A search for decays of the Higgs and Z boson to pairs of J/$\psi$ or $\Upsilon$(nS) (n=1, 2, 3) mesons, with their subsequent decay to $\mu^+\mu^-$ pairs, is presented. The analysis uses data from proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2017 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 37.5 fb$^{-1}$. While an observation of such a decay with this sample would indicate the presence of physics beyond the standard model, no significant excess is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are placed on the branching fractions of these decays. In the J/$\psi$ pair channel, the limits are 1.8$\times$10$^{-3}$ and 2.2$\times$10$^{-6}$ for the Higgs and Z boson, respectively, while in the combined $\Upsilon$(nS) pair channel, the limits are 1.4$\times$ 10$^{-3}$ and 1.5$\times$10$^{-6}$, respectively, when the mesons from the Higgs and Z boson decay are assumed to be unpolarized. When fully longitudinal and transverse polarizations are considered the limits reduce by about 22-29% and increase by about 10-13%, respectively.
The top-quark pair production cross section in 7 TeV center-of-mass energy proton–proton collisions is measured using data collected by the CMS detector at the LHC. The measurement uses events with one jet identified as a hadronically decaying τ lepton and at least four additional energetic jets, at least one of which is identified as coming from a b quark. The analyzed data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3.9 fb(−1) recorded by a dedicated multijet plus hadronically decaying τ trigger. A neural network has been developed to separate the top-quark pairs from the W+jets and multijet backgrounds. The measured value of is consistent with the standard model predictions.
A measurement of the t t-bar production cross section in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV is presented. The results are based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 inverse femtobarns collected by the CMS detector at the LHC. Selected events are required to have one isolated, high transverse momentum electron or muon, large missing transverse energy, and hadronic jets, at least one of which must be consistent with having originated from a b quark. The measured cross section is 158.1 +/- 2.1 (stat.) +/- 10.2 (syst.) +/- 3.5 (lum.) pb, in agreement with standard model predictions.
A search for W$\gamma$ resonances in the mass range between 0.7 and 6.0 TeV is presented. The W boson is reconstructed via its hadronic decays, with the final-state products forming a single large-radius jet, owing to a high Lorentz boost of the W boson. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2016-2018. The W$\gamma$ mass spectrum is parameterized with a smoothly falling background function and examined for the presence of resonance-like signals. No significant excess above the predicted background is observed. Model-specific upper limits at 95% confidence level on the product of the cross section and branching fraction to the W$\gamma$ channel are set. Limits for narrow resonances and for resonances with an intrinsic width equal to 5% of their mass, for spin-0 and spin-1 hypotheses, range between 0.17 fb at 6.0 TeV and 55 fb at 0.7 TeV. These are the most restrictive limits to date on the existence of such resonances over a large range of probed masses. In specific heavy scalar (vector) triplet benchmark models, narrow resonances with masses between 0.75 (1.15) and 1.40 (1.36) TeV are excluded for a range of model parameters. Model-independent limits on the product of the cross section, signal acceptance, and branching fraction to the W$\gamma$ channel are set for minimum W$\gamma$ mass thresholds between 1.5 and 8.0 TeV.
The second-order Fourier coefficients ($v_2$) characterizing the azimuthal distribution of $\Upsilon$(1S) and $\Upsilon$(2S) mesons arising from PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} =$ 5.02 TeV are studied. The $\Upsilon$ mesons are reconstructed in their dimuon decay channel, as measured by the CMS detector. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.7 nb$^{-1}$. The scalar product method is used to extract the $v_2$ coefficients of the azimuthal distribution. Results are reported for the rapidity range $|y|$$\lt$ 2.4, with the transverse momentum 0 $\lt$$p_\mathrm{T}$$\lt$ 50 GeV/$c$, and in three centrality ranges of 10-30%, 30-50% and 50-90%. In contrast to the J/$\psi$ mesons, the measured $v_2$ values for the $\Upsilon$ mesons are found to be consistent with zero.
