A search for a Higgs boson decaying into a pair of electrons or muons and a photon is described. Higgs boson decays to a Z boson and a photon (H $\to$ Z$\gamma\to\ell\ell\gamma$, $\ell =$ e or $\mu$), or to two photons, one of which has an internal conversion into a muon pair (H $\to\gamma^{*}\gamma\to\mu\mu\gamma$) were considered. The analysis is performed using a data set recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. No significant excess above the background prediction has been found. Limits are set on the cross section for a standard model Higgs boson decaying to opposite-sign electron or muon pairs and a photon. The observed limits on cross section times the corresponding branching fractions vary between 1.4 and 4.0 (6.1 and 11.4) times the standard model cross section for H $\to\gamma^{*}\gamma\to\mu\mu\gamma$ (H $\to$ Z$\gamma\to\ell\ell\gamma$) in the 120-130 GeV mass range of the $\ell\ell\gamma$ system. The H $\to\gamma^*\gamma\to\mu\mu\gamma$ and H $\to$ Z$\gamma\to\ell\ell\gamma$ analyses are combined for $m_\mathrm{H} =$ 125 GeV, obtaining an observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper limit of 3.9 (2.0) times the standard model cross section.
Exclusion limit, at 95% CL, on the cross section of the $H \rightarrow \gamma^{*}\gamma \rightarrow \mu\mu\gamma$ process relative to the SM prediction, as a function of the Higgs boson mass.
Exclusion limit, at 95% CL, on the cross section of the $H \rightarrow Z\gamma \rightarrow ll\gamma$ process relative to the SM prediction, as a function of the Higgs boson mass.
Exclusion limit, at 95% CL, on the cross section of the $H \rightarrow ll\gamma$ relative to the SM prediction, for an SM Higgs boson of $m_{H} = 125$ GeV. The upper limits of each analysis category, as well as their combinations, are shown.
This Letter presents a normalized differential cross-section measurement in a fiducial phase-space region where interference effects between top-quark pair production and associated production of a single top quark with a $W$ boson and a $b$-quark are significant. Events with exactly two leptons ($ee$, $\mu\mu$, or $e\mu$) and two $b$-tagged jets that satisfy a multi-particle invariant mass requirement are selected from $36.1$ fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data taken at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2015 and 2016. The results are compared with predictions from simulations using various strategies for the interference. The standard prescriptions for interference modeling are significantly different from each other but are within $2\sigma$ of the data. State-of-the-art predictions that naturally incorporate interference effects provide the best description of the data in the measured region of phase space most sensitive to these effects. These results provide an important constraint on interference models and will guide future model development and tuning.
The minimax-mbl distribution in the three-b-tag region, constructed from the two b-jets with largest transverse momentum. The predicted tt+HF contribution from simulation is scaled to match observed data in this region. The hashed band indicates the uncertainty on the total number of predicted events, where the DR scheme is used to estimate the minor contribution from the tW process. Uncertainties include all statistical and systematic sources.
The detector-level minimax-mbl distribution, with signal selection and background estimation as described in the text. The total predicted events are shown for both the DR and DS definitions of the tW process, with uncertainties on the respective estimates indicated by separate error bars. Uncertainties include all statistical and systematic sources.
The unfolded, normalized differential minimax-mbl cross-section compared with theoretical models of the tt+tWb signal with various implementations of interference effects. The uncertainty of each data point includes all statistical and systematic sources, while uncertainties for each of the MC predictions correspond to variations of the PDF set and renormalization and factorization scales.
A search for pair production of the supersymmetric partners of the Higgs boson (higgsinos $\tilde{H}$) in gauge-mediated scenarios is reported. Each higgsino is assumed to decay to a Higgs boson and a gravitino. Two complementary analyses, targeting high- and low-mass signals, are performed to maximize sensitivity. The two analyses utilize LHC $pp$ collision data at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV, the former with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ and the latter with 24.3 fb$^{-1}$, collected with the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016. The search is performed in events containing missing transverse momentum and several energetic jets, at least three of which must be identified as $b$-quark jets. No significant excess is found above the predicted background. Limits on the cross-section are set as a function of the mass of the $\tilde{H}$ in simplified models assuming production via mass-degenerate higgsinos decaying to a Higgs boson and a gravitino. Higgsinos with masses between 130 and 230 GeV and between 290 and 880 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level. Interpretations of the limits in terms of the branching ratio of the higgsino to a $Z$ boson or a Higgs boson are also presented, and a 45% branching ratio to a Higgs boson is excluded for $m_{\tilde{H}} \approx 400$ GeV.
