The observation of the production of four top quarks in proton-proton collisions is reported, based on a data sample collected by the CMS experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV in 2016-2018 at the CERN LHC and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Events with two same-sign, three, or four charged leptons (electrons and muons) and additional jets are analyzed. Compared to previous results in these channels, updated identification techniques for charged leptons and jets originating from the hadronization of b quarks, as well as a revised multivariate analysis strategy to distinguish the signal process from the main backgrounds, lead to an improved expected signal significance of 4.9 standard deviations above the background-only hypothesis. Four top quark production is observed with a significance of 5.6 standard deviations, and its cross section is measured to be 17.7 $^{+3.7}_{-3.5}$ (stat) $^{+2.3}_{-1.9}$ (syst) fb, in agreement with the available standard model predictions.
Comparison of fit results in the channels individually and in their combination. The left panel shows the values of the measured cross section relative to the SM prediction from Ref. [6]. The right panel shows the expected and observed significance, with the printed values rounded to the first decimal.
Number of predicted and observed events in the SR-2$\ell$ and SR-3$\ell$ $t\bar{t}t\bar{t}$ classes, both before the fit to the data ("prefit") and with their best fit normalizations ("postfit"). The uncertainties in the predicted number of events include both the statistical and systematic components. The uncertainties in the total number of predicted background and background plus signal events are also given.
A search is presented for single production of a vector-like T quark with charge 2/3 $e$, in the decay channel featuring a top quark and a Z boson, with the top quark decaying hadronically and the Z boson decaying to neutrinos. The search uses data collected by the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$ recorded at the CERN LHC in 2016-2018. The search is sensitive to a T quark mass between 0.6 and 1.8 TeV with decay widths ranging from negligibly small up to 30% of the T quark mass. Reconstruction strategies for the top quark are based on the degree of Lorentz boosting of its final state. At 95% confidence level, the upper limit on the product of the cross section and branching fraction for a T quark of small decay width varies between 15 and 602 fb, depending on its mass. For a T quark with decay widths between 10 and 30% of its mass, this upper limit ranges between 16 and 836 fb. For most of the studied range, the results provide the best limits to date. This is the first search for single T quark production based on the full Run 2 data set of the LHC.
Product of efficiency and acceptance of the event selection for T signal events as a function of the particle mass $m_\mathrm{T}$ and width $\Gamma$ for the different hypotheses considered.
Product of efficiency and acceptance of the event selection for T signal events as a function of the particle mass $m_\mathrm{T}$ and width $\Gamma$ for the different hypotheses considered.
Product of efficiency and acceptance of the event selection for T signal events as a function of the particle mass $m_\mathrm{T}$ and width $\Gamma$ for the different hypotheses considered.
A search for a heavy resonance decaying to a top quark and a W boson in the fully hadronic final state is presented. The analysis is performed using data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The search is focused on heavy resonances, where the decay products of each top quark or W boson are expected to be reconstructed as a single, large-radius jet with a distinct substructure. The production of an excited bottom quark, b*, is used as a benchmark when setting limits on the cross section for a heavy resonance decaying to a top quark and a W boson. The hypotheses of b* quarks with left-handed, right-handed, and vector-like chiralities are excluded at 95% confidence level for masses below 2.6, 2.8, and 3.1 TeV, respectively. These are the most stringent limits on the b* quark mass to date, extending the previous best limits by almost a factor of two.
Upper limits on the product of the cross section and branching fraction at 95% CL for a left-handed b* quark as a function of b* quark mass.
Upper limits on the product of the cross section and branching fraction at 95% CL for a right-handed b* quark as a function of b* quark mass.
Upper limits on the product of the cross section and branching fraction at 95% CL for a vector-like b* quark as a function of b* quark mass.
Two related searches for phenomena beyond the standard model (BSM) are performed using events with hadronic jets and significant transverse momentum imbalance. The results are based on a sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2016-2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. The first search is inclusive, based on signal regions defined by the hadronic energy in the event, the jet multiplicity, the number of jets identified as originating from bottom quarks, and the value of the kinematic variable $M_\mathrm{T2}$ for events with at least two jets. For events with exactly one jet, the transverse momentum of the jet is used instead. The second search looks in addition for disappearing tracks produced by BSM long-lived charged particles that decay within the volume of the tracking detector. No excess event yield is observed above the predicted standard model background. This is used to constrain a range of BSM models that predict the following: the pair production of gluinos and squarks in the context of supersymmetry models conserving $R$-parity, with or without intermediate long-lived charginos produced in the decay chain; the resonant production of a colored scalar state decaying to a massive Dirac fermion and a quark; or the pair production of scalar and vector leptoquarks each decaying to a neutrino and a top, bottom, or light-flavor quark. In most of the cases, the results obtained are the most stringent constraints to date.
