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 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.
<b>Note: in the paper, uncertainties are given in percent. The HEPData table contains absolute numbers. The original data file, containing relative uncertainties as in the paper, is available via the 'Resources' button above.</b> Double-differential inclusive-jet cross sections, $\sigma$. Also listed are the unfolding uncertainty $\delta_\text{unf}$, the sum of the uncorrelated systematic uncertainties $\delta_\text{uncor}$ and the correlated systematic uncertainties associated with the jet-energy scale $\delta_\text{JES}$, the MC model $\delta_\text{model}$, the relative normalisation of the background from unmatched detector-level jets $\delta_\text{fake}$, the relative normalisation of the background from low-$Q^2$ DIS events $\delta_\text{Low-$Q^2$}$, the $(E-p_\text{Z})$-cut boundaries $\delta_{E-p_\text{Z}}$, the track-matching-efficiency correction $\delta_\text{TME}$. Uncertainties for which a single number is listed should be taken as symmetric in the other direction. Not listed explicitly is the luminosity uncertainty of $1.9\%$, which is fully correlated across all points. The last four columns show the QED Born-level correction $c_\text{QED}$ that has been applied to the data as well as the $Z$, $c_Z$, and hadronisation correction $c_\text{Had}$ and associated uncertainty that need to be applied to the theory predictions.
<b>Note: in the paper, uncertainties are given in percent. The HEPData table contains absolute numbers. The original data file, containing relative uncertainties as in the paper, is available via the 'Resources' button above.</b> Breakdown of the uncorrelated uncertainty $\delta_\text{uncor}$ from Table 1. Shown are the uncertainties associated with the reweighting of the MC models ($\delta_\text{rew.}$), the electron-energy scale ($\delta_\text{EES}$), the electron-finding algorithm ($\delta_\text{EM}$), the electron calibration ($\delta_\text{EL}$), the variation of the $p_{T,\text{lab}}$ cut of the jets ($\delta_{p_T}$), the variation of the electron-track momentum-cut boundaries ($\delta_\text{trk.}$), the variation of the $p_T/\sqrt{E_T}$-cut boundaries ($\delta_\text{bal.}$), the variation of the $Z_\text{vertex}$-cut boundaries ($\delta_\text{vtx.}$), the variation of the $R_\text{RCAL}$-cut boundaries ($\delta_\text{rad.}$), the variation of the electron-track distance-cut boundaries ($\delta_\text{DCA}$), the relative normalisation of the background from photoproduction events ($\delta_\text{PHP}$), the polarisation correction ($\delta_\text{pol.}$), the FLT track-veto-efficiency correction ($\delta_\text{FLT}$) and the correction to QED Born-level ($\delta_\text{QED}$). For the asymmetric uncertainties, the upper number corresponds to the upward variation of the corresponding parameter and the lower number corresponds to the downward variation.
Correlation matrix of the unfolding uncertainty within the inclusive-jet cross-section measurement. Correlations are given in percent.
A search for physics beyond the standard model (SM) in the final state with a hadronically decaying tau lepton and a neutrino is presented. This analysis is based on data recorded by the CMS experiment from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the LHC, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{=1}$. The transverse mass spectrum is analyzed for the presence of new physics. No significant deviation from the SM prediction is observed. Limits are set on the production cross section of a W' boson decaying into a tau lepton and a neutrino. Lower limits are set on the mass of the sequential SM-like heavy charged vector boson and the mass of a quantum black hole. Upper limits are placed on the couplings of a new boson to the SM fermions. Constraints are put on a nonuniversal gauge interaction model and an effective field theory model. For the first time, upper limits on the cross section of $t$-channel leptoquark (LQ) exchange are presented. These limits are translated into exclusion limits on the LQ mass and on its coupling in the $t$-channel. The sensitivity of this analysis extends into the parameter space of LQ models that attempt to explain the anomalies observed in B meson decays. The limits presented for the various interpretations are the most stringent to date. Additionally, a model-independent limit is provided.
The transverse mass distribution of $ au$ leptons and missing transverse momentum observed in the Run-2 data (black dots with statistical uncertainty) as well as the expectation from SM processes (stacked histograms). Different signal hypotheses normalized to 10 fb$^{-1}$ are illustrated as dashed lines for exemplary SSM W$\prime$ boson, QBH and EFT signal hypotheses. The ratios of the background-subtracted data yields to the expected background yields are presented in the lower panel. The combined statistical and systematic uncertainties in the background are represented by the grey shaded band in the ratio panel.
