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.
Distributions of $\mathrm{d}^3\sigma / \mathrm{d}p_\mathrm{1,T} dp_\mathrm{2,T}\mathrm {d}\phi$ as functions of $\phi$ in the $\pi^+\pi^-$ nonresonant region ($0.35 < m < 0.65\,\mathrm{GeV}$) in several $(p_\mathrm{1,T}, p_\mathrm{2,T})$ bins, in units of $\mu\mathrm{b}/\mathrm{GeV}^2$.
Distribution of $\mathrm{d}^3\sigma / \mathrm{d}p_{1,T} \mathrm{d}p_\mathrm{2,T} \mathrm{d}m$ as a function of $m$ for $\pi^+\pi^−$ pairs in several $(p_\mathrm{1,T}, p_\mathrm{2,T})$ bins, in units of $\mu\mathrm{b}/\mathrm{GeV}^3$.
Distribution of the squared momentum transfer of the virtual pion in several $(p_\mathrm{1,T}, p_\mathrm{2,T})$ bins, in units of $\mu\mathrm{b}/\mathrm{GeV}^3$.
The two-particle momentum correlation functions between charm mesons ($\mathrm{D^{*\pm}}$ and $\mathrm{D}^\pm$) and charged light-flavor mesons ($\pi^{\pm}$ and K$^{\pm}$) in all charge-combinations are measured for the first time by the ALICE Collaboration in high-multiplicity proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} =13$ TeV. For $\mathrm{DK}$ and $\mathrm{D^*K}$ pairs, the experimental results are in agreement with theoretical predictions of the residual strong interaction based on quantum chromodynamics calculations on the lattice and chiral effective field theory. In the case of $\mathrm{D}\pi$ and $\mathrm{D^*}\pi$ pairs, tension between the calculations including strong interactions and the measurement is observed. For all particle pairs, the data can be adequately described by Coulomb interaction only, indicating a shallow interaction between charm and light-flavor mesons. Finally, the scattering lengths governing the residual strong interaction of the $\mathrm{D}\pi$ and $\mathrm{D^*}\pi$ systems are determined by fitting the experimental correlation functions with a model that employs a Gaussian potential. The extracted values are small and compatible with zero.
Genuine correlation function for $D^{+}\uppi^{-}$ in high-multiplicity pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV.
Genuine correlation function for $D^{+}\uppi^{+}$ in high-multiplicity pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV.
Genuine correlation function for $D^{+}K^{-}$ in high-multiplicity pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV.
The inclusive jet cross section is measured as a function of jet transverse momentum $p_\mathrm{T}$ and rapidity $y$. The measurement is performed using proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 5.02 TeV, recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 27.4 pb$^{-1}$. The jets are reconstructed with the anti-$k_\mathrm{T}$ algorithm using a distance parameter of $R$ = 0.4, within the rapidity interval $\lvert y\rvert$$\lt$ 2, and across the kinematic range 0.06 $\lt$$p_\mathrm{T}$$\lt$ 1 TeV. The jet cross section is unfolded from detector to particle level using the determined jet response and resolution. The results are compared to predictions of perturbative quantum chromodynamics, calculated at both next-to-leading order and next-to-next-to-leading order. The predictions are corrected for nonperturbative effects, and presented for a variety of parton distribution functions and choices of the renormalization / factorization scales and the strong coupling $\alpha_\mathrm{S}$.
The JEC, JER, and total systematic uncertainties in unfolded cross sections as functions of transverse momentum, for |y|<0.5. The total systematic uncertainty includes also the luminosity, jet identification and trigger efficiency uncertainties.
The JEC, JER, and total systematic uncertainties in unfolded cross sections as functions of transverse momentum, for 0.5<|y|<1. The total systematic uncertainty includes also the luminosity, jet identification and trigger efficiency uncertainties.
The JEC, JER, and total systematic uncertainties in unfolded cross sections as functions of transverse momentum, for 1<|y|<1.5. The total systematic uncertainty includes also the luminosity, jet identification and trigger efficiency uncertainties.
