The production of $D^{\pm}$ and $D_{s}^{\pm}$ charmed mesons is measured using the $D^{\pm}/D_{s}^{\pm} \to ϕ(μμ)π^{\pm}$ decay channel with 137 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV proton-proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider during the years 2016-2018. The charmed mesons are reconstructed in the range of transverse momentum $12 < p_\mathrm{T} < 100$ GeV and pseudorapidity $|η| < 2.5$. The differential cross-sections are measured as a function of transverse momentum and pseudorapidity, and compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. The predictions are found to be consistent with the measurements in the visible kinematic region within the large theoretical uncertainties.
A new measurement of inclusive-jet cross sections in the Breit frame in neutral current deep inelastic scattering using the ZEUS detector at the HERA collider is presented. The data were taken in the years 2004 to 2007 at a centre-of-mass energy of $318\,\text{GeV}$ and correspond to an integrated luminosity of $347\,\text{pb}^{-1}$. Massless jets, reconstructed using the $k_t$-algorithm in the Breit reference frame, have been measured as a function of the squared momentum transfer, $Q^2$, and the transverse momentum of the jets in the Breit frame, $p_{\perp,\text{Breit}}$. The measured jet cross sections are compared to previous measurements and to perturbative QCD predictions. The measurement has been used in a next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD analysis to perform a simultaneous determination of parton distribution functions of the proton and the strong coupling, resulting in a value of $\alpha_s(M_Z^2) = 0.1142 \pm 0.0017~\text{(experimental/fit)}$${}^{+0.0006}_{-0.0007}~\text{(model/parameterisation)}$${}^{+0.0006}_{-0.0004}~\text{(scale)}$, whose accuracy is improved compared to similar measurements. In addition, the running of the strong coupling is demonstrated using data obtained at different scales.
Results are presented from a search for physics beyond the standard model in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV in channels with two Higgs bosons, each decaying via the process H $\to$$\mathrm{b\bar{b}}$, and large missing transverse momentum. The search uses a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC. The search is motivated by models of supersymmetry that predict the production of neutralinos, the neutral partners of the electroweak gauge and Higgs bosons. The observed event yields in the signal regions are found to be consistent with the standard model background expectations. The results are interpreted using simplified models of supersymmetry. For the electroweak production of nearly mass-degenerate higgsinos, each of whose decay chains yields a neutralino ($\tilde{\chi}^0_1$) that in turn decays to a massless goldstino and a Higgs boson, $\tilde{\chi}^0_1$ masses in the range 175 to 1025 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level. For the strong production of gluino pairs decaying via a slightly lighter $\tilde{\chi}^0_2$ to H and a light $\tilde{\chi}^0_1$, gluino masses below 2330 GeV are excluded.
A search is presented for a right-handed W boson (W$_\mathrm{R}$) and a heavy neutrino (N), in a final state consisting of two same-flavor leptons (ee or $\mu\mu$) and two quarks. The search is performed with the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC using a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The search covers two regions of phase space, one where the decay products of the heavy neutrino are merged into a single large-area jet, and one where the decay products are well separated. The expected signal is characterized by an excess in the invariant mass distribution of the final-state objects. No significant excess over the standard model background expectations is observed. The observations are interpreted as upper limits on the product of W$_\mathrm{R}$ production cross sections and branching fractions assuming that couplings are identical to those of the standard model W boson. For N masses $m_\mathrm{N}$ equal to half the W$_\mathrm{R}$ mass $m_\mathrm{W_R}$ ($m_\mathrm{N}$ = 0.2 TeV), $m_\mathrm{W_R}$ is excluded at 95% confidence level up to 4.7 (4.8) and 5.0 (5.4) TeV for the electron and muon channels, respectively. This analysis provides the most stringent limits on the W$_\mathrm{R}$ mass to date.
The first collider search for dark matter arising from a strongly coupled hidden sector is presented and uses a data sample corresponding to 138 fb$^{-1}$, collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC, at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV. The hidden sector is hypothesized to couple to the standard model (SM) via a heavy leptophobic Z' mediator produced as a resonance in proton-proton collisions. The mediator decay results in two "semivisible" jets, containing both visible matter and invisible dark matter. The final state therefore includes moderate missing energy aligned with one of the jets, a signature ignored by most dark matter searches. No structure in the dijet transverse mass spectra compatible with the signal is observed. Assuming the Z' has a universal coupling of 0.25 to the SM quarks, an inclusive search, relevant to any model that exhibits this kinematic behavior, excludes mediator masses of 1.5-4.0 TeV at 95% confidence level, depending on the other signal model parameters. To enhance the sensitivity of the search for this particular class of hidden sector models, a boosted decision tree (BDT) is trained using jet substructure variables to distinguish between semivisible jets and SM jets from background processes. When the BDT is employed to identify each jet in the dijet system as semivisible, the mediator mass exclusion increases to 5.1 TeV, for wider ranges of the other signal model parameters. These limits exclude a wide range of strongly coupled hidden sector models for the first time.
