The production of $Z$ bosons in association with a high-energy photon ($Z\gamma$ production) is studied in the neutrino decay channel of the $Z$ boson using $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. The analysis uses a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2015 and 2016. Candidate $Z\gamma$ events with invisible decays of the $Z$ boson are selected by requiring significant transverse momentum ($p_{T}$) of the dineutrino system in conjunction with a single isolated photon with large transverse energy ($E_{T}$). The rate of $Z\gamma$ production is measured as a function of photon $E_{T}$, dineutrino system $p_{T}$ and jet multiplicity. Evidence of anomalous triple gauge-boson couplings is sought in $Z\gamma$ production with photon $E_{T}$ greater than 600 GeV. No excess is observed relative to the Standard Model expectation, and upper limits are set on the strength of $ZZ\gamma$ and $Z\gamma\gamma$ couplings.
Measured integrated cross sections for the $Z\gamma$ process for neutrino final states at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV in the extended fiducial region defined in the paper.
Measured differential cross sections for the $pp \rightarrow \nu\bar{\nu}\gamma$ process at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV as a function of photon $E_{T}$ in the inclusive $N_{jets} \geq 0$ extended fiducial region defined in the paper.
Measured differential cross sections for the $pp \rightarrow \nu\bar{\nu}\gamma$ process at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV as a function of photon $E_{T}$ in the exclusive $N_{jets} = 0$ extended fiducial region defined in the paper.
A search for the pair production of heavy fermionic partners of the top quark with charge 5/3 (X$_{5/3}$) is performed in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The data sample analyzed corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The X$_{5/3}$ quark is assumed always to decay into a top quark and a W boson. Both the right-handed and left-handed X$_{5/3}$ couplings to the W boson are considered. Final states with either a pair of same-sign leptons or a single lepton are studied. No significant excess of events is observed above the expected standard model background. Lower limits at 95% confidence level on the X$_{5/3}$ quark mass are set at 1.33 and 1.30 TeV respectively for the case of right-handed and left-handed couplings to W bosons in a combination of the same-sign dilepton and single-lepton final states.
Summary of yields from simulated prompt same-sign dilepton (SSP MC), same-sign nonprompt (Nonprompt), and opposite-sign prompt (ChargeMisID) backgrounds after the full analysis selection. Also shown are the number of expected events for an RH $X_{5/3}$ particle with a mass of 1 TeV. The uncertainties include both statistical and all systematic components (as described in Section 8). The number of events and uncertainties correspond to the background- only fit to data for the background, while for the signal they are based on the yields before the fit to data.
Distributions of $\min[M(\ell,\mathrm{b})]$ in the $\mathrm{t\overline{t}}$ control region, for 1 b-tagged jet category. Example signal distributions are also shown. The background distributions correspond to background-only fit to data while signal distributions are before the fit to data. Electron and muon event samples are combined. The last bin includes overflow events and its content is divided by the bin width. The distributions in each category have variable-size bins, chosen so that the statistical uncertainty in the total background in each bin is less than 30%. The lower panel in each plot shows the difference between the observed and the predicted numbers of events in that bin divided by the total uncertainty. The total uncertainty is calculated as the sum in quadrature of the statistical uncertainty in the observed measurement and the statistical and systematic uncertainties in the background-only fit to data.
Distributions of $\min[M(\ell,\mathrm{b})]$ in the $\mathrm{t\overline{t}}$ control region, for 2 or more b-tagged jet category. Example signal distributions are also shown. The background distributions correspond to background-only fit to data while signal distributions are before the fit to data. Electron and muon event samples are combined. The last bin includes overflow events and its content is divided by the bin width. The distributions in each category have variable-size bins, chosen so that the statistical uncertainty in the total background in each bin is less than 30%. The lower panel in each plot shows the difference between the observed and the predicted numbers of events in that bin divided by the total uncertainty. The total uncertainty is calculated as the sum in quadrature of the statistical uncertainty in the observed measurement and the statistical and systematic uncertainties in the background-only fit to data.
A search for heavy right-handed Majorana or Dirac neutrinos $N_R$ and heavy right-handed gauge bosons $W_R$ is performed in events with a pair of energetic electrons or muons, with the same or opposite electric charge, and two energetic jets. The events are selected from $pp$ collision data with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the ATLAS detector at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. No significant deviations from the Standard Model are observed. The results are interpreted within the theoretical framework of a left-right symmetric model and lower limits are set on masses in the heavy right-handed $W$ boson and neutrino mass plane. The excluded region extends to $m_{W_R}=4.7$ TeV for both Majorana and Dirac $N_R$ neutrinos.
