A search for heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) of Majorana or Dirac type using proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV is presented. The data were collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Events with three charged leptons (electrons, muons, and hadronically decaying tau leptons) are selected, corresponding to HNL production in association with a charged lepton and decay of the HNL to two charged leptons and a standard model (SM) neutrino. The search is performed for HNL masses between 10 GeV and 1.5 TeV. No evidence for an HNL signal is observed in data. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are found for the squared coupling strength of the HNL to SM neutrinos, considering exclusive coupling of the HNL to a single SM neutrino generation, for both Majorana and Dirac HNLs. The limits exceed previously achieved experimental constraints for a wide range of HNL masses, and the limits on tau neutrino coupling scenarios with HNL masses above the W boson mass are presented for the first time.
The 95% CL limits on $|V_{eN}|^2$ as a function of the HNL mass for a Majorana HNL.
The 95% CL limits on $|V_{\mu N}|^2$ as a function of the HNL mass for a Majorana HNL.
The 95% CL limits on $|V_{\tau N}|^2$ as a function of the HNL mass for a Majorana HNL.
A search is presented for baryon number violating interactions in top quark production and decay. The analysis uses data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC with an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Candidate events are selected by requiring two oppositely-charged leptons (electrons or muons) and exactly one jet identified as originating from a bottom quark. Multivariate discriminants are used to separate the signal from the background. No significant deviation from the standard model prediction is observed. Upper limits are placed on the strength of baryon number violating couplings. For the first time the production of single top quarks via baryon number violating interactions is studied. This allows the search to set the most stringent constraints to date on the branching fraction of the top quark decay to a lepton, an up-type quark (u or c), and a down-type quark (d, s, or b). The results improve the previous bounds by three to six orders of magnitude based on the fermion flavor combination of the baryon number violating interactions.
The observed upper limits on the branching fractions of the top quark BNV decays are shown with circle and triangle shapes for electron and muon couplings, respectively. The observed limits corresponding to the $C_t$ and $C_s$ coefficients are shown with filled and open markers, respectively. The yellow light (green dark) bands indicate the range within plus or minus one (two) standard deviations bands around the expected limits.
Searches for the exclusive decays of the Higgs boson into $D^*\gamma$ and of the $Z$ boson into $D^0\gamma$ and $K^0_s\gamma$ can probe flavour-violating Higgs and $Z$ boson couplings to light quarks. Searches for these decays are performed with a $pp$ collision data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $136.3$ fb$^{-1}$ collected at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV between 2016-2018 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. In the $D^*\gamma$ and $D^0\gamma$ channels, the observed (expected) 95$\%$ confidence-level upper limits on the respective branching fractions are ${\cal B}(H\rightarrow D^*\gamma)< 1.0 (1.2)\times 10^{-3}$, ${\cal B}(Z\rightarrow D^0\gamma)< 4.0 (3.4)\times 10^{-6}$, while the corresponding results in the $K^0_s\gamma$ channel are ${\cal B}(Z\rightarrow K^0_s\gamma)< 3.1 (3.0)\times 10^{-6}$.
Numbers of observed and expected background events for the $m_{\mathcal{M}\gamma}$ ranges of interest. Each expected background and the corresponding uncertainty is obtained by integrating the total pdf after a background-only fit to the data, where the uncertainty does not take into account statistical fluctuations in each mass range. Expected Higgs and $Z$ boson signal contributions, with their corresponding total systematic uncertainty, are shown for reference branching fractions of $10^{-3}$ and $10^{-6}$, respectively. Entries are marked with a dash when there is no signal of that type in the specified range.
Observed and expected (with the corresponding $\pm1\sigma$ intervals) 95% CL upper limits on the branching fractions for $H\rightarrow D^*\gamma$, $Z\rightarrow D^0\gamma$ and $Z\rightarrow K^0_s\gamma$. Standard Model production of the Higgs boson is assumed. The corresponding upper limits on the production cross-section times branching fraction $\sigma\times\mathcal{B}$ are also shown.
A search for heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) decaying in the CMS muon system is presented. A data sample is used corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, recorded at the CERN LHC in 2016-2018. Decay products of long-lived HNLs could interact with the shielding materials in the CMS muon system and create hadronic and electromagnetic showers detected in the muon chambers. This distinctive signature provides a unique handle to search for HNLs with masses below 4 GeV and proper decay lengths of the order of meters. The signature is sensitive to HNL couplings to all three generations of leptons. Candidate events are required to contain a prompt electron or muon originating from a vertex on the beam axis and a displaced shower in the muon chambers. No significant deviations from the standard model background expectation are observed. In the electron (muon) channel, the most stringent limits to date are set for HNLs in the mass range of 2.1-3.0 (1.9-3.3) GeV, reaching mixing matrix element squared values as low as 8.6 (4.6) $\times$ 10$^{-6}$.