A search for pair-production of vector-like leptons is presented, considering their decays into a third-generation Standard Model (SM) quark and a vector leptoquark ($U_1$) as predicted by an ultraviolet-complete extension of the SM, referred to as the '4321' model. Given the assumed decay of $U_1$ into third-generation SM fermions, the final state can contain multiple $τ$-leptons and $b$-quarks. This search is based on a dataset of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 140 fb$^{-1}$. No significant excess above the SM background prediction is observed, and 95% confidence level limits on the cross-section times branching ratio are derived as a function of the vector-like lepton mass. A lower observed (expected) limit of 910 GeV (970 GeV) is set on the vector-like lepton mass. Additionally, the results are interpreted for a supersymmetric model with an $R$-parity violating coupling to the third-generation quarks and leptons. Lower observed (expected) limits are obtained on the higgsino mass at 880 GeV (940 GeV) and on the wino mass at 1170 GeV (1170 GeV).
The mass of the top quark is measured using top-antitop-quark pair events with high transverse momentum top quarks. The dataset, collected with the ATLAS detector in proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV delivered by the Large Hadron Collider, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$. The analysis targets events in the lepton-plus-jets decay channel, with an electron or muon from a semi-leptonically decaying top quark and a hadronically decaying top quark that is sufficiently energetic to be reconstructed as a single large-radius jet. The mean of the invariant mass of the reconstructed large-radius jet provides the sensitivity to the top quark mass and is simultaneously fitted with two additional observables to reduce the impact of the systematic uncertainties. The top quark mass is measured to be $m_t = 172.95 \pm 0.53$ GeV, which is the most precise ATLAS measurement from a single channel.
A search for long-lived particles decaying into muon pairs is performed using proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2017 and 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb$^{-1}$. The data sets used in this search were collected with a dedicated dimuon trigger stream with low transverse momentum thresholds, recorded at high rate by retaining a reduced amount of information, in order to explore otherwise inaccessible phase space at low dimuon mass and nonzero displacement from the primary interaction vertex. No significant excess of events beyond the standard model expectation is found. Upper limits on branching fractions at 95% confidence level are set on a wide range of mass and lifetime hypotheses in beyond the standard model frameworks with the Higgs boson decaying into a pair of long-lived dark photons, or with a long-lived scalar resonance arising from a decay of a b hadron. The limits are the most stringent to date for substantial regions of the parameter space. These results can be also used to constrain models of displaced dimuons that are not explicitly considered in this paper.
A search for $t$-channel exchange of leptoquarks (LQs) is performed in dimuon and dielectron spectra using proton-proton collision data collected at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Eight scenarios are considered, in which scalar or vector LQs couple up or down quarks to muons or electrons, for dilepton invariant masses above 500 GeV. The LQ masses are probed up to 5 TeV, beyond a regime probed by previous pair-production and single-production searches. The differential distributions of dilepton events are fit to templates that model the nonresonant LQ exchange and various standard model background processes. Limits are set on LQ-fermion coupling strengths for scalar and vector LQ masses in the 1-5 TeV range at 95% confidence level, establishing stringent limits on first- and second-generation LQs.
This paper presents a search for new physics through the process where a new massive particle, X, decays into a Higgs boson and a second particle, Y. The Higgs boson subsequently decays into a bottom quark-antiquark pair, reconstructed as a single large-radius jet. The decay products of Y are also assumed to produce a single large-radius jet. The identification of the Y particle is enhanced by computing the anomaly score of its candidate jet using an autoencoder, which measures deviations from typical QCD multijet jets. This allows a simultaneous search for multiple Y decay scenarios within a single analysis. In the main benchmark process, Y is a scalar particle that decays into W$^+$W$^-$. Two other benchmark processes are also considered, where Y is a scalar particle decaying into a light quark-antiquark pair, or into a top quark-antiquark pair. The last benchmark considers Y as a hadronically decaying top quark, arising from the decay of a vector-like quark into a top quark and a Higgs boson. Data recorded by the CMS experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV in 2016$-$2018, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$, are analyzed. No significant excess is observed, and upper limits on the benchmark signal cross section for various masses of X and Y, at 95% confidence level, are placed.