses a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment in 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 61.6 fb$^{-1}$. The $f_\mathrm{s} / f_\mathrm{u}$ ratio is observed to depend on the B $p_\mathrm{T}$ and to be consistent with becoming asymptotically constant at large $p_\mathrm{T}$. No rapidity dependence is observed. The ratio of the B$^0$ to B$^+$ hadron production fractions, $f_\mathrm{d} / f_\mathrm{u}$, measured using the B$^0$$\to$ J$/\psi$ K$^{*0}$ decay channel, is found to be consistent with unity and independent of $p_\mathrm{T}$ and rapidity, as expected from isospin invariance.
A search for resonances in events with the $\gamma$+jet final state has been performed using proton-proton collision data collected at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The total data analyzed correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Models of excited quarks and quantum black holes are considered. Using a wide-jet reconstruction for the candidate jet, the $\gamma$+jet invariant mass spectrum measured in data is examined for the presence of resonances over the standard model continuum background. The background is estimated by fitting the mass distribution with a functional form. The data exhibit no statistically significant deviations from the expected standard model background. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level on the resonance mass and other parameters are set. Excited light-flavor quarks (excited bottom quarks) are excluded up to a mass of 6.0 (3.8) TeV. Quantum black hole production is excluded for masses up to 7.5 (5.2) TeV in the Arkani-Hamed-Dimopoulos-Dvali (Randall-Sundrum) model. These lower mass bounds are the most stringent to date among those obtained in the $\gamma$+jet final state.
Measurements are presented of the W and Z boson production cross sections in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13.6 TeV. Data collected in 2022 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.01 fb$^{-1}$ with one or two identified muons in the final state are analyzed. The results for the products of total inclusive cross sections and branching fractions for muonic decays of W and Z bosons are 11.93 $\pm$ 0.08 (syst) $\pm$ 0.17 (lumi) $^{+0.07}_{-0.07}$ (acc) nb for W$^+$ boson production, 8.86 $\pm$ 0.06 (syst) $\pm$ 0.12 (lumi) $^{+0.05}_{-0.06}$ (acc) nb for W$^-$ boson production, and 2.021 $\pm$ 0.009 (syst) $\pm$ 0.028 (lumi) $^{+0.011}_{-0.013}$ (acc) nb for the Z boson production in the dimuon mass range of 60-120 GeV, all with negligible statistical uncertainties. Furthermore, the corresponding fiducial cross sections, as well as cross section ratios for both fiducial and total phase space, are provided. The ratios include charge-separated results for W boson production (W$^+$ and W$^-$) and the sum of the two contributions (W$^\pm$), each relative to the measured Z boson production cross section. Additionally, the ratio of the measured cross sections for W$^+$ and W$^-$ boson production is reported. All measurements are in agreement with theoretical predictions, calculated at next-to-next-to-leading order accuracy in quantum chromodynamics.
Measurements of fiducial and total inclusive cross sections for W and Z boson production are presented in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 5.02 and 13 TeV. Electron and muon decay modes ($\ell$ = e or $\mu$) are studied in the data collected with the CMS detector in 2017, in dedicated runs with reduced instantaneous luminosity. The data sets correspond to integrated luminosities of 298 $\pm$ 6 pb$^{-1}$ at 5.02 TeV and 206 $\pm$ 5 pb$^{-1}$ at 13 TeV. Measured values of the products of the total inclusive cross sections and the branching fractions at 5.02 TeV are $\sigma$(pp $\to$ W+X) $\mathcal{B}$(W $\to$$\ell\nu$) = 7300 $\pm$ 10 (stat) $\pm$ 60 (syst) $\pm$ 140 (lumi) pb, and $\sigma$(pp $\to$ Z+X) $\mathcal{B}$(Z $\to$$\ell^+\ell^-$) = 669 $\pm$ 2 (stat) $\pm$ 6 (syst) $\pm$ 13 (lumi) pb for the dilepton invariant mass in the range of 60-120 GeV. The corresponding results at 13 TeV are 20480 $\pm$ 10 (stat) $\pm$ 170 (syst) $\pm$ 470 (lumi) pb and 1952 $\pm$ 4 (stat) $\pm$ 18 (syst) $\pm$ 45 (lumi) pb. The measured values agree with cross section calculations at next-to-next-to-leading-order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics. Fiducial and total inclusive cross sections, ratios of cross sections of W$^+$ and W$^-$ production as well as inclusive W and Z boson production, and ratios of these measurements at 5.02 and 13 TeV are reported.
The results of a search for a standard model-like Higgs boson decaying into two photons in the mass range between 70 and 110 GeV are presented. The analysis uses the data set collected by the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV corresponding to integrated luminosities of 36.3 fb$^{-1}$, 41.5 fb$^{-1}$ and 54.4 fb$^{-1}$ during the 2016, 2017, and 2018 LHC running periods, respectively. No significant excess over the background expectation is observed and 95% confidence level upper limits are set on the product of the cross section and branching fraction for decays of an additional Higgs boson into two photons. The maximum deviation with respect to the background is seen for a mass hypothesis of 95.4 GeV with a local (global) significance of 2.9 (1.3) standard deviations. The observed upper limit ranges from 15 to 73 fb.
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