Expected 95% CL exclusion contour in the $m_{W_R}–m_{N_R}$ plane for the Majorana $N_R$ neutrino $ee$ channel.
Observed 95% CL exclusion contour in the $m_{W_R}–m_{N_R}$ plane for the Majorana $N_R$ neutrino $ee$ channel.
Observed and expected 95% CL exclusion, for the tested signal mass hypotheses in the $m_{W_R}–m_{N_R}$ plane, for the Majorana $N_R$ neutrino $ee$ channel.
Three of the most significant measured deviations from standard model predictions, the enhanced decay rate for B $\to$ D$^{(*)}\tau\nu$, hints of lepton universality violation in B $\to$ K$^{(*)}\ell\ell$ decays, and the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, can be explained by the existence of leptoquarks (LQs) with large couplings to third-generation quarks and masses at the TeV scale. The existence of these states can be probed at the LHC in high energy proton-proton collisions. A novel search is presented for pair production of LQs coupled to a top quark and a muon using data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$, recorded by the CMS experiment. No deviation from the standard model prediction has been observed and scalar LQs decaying exclusively into t$\mu$ are excluded up to masses of 1420 GeV. The results of this search are combined with those from previous searches for LQ decays into t$\tau$ and b$\nu$, which excluded scalar LQs below masses of 900 and 1080 GeV. Vector LQs are excluded up to masses of 1190 GeV for all possible combinations of branching fractions to t$\mu$, t$\tau$ and b$\nu$. With this analysis, all relevant couplings of LQs with an electric charge of -1/3 to third-generation quarks are probed for the first time.
Distributions for $M_{LQ}^{rec}$ (category A) after applying the full selection. All backgrounds are normalized according to the post-fit nuisance parameters based on the corresponding SM cross sections.
Distributions for $S_{T}$ (category B) after applying the full selection and estimating the $t\overline{t}$ and DY+jets background contributions from data in category B. All backgrounds are normalized according to the post-fit nuisance parameters based on the corresponding SM cross sections.
Observed upper limits on the production cross section for pair production of LQs decaying into a top quark and a muon or a $\tau$ lepton at 95% CL in the $M_{LQ} - B(LQ \rightarrow t\mu)$ plane.
The observation of the standard model (SM) Higgs boson decay to a pair of bottom quarks is presented. The main contribution to this result is from processes in which Higgs bosons are produced in association with a W or Z boson (VH), and are searched for in final states including 0, 1, or 2 charged leptons and two identified bottom quark jets. The results from the measurement of these processes in a data sample recorded by the CMS experiment in 2017, comprising 41.3 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV, are described. When combined with previous VH measurements using data collected at $\sqrt{s}=$ 7, 8, and 13 TeV, an excess of events is observed at $m_\mathrm{H} =$ 125.09 GeV with a significance of 4.8 standard deviations, where the expectation for the SM Higgs boson is 4.9. The corresponding measured signal strength is 1.01 $\pm$ 0.22. The combination of this result with searches by the CMS experiment for H $\to\mathrm{b\overline{b}}$ in other production processes yields an observed (expected) significance of 5.6 (5.5) standard deviations and a signal strength of 1.04 $\pm$ 0.20.
Expected and observed significances, in number of standard deviations, and observed signal strengths for the VH production process with H-->b bbar. Results are shown separately for 2017 data, combined Run 2 (2016 and 2017 data), and for the combination of the Run 1 and Run 2 data. For the 2017 analysis, results are shown separately for the individual mu value for each channel from a combined simultaneous fit to all channels. All results are obtained for mH=125.09 GeV. Data are from Table 2 and 2016 added from Figure 1b.
Best-fit value of the H-->b bbar signal strength with its 1 sigma systematic (red) and total (blue) uncertainties for the five individual production modes considered, as well as the overall combined result. The vertical dashed line indicates the standard model expectation. All results are extracted from a single fit combining all input analyses, with mH = 125.09 GeV. Data from Figure 3.