Definitions of super signal regions, along with predictions, observed data, and the observed 95% CL upper limits on the number of signal events contributing to each region ($N_{95}^\mathrm{max}$). The limits are given under assumptions of 0% and 15% for the uncertainty on the signal acceptance. All selection criteria as in the full analysis are applied. For regions with $N_\mathrm{j}=1$, $H_\mathrm{T}\equiv p_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{jet}$.
Exclusion limits at 95% CL for direct gluino pair production, where the gluinos decay to light-flavor quarks ($\tilde{g}\to q\bar{q}\tilde{\chi}_1^0$). Signal cross sections are calculated at approximately NNLO+NNLL order in $\alpha_S$, assuming unity branching fraction to $q\bar{q}\tilde{\chi}_1^0$.
Exclusion limits at 95% CL for direct gluino pair production, where the gluinos decay to light-flavor quarks and either a $\tilde{\chi}_2^0$ that decays to $Z\tilde{\chi}_1^0$ (1/3 of the time), or a $\tilde{\chi}_1^\pm$ that decays to $W^\pm\tilde{\chi}_1^0$ (2/3 of the time). Signal cross sections are calculated at approximately NNLO+NNLL order in $\alpha_S$, assuming unity branching fraction to $q_i\bar{q}_j V\tilde{\chi}_1^0$.
Measurements of differential top quark pair $\mathrm{t\overline{t}}$ cross sections using events produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV containing two oppositely charged leptons are presented. The data were recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2016 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The differential cross sections are presented as functions of kinematic observables of the top quarks and their decay products, the $\mathrm{t\overline{t}}$ system, and the total number of jets in the event. The differential cross sections are defined both with particle-level objects in a fiducial phase space close to that of the detector acceptance and with parton-level top quarks in the full phase space. All results are compared with standard model predictions from Monte Carlo simulations with next-to-leading-order (NLO) accuracy in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) at matrix-element level interfaced to parton-shower simulations. Where possible, parton-level results are compared to calculations with beyond-NLO precision in QCD. Significant disagreement is observed between data and all predictions for several observables. The measurements are used to constrain the top quark chromomagnetic dipole moment in an effective field theory framework at NLO in QCD and to extract $\mathrm{t\overline{t}}$ and leptonic charge asymmetries.
Measured absolute differential cross section at parton level as a function of $p_{T}^{t}$.
Covariance matrix of the absolute differential cross section at parton level as a function of $p_{T}^{t}$.
Measured normalised differential cross section at parton level as a function of $p_{T}^{t}$.
Three of the most significant measured deviations from standard model predictions, the enhanced decay rate for B $\to$ D$^{(*)}\tau\nu$, hints of lepton universality violation in B $\to$ K$^{(*)}\ell\ell$ decays, and the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, can be explained by the existence of leptoquarks (LQs) with large couplings to third-generation quarks and masses at the TeV scale. The existence of these states can be probed at the LHC in high energy proton-proton collisions. A novel search is presented for pair production of LQs coupled to a top quark and a muon using data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$, recorded by the CMS experiment. No deviation from the standard model prediction has been observed and scalar LQs decaying exclusively into t$\mu$ are excluded up to masses of 1420 GeV. The results of this search are combined with those from previous searches for LQ decays into t$\tau$ and b$\nu$, which excluded scalar LQs below masses of 900 and 1080 GeV. Vector LQs are excluded up to masses of 1190 GeV for all possible combinations of branching fractions to t$\mu$, t$\tau$ and b$\nu$. With this analysis, all relevant couplings of LQs with an electric charge of -1/3 to third-generation quarks are probed for the first time.
Distributions for $M_{LQ}^{rec}$ (category A) after applying the full selection. All backgrounds are normalized according to the post-fit nuisance parameters based on the corresponding SM cross sections.
Distributions for $S_{T}$ (category B) after applying the full selection and estimating the $t\overline{t}$ and DY+jets background contributions from data in category B. All backgrounds are normalized according to the post-fit nuisance parameters based on the corresponding SM cross sections.
Observed upper limits on the production cross section for pair production of LQs decaying into a top quark and a muon or a $\tau$ lepton at 95% CL in the $M_{LQ} - B(LQ \rightarrow t\mu)$ plane.