Based on a data sample of 10 billion $J/\psi$ events collected with the BESIII detector, improved measurements of the Dalitz decays $\eta/\eta'\rightarrow\gamma e^+e^-$ are performed, where the $\eta$ and $\eta'$ are produced through the radiative decays $J/\psi\rightarrow\gamma \eta/\eta'$. The branching fractions of $\eta\rightarrow\gamma e^+e^-$ and $\eta'\rightarrow\gamma e^+e^-$ are measured to be $(7.07 \pm 0.05 \pm 0.23)\times10^{-3}$ and $(4.83\pm0.07\pm0.14)\times10^{-4}$, respectively. Within the single pole model, the parameter of electromagnetic transition form factor for $\eta\rightarrow\gamma e^+e^-$ is determined to be $\Lambda_{\eta}=(0.749 \pm 0.027 \pm 0.007)~ {\rm GeV}/c^{2}$. Within the multi-pole model, we extract the electromagnetic transition form factors for $\eta'\rightarrow\gamma e^+e^-$ to be $\Lambda_{\eta'} = (0.802 \pm 0.007\pm 0.008)~ {\rm GeV}/c^{2}$ and $\gamma_{\eta'} = (0.113\pm0.010\pm0.002)~ {\rm GeV}/c^{2}$. The results are consistent with both theoretical predictions and previous measurements. The characteristic sizes of the interaction regions for the $\eta$ and $\eta'$ are calculated to be $(0.645 \pm 0.023 \pm 0.007 )~ {\rm fm}$ and $(0.596 \pm 0.005 \pm 0.006)~ {\rm fm}$, respectively. In addition, we search for the dark photon in $\eta/\eta^\prime\rightarrow\gamma e^{+}e^{-}$, and the upper limits of the branching fractions as a function of the dark photon are given at 90% confidence level.
The binned invariant mass spectrum of $e^+e^-$ pairs produced from the $\eta\to \gamma e^+e^-$ transition. The efficiency-corrected and background-subtracted data are binned in M($e^+e^-$) and the number of events in each bin is shown.
The binned invariant mass spectrum of $e^+e^-$ pairs produced from the $\eta^\prime\to \gamma e^+e^-$ transition. The efficiency-corrected and background-subtracted data are binned in M($e^+e^-$) and the number of events in each bin is shown.
A test of lepton flavor universality in B$^{\pm}$$\to$ K$^{\pm}\mu^+\mu^-$ and B$^{\pm}$$\to$ K$^{\pm}$e$^+$e$^-$ decays, as well as a measurement of differential and integrated branching fractions of a nonresonant B$^{\pm}$$\to$ K$^{\pm}\mu^+\mu^-$ decay are presented. The analysis is made possible by a dedicated data set of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV recorded in 2018, by the CMS experiment at the LHC, using a special high-rate data stream designed for collecting about 10 billion unbiased b hadron decays. The ratio of the branching fractions $\mathcal{B}$(B$^{\pm}$$\to$ K$^{\pm}\mu^+\mu^-$) to $\mathcal{B}$(B$^{\pm}$$\to$ K$^{\pm}$e$^+$e$^-$) is determined from the measured double ratio $R$(K) of these decays to the respective branching fractions of the B$^\pm$$\to$ J/$\psi$K$^\pm$ with J/$\psi$$\to$$\mu^+\mu^-$ and e$^+$e$^-$ decays, which allow for significant cancellation of systematic uncertainties. The ratio $R$(K) is measured in the range 1.1 $\lt$$q^2$$\lt$ 6.0 GeV$^2$, where $q$ is the invariant mass of the lepton pair, and is found to be $R$(K) = 0.78 $^{+0.47}_{-0.23}$, in agreement with the standard model expectation $R$(K) $\approx$ 1. This measurement is limited by the statistical precision of the electron channel. The integrated branching fraction in the same $q^2$ range, $\mathcal{B}$(B$^{\pm}$$\to$ K$^{\pm}\mu^+\mu^-$) = (12.42 $\pm$ 0.68) $\times$ 10$^{-8}$, is consistent with the present world-average value and has a comparable precision.
The differential $\text{B}^+ \to \text{K}^+\mu^+\mu^-$ branching fraction measured in the individual $q^2$ bins. The uncertainties in the yields are statistical uncertainties from the fit, while the branching fraction uncertainties include both the statistical and systematic components.
Differential branching fraction $d\mathcal{B}/dq^2$, with theoretical predictions obtained with the HEPFiT, SuperIso, Flavio, and EOS packages. The HEPFiT predictions are available only for $q^2 < 8\ \mathrm{GeV}^2$.
Relative uncertainties in the differential branching fraction measurement of $\mathrm{B}^+\to\mathrm{K}^+\mu^+\mu^-$ per $q^2$ bin.
Atomic nuclei are self-organized, many-body quantum systems bound by strong nuclear forces within femtometer-scale space. These complex systems manifest a variety of shapes, traditionally explored using non-invasive spectroscopic techniques at low energies. However, at these energies, their instantaneous shapes are obscured by long-timescale quantum fluctuations, making direct observation challenging. Here we introduce the ``collective flow assisted nuclear shape imaging'' method, which images the nuclear global shape by colliding them at ultrarelativistic speeds and analyzing the collective response of outgoing debris. This technique captures a collision-specific snapshot of the spatial matter distribution within the nuclei, which, through the hydrodynamic expansion, imprints patterns on the particle momentum distribution observed in detectors. We benchmark this method in collisions of ground state Uranium-238 nuclei, known for their elongated, axial-symmetric shape. Our findings show a large deformation with a slight deviation from axial symmetry in the nuclear ground state, aligning broadly with previous low-energy experiments. This approach offers a new method for imaging nuclear shapes, enhances our understanding of the initial conditions in high-energy collisions and addresses the important issue of nuclear structure evolution across energy scales.