A search for supersymmetry in events with large missing transverse momentum, jets, and at least one hadronically decaying $\tau$-lepton is presented. Two exclusive final states with either exactly one or at least two $\tau$-leptons are considered. The analysis is based on proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded by the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess is observed over the Standard Model expectation. At 95% confidence level, model-independent upper limits on the cross section are set and exclusion limits are provided for two signal scenarios: a simplified model of gluino pair production with $\tau$-rich cascade decays, and a model with gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking (GMSB). In the simplified model, gluino masses up to 2000 GeV are excluded for low values of the mass of the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP), while LSP masses up to 1000 GeV are excluded for gluino masses around 1400 GeV. In the GMSB model, values of the supersymmetry-breaking scale are excluded below 110 TeV for all values of $\tan\beta$ in the range $2 \leq \tan\beta \leq 60$, and below 120 TeV for $\tan\beta>30$.
1$\tau$ Compressed SR eff.
1$\tau$ Compressed SR eff.
1$\tau$ MediumMass SR eff.
A search is presented for massive narrow resonances decaying either into two Higgs bosons, or into a Higgs boson and a W or Z boson. The decay channels considered are HH$\to \mathrm{b\overline{b}}\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$ and VH$ \to \mathrm{q\overline{q}}\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$, where H denotes the Higgs boson, and V denotes the W or Z boson. This analysis is based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the CMS Collaboration, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. For the TeV-scale mass resonances considered, substructure techniques provide ways to differentiate among the hadronization products from vector boson decays to quarks, Higgs boson decays to bottom quarks, and quark- or gluon-induced jets. Reconstruction techniques are used that have been specifically optimized to select events in which the tau lepton pair is highly boosted. The observed data are consistent with standard model expectations and upper limits are set at 95% confidence level on the product of cross section and branching fraction for resonance masses between 0.9 and 4.0 TeV. Exclusion limits are set in the context of bulk radion and graviton models: spin-0 radion resonances are excluded below a mass of 2.7 TeV at 95% confidence level. In the spin-1 heavy vector triplet framework, mass-degenerate W' and Z' resonances with dominant couplings to the standard model gauge bosons are excluded below a mass of 2.8 TeV at 95% confidence level. There are the first limits for these decay channels at $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV.
Observed 95% CL upper limits on the product of the production cross section and the branching fraction for a new spin-0 resonance decaying to HH, as a function of the resonance mass hypothesis.
Observed 95% CL upper limits on the product of the production cross section and the branching fraction for a new spin-2 resonance decaying to HH, as a function of the resonance mass hypothesis.
Observed 95% CL upper limits on the product of the production cross section and the branching fraction for a new spin-1 W prime resonance decaying to WH, as a function of the resonance mass hypothesis.
A search for new charged massive gauge bosons, $W^\prime$, is performed with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Data were collected in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 $\textrm{fb}^{-1}$. This analysis searches for $W^\prime$ bosons in the $W^\prime \rightarrow t\bar{b}$ decay channel in final states with an electron or muon plus jets. The search covers resonance masses between 0.5 and 5.0 TeV and considers right-handed $W^\prime$ bosons. No significant deviation from the Standard Model (SM) expectation is observed and upper limits are set on the $W^\prime \rightarrow t\bar{b}$ cross section times branching ratio and the $W^\prime$ boson effective couplings as a function of the $W^\prime$ boson mass. For right-handed $W^\prime$ bosons with coupling to the SM particles equal to the SM weak coupling constant, masses below 3.15 TeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level. This search is also combined with a previously published ATLAS result for $W^\prime \rightarrow t\bar{b}$ in the fully hadronic final state. Using the combined searches, right-handed $W^\prime$ bosons with masses below 3.25 TeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level.
Signal selection efficiency (efficiency is defined as the number of events passing all selections divided by the total number of simulated $W' \to t\bar{b} \to \ell \nu b \bar{b}$ events) in the signal region as a function of the simulated $W^\prime_{\textrm{R}}$ mass.
Distribution of the reconstructed invariant mass of the $W^\prime$ boson candidate in the 2-jet 1-tag VR$_{\textrm{HF}}$ electron validation region. Background templates are fit to data in each VR using the same statistical method as for the signal region except that the normalizations of $t\bar{t}$ and $W$+jets backgrounds are constrained to the post-fit rates obtained in the signal region. Uncertainties include all the systematic and statistical uncertainties.
Distribution of the reconstructed invariant mass of the $W^\prime$ boson candidate in the 2-jet 1-tag VR$_{\textrm{HF}}$ muon validation region. Background templates are fit to data in each VR using the same statistical method as for the signal region except that the normalizations of $t\bar{t}$ and $W$+jets backgrounds are constrained to the post-fit rates obtained in the signal region. Uncertainties include all the systematic and statistical uncertainties.
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).
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