The first measurement of the inclusive and normalised differential cross sections of single top quark production in association with a W boson in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13.6 TeV is presented. The data were recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2022, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 34.7 fb$^{-1}$. The analysed events contain one muon and one electron in the final state. For the inclusive measurement, multivariate discriminants exploiting the kinematic properties of the events are used to separate the signal from the dominant top quark-antiquark production background. A cross section of 82.3 $\pm$ 2.1 (stat) ${}^{+9.9}_{-9.7}$ (syst) $\pm$ 3.3 (lumi) pb is obtained, consistent with the predictions of the standard model. A fiducial region is defined according to the detector acceptance to perform the differential measurements. The resulting differential distributions are unfolded to particle level and show good agreement with the predictions at next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.
The distribution of the RF output for events in the 1j1b region. The number of observed events (points) and estimated signal and background events (filled histograms) from the maximum likelihood fit are shown. The vertical bars on the points represent the statistical uncertainty in the data, and the hatched band the total uncertainty in the estimated events after the fit. The lower panels display the ratio of the data to the sum of the estimated events (points) after the fit, with the bands giving the corresponding uncertainties.
The distribution of the RF output for events in the 2j1b region. The number of observed events (points) and estimated signal and background events (filled histograms) from the maximum likelihood fit are shown. The vertical bars on the points represent the statistical uncertainty in the data, and the hatched band the total uncertainty in the estimated events after the fit. The lower panels display the ratio of the data to the sum of the estimated events (points) after the fit, with the bands giving the corresponding uncertainties.
The distribution of the Subleading jet $p_{T}$ for events in the 2j2b region. The number of observed events (points) and estimated signal and background events (filled histograms) from the maximum likelihood fit are shown. The vertical bars on the points represent the statistical uncertainty in the data, and the hatched band the total uncertainty in the estimated events after the fit. The lower panels display the ratio of the data to the sum of the estimated events (points) after the fit, with the bands giving the corresponding uncertainties.
Measurements of inclusive, differential cross-sections for the production of events with missing transverse momentum in association with jets in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13~$TeV are presented. The measurements are made with the ATLAS detector using an integrated luminosity of $140~$fb$^{-1}$ and include measurements of dijet distributions in a region in which vector-boson fusion processes are enhanced. They are unfolded to correct for detector resolution and efficiency within the fiducial acceptance, and are designed to allow robust comparisons with a wide range of theoretical predictions. A measurement of differential cross sections for the $Z~\to \nu\nu$ process is made. The measurements are generally well-described by Standard Model predictions except for the dijet invariant mass distribution. Auxiliary measurements of the hadronic system recoiling against isolated leptons, and photons, are also made in the same phase space. Ratios between the measured distributions are then derived, to take advantage of cancellations in modelling effects and some of the major systematic uncertainties. These measurements are sensitive to new phenomena, and provide a mechanism to easily set constraints on phenomenological models. To illustrate the robustness of the approach, these ratios are compared with two common Dark Matter models, where the constraints derived from the measurement are comparable to those set by dedicated detector-level searches.
The measured $p_\text{T}^\text{miss}$ differential cross-sections in the $p_\text{T}^\text{miss}+\text{jets}$ region of the incluse jet phase space, compared with the SM predictions. The middle panels show the ratios of the predictions to the data, along with their uncertainties, while the lower panels show the relative contributions from different SM processes relative to the total MEPS@NLO prediction. Note that individually numbered PDF components ('dK_PDF_') in the uncertainty breakdown correspond to NNPDF Hessian eigenvectors. Uncertainty components labeled 'VV_dK' include Vjj processes.
The measured $p_\text{T}^\text{recoil}$ differential cross-sections in the $1\mu+\text{jets}$ region of the incluse jet phase space, compared with the SM predictions. The middle panels show the ratios of the predictions to the data, along with their uncertainties, while the lower panels show the relative contributions from different SM processes relative to the total MEPS@NLO prediction. Note that individually numbered PDF components ('dK_PDF_') in the uncertainty breakdown correspond to NNPDF Hessian eigenvectors. Uncertainty components labeled 'VV_dK' include Vjj processes.
The measured $p_\text{T}^\text{recoil}$ differential cross-sections in the $1e+\text{jets}$ region of the incluse jet phase space, compared with the SM predictions. The middle panels show the ratios of the predictions to the data, along with their uncertainties, while the lower panels show the relative contributions from different SM processes relative to the total MEPS@NLO prediction. Note that individually numbered PDF components ('dK_PDF_') in the uncertainty breakdown correspond to NNPDF Hessian eigenvectors. Uncertainty components labeled 'VV_dK' include Vjj processes.
