The traditional quark model accounts for the existence of baryons, such as protons and neutrons, which consist of three quarks, as well as mesons, composed of a quark-antiquark pair. Only recently has substantial evidence started to accumulate for exotic states composed of four or five quarks and antiquarks. The exact nature of their internal structure remains uncertain. This paper reports the first measurement of quantum numbers of the recently discovered family of three all-charm tetraquarks, using data collected by the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider from 2016 to 2018. The angular analysis techniques developed for the discovery and characterization of the Higgs boson have been applied to the new exotic states. The quantum numbers for parity $P$ and charge conjugation $C$ symmetries are found to be +1. The spin $J$ of these exotic states is consistent with 2$\hbar$, while 0$\hbar$ and 1$\hbar$ are excluded at 95% and 99% confidence level, respectively. The $J^{PC}=2^{++}$ assignment implies particular configurations of constituent spins and orbital angular momenta, which constrain the possible internal structure of these tetraquarks.
Summary of statistical tests.
Results from hypothesis test for pairs of spin-parity models.
The $\mathrm{J}/\psi\mathrm{J}/\psi$ invariant mass distribution in data.
A search for the rare decay D$^0$$\to$$\mu^+\mu^-$ is reported using proton-proton collision events at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13.6 TeV collected by the CMS detector in 2022$-$2023, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 64.5 fb$^{-1}$. This is the first analysis to use a newly developed inclusive dimuon trigger, expanding the scope of the CMS flavor physics program. The search uses D$^0$ mesons obtained from D$^{*+}$$\to$ D$^0\pi^+$ decays. No significant excess is observed. A limit on the branching fraction of $\mathcal{B}$(D$^0$$\to$$\mu^+\mu^-$) $\lt$ 2.4 $\times$ 10$^{-9}$ at 95% confidence level is set. This is the most stringent upper limit set on any flavor changing neutral current decay in the charm sector.
Summary of branching fraction.
Summary of systematic uncertainties for the D->mumu branching fraction measurement with their corresponding contributions in the signal channel.
The distributions of the dipion invariant mass $m_{\pi\pi}$ for the normalization channel in data.
In the standard model of particle physics, the masses of the carriers of the weak interaction, the W and Z bosons, are uniquely related. Physics beyond the standard model could change this relationship through the effects of quantum loops of virtual particles, thus making it of great importance to measure these masses with the highest possible precision. Although the mass of the Z boson is known to the remarkable precision of 22 parts per million (2.0 MeV), the W boson mass is known much less precisely, given the difficulty of the measurement. A global fit to electroweak data, used to predict the W boson mass in the standard model, yields an uncertainty of 6 MeV. Reaching a comparable experimental precision would be a sensitive and fundamental test of the standard model. Furthermore, a precision measurement of the W boson mass performed by the CDF Collaboration at the Fermilab Tevatron has challenged the standard model by significantly disagreeing with the prediction of the global electroweak fit and the average of other $m_\mathrm{W}$ measurements. We report the first W boson mass measurement by the CMS Collaboration at the CERN LHC, based on a data sample collected in 2016 at the proton-proton collision energy of 13 TeV. The W boson mass is measured using a large sample of W$\to\mu\nu$ events via a highly granular binned maximum likelihood fit to the kinematic properties of the muons produced in the W$^{+}$ and W$^{-}$ boson decays. The significant in situ constraints of theoretical inputs and their corresponding uncertainties, together with an accurate determination of the experimental effects, lead to a precise W boson mass measurement, $m_\mathrm{W} =$ 80$\,$360.2 $\pm$ 9.9 MeV, in agreement with the standard model prediction.
Postfit pulls, constraints, and impacts (both nominal and 'global') for all nuisance parameters in the W boson mass fit, sorted by the absolute value of the nominal impact.
Postfit pulls, constraints, and impacts (both nominal and 'global') for all nuisance parameters in the W boson mass fit (charge difference), sorted by the absolute value of the nominal impact.
Postfit pulls, constraints, and impacts (both nominal and 'global') for all nuisance parameters in the W-like Z boson mass fit, sorted by the absolute value of the nominal impact.
The first observation of the decay $\Xi^-_\mathrm{b}$$\to$$\psi$(2S)$\Xi^-$ and measurement of the branching ratio of $\Xi^-_\mathrm{b}$$\to$$\psi$(2S)$\Xi^-$ to $\Xi^-_\mathrm{b}$$\to$ J/$\psi$$\Xi^-$ are presented. The J/$\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) mesons are reconstructed using their dimuon decay modes. The results are based on proton-proton colliding beam data from the LHC collected by the CMS experiment at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV in 2016-2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$. The branching fraction ratio is measured to be $\mathcal{B}$($\Xi^-_\mathrm{b}$$\to$$\psi$(2S)$\Xi^-$) / $\mathcal{B}$($\Xi^-_\mathrm{b}$$\to$ J/$\psi$$\Xi^-$) = 0.84 $^{+0.21}_{-0.19}$ (stat) $\pm$ 0.10 (syst) $\pm$ 0.02 ($\mathcal{B}$), where the last uncertainty comes from the uncertainties in the branching fractions of the charmonium states. New measurements of the $\Xi_\mathrm{b}$(5945)$^{0}$ baryon mass and natural width are also presented, using the $\Xi_\mathrm{b}^-\pi^+$ final state, where the $\Xi^-_\mathrm{b}$ baryon is reconstructed through the decays J/$\psi \Xi^-$, $\psi$(2S)$\Xi^-$, J/$\psi \Lambda$K$^-$, and J/$\psi \Sigma^0$K$^-$. Finally, the fraction of the $\Xi^-_\mathrm{b}$ baryons produced from $\Xi_\mathrm{b}$(5945)$^{0}$ decays is determined.
