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.
Summary of the impacts of each source of uncertainty (quoted as a percent of the total systematic uncertainty) for each W branching fraction. Whenever multiple NPs impact a common source of systematic uncertainty, each component is varied independently and the range of impacts is given.
Values of the W boson decay branching fractions based on CMS measurement.
Ratios of W boson leptonic branching fractions.
A search for exclusive or quasi-exclusive gamma gamma to W+W- production, via pp to p(*) W+W- p(*) to p(*) mu+/- e-/+ at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV, is reported using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 inverse femtobarns. Events are selected by requiring the presence of an electron-muon pair with large transverse momentum pt(mu+/- e-/+) > 30 GeV, and no associated charged particles detected from the same vertex. The 8 TeV results are combined with the previous 7 TeV results (obtained for 5.05 inverse femtobarns of data). In the signal region, 13 (2) events are observed over an expected background of 3.9 +/- 0.6 (0.84 +/-0.15) events for 8 (7) TeV, resulting in a combined excess of 3.4 standard deviations over the background-only hypothesis. The observed yields and kinematic distributions are compatible with the standard model prediction for exclusive and quasi-exclusive gamma gamma to W+W- production. Upper limits on the anomalous quartic gauge coupling operators a[W;0,C] (dimension-6) and f[M0,1,2,3] (dimension-8), the most stringent to date, are derived from the measured dilepton transverse momentum spectrum.
8 TeV cross section multiplied by branching fraction to opposite-sign mue final states, corrected for all experimental efficiencies and extrapolated to the full phase space.
The inclusive cross section for top quark pair production is measured in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 and 8 TeV, corresponding to 5.0 and 19.7 invers-femtobarns, respectively, with the CMS experiment at the LHC. The cross sections are measured in the electron-muon channel using a binned likelihood fit to multi-differential final state distributions related to identified b quark jets and other jets in the event. The measured cross section values are 173.6 +/- 2.1 (stat) +4.5-4.0 (syst) +/- 3.8 (lumi) pb at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, and 244.9 +/- 1.4 (stat) +6.3-5.5 (syst) +/- 6.4 (lumi) pb at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV, in good agreement with QCD calculations at next-to-next-to-leading-order accuracy. The ratio of the cross sections measured at 7 and 8 TeV is determined, as well as cross sections in the fiducial regions defined by the acceptance requirements on the two charged leptons in the final state. The cross section results are used to determine the top quark pole mass via the dependence of the theoretically predicted cross section on the mass, giving a best result of 173.8 +1.7-1.8 GeV. The data at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV are also used to set limits, for two neutralino mass values, on the pair production of supersymmetric top squarks with masses close to the top quark mass.
Measurement of the visible $t\bar{t}$ production cross-section in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ and $8$ TeV. The visible cross section is defined for events containing an oppositely charged $\rm{e}\mu$ pair from the decay chain ${\rm t} \rightarrow {\rm W b} \rightarrow {\ell} \nu {\rm b}$ (including ${\rm W} \rightarrow \tau \nu \rightarrow {\ell} \nu \nu \nu$) and with both leptons satisfying $p_T > 20\, \rm{GeV}$ and $|{\eta}| < 2.4$.
Measurement of the inclusive $t\bar{t}$ production cross-section in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ and $8$ TeV.
Top quark pole mass at NNLO+NNLL extracted by comparing the measured $t\bar{t}$ production cross sections at 7 and 8 TeV with predictions employing different PDF sets. The uncertainties of the CT14 PDF set are scaled to 68% confidence level.
A measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry A[FB] of oppositely charged lepton pairs (mu mu and e e) produced via Z/gamma* boson exchange in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV is presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 inverse femtobarns collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The measurement of A[FB] is performed for dilepton masses between 40 GeV and 2 TeV and for dilepton rapidity up to 5. The A[FB] measurements as a function of dilepton mass and rapidity are compared with the standard model predictions.
Unfolded combined measurements of AFB in each M-|y| bin (mu+mu- and e+e- combined).
Unfolded measurement of AFB for the forward rapidity region (e+e-).
Unfolded measurements of AFB in each M-|y| bin (mu+mu-).
We present the measurement of the transverse single-spin asymmetry of weak boson production in transversely polarized proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 500~\text{GeV}$ by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The measured observable is sensitive to the Sivers function, one of the transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions, which is predicted to have the opposite sign in proton-proton collisions from that observed in deep inelastic lepton-proton scattering. These data provide the first experimental investigation of the non-universality of the Sivers function, fundamental to our understanding of QCD.
$P_{T}$ Recoil distribution of events simulated with PYTHIA 6.4 and reconstructed before and after the boson's PT correction has been applied.
Estimated background contributions for the $W^+ -> ev$ data yields.
Estimated background contributions for the $W^- -> ev$ data yields.
