Search for light long-lived neutral particles from Higgs boson decays via vector-boson-fusion production from $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

The ATLAS collaboration Aad, Georges ; Abbott, Braden Keim ; Abeling, Kira ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 84 (2024) 719, 2024.
Inspire Record 2728869 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.145164

A search is reported for long-lived dark photons with masses between 0.1 GeV and 15 GeV, from exotic decays of Higgs bosons produced via vector-boson-fusion. Events that contain displaced collimated Standard Model fermions reconstructed in the calorimeter or muon spectrometer are probed. This search uses the full LHC Run 2 (2015-2018) data sample collected in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 $fb^{-1}$. Dominant backgrounds from Standard Model processes and non-collision sources are estimated by using data-driven techniques. The observed event yields in the signal regions are consistent with the expected background. Upper limits on the Higgs boson to dark photon branching fraction are reported as a function of the dark-photon mean proper decay length or of the dark-photon mass and the coupling between the Standard Model and the potential dark sector. This search is combined with previous ATLAS searches obtained in the gluon-gluon fusion and \textit{WH} production modes. A branching fraction above 10% is excluded at 95% CL for a 125 GeV Higgs boson decaying into two dark photons for dark-photon mean proper decay lengths between 173 and 1296 mm and mass of 10 GeV.

20 data tables

Observed 95% CL upper limits on B(H&rarr;&nbsp;2&gamma;<sub>d</sub>+X) for different &gamma;<sub>d</sub> masses and a 125&nbsp;GeV Higgs boson, as a function of the dark-photon mean proper decay length c&tau;. The limits are shown for the SR<sub>&mu;</sub> search channel, assuming an FRVZ signal model. The hatched band denotes the region in which the branching ratio is larger than unity.

Observed 95% CL upper limits on B(H&rarr;&nbsp;2&gamma;<sub>d</sub>+X) for different &gamma;<sub>d</sub> masses and a 125&nbsp;GeV Higgs boson, as a function of the dark-photon mean proper decay length c&tau;. The limits are shown for the SR<sub>c</sub><sup>L</sup> search channel, assuming an FRVZ signal model. The hatched band denotes the region in which the branching ratio is larger than unity.

Observed 95% CL upper limits on B(H&rarr;&nbsp;2&gamma;<sub>d</sub>+X) for different &gamma;<sub>d</sub> masses and a 125&nbsp;GeV Higgs boson, as a function of the dark-photon mean proper decay length c&tau;. The limits are shown for the SR<sub>c</sub><sup>H</sup> search channel, assuming an FRVZ signal model. The hatched band denotes the region in which the branching ratio is larger than unity.

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Version 2
Search for long-lived particles decaying to a pair of muons in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

The CMS collaboration Tumasyan, Armen ; Adam, Wolfgang ; Andrejkovic, Janik Walter ; et al.
JHEP 05 (2023) 228, 2023.
Inspire Record 2083735 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.129518

An inclusive search for long-lived exotic particles decaying to a pair of muons is presented. The search uses data collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV in 2016 and 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 97.6 fb$^{-1}$. The experimental signature is a pair of oppositely charged muons originating from a common secondary vertex spatially separated from the pp interaction point by distances ranging from several hundred $\mu$m to several meters. The results are interpreted in the frameworks of the hidden Abelian Higgs model, in which the Higgs boson decays to a pair of long-lived dark photons Z$_\mathrm{D}$, and of a simplified model, in which long-lived particles are produced in decays of an exotic heavy neutral scalar boson. For the hidden Abelian Higgs model with $m_\mathrm{Z_D}$ greater than 20 GeV and less than half the mass of the Higgs boson, they provide the best limits to date on the branching fraction of the Higgs boson to dark photons for $c\tau$(Z$_\mathrm{D}$) (varying with $m_\mathrm{Z_D}$) between 0.03 and ${\approx}$ 0.5 mm, and above ${\approx}$ 0.5 m. Our results also yield the best constraints on long-lived particles with masses larger than 10 GeV produced in decays of an exotic scalar boson heavier than the Higgs boson and decaying to a pair of muons.

150 data tables

Level-1 muon trigger efficiency in cosmic-ray muon data (blue) and signal simulation (red) as a function of $d_0$, for the Level-1 trigger $p_T$ threshold used in the 2016 analysis triggers. The denominator in the efficiency calculation is the number of STA muons with $|\eta| < 1.2$ and $p_T > 33$ GeV.

Level-1 muon trigger efficiency in cosmic-ray muon data (blue) and signal simulation (red) as a function of $d_0$, for the Level-1 trigger $p_T$ threshold used in the 2016 analysis triggers. The denominator in the efficiency calculation is the number of STA muons with $|\eta| < 1.2$ and $p_T > 33$ GeV.

Level-1 muon trigger efficiency in cosmic-ray muon data (blue) and signal simulation (red) as a function of $d_0$, for the Level-1 trigger $p_T$ threshold used in the 2018 analysis triggers. The denominator in the efficiency calculation is the number of STA muons with $|\eta| < 1.2$ and $p_T > 28$ GeV.

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