The polarization of the $\Lambda$ and $\overline{\Lambda}$ hyperons along the beam direction has been measured in proton-lead (pPb) collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 8.16 TeV. The data were obtained with the CMS detector at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 186.0 $\pm$ 6.5 nb$^{-1}$. A significant azimuthal dependence of the hyperon polarization, characterized by the second-order Fourier sine coefficient $P_{z,s2}$, is observed. The $P_{z,s2}$ values decrease as a function of charged particle multiplicity, but increase with transverse momentum. A hydrodynamic model that describes the observed $P_{z,s2}$ values in nucleus-nucleus collisions by introducing vorticity effects does not reproduce either the sign or the magnitude of the pPb results. These observations pose a challenge to the current theoretical implementation of spin polarization in heavy ion collisions and offer new insights into the origin of spin polarization in hadronic collisions at LHC energies.
The second-order Fourier sine coefficients of $\Lambda$, $\bar{\Lambda}$ and $\Lambda+\bar{\Lambda}$ polarizations along the beam direction as functions of $N_\mathrm{trk}^\mathrm{offline}$ in pPb collisions at 8.16 TeV.
The second-order Fourier sine coefficients of $\Lambda+\bar{\Lambda}$ polarization along the beam direction as functions of $p_{T}$ in pPb collisions at 8.16 TeV.
The second-order Fourier sine coefficients of $K_{S}^{0}$ polarization along the beam direction as functions of $N_\mathrm{trk}^\mathrm{offline}$ in pPb collisions at 8.16 TeV.
A pioneering machine-learning-based flavor-tagging algorithm combining same-side and opposite-side tagging is used to obtain the equivalent of 27$\,$000 tagged B$^0_\mathrm{s}$$\to$ J/$\psi\, \phi$(1020) decays from pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 96.5 fb$^{-1}$. A time- and flavor-dependent angular analysis of the $\mu^+\mu^-$K$^+$K$^-$ final state is used to measure parameters of the $\mathrm{B}^0_\mathrm{s}$-$\overline{\mathrm{B}}^0_\mathrm{s}$ system. The weak phase is measured to be $\phi_\mathrm{s}$ = $-$73 $\pm$ 23 (stat) $\pm$ 7 (syst) mrad, which, combined with a $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV CMS result, gives $\phi_\mathrm{s}$ = $-$74 $\pm$ 23 mrad. This value differs from zero by 3.2 standard deviations, providing evidence for $CP$ violation in B$^0_\mathrm{s}$$\to$ J/$\psi\,\phi$(1020) decays. All measured physics parameters are found to agree with standard model predictions where available.
Measured values and uncertainties of the main parameters of interest, as obtained from the analysis to data at 13 TeV.
Values and uncertainties of the physics parameters obtained from the combination of the CMS 8 TeV and 13 TeV results using the BLUE method. The uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic sources.
Matrix of the correlations of the statistical uncertainties between pairs of physics parameters, as obtained from the analysis to data at 13 TeV.
The first search for a heavy neutral spin-1 gauge boson (Z') with nonuniversal fermion couplings produced via vector boson fusion processes and decaying to tau leptons or W bosons is presented. The analysis is performed using LHC data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, collected from 2016 to 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The data are consistent with the standard model predictions. Upper limits are set on the product of the cross section for production of the Z' boson and its branching fraction to $\tau\tau$ or WW. The presence of a Z' boson decaying to $\tau^+\tau^-$ (W$^+$W$^-$) is excluded for masses up to 2.45 (1.60) TeV, depending on the Z' boson coupling to SM weak bosons, and assuming a Z' $\to$$\tau^+\tau^-$ (W$^+$W$^-$) branching fraction of 50%.
Cutflow for VBF Z' to tautau in ditau 2016 channel for different signal scenarios
Cutflow for VBF Z' to tautau in ditau 2017 channel for different signal scenarios
Cutflow for VBF Z' to tautau in ditau 2018 channel for different signal scenarios
Measurements of light-by-light scattering (LbL, $\gamma\gamma\to\gamma\gamma$) and the Breit--Wheeler process (BW, $\gamma\gamma$$\to$$\mathrm{e^+e^-}$) are reported in ultraperipheral PbPb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV. The data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.7 nb$^{-1}$, was collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2018. Events with an exclusively produced $\gamma\gamma$ or $\mathrm{e^+e^-}$ pair with invariant masses $m^{\gamma\gamma,\mathrm{ee}}$$>$ 5 GeV, along with other fiducial criteria, are selected. The measured BW fiducial production cross section, $\sigma_\text{fid}$($\gamma\gamma$$\to$$\mathrm{e^+e^-}$) = 263.5 $\pm$ 1.8 (stat) $\pm$ 17.8 (syst) $\mu$b, as well as the differential distributions for various kinematic observables, are in agreement with leading-order quantum electrodynamics predictions complemented with final-state photon radiation. The measured differential BW cross sections allow discriminating between different theoretical descriptions of the photon flux of the lead ion. In the LbL final state, 26 exclusive diphoton candidate events are observed compared with 12.0 $\pm$ 2.9 expected for the background. Combined with previous results, the observed significance of the LbL signal with respect to the background-only hypothesis is above five standard deviations. The measured fiducial LbL scattering cross section, $\sigma_\text{fid} (\gamma\gamma\to\gamma\gamma)$ = 107 $\pm$ 24 (stat) $\pm$ 13 (syst) nb, is in agreement with next-to-leading-order predictions. Limits on the production of axion-like particles coupled to photons are set over the mass range 5-100 GeV, including the most stringent limits to date in the range of 5-10 GeV.