Data from Figure 2, panel a, Au+Au, 0-0.5% Centrality, 0.2<p_{T}<3 GeV/c, systematics include non-flow difference in the two systems, but correlated non-flow systematics with the value of $\delta \left\langle v_{2}^{2}\right\rangle$ =+-3.2e-5 included
Data from Figure 2, panel a, U+U, 0-0.5% Centrality, 0.2<p_{T}<3 GeV/c, systematics include non-flow difference in the two systems, but correlated non-flow systematics with the value of $\delta \left\langle v_{2}^{2}\right\rangle$ =+-3.2e-5 included
Data from Figure 2, panel b, Au+Au, 0-0.5% Centrality, 0.2<p_{T}<3 GeV/c
Ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions create a strongly interacting state of hot and dense quark-gluon matter that exhibits a remarkable collective flow behavior with minimal viscous dissipation. To gain deeper insights into its intrinsic nature and fundamental degrees of freedom, we determine the speed of sound in an extended volume of quark-gluon plasma using lead-lead (PbPb) collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV. The data were recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 0.607 nb$^{-1}$. The measurement is performed by studying the multiplicity dependence of the average transverse momentum of charged particles emitted in head-on PbPb collisions. Our findings reveal that the speed of sound in this matter is nearly half the speed of light, with a squared value of 0.241 $\pm$ 0.002 (stat) $\pm$ 0.016 (syst) in natural units. The effective medium temperature, estimated using the mean transverse momentum, is 219 $\pm$ 8 (syst) MeV. The measured squared speed of sound at this temperature aligns precisely with predictions from lattice quantum chromodynamic (QCD) calculations. This result provides a stringent constraint on the equation of state of the created medium and direct evidence for a deconfined QCD phase being attained in relativistic nuclear collisions.
The event fraction distribution as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity, $N_{\mathrm{ch}}$, within the kinematic range of $|\eta|<0.5$ and extrapolated to the full $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ range, in PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{\mathrm{NN}}}}=5.02$ TeV. The $N_{\mathrm{ch}}$ value is normalized by its value in the $0-5\%$ centrality class ($N_{\mathrm{ch}}^{0}$).
The average transverse momentum of charged particles, $\langle p_{\mathrm{T}}\rangle$, as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity, $N_{\mathrm{ch}}$, within the kinematic range of $|\eta|<0.5$ and extrapolated to the full $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ range in PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{\mathrm{NN}}}}=5.02$ TeV. Both $\langle p_{\mathrm{T}}\rangle$ and $N_{\mathrm{ch}}$ are normalized by their values in the $0-5\%$ centrality class (${\langle p_{\mathrm{T}}\rangle}^{0}$ and $N_{\mathrm{ch}}^{0}$).
The speed of sound, $c^2_{\mathrm{s}}$, as a function of the effective temperature, $T_{\mathrm{eff}}$, with the CMS data point obtained from ultra-central PbPb collision data at $\sqrt{s_{_{\mathrm{NN}}}}=5.02$ TeV.
Measurements of inclusive and differential production cross-sections of a top-quark-top-antiquark pair in association with a $W$ boson ($t\bar{t}W$) are presented. They are performed by targeting final states with two same-sign or three isolated leptons (electrons or muons) and are based on $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV proton-proton collision data with an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$, recorded from 2015 to 2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The inclusive $t\bar{t}W$ production cross-section is measured to be $880 \pm 80$ fb, compared to a reference theoretical prediction of $745 \pm 50\,\textrm{(scale)} \pm 13\,\textrm{(2-loop approx.)} \pm 19\,\textrm{(PDF,} \alpha_{\textrm{S}})$ fb. Differential cross-section measurements characterise this process in detail for the first time. Several particle-level observables are compared with a variety of theoretical predictions, which generally agree well with the normalised differential cross-section results. Additionally, the relative charge asymmetry of $t\bar{t}W^{+}$ and $t\bar{t}W^{-}$ is measured inclusively to be ${A_{\mathrm{C}}^{\mathrm{rel}}} = 0.33 \pm 0.05$, in very good agreement with the theoretical prediction of $0.322 \pm 0.003\,\mathrm{(scale)} \pm 0.007\,\mathrm{(PDF)}$, as well as differentially.
All the entries of this HEP data record are listed.
