The first evidence for the Higgs boson decay to a $Z$ boson and a photon is presented, with a statistical significance of 3.4 standard deviations. The result is derived from a combined analysis of the searches performed by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations with proton-proton collision data sets collected at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) from 2015 to 2018. These correspond to integrated luminosities of around 140 fb$^{-1}$ for each experiment, at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The measured signal yield is $2.2\pm0.7$ times the Standard Model prediction, and agrees with the theoretical expectation within 1.9 standard deviations.
The negative profile log-likelihood test statistic, where $\Lambda$ represents the likelihood ratio, as a function of the signal strength $\mu$ derived from the ATLAS data, the CMS data, and the combined result.
A combination of measurements of the inclusive top-quark pair production cross-section performed by ATLAS and CMS in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV at the LHC is presented. The cross-sections are obtained using top-quark pair decays with an opposite-charge electron-muon pair in the final state and with data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 5 fb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and about 20 fb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV for each experiment. The combined cross-sections are determined to be $178.5 \pm 4.7$ pb at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and $243.3^{+6.0}_{-5.9}$ pb at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV with a correlation of 0.41, using a reference top-quark mass value of 172.5 GeV. The ratio of the combined cross-sections is determined to be $R_{8/7}= 1.363\pm 0.032$. The combined measured cross-sections and their ratio agree well with theory calculations using several parton distribution function (PDF) sets. The values of the top-quark pole mass (with the strong coupling fixed at 0.118) and the strong coupling (with the top-quark pole mass fixed at 172.5 GeV) are extracted from the combined results by fitting a next-to-next-to-leading-order plus next-to-next-to-leading-log QCD prediction to the measurements. Using a version of the NNPDF3.1 PDF set containing no top-quark measurements, the results obtained are $m_t^\text{pole} = 173.4^{+1.8}_{-2.0}$ GeV and $\alpha_\text{s}(m_Z)= 0.1170^{+ 0.0021}_{-0.0018}$.
Full covariance matrix including all systematic uncertainties expressed as nuisance parameters. With the exception of the cross section parameters, all parameters were normalised to 1 before the fit. Therefore, the diagonal elements represent the constraint in quadrature.
Full covariance matrix including all systematic uncertainties expressed as nuisance parameters. With the exception of the cross section parameters, all parameters were normalised to 1 before the fit. Therefore, the diagonal elements represent the constraint in quadrature.
A search is presented for a heavy vector resonance decaying into a Z boson and the standard model Higgs boson, where the Z boson is identified through its leptonic decays to electrons, muons, or neutrinos, and the Higgs boson is identified through its hadronic decays. The search is performed in a Lorentz-boosted regime and is based on data collected from 2016 to 2018 at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. Upper limits are derived on the production of a narrow heavy resonance Z', and a mass below 3.5 and 3.7 TeV is excluded at 95% confidence level in models where the heavy vector boson couples exclusively to fermions and to bosons, respectively. These are the most stringent limits placed on the Heavy Vector Triplet Z' model to date. If the heavy vector boson couples exclusively to standard model bosons, upper limits on the product of the cross section and branching fraction are set between 23 and 0.3 fb for a Z' mass between 0.8 and 4.6 TeV, respectively. This is the first limit set on a heavy vector boson coupling exclusively to standard model bosons in its production and decay.
The product of signal acceptance and efficiency in the 0l categories for the signal produced via qqbar annihilation.
The product of signal acceptance and efficiency in the 2l categories for the signal produced via qqbar annihilation.
The product of signal acceptance and efficiency in the 0l categories for the signal produced via vector boson fusion.
A search for a heavy Higgs boson H decaying into the observed Higgs boson h with a mass of 125 GeV and another Higgs boson h$_\mathrm{S}$ is presented. The h and h$_\mathrm{S}$ bosons are required to decay into a pair of tau leptons and a pair of b quarks, respectively. The search uses a sample of proton-proton collisions collected with the CMS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. Mass ranges of 240-3000 GeV for $m_\mathrm{H}$ and 60-2800 GeV for $m_\mathrm{h_S}$ are explored in the search. No signal has been observed. Model independent 95% confidence level upper limits on the product of the production cross section and the branching fractions of the signal process are set with a sensitivity ranging from 125 fb (for $m_\mathrm{H}$ $=$ 240 GeV) to 2.7 fb (for $m_\mathrm{H}$ $=$ 1000 GeV). These limits are compared to maximally allowed products of the production cross section and the branching fractions of the signal process in the next-to-minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model.
Expected and observed exclusion limits for heavy higgs boson mass 240 GeV
Expected and observed exclusion limits for heavy higgs boson mass 280 GeV
Expected and observed exclusion limits for heavy higgs boson mass 320 GeV
A search for a heavy resonance decaying to a top quark and a W boson in the fully hadronic final state is presented. The analysis is performed using data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The search is focused on heavy resonances, where the decay products of each top quark or W boson are expected to be reconstructed as a single, large-radius jet with a distinct substructure. The production of an excited bottom quark, b*, is used as a benchmark when setting limits on the cross section for a heavy resonance decaying to a top quark and a W boson. The hypotheses of b* quarks with left-handed, right-handed, and vector-like chiralities are excluded at 95% confidence level for masses below 2.6, 2.8, and 3.1 TeV, respectively. These are the most stringent limits on the b* quark mass to date, extending the previous best limits by almost a factor of two.