This letter reports the observation of $W(\ell\nu)\gamma\gamma$ production in proton-proton collisions. This measurement uses the full Run 2 sample of events recorded at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV by the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$. Events with a leptonically-decaying $W$ boson and at least two photons are considered. The background-only hypothesis is rejected with an observed and expected significance of $5.6$ standard deviations. The inclusive fiducial production cross section of $W(e\nu)\gamma\gamma$ and $W(\mu\nu)\gamma\gamma$ events is measured to be $\sigma_{\mathrm{fid}} = 13.8 \pm 1.1 (\mathrm{stat}) \substack{+2.1 \\ -2.0} (\mathrm{syst}) \pm 0.1 (\mathrm{lumi})$ fb, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction.
The measured fiducial $W(\rightarrow e\nu / \mu\nu)\gamma\gamma$ integrated cross section compared with both the signal event generator predictions.
A study of strange hadron production associated with hard scattering processes and with the underlying event is conducted to investigate the origin of the enhanced production of strange hadrons in small collision systems characterised by large charged-particle multiplicities. For this purpose, the production of the single-strange meson ${\rm K^0_S}$ and the double-strange baryon $\Xi^{\pm}$ is measured, in each event, in the azimuthal direction of the highest-$p_{\rm T}$ particle (``trigger" particle), related to hard scattering processes, and in the direction transverse to it in azimuth, associated with the underlying event, in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV and $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC. The per-trigger yields of ${\rm K^0_S}$ and $\Xi^{\pm}$ are dominated by the transverse-to-leading production (i.e., in the direction transverse to the trigger particle), whose contribution relative to the toward-leading production is observed to increase with the event charged-particle multiplicity. The transverse-to-leading and the toward-leading $\Xi^{\pm}$/${\rm K^0_S}$ yield ratios increase with the multiplicity of charged particles, suggesting that strangeness enhancement with multiplicity is associated with both hard scattering processes and the underlying event. The relative production of $\Xi^{\pm}$ with respect to ${\rm K^0_S}$ is higher in transverse-to-leading processes over the whole multiplicity interval covered by the measurement. The ${\rm K}^{0}_{\rm{S}}$ and $\Xi^{\pm}$ per-trigger yields and yield ratios are compared with predictions of three different phenomenological models, namely PYTHIA 8.2 with the Monash tune, PYTHIA 8.2 with ropes and EPOS LHC. The comparison shows that none of them can quantitatively describe either the transverse-to-leading or the toward-leading yields of ${\rm K}^{0}_{\rm{S}}$ and $\Xi^{\pm}$.
Yields of $\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ per trigger particle per unit $\Delta\eta\Delta\varphi$ area in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, as a function of the $\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ $p_\rm{T}$. Trigger particles are charged particles with $p_\rm{T}>3$ GeV/c. The trigger-particle-$\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ correlation is integrated in the ranges $-1.2<\Delta\eta<1.2$ and $-\pi/2<\Delta\varphi<3/2\pi$.
Transverse-to-leading yields of $\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ per trigger particle per unit $\Delta\eta\Delta\varphi$ area in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, as a function of the $\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ $p_\rm{T}$. Trigger particles are charged particles with $p_\rm{T}>3$ GeV/c. The trigger-particle-$\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ correlation is integrated in the ranges $0.86<|\Delta\eta|<1.2$ and $0.96<\Delta\varphi<1.8$.
Toward-leading yields of $\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ per trigger particle per unit $\Delta\eta\Delta\varphi$ area in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, as a function of the $\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ $p_\rm{T}$. Trigger particles are charged particles with $p_\rm{T}>3$ GeV/c. The trigger-particle-$\rm K^{0}_\rm{S}$ correlation is integrated in the ranges $|\Delta\eta|<0.86$ and $|\Delta\varphi|<1.1$.
This Letter presents results from a combination of searches for Higgs boson pair production using 126$-$140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. At 95% confidence level (CL), the upper limit on the production rate is 2.9 times the standard model (SM) prediction, with an expected limit of 2.4 assuming no Higgs boson pair production. Constraints on the Higgs boson self-coupling modifier $\kappa_{\lambda}=\lambda_{HHH}/\lambda_{HHH}^\mathrm{SM}$, and the quartic $HHVV$ coupling modifier $\kappa_{2V}=g_{HHVV}/g_{HHVV}^\mathrm{SM}$, are derived individually, fixing the other parameter to its SM value. The observed 95% CL intervals are $-1.2 < \kappa_{\lambda} < 7.2$ and $0.6 < \kappa_{2V} < 1.5$, respectively, while the expected intervals are $-1.6 < \kappa_{\lambda} < 7.2$ and $0.4 < \kappa_{2V} < 1.6$ in the SM case. Constraints obtained for several interaction parameters within Higgs effective field theory are the strongest to date, offering insights into potential deviations from SM predictions.