Probability for different neutron multiplicity classes (0n, 1n, and Xn with X $\ge$1) measured on each ZDC side for the exclusive $e^{+}e^{-}$ events passing the fiducial phase space of Table 1. The measured ratios are compared with SUPERCHIC 4.2, STARLIGHT 3.13, and gamma-UPC 1.6 predictions.
Differential cross sections for exclusive dielectron production, in the fiducial phase space of Table 1, as functions of the pair $p_T$. Data are compared with SUPERCHIC + FSR(PHOTOS++), STARLIGHT + FSR(PY8), and gamma-UPC + FSR(PY8) predictions.
Differential cross sections for exclusive dielectron production, in the fiducial phase space of Table 1, as functions of the pair rapidity. Data are compared with SUPERCHIC + FSR(PHOTOS++), STARLIGHT + FSR(PY8), and gamma-UPC + FSR(PY8) predictions.
This paper presents a new $\tau$-lepton reconstruction and identification procedure at the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider, which leads to significantly improved performance in the case of physics processes where a highly boosted pair of $\tau$-leptons is produced and one $\tau$-lepton decays into a muon and two neutrinos ($\tau_{\mu}$), and the other decays into hadrons and one neutrino ($\tau_{had}$). By removing the muon information from the signals used for reconstruction and identification of the $\tau_{had}$ candidate in the boosted pair, the efficiency is raised to the level expected for an isolated $\tau_{had}$. The new procedure is validated by selecting a sample of highly boosted $Z\rightarrow\tau_{\mu}\tau_{had}$ candidates from the data sample of $140$${fb}^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $13$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. Good agreement is found between data and simulation predictions in both the $Z\rightarrow\tau_{\mu}\tau_{had}$ signal region and in a background validation region. The results presented in this paper demonstrate the effectiveness of the $\tau_{had}$ reconstruction with muon removal in enhancing the signal sensitivity of the boosted $\tau_{\mu}\tau_{had}$ channel at the ATLAS detector.
The distribution of the TauID jet RNN score for $\tau_\mathrm{had}^{\mu\mkern-10mu\backslash}$ in the SR. `$Z(\rightarrow\tau\tau)$+jets' represents the contributions from the signal process. `Top' represents the predicted contributions from the $t\bar{t}$, single-top-quark, and $tW$ processes. `Diboson' indicates the contributions from $WW$, $WZ$, and $ZZ$ processes. `Other' includes the contributions from the $Z(\rightarrow\ell\ell)$+jets, $W$+jets, and Higgs boson processes. The uncertainties shown include both statistical and systematic sources.
The distribution of the TauID jet RNN score for $\tau_\mathrm{had}^{\mu\mkern-10mu\backslash}$ in the VR. `$Z(\rightarrow\tau\tau)$+jets' represents the contributions from the signal process. `Top' represents the predicted contributions from the $t\bar{t}$, single-top-quark, and $tW$ processes. `Diboson' indicates the contributions from $WW$, $WZ$, and $ZZ$ processes. `Other' includes the contributions from the $Z(\rightarrow\ell\ell)$+jets, $W$+jets, and Higgs boson processes. The uncertainties shown include both statistical and systematic sources.
The distribution of the $p_\mathrm{T}{}_{\mu\mathrm{-had}}^\mathrm{col}$ in the SR. `$Z(\rightarrow\tau\tau)+\text{jets}$' represents the contributions from the signal process. `Diboson' indicates the contributions from $WW$, $WZ$, and $ZZ$ processes. `Top' represents the predicted contributions from the $t\bar{t}$, single-top-quark, and $tW$ processes. `Other' includes the contributions from the $Z(\rightarrow\ell\ell)$+jets, $W$+jets, and Higgs boson processes. The uncertainties shown include both statistical and systematic sources.