Distribution of m(h1) for events passing the preselection criteria of the high-mass analysis.
Distribution of effective mass for events passing the preselection criteria of the high-mass analysis.
Exclusion limits on higgsino pair production. The results of the low-mass analysis are used below m(higgsino) = 300 GeV, while those of the high-mass analysis are used above. The figure shows the observed and expected 95% upper limits on the higgsino pair production cross-section as a function of m(higgsino).
This Letter presents the observation of the rare Z boson decay Z $\to\psi\ell^+\ell^-$. Here, $\psi$ represents contributions from direct J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) $\to$ J/$\psi X$, $\ell^+\ell^-$ is a pair of electrons or muons, and the J/$\psi$ meson is detected via its decay to $\mu^+\mu^-$. The sample of proton-proton collision data, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The signal is observed with a significance in excess of 5 standard deviations. After subtraction of the $\psi$(2S) $\to$ J/$\psi X$ contribution, the ratio of the branching fraction of the exclusive decay Z $\to\psi\ell^+\ell^-$ to the decay Z $\to\mu^+\mu^-\mu^+\mu^-$ within a fiducial phase space is measured to be $\mathcal{B}($Z $\to\psi\ell^+\ell^-) / \mathcal{B}($Z $\to\mu^+\mu^-\mu^+\mu^-) =$ 0.67 $\pm$ 0.18 (stat) $\pm$ 0.05 (syst).
branching fraction ratio of Z->J/psi+2 leptons over Z->4muons for the phase space defined above
A search is presented for a singly produced third-generation scalar leptoquark decaying to a $\tau$ lepton and a bottom quark. Associated production of a leptoquark and a $\tau$ lepton is considered, leading to a final state with a bottom quark and two $\tau$ leptons. The search uses proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded with the CMS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. Upper limits are set at 95% confidence level on the production cross section of the third-generation scalar leptoquarks as a function of their mass. From a comparison of the results with the theoretical predictions, a third-generation scalar leptoquark decaying to a $\tau$ lepton and a bottom quark, assuming unit Yukawa coupling ($\lambda$), is excluded for masses below 740 GeV. Limits are also set on $\lambda$ of the hypothesized leptoquark as a function of its mass. Above $\lambda =$ 1.4, this result provides the best upper limit on the mass of a third-generation scalar leptoquark decaying to a $\tau$ lepton and a bottom quark.
The product of acceptance, efficiency, and branching fraction as a function of leptoquark (LQ) mass for the single production of LQs in each of the three channels considered: tau-tau (black solid line), mu-tau (red dashed line), and e-tau (blue dotted line). The efficiency is calculated with respect to all event selections mentioned in the paper. The uncertainty refers to statistical uncertainty only.
Observed ST distribution in the e-tau signal region, compared to the expected SM background contributions. The distribution labeled electroweak contains the contributions from W+jets, Z+jets, and diboson processes. The signal distributions for single-leptoquark (LQ) production with mass 700 GeV are overlaid to illustrate the sensitivity. For the signal normalization, lambda = 1 and beta = 1 are assumed. The background uncertainty bands represent the sum in quadrature of statistical and systematic uncertainties obtained from the fit. The lower panels show the ratio between the observed and expected events in each bin. In all plots, the horizontal and vertical error bars on the data points represent the bin widths and the Poisson uncertainties, respectively.
Observed ST distribution in the mu-tau signal region, compared to the expected SM background contributions. The distribution labeled electroweak contains the contributions from W+jets, Z+jets, and diboson processes. The signal distributions for single-leptoquark (LQ) production with mass 700 GeV are overlaid to illustrate the sensitivity. For the signal normalization, lambda = 1 and beta = 1 are assumed. The background uncertainty bands represent the sum in quadrature of statistical and systematic uncertainties obtained from the fit. The lower panels show the ratio between the observed and expected events in each bin. In all plots, the horizontal and vertical error bars on the data points represent the bin widths and the Poisson uncertainties, respectively.