Bayesian upper exclusion limits at 95% CL on the product of the cross section and branching fraction of a W$\prime$ boson decaying to a $\tau$ lepton and a neutrino in the SSM model. For this model, W$\prime$ boson masses of up to 4.8 TeV can be excluded. The limit is given by the intersection of the observed (solid) limit and the theoretical cross section (blue dotted curve). The 68 and 95% quantiles of the limits are represented by the green and yellow bands, respectively. The $\sigma \mathcal{B}$ for an SSM W' boson, along with its associated uncertainty, calculated at NNLO precision in QCD is shown.
Bayesian 95% CL model-independent upper limit on the product of signal cross sections and branching fraction for the $\tau+\nu$ decay for a back-to-back $\tau$ lepton plus $p_{T}^{miss}$ topology. To calculate this limit, all events for signal, background, and data are summed starting from a minimum $m_{T}$ threshold and then divided by the total number of events. No assumption on signal shape is included in this limit. The expected (dashed line) and observed (solid line) limits are shown as well as the 68% and 95% CL uncertainty bands (green and yellow, respectively).
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 for a heavy resonance decaying into a top quark and a W boson in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV is presented. The data analyzed were recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The top quark is reconstructed as a single jet and the W boson, from its decay into an electron or muon and the corresponding neutrino. A top quark tagging technique based on jet clustering with a variable distance parameter and simultaneous jet grooming is used to identify jets from the collimated top quark decay. The results are interpreted in the context of two benchmark models, where the heavy resonance is either an excited bottom quark b$^*$ or a vector-like quark B. A statistical combination with an earlier search by the CMS Collaboration in the all-hadronic final state is performed to place upper cross section limits on these two models. The new analysis extends the lower range of resonance mass probed from 1.4 down to 0.7 TeV. For left-handed, right-handed, and vector-like couplings, b$^*$ masses up to 3.0, 3.0, and 3.2 TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level, respectively. The observed upper limits represent the most stringent constraints on the b$^*$ model to date.
Distributions of MtW in the 1b category. The data are shown by filled markers, where the horizontal bars indicate the bin widths. The individual background contributions are given by filled histograms. The expected signal for a LH b* with mb∗ = 2.4 TeV is shown by a dashed line. The shaded region is the uncertainty in the total background estimate. The lower panel shows the ratio of data to the background estimate, with the total uncertainty on the predicted background displayed as the gray band.
Distributions of MtW in the 2b category. The data are shown by filled markers, where the horizontal bars indicate the bin widths. The individual background contributions are given by filled histograms. The expected signal for a LH b* with mb∗ = 2.4 TeV is shown by a dashed line. The shaded region is the uncertainty in the total background estimate. The lower panel shows the ratio of data to the background estimate, with the total uncertainty on the predicted background displayed as the gray band.
Upper limits on the production cross section times branching fraction of the b* LH hypothesis at a 95% CL. Dashed colored lines show the expected limits from the l+jets and all-hadronic channels, where the latter start at resonance masses of 1.4 TeV. The observed and expected limits from the combination are shown as solid and dashed black lines, respectively. The green and yellow bands show the 68 and 95% confidence intervals on the combined expected limits.
Proton-proton interactions resulting in final states with two photons are studied in a search for the signature of flavor-changing neutral current interactions of top quarks (t) and Higgs bosons (H). The analysis is based on data collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. No significant excess above the background prediction is observed. Upper limits on the branching fractions ($\mathcal{B}$) of the top quark decaying to a Higgs boson and an up (u) or charm quark (c) are derived through a binned fit to the diphoton invariant mass spectrum. The observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper limits are found to be 0.019 (0.031)% for $\mathcal B$(t $\to$ Hu) and 0.073 (0.051)% for $\mathcal{B}$(t $\to$ Hc). These are the strictest upper limits yet determined.