Results of inclusive cross section measurement
A search for a new heavy boson produced via gluon-fusion in the four-lepton channel with missing transverse momentum or jets is performed. The search uses proton-proton collision data equivalent to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector between 2015 and 2018 at the Large Hadron Collider. This study explores the decays of heavy bosons: $R\rightarrow SH$ and $A\rightarrow ZH$, where $R$ is a CP-even boson, $A$ is a CP-odd boson, $H$ is a CP-even boson, and $S$ is considered to decay into invisible particles that are candidates for dark matter. In these processes, $S\rightarrow \textrm{invisible}$ and $H\rightarrow ZZ$. The $Z$ boson associated with the heavy scalar boson $H$ decays into all decay channels of the $Z$ boson. The mass range under consideration is 390-1300 (320-1300) GeV for the $R$ ($A$) boson and 220-1000 GeV for the $H$ boson. No significant deviation from the Standard Model backgrounds is observed. The results are interpreted as upper limits at a 95% confidence level on the cross-section times the branching ratio of the heavy resonances.
Observed and expected distributions of the invariant mass of the four-lepton system in the $R\to SH\to 4\ell+E^{\textrm{miss}}_{\textrm{T}}$ search for SR1 under a background-only fit to data. The total background includes the $q\overline{q}\to ZZ$, $gg\to ZZ$, $q\overline{q}\to ZZ$ (EW), $VVV$, $t\overline{t}V$, $t\overline{t}$, $Z$+jets and $WZ$ processes. The distribution of the $(m_{R}, m_{H}) = (500, 300)$ GeV signal is normalised to the observed upper limit on the cross-section (25.0 fb).
Observed and expected distributions of the invariant mass of the four-lepton system in the $R\to SH\to 4\ell+E^{\textrm{miss}}_{\textrm{T}}$ search for SR2 under a background-only fit to data. The total background includes the $q\overline{q}\to ZZ$, $gg\to ZZ$, $q\overline{q}\to ZZ$ (EW), $VVV$, $t\overline{t}V$, $t\overline{t}$, $Z$+jets and $WZ$ processes. The distribution of the $(m_{R}, m_{H}) = (500, 300)$ GeV signal is normalised to the observed upper limit on the cross-section (25.0 fb).
Observed and expected distributions of the invariant mass of the four-lepton system in the $R\to SH\to 4\ell+E^{\textrm{miss}}_{\textrm{T}}$ search for SR3 under a background-only fit to data. The total background includes the $q\overline{q}\to ZZ$, $gg\to ZZ$, $q\overline{q}\to ZZ$ (EW), $VVV$, $t\overline{t}V$, $t\overline{t}$, $Z$+jets and $WZ$ processes. The distribution of the $(m_{R}, m_{H}) = (500, 300)$ GeV signal is normalised to the observed upper limit on the cross-section (25.0 fb).
Despite the f$_0$(980) hadron having been discovered half a century ago, the question about its quark content has not been settled: it might be an ordinary quark-antiquark ($\mathrm{q\bar{q}}$) meson, a tetraquark ($\mathrm{q\bar{q}q\bar{q}}$) exotic state, a kaon-antikaon ($\mathrm{K\bar{K}}$) molecule, or a quark-antiquark-gluon ($\mathrm{q\bar{q}g}$) hybrid. This paper reports strong evidence that the f$_0$(980) state is an ordinary $\mathrm{q\bar{q}}$ meson, inferred from the scaling of elliptic anisotropies ($v_2$) with the number of constituent quarks ($n_\mathrm{q}$), as empirically established using conventional hadrons in relativistic heavy ion collisions. The f$_0$(980) state is reconstructed via its dominant decay channel f$_0$(980) $\to$$\pi^+\pi^-$, in proton-lead collisions recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC, and its $v_2$ is measured as a function of transverse momentum ($p_\mathrm{T}$). It is found that the $n_q$ = 2 ($\mathrm{q\bar{q}}$ state) hypothesis is favored over $n_q$ = 4 ($\mathrm{q\bar{q}q\bar{q}}$ or $\mathrm{K\bar{K}}$ states) by 7.7, 6.3, or 3.1 standard deviations in the $p_\mathrm{T}$$\lt$ 10, 8, or 6 GeV/$c$ ranges, respectively, and over $n_\mathrm{q}$ = 3 ($\mathrm{q\bar{q}g}$ hybrid state) by 3.5 standard deviations in the $p_\mathrm{T}$$\lt$ 8 GeV/$c$ range. This result represents the first determination of the quark content of the f$_0$(980) state, made possible by using a novel approach, and paves the way for similar studies of other exotic hadron candidates.
The elliptic flow, $v_{2}$, for $f_0(980)$ as a function of $p_{T}$ in pPb collision at 8.16 TeV.
The elliptic flow after nonflow subtraction, $v_{2}^{sub}$, for $f_0(980)$ as a function of $p_{T}$ in pPb collision at 8.16 TeV.
The elliptic flow after nonflow subtraction, $v_{2}^{sub}/2$, for $f_0(980)$ as a function of $<KE_{T}>/2$ in pPb collision at 8.16 TeV.
Forum