A comprehensive study on the atmospheric neutrino flux in the energy region from sub-GeV up to several TeV using the Super-Kamiokande water Cherenkov detector is presented in this paper. The energy and azimuthal spectra of the atmospheric ${\nu}_e+{\bar{\nu}}_e$ and ${\nu}_{\mu}+{\bar{\nu}}_{\mu}$ fluxes are measured. The energy spectra are obtained using an iterative unfolding method by combining various event topologies with differing energy responses. The azimuthal spectra depending on energy and zenith angle, and their modulation by geomagnetic effects, are also studied. A predicted east-west asymmetry is observed in both the ${\nu}_e$ and ${\nu}_{\mu}$ samples at 8.0 {\sigma} and 6.0 {\sigma} significance, respectively, and an indication that the asymmetry dipole angle changes depending on the zenith angle was seen at the 2.2 {\sigma} level. The measured energy and azimuthal spectra are consistent with the current flux models within the estimated systematic uncertainties. A study of the long-term correlation between the atmospheric neutrino flux and the solar magnetic activity cycle is also performed, and a weak indication of a correlation was seen at the 1.1 {\sigma} level, using SK I-IV data spanning a 20 year period. For particularly strong solar activity periods known as Forbush decreases, no theoretical prediction is available, but a deviation below the typical neutrino event rate is seen at the 2.4 {\sigma} level.
Electron neutrino flux measured by SK I-IV data. Error written in percentage including both statistical and systematic uncertainties.
Muon neutrino flux measured by SK I-IV data. Error written in percentage including both statistical and systematic uncertainties.
We present a determination of the magnitude of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element $|V_{cb}|$ using the decay $B\to D\ell\nu_\ell$ ($\ell=e,\mu$) based on 711 fb$^{-1}$ of $e^+e^-\to \Upsilon(4S)$ data recorded by the Belle detector and containing $772 \times 10^6$ $B\bar{B}$ pairs. One $B$ meson in the event is fully reconstructed in a hadronic decay mode while the other, on the signal side, is partially reconstructed from a charged lepton and either a $D^+$ or $D^0$ meson in a total of 23 hadronic decay modes. The isospin-averaged branching fraction of the decay $B\to D\ell\nu_\ell$ is found to be $\mathcal{B}(B^0 \to D^- \ell^+ \nu_{\ell})=(2.31\pm 0.03(\mathrm{stat})\pm 0.11(\mathrm{syst}))\%$. Analyzing the differential decay rate as a function of the hadronic recoil with the parameterization of Caprini, Lelouch and Neubert and using the form-factor prediction $\mathcal{G}(1)=1.0541\pm 0.0083$ calculated by FNAL/MILC, we obtain $\eta_\mathrm{EW}|V_{cb}|=(40.12\pm 1.34)\times 10^{-3}$, where $\eta_\mathrm{EW}$ is the electroweak correction factor. Alternatively, assuming the model-independent form-factor parameterization of Boyd, Grinstein and Lebed and using lattice QCD data from the FNAL/MILC and HPQCD collaborations, we find $\eta_\mathrm{EW}|V_{cb}|=(41.10 \pm 1.14)\times 10^{-3}$.
The values of $\Delta\Gamma_i/\Delta w$ with the statistical and systematic uncertainties in the ${B^+ \to \bar{D}^0 e^+ \nu_{e}}, {B^+ \to \bar{D}^0 \mu^+ \nu_{\mu}}, {B^0 \to D^- e^+ \nu_{e}},$ and ${B^0 \to D^- \mu^+ \nu_{\mu}}$ sub-samples. The recoil variable, $w$, is defined as the product of the 4-velocities of the $B$ and $D$ mesons. The value of $w_\rm{max}$ is 1.59209 for the sub-samples with a charged $B$ meson and 1.58901 for the sub-samples with a neutral $B$ meson. The $\Delta\Gamma_i/\Delta w$ results are statistically uncorrelated amongst bins and samples. The systematic correlations between bins and samples are given in the file SubsampleResults.csv of the arXiv source.
The values of $\Delta\Gamma_i/\Delta w$ obtained in different bins of $w$ after combination of the ${B^+ \to \bar{D}^0 e^+ \nu_{e}}, {B^+ \to \bar{D}^0 \mu^+ \nu_{\mu}}, {B^0 \to D^- e^+ \nu_{e}},$ and ${B^0 \to D^- \mu^+ \nu_{\mu}}$ sub-samples. The value of $w_\rm{max} = 1.59055$ is the average of the values for charged and neutral $B$ mesons.
The correlation matrix of the systematic error. The value of $w_\rm{max} = 1.59055$ is the average of the values for charged and neutral $B$ mesons.