Expected and observed 95\% CL upper limits on the branching fraction of the top quark decaying to the Higgs boson and a light-flavor quark (either an up or a charm quark)
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
Collective behaviour of final-state hadrons, and multiparton interactions are studied in high-multiplicity $ep$ scattering at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=318$ GeV with the ZEUS detector at HERA. Two- and four-particle azimuthal correlations, as well as multiplicity, transverse momentum, and pseudorapidity distributions for charged-particle multiplicities $N_{\textrm ch} \geq 20$ are measured. The dependence of two-particle correlations on the virtuality of the exchanged photon shows a clear transition from photoproduction to neutral current deep inelastic scattering. For the multiplicities studied, neither the measurements in photoproduction processes nor those in neutral current deep inelastic scattering indicate significant collective behaviour of the kind observed in high-multiplicity hadronic collisions at RHIC and the LHC. Comparisons of PYTHIA predictions with the measurements in photoproduction strongly indicate the presence of multiparton interactions from hadronic fluctuations of the exchanged photon.
Two-particle correlations $c_{1}\{2\}$ versus $Q^2$. Photoproduction data are shown at $Q^2$ = 0 GeV$^2$, while NC DIS is for $Q^2$ > 5 GeV$^2$.
Two-particle correlations $c_{1}\{2\}$ versus $Q^2$ with a rapidity separation: $\Delta \eta > 2$. Photoproduction data are shown at $Q^2$ = 0 GeV$^2$, while NC DIS is for $Q^2$ > 5 GeV$^2$.
Two-particle correlations $c_{1}\{2\}$ versus $Q^2$ with a high-$p_{\textrm{T}}$ constraint: $p_{\textrm{T}}$ > 0.5 GeV. Photoproduction data are shown at $Q^2$ = 0 GeV$^2$, while NC DIS is for $Q^2$ > 5 GeV$^2$.
A search is presented for long-lived particles produced in pairs in proton-proton collisions at the LHC operating at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data were collected with the CMS detector during the period from 2015 through 2018, and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$. This search targets pairs of long-lived particles with mean proper decay lengths between 0.1 and 100 mm, each of which decays into at least two quarks that hadronize to jets, resulting in a final state with two displaced vertices. No significant excess of events with two displaced vertices is observed. In the context of $R$-parity violating supersymmetry models, the pair production of long-lived neutralinos, gluinos, and top squarks is excluded at 95% confidence level for cross sections larger than 0.08 fb, masses between 800 and 3000 GeV, and mean proper decay lengths between 1 and 25 mm.
Event yields in the control samples in data. The ''one-vertex'' events correspond to events containing exactly one vertex with the specified number of tracks. The ''two-vertex'' events have two or more vertices containing the specified numbers of tracks. We seek the signal in the $\geq$5-track two-vertex sample.
The distribution of distances between vertices in the $x$-$y$ plane, $d_{\mathrm{VV}}$, for three simulated multijet signals each with a mass of 1600 GeV, with the background template distribution overlaid. The production cross section for each signal model is assumed to be the lower limit excluded by CMS-EXO-17-018, corresponding to values of 0.8, 0.25, and 0.15 fb for the samples with $c\tau =$ 0.3, 1.0, and 10 mm, respectively. The last bin includes the overflow events. The two vertical pink dashed lines separate the regions used in the fit.
Multijet signal efficiencies as a function of the signal mass and lifetime for events satisfying all event and vertex requirements, with corrections based on systematic differences in the vertex reconstruction efficiency between data and simulation.
The differential branching fraction with respect to the dimuon invariant mass squared, and the $C\!P$ asymmetry of the $B^\pm\to\pi^\pm\mu^+\mu^-$ decay are measured for the first time. The CKM matrix elements $|V_{td}|$ and $|V_{ts}|$, and the ratio $|V_{td}/V_{ts}|$ are determined. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The total branching fraction and $C\!P$ asymmetry of $B^\pm\to\pi^\pm\mu^+\mu^-$ decays are measured to be \begin{eqnarray} \mathcal{B}(B^\pm\to\pi^\pm\mu^+\mu^-) &=& (1.83 \pm 0.24 \pm 0.05) \times 10^{-8}\,\,\,\mathrm{and} \nonumber\\ \mathcal{A}_{C\!P}(B^\pm\to\pi^\pm\mu^+\mu^-) &=& -0.11 \pm 0.12 \pm 0.01\,, \nonumber \end{eqnarray} where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. These are the most precise measurements of these observables to date, and they are compatible with the predictions of the Standard Model.
The results for the differential branching fraction for $B^+ \rightarrow \pi^+\mu^+\mu^-$ in bins of $q^2$.
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