The measured ratio of branching fractions
The measured ratio of branching fractions
Measured mass
A search for the decay of the Higgs boson to a $Z$ boson and a light, pseudoscalar particle, $a$, decaying respectively to two leptons and to two photons is reported. The search uses the full LHC Run 2 proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, corresponding to 139 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the ATLAS detector. This is one of the first searches for this specific decay mode of the Higgs boson, and it probes unexplored parameter space in models with axion-like particles (ALPs) and extended scalar sectors. The mass of the $a$ particle is assumed to be in the range 0.1-33 GeV. The data are analysed in two categories: a merged category where the photons from the $a$ decay are reconstructed in the ATLAS calorimeter as a single cluster, and a resolved category in which two separate photons are detected. The main background processes are from Standard Model $Z$ boson production in association with photons or jets. The data are in agreement with the background predictions, and upper limits on the branching ratio of the Higgs boson decay to $Za$ times the branching ratio $a\to\gamma\gamma$ are derived at the 95% confidence level and they range from 0.08% to 2% depending on the mass of the $a$ particle. The results are also interpreted in the context of ALP models.
Post-fit distribution for $m_{\gamma\gamma}$ for the resolved category in number of events per 0.2 GeV for data. The figure uses $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV corresponding to 139 fb$^{-1}$.
Post-fit distribution for $m_{\gamma\gamma}$ for the resolved category in number of events per 0.2 GeV for a signal distribution for $m_a = 9$ GeV, and the signal plus background fit with its background component. The branching ratio of the Higgs boson decay to $Za$ times the branching ratio $a $->$ \gamma \gamma$ is assumed to be 50%. The figure uses $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV corresponding to 139 fb$^{-1}$.
Post-fit final discriminating variable $\Delta R_{Z\gamma}$ in the signal region of the merged category. Signal distributions for $m_a$ values used in this category are overlayed for comparison, assuming a branching ratio of the Higgs boson decay to $Za$ times the branching ratio $a $->$ \gamma \gamma$ of 100%. The signal yields have been multiplied by 10 for better visibility. The figure uses $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV corresponding to 139 fb$^{-1}$.
This paper presents a search for a new $Z^\prime$ resonance decaying into a pair of dark quarks which hadronise into dark hadrons before promptly decaying back as Standard Model particles. This analysis is based on proton-proton collision data recorded at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. After selecting events containing large-radius jets with high track multiplicity, the invariant mass distribution of the two highest-transverse-momentum jets is scanned to look for an excess above a data-driven estimate of the Standard Model multijet background. No significant excess of events is observed and the results are thus used to set 95 % confidence-level upper limits on the production cross-section times branching ratio of the $Z^\prime$ to dark quarks as a function of the $Z^\prime$ mass for various dark-quark scenarios.
Distribution of the di-jet invariant mass, $m_{\mathrm{JJ}}$ for the data, the simulated multi-jet background and of some representative signals (models A, B, C and D with $m_{Z'}=2.5$ TeV), shown after applying the preselections described in the text. The simulated background is normalised to the data and the signals are normalised to a production cross-section of 10 fb.
Distributions of the number of tracks associated to the leading jet, $n_{track,1}$, for the data, the simulated multi-jet background and of some representative signals (models A, B, C and D with $m_{Z^\prime}=2.5$ TeV), shown after applying the preselections described in the text. All distributions are normalised to unity. The uncertainty band around the background prediction corresponds to the modelling uncertainty described in Section 6.
Distributions of the number of tracks associated to the subleading jet, $n_{track,2}$, for the data, the simulated multi-jet background and of some representative signals (models A, B, C and D with $m_{Z^\prime}=2.5$ TeV), shown after applying the preselections described in the text. All distributions are normalised to unity. The uncertainty band around the background prediction corresponds to the modelling uncertainty described in Section 6.
A search is reported for near-threshold structures in the J/$\psi$J/$\psi$ invariant mass spectrum produced in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV from data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 135 fb$^{-1}$. Three structures are found, and a model with quantum interference among these structures provides a good description of the data. A new structure is observed with a significance above 5 standard deviations at a mass of 6638 $^{+43}_{-38}$ (stat) $^{+16}_{-31}$ (syst) MeV. Another structure with even higher significance is found at a mass of 6847 $^{+44}_{-28}$ (stat) $^{+48}_{-20}$ (syst) MeV, which is consistent with the X(6900) resonance reported by the LHCb experiment and confirmed by the ATLAS experiment. Evidence for another new structure, with a local significance of 4.7 standard deviations, is found at a mass of 7134 $^{+48}_{-25}$ (stat) $^{+41}_{-15}$ (syst) MeV. Results are also reported for a model without interference, which does not fit the data as well and shows mass shifts up to 150 MeV relative to the model with interference.