Distribution of $N_{hits}$ and $\Delta\phi_{lep}$ for DT clusters and CSC clusters in the electron channel. Signal distribution of a Majorana HNL with $m_N=2GeV$ and $c\tau_0=1m$ is compared with the OOT background distributions. The distributions are normalized to unit area
Distribution of $N_{hits}$ and $\Delta\phi_{lep}$ for DT clusters and CSC clusters in the electron channel. Signal distribution of a Majorana HNL with $m_N=2GeV$ and $c\tau_0=1m$ is compared with the OOT background distributions. The distributions are normalized to unit area
Distribution of $N_{hits}$ and $\Delta\phi_{lep}$ for DT clusters and CSC clusters in the electron channel. Signal distribution of a Majorana HNL with $m_N=2GeV$ and $c\tau_0=1m$ is compared with the OOT background distributions. The distributions are normalized to unit area
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
Measured mass
Measured mass difference
The $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross sections of non-prompt ${\rm D^0}$, ${\rm D^+}$, and ${\rm D_s^+}$ mesons originating from beauty-hadron decays are measured in proton$-$proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV. The measurements are performed at midrapidity, $|y| < 0.5$, with the data sample collected by ALICE from 2016 to 2018. The results are in agreement with predictions from several perturbative QCD calculations. The fragmentation fraction of beauty quarks to strange mesons divided by the one to non-strange mesons, $f_{\rm{s}}/(f_{\rm{u}} + f_{\rm{d}})$, is found to be $0.114 \pm 0.016~{\rm (stat.)} \pm 0.006~{\rm (syst.)} \pm 0.003~{\rm (BR)} \pm 0.003~{\rm (extrap.)}$. This value is compatible with previous measurements at lower centre-of-mass energies and in different collision systems in agreement with the assumption of universality of fragmentation functions. In addition, the dependence of the non-prompt D meson production on the centre-of-mass energy is investigated by comparing the results obtained at $\sqrt{s} = 5.02$ and 13 TeV, showing a hardening of the non-prompt D-meson $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross section at higher $\sqrt{s}$. Finally, the ${\rm b\overline{b}}$ production cross section per unit of rapidity at midrapidity is calculated from the non-prompt ${\rm D^0}$, ${\rm D^+}$, ${\rm D_s^+}$, and $\Lambda_{\rm c}^+$ hadron measurements, obtaining ${\rm d}\sigma/{\rm d}y = 75.2\pm 3.2~(\mathrm{stat.}) \pm 5.2~(\mathrm{syst.})^{+12.3}_{-3.2} ~(\mathrm{extrap.})\text{ } \rm \mu b \;.$
$p_{\mathrm{T}}$-differential non-prompt $\mathrm{D}^{0}$ production cross section at midrapidity ($|y|<0.5$) in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV Branching ratio of $\mathrm{D}^{0}\rightarrow\mathrm{K}^-\pi^+$: $(3.95 \pm 0.03)\%$. Global relative uncertainty on BR: $0.8\%$ Global relative uncertainty on luminosity: $1.6\%$
$p_{\mathrm{T}}$-differential non-prompt $\mathrm{D}^{+}$ production cross section at midrapidity ($|y|<0.5$) in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV Branching ratio of $\mathrm{D}^{+}\rightarrow\mathrm{K}^-\pi^+\pi^+$: $(9.38 \pm 0.16)\%$. Global relative uncertainty on BR: $1.7\%$ Global relative uncertainty on luminosity: $1.6\%$
$p_{\mathrm{T}}$-differential $\mathrm{D}^{+}_\mathrm{s}$ production cross section at midrapidity ($|y|<0.5$) in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV Branching ratio of $\mathrm{D}^{+}_\mathrm{s}\rightarrow\phi\pi^+\rightarrow\mathrm{K}^+\mathrm{K}^-\pi^+$: $(2.22 \pm 0.06)\%$. Global relative uncertainty on BR: $2.7\%$ Global relative uncertainty on luminosity: $1.6\%$
This Letter presents the first study of the energy-dependence of diboson polarization fractions in $WZ \rightarrow \ell\nu \ell'\ell'~(\ell, \ell'=e, \mu)$ production. The data set used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector. Two fiducial regions with an enhanced presence of events featuring two longitudinally-polarized bosons are defined. A non-zero fraction of events with two longitudinally-polarized bosons is measured with an observed significance of 5.2 standard deviations in the region with $100<p_T^Z\leq200$ GeV and 1.6 standard deviations in the region with $p_T^Z>200$ GeV, where $p_T^Z$ is the transverse momentum of the $Z$ boson. This Letter also reports the first study of the Radiation Amplitude Zero effect. Events with two transversely-polarized bosons are analyzed for the $\Delta Y(\ell_W Z)$ and $\Delta Y(WZ)$ distributions defined respectively as the rapidity difference between the lepton from the $W$ boson decay and the $Z$ boson and the rapidity difference between the $W$ boson and the $Z$ boson. Significant suppression of events near zero is observed in both distributions. Unfolded $\Delta Y(\ell_W Z)$ and $\Delta Y(WZ)$ distributions are also measured and compared to theoretical predictions.