The production of two prompt $J/\psi$ mesons, each with transverse momenta $p_{\mathrm{T}}>8.5$ GeV and rapidity $|y| < 2.1$, is studied using a sample of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 11.4 fb$^{-1}$ collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The differential cross-section, assuming unpolarised $J/\psi$ production, is measured as a function of the transverse momentum of the lower-$p_{\mathrm{T}}$ $J/\psi$ meson, di-$J/\psi$ $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ and mass, the difference in rapidity between the two $J/\psi$ mesons, and the azimuthal angle between the two $J/\psi$ mesons. The fraction of prompt pair events due to double parton scattering is determined by studying kinematic correlations between the two $J/\psi$ mesons. The total and double parton scattering cross-sections are compared with predictions. The effective cross-section of double parton scattering is measured to be $\sigma_{\mathrm{eff}} = 6.3 \pm 1.6 \mathrm{(stat)} \pm 1.0 \mathrm{(syst)}$ mb.
A search for supersymmetric partners of top quarks decaying as $\tilde{t}_1\to c\tilde\chi^0_1$ and supersymmetric partners of charm quarks decaying as $\tilde{c}_1\to c\tilde\chi^0_1$, where $\tilde\chi^0_1$ is the lightest neutralino, is presented. The search uses 36.1 ${\rm fb}^{-1}$ $pp$ collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider and is performed in final states with jets identified as containing charm hadrons. Assuming a 100% branching ratio to $c\tilde\chi^0_1$, top and charm squarks with masses up to 850 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level for a massless lightest neutralino. For $m_{\tilde{t}_1,\tilde{c}_1}-m_{\tilde\chi^0_1}
A measurement of the production of three isolated photons in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV is reported. The results are based on an integrated luminosity of 20.2 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The differential cross sections are measured as functions of the transverse energy of each photon, the difference in azimuthal angle and in pseudorapidity between pairs of photons, the invariant mass of pairs of photons, and the invariant mass of the triphoton system. A measurement of the inclusive fiducial cross section is also reported. Next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD predictions are compared to the cross-section measurements. The predictions underestimate the measurement of the inclusive fiducial cross section and the differential measurements at low photon transverse energies and invariant masses. They provide adequate descriptions of the measurements at high values of the photon transverse energies, invariant mass of pairs of photons, and invariant mass of the triphoton system.
Measurements of the centrality and rapidity dependence of inclusive jet production in $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV proton--lead ($p$+Pb) collisions and the jet cross-section in $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV proton--proton collisions are presented. These quantities are measured in datasets corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 27.8 nb$^{-1}$ and 4.0 pb$^{-1}$, respectively, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2013. The $p$+Pb collision centrality was characterised using the total transverse energy measured in the pseudorapidity interval $-4.9 < \eta < -3.2$ in the direction of the lead beam. Results are presented for the double-differential per-collision yields as a function of jet rapidity and transverse momentum ($p_\mathrm{T}$) for minimum-bias and centrality-selected $p$+Pb collisions, and are compared to the jet rate from the geometric expectation. The total jet yield in minimum-bias events is slightly enhanced above the expectation in a $p_\mathrm{T}$-dependent manner but is consistent with the expectation within uncertainties. The ratios of jet spectra from different centrality selections show a strong modification of jet production at all $p_\mathrm{T}$ at forward rapidities and for large $p_\mathrm{T}$ at mid-rapidity, which manifests as a suppression of the jet yield in central events and an enhancement in peripheral events. These effects imply that the factorisation between hard and soft processes is violated at an unexpected level in proton-nucleus collisions. Furthermore, the modifications at forward rapidities are found to be a function of the total jet energy only, implying that the violations may have a simple dependence on the hard parton-parton kinematics.
A search for high-mass resonances decaying into $\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$ final states using proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}= 8$ TeV produced by the Large Hadron Collider is presented. The data were recorded with the ATLAS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.5-20.3 fb$^{-1}$. No statistically significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed; 95% credibility upper limits are set on the cross section times branching fraction of $Z^{\prime}$ resonances decaying into $\tau^+\tau^-$ pairs as a function of the resonance mass. As a result, $Z^{\prime}$ bosons of the Sequential Standard Model with masses less than 2.02 TeV are excluded at 95% credibility. The impact of the fermionic couplings on the $Z^{\prime}$ acceptance is investigated and limits are also placed on a $Z^{\prime}$ model that exhibits enhanced couplings to third-generation fermions.
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