Differential Higgs boson (H) production cross sections are sensitive probes for physics beyond the standard model. New physics may contribute in the gluon-gluon fusion loop, the dominant Higgs boson production mechanism at the LHC, and manifest itself through deviations from the distributions predicted by the standard model. Combined spectra for the H $\to$ $\gamma\gamma$, H $\to$ ZZ, and H $\to$ $\mathrm{b\overline{b}}$ decay channels and the inclusive Higgs boson production cross section are presented, based on proton-proton collision data recorded with the CMS detector at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The transverse momentum spectrum is used to place limits on the Higgs boson couplings to the top, bottom, and charm quarks, as well as its direct coupling to the gluon field. No significant deviations from the standard model are observed in any differential distribution. The measured total cross section is 61.1 $\pm$ 6.0 (stat) $\pm$ 3.7 (syst) pb, and the precision of the measurement of the differential cross section of the Higgs boson transverse momentum is improved by about 15% with respect to the H $\to$ $\gamma\gamma$ channel alone.
Combined Higgs boson transverse momentum spectrum
Higgs boson transverse momentum spectrum, $H\rightarrow\gamma\gamma$
Higgs boson transverse momentum spectrum, $H\rightarrow ZZ$
A search for the standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a W or a Z boson and decaying a pair of $\tau$ leptons is performed. A data sample of proton-proton collisions collected at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC is used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The signal strength is measured relative to the expectation for the standard model Higgs boson, yielding $\mu =$ 2.5 $^{+1.4} _{-1.3}$. These results are combined with earlier CMS measurements targeting Higgs boson decays to a pair of $\tau$ leptons, performed with the same data set in the gluon fusion and vector boson fusion production modes. The combined signal strength is $\mu =$ 1.24 $^{+0.29} _{-0.27}$ (1.00 $^{+0.24} _{-0.23}$ expected), and the observed significance is 5.5 standard deviations (4.8 expected) for a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV.
Best fit signal strength per production mode, for mH = 125.09 GeV. The constraints from the global fit are used to extract each of the individual best fit signal strengths. The VH analyses are combined with the ggH and VBF analysis.
A search for a Higgs boson decaying into a pair of electrons or muons and a photon is described. Higgs boson decays to a Z boson and a photon (H $\to$ Z$\gamma\to\ell\ell\gamma$, $\ell =$ e or $\mu$), or to two photons, one of which has an internal conversion into a muon pair (H $\to\gamma^{*}\gamma\to\mu\mu\gamma$) were considered. The analysis is performed using a data set recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. No significant excess above the background prediction has been found. Limits are set on the cross section for a standard model Higgs boson decaying to opposite-sign electron or muon pairs and a photon. The observed limits on cross section times the corresponding branching fractions vary between 1.4 and 4.0 (6.1 and 11.4) times the standard model cross section for H $\to\gamma^{*}\gamma\to\mu\mu\gamma$ (H $\to$ Z$\gamma\to\ell\ell\gamma$) in the 120-130 GeV mass range of the $\ell\ell\gamma$ system. The H $\to\gamma^*\gamma\to\mu\mu\gamma$ and H $\to$ Z$\gamma\to\ell\ell\gamma$ analyses are combined for $m_\mathrm{H} =$ 125 GeV, obtaining an observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper limit of 3.9 (2.0) times the standard model cross section.
Exclusion limit, at 95% CL, on the cross section of the $H \rightarrow \gamma^{*}\gamma \rightarrow \mu\mu\gamma$ process relative to the SM prediction, as a function of the Higgs boson mass.
Exclusion limit, at 95% CL, on the cross section of the $H \rightarrow Z\gamma \rightarrow ll\gamma$ process relative to the SM prediction, as a function of the Higgs boson mass.
Exclusion limit, at 95% CL, on the cross section of the $H \rightarrow ll\gamma$ relative to the SM prediction, for an SM Higgs boson of $m_{H} = 125$ GeV. The upper limits of each analysis category, as well as their combinations, are shown.
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