Polarization fractions in the region with $100<p_T^Z\leq200$ GeV using three unconstrained parameters.
Polarization fractions in the region with $p_T^Z>200$ GeV using three unconstrained parameters.
Fraction of events where both bosons are longitudinally polarized in the region with $100<p_T^Z\leq200$ GeV using two unconstrained parameters.
A search for high-mass resonances decaying into a $\tau$-lepton and a neutrino using proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV is presented. The full Run 2 data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the ATLAS experiment in the years 2015-2018 is analyzed. The $\tau$-lepton is reconstructed in its hadronic decay modes and the total transverse momentum carried out by neutrinos is inferred from the reconstructed missing transverse momentum. The search for new physics is performed on the transverse mass between the $\tau$-lepton and the missing transverse momentum. No excess of events above the Standard Model expectation is observed and upper exclusion limits are set on the $W^\prime\to \tau \nu$ production cross-section. Heavy $W^\prime$ vector bosons with masses up to 5.0 TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level, assuming that they have the same couplings as the Standard Model $W$ boson. For non-universal couplings, $W^\prime$ bosons are excluded for masses less than 3.5-5.0 TeV, depending on the model parameters. In addition, model-independent limits on the visible cross-section times branching ratio are determined as a function of the lower threshold on the transverse mass of the $\tau$-lepton and missing transverse momentum.
Observed and predicted $m_{\rm T}$ distributions including SSM and NU (cot$\theta$ = 5.5) $W^{\prime}$ signals with masses of 4 TeV. Please note that in the paper figure the bin content is divided by the bin width, but this is not done in the HepData table.
Observed and expected 95% CL upper limits on cross section times $\tau\nu$ branching fraction for $W^{\prime}_{\rm SSM}$.
Regions of the non-universal parameter space excluded at 95% CL.
A search for the production of long-lived particles in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC is presented. The search is based on data collected by the CMS experiment in 2016-2018, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. This search is designed to be sensitive to long-lived particles with mean proper decay lengths between 0.1 and 1000 mm, whose decay products produce a final state with at least one displaced vertex and missing transverse momentum. A machine learning algorithm, which improves the background rejection power by more than an order of magnitude, is applied to improve the sensitivity. The observation is consistent with the standard model background prediction, and the results are used to constrain split supersymmetry (SUSY) and gauge-mediated SUSY breaking models with different gluino mean proper decay lengths and masses. This search is the first CMS search that shows sensitivity to hadronically decaying long-lived particles from signals with mass differences between the gluino and neutralino below 100 GeV. It sets the most stringent limits to date for split-SUSY models and gauge-mediated SUSY breaking models with gluino proper decay length less than 6 mm.
Distributions of $S_{\mathrm{ML}}$ for data, simulated background and signal events with $n_{\mathrm{track}}$ of 3. The distributions are shown for split-SUSY signals with a gluino mass of 2000 GeV and neutralino mass of 1900 GeV. Different gluino proper decay lengths are shown as $c\tau$ in the legend. All distributions are normalized to unity.
Distributions of $S_{\mathrm{ML}}$ for data, simulated background and signal events with $n_{\mathrm{track}}$ of 3. The distributions are shown for split-SUSY signals with a gluino mass of 2000 GeV and neutralino mass of 1800 GeV. Different gluino proper decay lengths are shown as $c\tau$ in the legend. All distributions are normalized to unity.
Distributions of $S_{\mathrm{ML}}$ for data, simulated background and signal events with $n_{\mathrm{track}}$ of 4. The distributions are shown for split-SUSY signals with a gluino mass of 2000 GeV and neutralino mass of 1900 GeV. Different gluino proper decay lengths are shown as $c\tau$ in the legend. All distributions are normalized to unity.
A search for a new $Z'$ gauge boson predicted by $L_{\mu}-L_{\tau}$ models, based on charged-current Drell-Yan production, $pp \rightarrow W^{\pm(*)} \rightarrow Z' \mu^{\pm} \nu \rightarrow \mu^{\pm}\mu^{\mp}\mu^{\pm}\nu$, is presented. The data sample used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The search examines a final state of $3\mu$ plus large missing transverse momentum. Upper limits are set on the $Z'$ production cross-section times branching ratio in the mass range of 5-81 GeV. After combining with the previous $Z'$ search using the neutral-current Drell-Yan production with a $4\mu$ final state, the most stringent exclusion limits to date are achieved in the parameter space of the $Z'$ coupling strength and mass.
Observed and expected upper limits at 95% CL on the production cross-section times branching fraction of the process $pp\to W\to Z^{\prime}$ $\mu \nu \to \mu \mu \mu \nu$ as a function of $m_{Z^{\prime}}$.
Observed and expected upper limits at 95% CL on the coupling parameter $g_{Z^{\prime}}$ as a function of $m_{Z^{\prime}}$ from the statistical combination of the $3\mu$ and $4\mu$ channels.
Exclusion contour compared to the limits from the Neutrino Trident and the $B_{S}$ mixing experimental results.