Upper limits on the product of the cross section and branching fraction at 95% CL for a left-handed b* quark as a function of b* quark mass.
Upper limits on the product of the cross section and branching fraction at 95% CL for a right-handed b* quark as a function of b* quark mass.
Upper limits on the product of the cross section and branching fraction at 95% CL for a vector-like b* quark as a function of b* quark mass.
A search for dark matter in the form of strongly interacting massive particles (SIMPs) using the CMS detector at the LHC is presented. The SIMPs would be produced in pairs that manifest themselves as pairs of jets without tracks. The energy fraction of jets carried by charged particles is used as a key discriminator to suppress efficiently the large multijet background, and the remaining background is estimated directly from data. The search is performed using proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 16.1 fb$^{-1}$, collected with the CMS detector in 2016. No significant excess of events is observed above the expected background. For the simplified dark matter model under consideration, SIMPs with masses up to 100 GeV are excluded and further sensitivity is explored towards higher masses.
Distribution of the number of jets with pT > 30 GeV and |eta| < 5. The simulated QCD multijet background is compared with the signal expected for three different SIMP masses, with their cross sections scaled as indicated in the legend. The baseline selection is applied, except the events with three or more jets with pT > 30 GeV and |eta| < 5 are included.
Distribution of the value of ChF of the two leading jets. The simulated QCD multijet background is compared with the signal expected for three different SIMP masses, with their cross sections scaled as indicated in the legend. The baseline selection is applied.
The number of background events obtained from the 1- and 2-leg predictions using reconstructed objects in simulation, compared to the direct prediction from MC simulation, shown for various upper ChF thresholds. The bottom panel shows the ratios of the MC prediction to the 1-leg and the 2-leg background predictions.
Results are presented from a search for CP violation in top quark pair production, using proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data used for this analysis consist of final states with two charged leptons collected by the CMS experiment, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The search uses two observables, $\mathcal{O}_1$ and $\mathcal{O}_3$, which are Lorentz scalars. The observable $\mathcal{O}_1$ is constructed from the four-momenta of the charged leptons and the reconstructed top quarks, while $\mathcal{O}_3$ consists of the four-momenta of the charged leptons and the b quarks originating from the top quarks. Asymmetries in these observables are sensitive to CP violation, and their measurement is used to determine the chromoelectric dipole moment of the top quark. The results are consistent with the expectation from the standard model.
Measured asymmetries of O_1 and O_3 with statistical uncertainties
The measured asymmetries of O_1 and O_3, and dimensionless CEDM \ImdtG, extracted using the asymmetries in O_1 and O_3, with their uncertainties.
Results for the covariance matrix where the parameters a and b are taken from a linear fit (equation 11) to the different CP-violating samples (CEMD).
A search for low-mass dilepton resonances in Higgs boson decays is conducted in the four-lepton final state. The decay is assumed to proceed via a pair of beyond the standard model particles, or one such particle and a Z boson. The search uses proton-proton collision data collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$, at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV. No significant deviation from the standard model expectation is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on model-independent Higgs boson decay branching fractions. Additionally, limits on dark photon and axion-like particle production, based on two specific models, are reported.
Exclusion limit for BrHXX_Br2Xee
Exclusion limit for BrHXX_Br2Xmumu
Exclusion limit for BrHXX_Br2Xll
A search for new top quark interactions is performed within the framework of an effective field theory using the associated production of either one or two top quarks with a Z boson in multilepton final states. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Five dimension-six operators modifying the electroweak interactions of the top quark are considered. Novel machine-learning techniques are used to enhance the sensitivity to effects arising from these operators. Distributions used for the signal extraction are parameterized in terms of Wilson coefficients describing the interaction strengths of the operators. All five Wilson coefficients are simultaneously fit to data and 95% confidence level intervals are computed. All results are consistent with the SM expectations.
Expected and observed 95% CL confidence intervals for all Wilson coefficients. The intervals are obtained by scanning over a single Wilson coefficient, while fixing the other Wilson coefficients to their SM values of zero.
Expected and observed 95% CL confidence intervals for all Wilson coefficients. The intervals for all five Wilson coefficients are obtained from a single fit, in which all Wilson coefficients are treated as free parameters.
Covariance between the Wilson coefficients (in units of TeV$^{-4}$), after the 5D fit to data.
A measurement of the cross section of the associated production of a single top quark and a W boson in final states with a muon or electron and jets in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV is presented. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC in 2016. A boosted decision tree is used to separate the tW signal from the dominant $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ background, whilst the subleading W+jets and multijet backgrounds are constrained using data-based estimates. This result is the first observation of the tW process in final states containing a muon or electron and jets, with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations. The cross section is determined to be 89 $\pm$ 4 (stat) $\pm$ 12 (syst) pb, consistent with the standard model.
The observed and theoretical cross section. In the observed, the first uncertainty is statistical, the second uncertianty is the systematic. In the expected, the first uncertainty is due to scale variations, the second due to the choice of PDF.
The systematic sources considered in the analysis and their relative contribution to the observed uncertainty. The uncertainties are divided by normalization, experimental, theoretical and statistical uncertainties, with each section ordered by their contribution to the total uncertainty.
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