The result of a search for flavor changing neutral currents (FCNC) through single top quark production in association with a photon is presented. The study is based on proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV using data collected with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.8 inverse femtobarns. The search for t gamma events where t to Wb and W to mu nu is conducted in final states with a muon, a photon, at least one hadronic jet with at most one being consistent with originating from a bottom quark, and missing transverse momentum. No evidence of single top quark production in association with a photon through a FCNC is observed. Upper limits at the 95% confidence level are set on the tu gamma and tc gamma anomalous couplings and translated into upper limits on the branching fraction of the FCNC top quark decays: B(t to u gamma) < 1.3E-4 and B(t to c gamma) < 1.7E-3. Upper limits are also set on the cross section of associated t gamma production in a restricted phase-space region. These are the most stringent limits currently available.
The expected and observed $95\%$ CL upper limits on the FCNC $tu\gamma$ and $tc\gamma$ cross sections times branching fraction, the anomalous couplings $\kappa_{tu\gamma}$ and $\kappa_{tc\gamma}$, and the corresponding branching fractions B($t \rightarrow u \gamma$)and B($t\rightarrow c \gamma$)at LO are given. The one and two standard deviation ($\sigma$) ranges on the LO expected limits are also presented.
The expected and observed $95\%$ CL upper limits on the FCNC $tu\gamma$ and $tc\gamma$ cross sections times branching fraction, the anomalous couplings $\kappa_{tu\gamma}$ and $\kappa_{tc\gamma}$, and the corresponding branching fractions B($t \rightarrow u \gamma$)and B($t\rightarrow c \gamma$)at NLO are given. The one and two standard deviation ($\sigma$) ranges on the NLO expected limits are also presented.
Upper limits on the signal cross sections are also determined for a restricted phase-space region in which the detector is fully efficient. This removes the need to extrapolate to phase-space regions where the analysis has little or no sensitivity. The fiducial region is defined as:.
The top quark pair production cross section is measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 13 TeV by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 43 inverse picobarns. The measurement is performed by analyzing events with at least one electron and one muon of opposite charge, and at least two jets. The measured cross section is 746 +/- 58 (stat) +/- 53 (syst) +/- 36 (lumi) pb, in agreement with the expectation from the standard model.
The first measurement of the $t\bar{t}$ production cross-section in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV.
Measurements of the cross sections for top quark pairs produced in association with a W or Z boson are presented, using 8 TeV pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.5 inverse femtobarns, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Final states are selected in which the associated W boson decays to a charged lepton and a neutrino or the Z boson decays to two charged leptons. Signal events are identified by matching reconstructed objects in the detector to specific final state particles from ttW or ttZ decays. The ttW cross section is measured to be 382 +117 -102 fb with a significance of 4.8 standard deviations from the background-only hypothesis. The ttZ cross section is measured to be 242 +65 -55 fb with a significance of 6.4 standard deviations from the background-only hypothesis. These measurements are used to set bounds on five anomalous dimension-six operators that would affect the ttW and ttZ cross sections.
Expected yields after the final fit, compared to the observed data for OS t$\bar{\mathrm{t}}$Z final states. Here ``hf'' and ``lf'' stand for heavy and light flavors, respectively.
Expected yields after the final fit, compared to the observed data for SS t$\bar{\mathrm{t}}$W final states. The multiboson process includes WWW, WWZ, and W$^{\pm}$W$^{\pm}$; t$\mathrm{\bar{t}}$+X includes t$\mathrm{\bar{t}}\gamma$, t$\mathrm{\bar{t}}\gamma^{*}$, and t$\bar{\mathrm{t}}$WW.
Expected yields after the final fit, compared to the observed data for 3$\ell$ t$\bar{\mathrm{t}}$W and three and 4$\ell$ t$\bar{\mathrm{t}}$Z final states. The 4$\ell$ ``Z-veto'' channel has exactly one lepton pair consistent with a Z boson decay; the ``Z'' channel has two. The multiboson process includes WWW and WWZ; t$\mathrm{\bar{t}}$+X includes t$\mathrm{\bar{t}}\gamma$, t$\mathrm{\bar{t}}\gamma^{*}$, and t$\bar{\mathrm{t}}$WW.
A search is presented for particle dark matter produced in association with a pair of top quarks in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 8 TeV. The data were collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 inverse femtobarns. This search requires the presence of one lepton, multiple jets, and large missing transverse energy. No excess of events is found above the SM expectation, and upper limits are derived on the production cross section. Interpreting the findings in the context of a scalar contact interaction between fermionic dark matter particles and top quarks, lower limits on the interaction scale are set. These limits are also interpreted in terms of the dark matter-nucleon scattering cross sections for the spin-independent scalar operator and they complement direct searches for dark matter particles in the low mass region.
Systematic uncertainties from various sources and their impact on the total background prediction.
Expected number of background events in the SR, expected number of signal events for a DM particle with the mass $M_{\chi}$ = 1 GeV, assuming an interaction scale $M_{*}$ = 100 GeV, and observed data. The statistical and systematic uncertainties are given on the expected yields.