A search for heavy neutral gauge bosons (Z') decaying into a pair of tau leptons is performed in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV at the CERN LHC. The data were collected with the CMS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The observations are found to be in agreement with the expectation from standard model processes. Limits at 95% confidence level are set on the product of the Z' production cross section and its branching fraction to tau lepton pairs for a range of Z' boson masses. For a narrow resonance in the sequential standard model scenario, a Z' boson with a mass below 3.5 TeV is excluded. This is the most stringent limit to date from this type of search.
Cutflow for signal samples in the hadronic di-tau channel for 2016 signal samples. Each entry other than the total is the relative efficiency with respect to the previous selection.
Cutflow for signal samples in the hadronic di-tau channel for 2017 signal samples. Each entry other than the total is the relative efficiency with respect to the previous selection.
Cutflow for signal samples in the hadronic di-tau channel for 2018 signal samples. Each entry other than the total is the relative efficiency with respect to the previous selection.
A measurement of off-shell Higgs boson production in the $H^*\to ZZ\to 4\ell$ decay channel is presented. The measurement uses 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider and supersedes the previous result in this decay channel using the same dataset. The data analysis is performed using a neural simulation-based inference method, which builds per-event likelihood ratios using neural networks. The observed (expected) off-shell Higgs boson production signal strength in the $ZZ\to 4\ell$ decay channel at 68% CL is $0.87^{+0.75}_{-0.54}$ ($1.00^{+1.04}_{-0.95}$). The evidence for off-shell Higgs boson production using the $ZZ\to 4\ell$ decay channel has an observed (expected) significance of $2.5\sigma$ ($1.3\sigma$). The expected result represents a significant improvement relative to that of the previous analysis of the same dataset, which obtained an expected significance of $0.5\sigma$. When combined with the most recent ATLAS measurement in the $ZZ\to 2\ell 2\nu$ decay channel, the evidence for off-shell Higgs boson production has an observed (expected) significance of $3.7\sigma$ ($2.4\sigma$). The off-shell measurements are combined with the measurement of on-shell Higgs boson production to obtain constraints on the Higgs boson total width. The observed (expected) value of the Higgs boson width at 68% CL is $4.3^{+2.7}_{-1.9}$ ($4.1^{+3.5}_{-3.4}$) MeV.
Values of the test statistic $t_{\mu_{\mathrm{off-shell}}}$ assuming a single parameter of interest $\mu_{\mathrm{off-shell}}$ obtained with an Asimov dataset and with data in the $H^*\rightarrow ZZ\rightarrow 4\ell$ decay channel. The values from the histogram-based analysis (Phys. Lett. B 846 (2023) 138223) are added for comparison. The 68% and 95% confidence intervals obtained from the Neyman construction are also added.
Values of the test statistic $t_{\mu_{\mathrm{off-shell}}}$ assuming a single parameter of interest $\mu_{\mathrm{off-shell}}$ obtained with an Asimov dataset and with data in the $H^*\rightarrow ZZ\rightarrow 4\ell$ decay channel. The values with all nuisance parameters fixed at their best-fit values (stat-only) are added for comparison. The 68% and 95% confidence intervals obtained from the Neyman construction are also added.
Values of the test statistic $t_{\mu_{\mathrm{off-shell}}}$ assuming a single parameter of interest $\mu_{\mathrm{off-shell}}$ obtained with an Asimov dataset and with data when combining the $H^*\rightarrow ZZ\rightarrow 4\ell$ and $H^*\rightarrow ZZ\rightarrow 2\ell 2\nu$ decay channels. The values with all nuisance parameters fixed at their best-fit values (stat-only) are added for comparison. The 68% and 95% confidence intervals obtained from the Neyman construction are also added.
A search for decays of the Higgs boson into a $Z$ boson and a light resonance, with a mass of 0.5-3.5 GeV, is performed using the full 140 fb$^{-1}$ dataset of 13 TeV proton-proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector during Run~2 of the LHC. Leptonic decays of the $Z$ boson and hadronic decays of the light resonance are considered. The resonance can be interpreted as a $J/\psi$ or $\eta_c$ meson, an axion-like particle, or a light pseudoscalar in two-Higgs-doublet models. Due to its low mass, it would be produced with high boost and reconstructed as a single small-radius jet of hadrons. A neural network is used to correct the Monte Carlo simulation of the background in a data-driven way. Two additional neural networks are used to distinguish signal from background. A binned profile-likelihood fit is performed on the final-state invariant mass distribution. No significant excess of events relative to the expected background is observed, and upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the Higgs boson's branching fraction to a $Z$ boson and a light resonance. The exclusion limit is 10% for the lower masses, and increases for higher masses. Upper limits on the effective coupling $C^\text{eff}_{ZH}/\Lambda$ of an axion-like particle to a Higgs boson and $Z$ boson are also set at 95% confidence level, and range from 0.9 to 2 TeV$^{-1}$.