The first direct measurement of electron-neutrino quasielastic and quasielastic-like scattering on hydrocarbon in the few-GeV region of incident neutrino energy has been carried out using the MINERvA detector in the NuMI beam at Fermilab. The flux-integrated differential cross sections in electron production angle, electron energy and $Q^{2}$ are presented. The ratio of the quasielastic, flux-integrated differential cross section in $Q^{2}$ for $\nu_{e}$ with that of similarly-selected $\nu_{\mu}$-induced events from the same exposure is used to probe assumptions that underpin conventional treatments of charged-current $\nu_{e}$ interactions used by long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments. The data are found to be consistent with lepton universality and are well-described by the predictions of the neutrino event generator GENIE.
The $\nu_{e}+\bar{\nu}_{e}$ flux as a function of neutrino energy from the beam simulation for the data used in this analysis. The $\bar{\nu}_{e}$ fraction is shown separately to emphasize the dominance of $\nu_{e}$ in the sum.
Flux-integrated differential $\nu_{e}$ CCQE-like cross section versus electron energy.
Covariance matrix for flux-integrated differential $\nu_{e}$ CCQE-like cross section versus electron energy.
In an analysis of a 2.92~fb$^{-1}$ data sample taken at 3.773~GeV with the BESIII detector operated at the BEPCII collider, we measure the absolute decay branching fractions to be $\mathcal B(D^0 \to K^-e^+\nu_e)=(3.505\pm 0.014 \pm 0.033)\%$ and $\mathcal B(D^0 \to \pi^-e^+\nu_e)=(0.295\pm 0.004\pm 0.003)\%$. From a study of the differential decay rates we obtain the products of hadronic form factor and the magnitude of the CKM matrix element $f_{+}^K(0)|V_{cs}|=0.7172\pm0.0025\pm 0.0035$ and $f_{+}^{\pi}(0)|V_{cd}|=0.1435\pm0.0018\pm 0.0009$. Combining these products with the values of $|V_{cs(d)}|$ from the SM constraint fit, we extract the hadronic form factors $f^K_+(0) = 0.7368\pm0.0026\pm 0.0036$ and $f^\pi_+(0) = 0.6372\pm0.0080\pm 0.0044$, and their ratio $f_+^{\pi}(0)/f_+^{K}(0)=0.8649\pm 0.0112\pm 0.0073$. These form factors and their ratio are used to test unquenched Lattice QCD calculations of the form factors and a light cone sum rule (LCSR) calculation of their ratio. The measured value of $f_+^{K(\pi)}(0) |V_{cs(d)}|$ and the lattice QCD value for $f^{K(\pi)}_+(0)$ are used to extract values of the CKM matrix elements of $|V_{cs}|=0.9601 \pm 0.0033 \pm 0.0047 \pm 0.0239$ and $|V_{cd}|=0.2155 \pm 0.0027 \pm 0.0014 \pm 0.0094$, where the third errors are due to the uncertainties in lattice QCD calculations of the form factors. Using the LCSR value for $f_+^\pi(0)/f_+^K(0)$, we determine the ratio $|V_{cd}|/|V_{cs}|=0.238\pm 0.004\pm 0.002\pm 0.011$, where the third error is from the uncertainty in the LCSR normalization. In addition, we measure form factor parameters for three different theoretical models that describe the weak hadronic charged currents for these two semileptonic decays. All of these measurements are the most precise to date.
Summary of the range of each $q^2$ bin, the number of the observed events $N_{\rm observed}$, the number of produced events $N_{\rm produced}$, and the partial decay rate $\Delta\Gamma$ in each $q^2$ bin for $D^0\to K^-e^+\nu_e$ decays.
Summary of the range of each $q^2$ bin, the number of the observed events $N_{\rm observed}$, the number of produced events $N_{\rm produced}$, and the partial decay rate $\Delta\Gamma$ in each $q^2$ bin for $D^0\to \pi^-e^+\nu_e$ decays.
Hard exclusive electroproduction of $\omega$ mesons is studied with the HERMES spectrometer at the DESY laboratory by scattering 27.6 GeV positron and electron beams off a transversely polarized hydrogen target. The amplitudes of five azimuthal modulations of the single-spin asymmetry of the cross section with respect to the transverse proton polarization are measured. They are determined in the entire kinematic region as well as for two bins in photon virtuality and momentum transfer to the nucleon. Also, a separation of asymmetry amplitudes into longitudinal and transverse components is done. These results are compared to a phenomenological model that includes the pion pole contribution. Within this model, the data favor a positive $\pi\omega$ transition form factor.
The amplitudes of the five sine and two cosine modulations as determined in the entire kinematic region. The results receive an additional 8.2% scale uncertainty corresponding to the target-polarization uncertainty.
The definition of intervals and the mean values of the kinematic variables.
Results on the kinematic dependences of the five asymmetry amplitudes $A_{UT}$ and two amplitudes $A_{UU}$. The first two columns correspond to the $-t'$ intervals $0.00 - 0.07 - 0.20$ GeV$^2$ and the last two columns to the $Q^{2}$ intervals $1.00 - 1.85 - 10.00$ GeV$^2$. The results receive an additional 8.2% scale uncertainty corresponding to the target-polarization uncertainty.
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