Expected number of signal events in SR assuming an interaction scale $M_{*}$ = 100 GeV, signal efficiencies, and observed and expected limits at 90% CL on production cross sections for $\mathrm{pp \rightarrow t\bar{t} + \chi\bar{\chi}}$, for various DM particle masses.
A search for a standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a top-quark pair and decaying to bottom quarks is presented. Events with hadronic jets and one or two oppositely charged leptons are selected from a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.5 inverse femtobarns collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. In order to separate the signal from the larger t t-bar + jets background, this analysis uses a matrix element method that assigns a probability density value to each reconstructed event under signal or background hypotheses. The ratio between the two values is used in a maximum likelihood fit to extract the signal yield. The results are presented in terms of the measured signal strength modifier, mu, relative to the standard model prediction for a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV. The observed (expected) exclusion limit at a 95% confidence level is mu < 4.2 (3.3), corresponding to a best fit value mu-hat = 1.2 +1.6 -1.5.
The best-fit values of the signal strength modifier obtained from the single lepton (SL) and dilepton (DL) channels alone,and from their combination (COMBINED). The observed 95% CL upper limit (UL) on mu are given in the third column, and are compared to the median expected limits for both the signal-plus-background and for the background-only hypotheses. For the latter, the 1sigma and 2sigma CL intervals are also given.
A search is presented for standard model (SM) production of four top quarks (t t-bar t t-bar) in pp collisions in the lepton + jets channel. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.6 inverse femtobarns recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The expected cross section for SM four top quark production is approximately 1 fb. A combination of kinematic reconstruction and multivariate techniques is used to distinguish between the small signal and large background. The data are consistent with expectations of the SM, and an upper limit of 32 fb is set at a 95% confidence level on the cross section for producing four top quarks in the SM, where a limit of 32 +/- 17 fb is expected.
Measurement of an upper limit on tttt is set by performing a simultaneous maximum likelihood fit to the distributions in the BDT event discriminant for signal and background in six event categories in the single muon plus jets and single electron plus jets channels.
A search for pair production of third-generation scalar leptoquarks and supersymmetric top quark partners, top squarks, in final states involving tau leptons and bottom quarks is presented. The search uses events from a data sample of proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 inverse femtobarns, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC with sqrt(s) = 8 TeV. The number of observed events is found to be in agreement with the expected standard model background. Third-generation scalar leptoquarks with masses below 740 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level, assuming a 100% branching fraction for the leptoquark decay to a tau lepton and a bottom quark. In addition, this mass limit applies directly to top squarks decaying via an R-parity violating coupling lambda'[333]. The search also considers a similar signature from top squarks undergoing a chargino-mediated decay involving the R-parity violating coupling lambda'[3jk]. Each top squark decays to a tau lepton, a bottom quark, and two light quarks. Top squarks in this model with masses below 580 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level. The constraint on the leptoquark mass is the most stringent to date, and this is the first search for top squarks decaying via lambda'[3jk].
The estimated backgrounds, observed event yields, and expected number of signal events for the leptoquark search. For the simulation-based entries, the statistical and systematic uncertainties are shown separately, in that order.
The estimated backgrounds, observed event yields, and expected number of signal events for the top squark search. For the simulation-based entries, the statistical and systematic uncertainties are shown separately, in that order.
Selection efficiencies in % for the signal in the leptoquark search, estimated from the simulation.
The first observation of the associated production of a single top quark and a W boson is presented. The analysis is based on a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 12.2 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Events with two leptons and a jet originating from a b quark are selected. A multivariate analysis based on kinematic and topological properties is used to separate the signal from the dominant t t-bar background. An excess consistent with the signal hypothesis is observed, with a significance which corresponds to 6.1 standard deviations above a background-only hypothesis. The measured production cross section is 23.4 +- 5.4 pb, in agreement with the standard model prediction.
Measured cross section for associated production of a single top quark and a W boson, where the uncertainty is mainly systematic.
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.
The measured cross section for top-quark pair production.
The first measurement of the cross section for top-quark pair production in pp collisions at the LHC at center-of-mass energy sqrt(s)= 7 TeV has been performed using 3.1 {\pm} 0.3 inverse pb of data recorded by the CMS detector. This result utilizes the final state with two isolated, highly energetic charged leptons, large missing transverse energy, and two or more jets. Backgrounds from Drell-Yan and non-W/Z boson production are estimated from data. Eleven events are observed in the data with 2.1 {\pm} 1.0 events expected from background. The measured cross section is 194 {\pm} 72 (stat.) {\pm} 24 (syst.) {\pm} 21 (lumi.) pb, consistent with next-to-leading order predictions.
Total cross section. The second systematic error represents the uncertainty on the luminosity.
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