A search for a narrow-width resonance decaying into two Higgs bosons, each decaying into a bottom quark-antiquark pair, is presented. The search is performed using proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV recorded by the CMS detector at the LHC. No evidence for such a signal is observed. Upper limits are set on the product of the production cross section for the resonance and the branching fraction for the selected decay mode in the resonance mass range from 260 to 1200 GeV.
The observed and expected upper limits on the cross section for a spin-2 resonance X $\rightarrow$ H(bb) H(bb) at 95% CL, using the asymptotic CLs method
The observed and expected upper limits on the cross section for a spin-0 resonance X $\rightarrow$ H(bb) H(bb) at 95% CL, using the asymptotic CLs method
A search for electroweak production of supersymmetric particles is performed in two-lepton and three-lepton final states using recursive jigsaw reconstruction. The search uses data collected in 2015 and 2016 by the ATLAS experiment in $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV proton--proton collisions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$. Chargino-neutralino pair production, with decays via W/Z bosons, is studied in final states involving leptons and jets and missing transverse momentum for scenarios with large and intermediate mass-splittings between the parent particle and lightest supersymmetric particle, as well as for the scenario where this mass splitting is close to the mass of the Z boson. The latter case is challenging since the vector bosons are produced with kinematic properties that are similar to those in Standard Model processes. Results are found to be compatible with the Standard Model expectations in the signal regions targeting large and intermediate mass-splittings, and chargino-neutralino masses up to 600 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level for a massless lightest supersymmetric particle. Excesses of data above the expected background are found in the signal regions targeting low mass-splittings, and the largest local excess amounts to 3.0 standard deviations.
Distributions of kinematic variables in the signal regions for the $2\ell$ channels after applying all selection requirements. The histograms show the post-fit background predictions. The last bin includes the overflow. The distribution for $H_{4,1}^{\textrm{PP}}$ in SR$2\ell$_Low is plotted. The expected distribution for a benchmark signal model, normalized to the NLO+NLL cross-section times integrated luminosity, is also shown for comparison.
Distributions of kinematic variables in the signal regions for the $2\ell$ channels after applying all selection requirements. The histograms show the post-fit background predictions. The last bin includes the overflow. The distribution for $\textrm{min}(H^{\textrm{P}_{\textrm{a}}}_{1,1},H^{\textrm{P}_{\textrm{b}}}_{1,1})/\textrm{min}(H^{\textrm{P}_{\textrm{a}}}_{2,1},H^{\textrm{P}_{\textrm{b}}}_{2,1})$ in SR$2\ell$_Low is plotted. The expected distribution for a benchmark signal model, normalized to the NLO+NLL cross-section times integrated luminosity, is also shown for comparison.
Distributions of kinematic variables in the signal regions for the $2\ell$ channels after applying all selection requirements. The histograms show the post-fit background predictions. The last bin includes the overflow. The distribution for $p_{\mathrm{T\ ISR}}^{~\textrm{CM}}$ in SR2$\ell$_ISR is plotted. The expected distribution for a benchmark signal model, normalized to the NLO+NLL cross-section times integrated luminosity, is also shown for comparison.
A search is presented for the pair production of heavy vector-like $B$ quarks, primarily targeting $B$ quark decays into a $W$ boson and a top quark. The search is based on $36.1$ $fb^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV recorded in 2015 and 2016 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Data are analysed in the lepton-plus-jets final state, characterised by a high-transverse-momentum isolated electron or muon, large missing transverse momentum, and multiple jets, of which at least one is $b$-tagged. No significant deviation from the Standard Model expectation is observed. The 95% confidence level lower limit on the $B$ mass is 1350 GeV assuming a 100% branching ratio to $Wt$. In the SU(2) singlet scenario, the lower mass limit is 1170 GeV. This search is also sensitive to a heavy vector-like $B$ quark decaying into other final states ($Zb$ and $Hb$) and thus mass limits on $B$ production are set as a function of the decay branching ratios. The 100% branching ratio limits are found to be also applicable to heavy vector-like $X$ production, with charge $+$5/3, that decay into $Wt$.
The hadronically decaying VLB candidate mass in the RECOSR region after the maximum likelihood fit in the two signal regions overlayed with the pre-fit VLB signal
The BDT discriminant in the BDTSR region after the maximum likelihood fit in the two signal regions overlayed with the pre-fit VLB signal
Expected and observed upper limits at the 95% CL on the BB cross section as a function of B quark mass under the assumption of BR(B->Wt)=1.