The angularity, for data, background (pre- and post-reweighting) and three $H\rightarrow Za$ signal hypotheses (for $a\rightarrow q\bar{q}/gg$ inclusively). Events are required to pass the complete event selection but not the classification NN requirement. The background normalization is set equal to that of the data for events passing the preselection and being in the $m_{\ell\ell j}$ 100-180 GeV region. The signal normalization assumes the SM Higgs boson inclusive production cross-section, $\mathcal{B}(H\to Za)=100\%$, and it is scaled up by a factor of 100. The error bars (hatched regions) represent the data (MC) sample's statistical uncertainty in the histograms and the ratio plots. Vertical arrows indicate data points that fall outside the displayed $y$-axis range.
The modified energy correlation function, for data, background (pre- and post-reweighting) and three $H\rightarrow Za$ signal hypotheses (for $a\rightarrow q\bar{q}/gg$ inclusively). Events are required to pass the complete event selection but not the classification NN requirement. The background normalization is set equal to that of the data for events passing the preselection and being in the $m_{\ell\ell j}$ 100-180 GeV region. The signal normalization assumes the SM Higgs boson inclusive production cross-section, $\mathcal{B}(H\to Za)=100\%$, and it is scaled up by a factor of 100. The error bars (hatched regions) represent the data (MC) sample's statistical uncertainty in the histograms and the ratio plots. Vertical arrows indicate data points that fall outside the displayed $y$-axis range.
$Z$ boson transverse momentum, for data, background (pre- and post-reweighting) and three $H\rightarrow Za$ signal hypotheses (for $a\rightarrow q\bar{q}/gg$ inclusively). Events are required to pass the complete event selection but not the classification NN requirement. The background normalization is set equal to that of the data for events passing the preselection and being in the $m_{\ell\ell j}$ 100-180 GeV region. The signal normalization assumes the SM Higgs boson inclusive production cross-section, $\mathcal{B}(H\to Za)=100\%$, and it is scaled up by a factor of 100. The error bars (hatched regions) represent the data (MC) sample's statistical uncertainty in the histograms and the ratio plots. Vertical arrows indicate data points that fall outside the displayed $y$-axis range.
A search is presented for rare decays of the Z and Higgs bosons to a photon and a J/$\psi$ or a $\psi$(2S) meson, with the charmonium state subsequentially decaying to a pair of muons. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 123 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. No evidence for branching fractions of these rare decay channels larger than predicted in the standard model is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set: $\mathcal{B}$(H $\to$ J/$\psi \gamma$) $\lt$ 2.6 $\times$ 10$^{-4}$, $\mathcal{B}$(H $\to$ $\psi$(2S)$\gamma$) $\lt$ 9.9 $\times$ 10$^{-4}$, $\mathcal{B}$(Z $\to$ J/$\psi \gamma$) $\lt$ 0.6 $\times$ 10$^{-6}$, and $\mathcal{B}$(Z $\to$ $\psi$(2S)$\gamma$) $\lt$ 1.3 $\times$ 10$^{-6}$. The ratio of the Higgs boson coupling modifiers $\kappa_\mathrm{c} / \kappa_\gamma$ is constrained to be in the interval ($-$157, $+$199) at 95% confidence level. Assuming $\kappa_\gamma = 1$, this interval becomes ($-$166, $+$208).
Invariant mass distribution of final state particles in SR1 ggF-HP category ($\text{H}\to\text{J}/\psi\gamma$ signal)
Invariant mass distribution of final state particles in SR1 ggF-LP category ($\text{H}\to\text{J}/\psi\gamma$ signal)
Invariant mass distribution of final state particles in SR1 VBF category ($\text{H}\to\text{J}/\psi\gamma$ signal)
A full set of optimized observables is measured in an angular analysis of the decay B$^0$$\to$ K$^*$(892)$^0\mu^+\mu^-$ using a sample of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$. The analysis is performed in six bins of the squared invariant mass of the dimuon system, $q^2$, over the range 1.1 $\lt$$q^2$$\lt$ 16 GeV$^2$. The results are among the most precise experimental measurements of the angular observables for this decay and are compared to a variety of predictions based on the standard model. Some of these predictions exhibit tension with the measurements.
Results for the $F_\mathrm{L}$ angular observable. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic.
Results for the $P_1$ angular observable. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic.
Results for the $P_2$ angular observable. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic.
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