The mass (m) and natural widths (Γ) from the fits to the $\mathrm{J}/\psi\mathrm{J}/\psi$ mass distribution, for both the non-interference model and the interference model. The signal yields N for the non-interference model are given for the three signal structures.
The $\mathrm{J}/\psi\mathrm{J}/\psi$ invariant mass distribution in data
A search for diphoton resonances in the mass range between 10 and 70 GeV with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is presented. The analysis is based on $pp$ collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded from 2015 to 2018. Previous searches for diphoton resonances at the LHC have explored masses down to 65 GeV, finding no evidence of new particles. This search exploits the particular kinematics of events with pairs of closely spaced photons reconstructed in the detector, allowing examination of invariant masses down to 10 GeV. The presented strategy covers a region previously unexplored at hadron colliders because of the experimental challenges of recording low-energy photons and estimating the backgrounds. No significant excess is observed and the reported limits provide the strongest bound on promptly decaying axion-like particles coupling to gluons and photons for masses between 10 and 70 GeV.
The expected and observed upper limits at 95\% CL on the fiducial cross-section times branching ratio to two photons of a narrow-width ($\Gamma_{X}$ = 4 MeV) scalar resonance as a function of its mass $m_{X}$.
Diphoton invariant mass in the signal region using a 0.1 GeV binning.
Parametrization of the $C_{X}$ factor, defined as the ratio between the number of reconstructed signal events passing the analysis cuts and the number of signal events at the particle level generated within the fiducial volume, as function of $m_{X}$ obtained from the narrow width simulated signal samples produced in gluon fusion.
The $\Xi^-_\mathrm{b} \pi^+ \pi^-$ invariant mass spectrum is investigated with an event sample of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = $ 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2016-2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$. The ground state $\Xi^-_\mathrm{b}$ is reconstructed via its decays to J$/\psi \Xi^-$ and J$/\psi \Xi^-\Lambda$K$^-$. A narrow resonance, labeled $\Xi_\mathrm{b}$(6100)$^-$, is observed at a $\Xi^-_\mathrm{b} \pi^+ \pi^-$ invariant mass of 6100.3 $\pm$ 0.2 (stat) $\pm$ 0.1 (syst) $\pm$ 0.6 ($\Xi^-_\mathrm{b}$) MeV, where the last uncertainty reflects the precision of the $\Xi^-_\mathrm{b}$ baryon mass. The upper limit on the $\Xi_\mathrm{b}$(6100)$^-$ natural width is determined to be 1.9 MeV at 95% confidence level. Following analogies with the established excited $\Xi_\mathrm{c}$ baryon states, the new $\Xi_\mathrm{b}$(6100)$^-$ resonance and its decay sequence are consistent with the orbitally excited $\Xi^-_\mathrm{b}$ baryon, with spin and parity quantum numbers $J^P=$ 3/2$^-$.
Measured mass
Measured mass difference
Measured natural width
A search is described for the production of a pair of bottom-type vector-like quarks (VLQs), each decaying into a b or $\mathrm{\bar{b}}$ quark and either a Higgs or a Z boson, with a mass greater than 1000 GeV. The analysis is based on data from proton-proton collisions at a 13 TeV center-of-mass energy recorded at the CERN LHC, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. As the predominant decay modes of the Higgs and Z bosons are to a pair of quarks, the analysis focuses on final states consisting of jets resulting from the six quarks produced in the events. Since the two jets produced in the decay of a highly Lorentz-boosted Higgs or Z boson can merge to form a single jet, nine independent analyses are performed, categorized by the number of observed jets and the reconstructed event mode. No signal in excess of the expected background is observed. Lower limits are set on the VLQ mass at 95% confidence level equal to 1570 GeV in the case where the VLQ decays exclusively to a b quark and a Higgs boson, 1390 GeV for when it decays exclusively to a b quark and a Z boson, and 1450 GeV for when it decays equally in these two modes. These limits represent significant improvements over the previously published VLQ limits.
Measured values of the trigger efficiencies for events with $\HT > 1350\GeV$. The uncertainties are statistical only.
Reconstructed VLQ mass distributions for simulated signal events with a generated VLQ mass $m_{B} = 1200\GeV$. A moderate requirement of $\chi^{2}$/ndf < 2$ is applied to the events. Mass distributions for 4-jet (left), 5-jet (center), and 6-jet (right) events are shown for the three decay modes: bHbH (upper row), bHbZ (middle row), and bZbZ (lower row).
Reconstructed VLQ mass distributions for simulated signal events with a generated VLQ mass $m_{B} = 1200\GeV$. A moderate requirement of $\chi^{2}$/ndf < 2$ is applied to the events. Mass distributions for 4-jet (left), 5-jet (center), and 6-jet (right) events are shown for the three decay modes: bHbH (upper row), bHbZ (middle row), and bZbZ (lower row).
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