A search for a heavy resonance decaying into $WZ$ in the fully leptonic channel (electrons and muons) is performed. It is based on proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$. No significant excess is observed over the Standard Model predictions and limits are set on the production cross section times branching ratio of a heavy vector particle produced either in quark-antiquark fusion or through vector-boson fusion. Constraints are also obtained on the mass and couplings of a singly charged Higgs boson, in the Georgi-Machacek model, produced through vector-boson fusion.
The signal selection acceptance times efficiency (A$\times\epsilon$), defined as the ratio of the number of MC signal events in the category to the number of generated signal events, is presented as a function of the Georgi-Machacek Model $H_5^\pm$ resonance mass in the VBF category. The A$\times\epsilon$ is shown for the combination of all decay channels. For the Georgi-Machacek Model $H_5^\pm$ samples, generator cuts are: $p_{\mathrm T}$ (jets) $>$ 15 GeV, $p_{\mathrm T}$ (leptons) $>$ 10 GeV, $|\eta|$(jets) $<$ 5 and $|\eta|$(leptons) $<$ 2.7. The decay of $W$ is to all flavors of leptons and of $Z$ to $e^+e^−$ and $\mu^+\mu^-$. The $Z$ to $\tau^+\tau-$ decays give a negligible contribution and were not included in the simulation, however the acceptancs shown here was scaled to include all decays. A systematic uncertainty was applied to cover the scaling uncertainty. The uncertainty shown represents the total statistical and systematic uncertainties.
The signal selection acceptance times efficiency (A$\times \epsilon$), defined as the ratio of the number of MC signal events in the category to the number of generated signal events, is presented as a function of the HVT resonance mass in the VBF category. The A$\times \epsilon$ is shown for the combination of all decay channels. For the HVT VBF samples, generator cuts are: m$_{jj} >$ 150 GeV. The decay of $W$ and $Z$ are to all flavors of leptons. The uncertainty shown represents the total statistical and systematic uncertainties.
Signal selection acceptance times efficiency (A$\times \epsilon$), defined as the ratio of the number of MC signal events in the category to the number of generated signal events, as a function of the HVT resonance mass for the quark-antiquark production. The $A\times\epsilon$ is shown for each decay channel and the inclusive one. The decay of $W$ and $Z$ are to all flavors of leptons. The uncertainty shown represents the total statistical and systematic uncertainties.
Searches for resonances decaying into pairs of jets are performed using proton-proton collision data collected at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 36 fb$^{-1}$. A low-mass search, for resonances with masses between 0.6 and 1.6 TeV, is performed based on events with dijets reconstructed at the trigger level from calorimeter information. A high-mass search, for resonances with masses above 1.6 TeV, is performed using dijets reconstructed offline with a particle-flow algorithm. The dijet mass spectrum is well described by a smooth parameterization and no evidence for the production of new particles is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are reported on the production cross section for narrow resonances with masses above 0.6 TeV. In the context of specific models, the limits exclude string resonances with masses below 7.7 TeV, scalar diquarks below 7.2 TeV, axigluons and colorons below 6.1 TeV, excited quarks below 6.0 TeV, color-octet scalars below 3.4 TeV, W' bosons below 3.3 TeV, Z' bosons below 2.7 TeV, Randall-Sundrum gravitons below 1.8 TeV and in the range 1.9 to 2.5 TeV, and dark matter mediators below 2.6 TeV. The limits on both vector and axial-vector mediators, in a simplified model of interactions between quarks and dark matter particles, are presented as functions of dark matter particle mass and coupling to quarks. Searches are also presented for broad resonances, including for the first time spin-1 resonances with intrinsic widths as large as 30% of the resonance mass. The broad resonance search improves and extends the exclusions of a dark matter mediator to larger values of its mass and coupling to quarks.
Observed differential dijet spectrum from the low-mass analysis. The cross-section is calculated by dividing the event yield by the bin width and luminosity.
Observed differential dijet spectrum from the high-mass analysis. The cross-section is calculated by dividing the event yield by the bin width and luminosity.
The observed 95% CL upper limits on the product of the cross section, branching fraction, and acceptance for quark-quark, quark-gluon, and gluon-gluon type dijet resonances.
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