Observed and expected 95% CL upper limits on the signal strength for inclusive ggF HH and VBF HH production from the bb̄τ<sup>+</sup>τ<sup>-</sup>, bb̄γγ, bb̄bb̄, multilepton and bb̄ℓℓ+E<sub>T</sub><sup>miss</sup> decay channels, and their statistical combination. The predicted SM cross-section assumes m<sub>H</sub> = 125 GeV. The expected limit, along with its associated ±1σ and ±2σ bands, is calculated for the assumption of no HH production and with all NPs profiled to the observed data.
Expected value of the test statistic (-2ln$\Lambda$), as a function of the $\kappa_\lambda$ parameter for $b\bar{b}b\bar{b}$.
Expected value of the test statistic (-2ln$\Lambda$), as a function of the $\kappa_\lambda$ parameter for $b\bar{b}\tau\tau$.
The first measurement of the impact-parameter dependent angular anisotropy in the decay of coherently photoproduced $\rho^0$ mesons is presented. The $\rho^0$ mesons are reconstructed through their decay into a pion pair. The measured anisotropy corresponds to the amplitude of the $\cos(2\phi)$ modulation, where $\phi$ is the angle between the two vectors formed by the sum and the difference of the transverse momenta of the pions, respectively. The measurement was performed by the ALICE Collaboration at the LHC using data from ultraperipheral Pb$-$Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}~=~5.02$ TeV per nucleon pair. Different impact-parameter regions are selected by classifying the events in nuclear-breakup classes. The amplitude of the $\cos(2\phi)$ modulation is found to increase by about one order of magnitude from large to small impact parameters. Theoretical calculations, which describe the measurement, explain the $\cos(2\phi)$ anisotropy as the result of a quantum interference effect at the femtometer scale that arises from the ambiguity as to which of the nuclei is the source of the photon in the interaction.
Amplitudes of the $\cos(2\phi)$ modulation of the $ρ^0$ yield in ultra-peripheral Pb--Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV in all neutron classes.
The results of a model-independent search for the pair production of new bosons within a mass range of 0.21 $\lt$$m$$\lt$ 60 GeV, are presented. This study utilizes events with a four-muon final state. We use two data sets, comprising 41.5 fb$^{-1}$ and 59.7 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, recorded in 2017 and 2018 by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC. The study of the 2018 data set includes a search for displaced signatures of a new boson within the proper decay length range of 0 $\lt$$c\tau$$\lt$ 100 $\mu$m. Our results are combined with a previous CMS result, based on 35.9 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected in 2016. No significant deviation from the expected background is observed. Results are presented in terms of a model-independent upper limit on the product of cross section, branching fraction, and acceptance. The findings are interpreted across various benchmark models, such as an axion-like particle model, a vector portal model, the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model, and a dark supersymmetric scenario, including those predicting a non-negligible proper decay length of the new boson. In all considered scenarios, substantial portions of the parameter space are excluded, expanding upon prior results.
The model-independent 95\% \CL expected and observed upper limits set on ${\sigma(\PP\to 2\Pa+\PX)\mathcal{B}^2(\Pa\to 2\PGm)\alphaGen}$ over the range $0.21 < \MPa < 60\GeV$ for the 2017 analysis. Mass ranges that overlap with \JPsi and \PgU resonances are excluded from the search
The model-independent 95\% \CL expected and observed upper limits set on ${\sigma(\PP\to 2\Pa+\PX)\mathcal{B}^2(\Pa\to 2\PGm)\alphaGen}$ over the range $0.21 < \MPa < 60\GeV$ for the 2018 analysis. Mass ranges that overlap with \JPsi and \PgU resonances are excluded from the search
The model-independent 95\% \CL expected and observed upper limits set on ${\sigma(\PP\to 2\Pa+\PX)\mathcal{B}^2(\Pa\to 2\PGm)\alphaGen}$ over the range $0.21 < \MPa < 60\GeV$ for the combined 2017 and 2018 analyses. Mass ranges that overlap with \JPsi and \PgU resonances are excluded from the search
This Letter presents the first search for bottom quark associated production of the standard model Higgs boson, in final states with leptons. Higgs boson decays to pairs of tau leptons and pairs of leptonically decaying W bosons are considered. The search is performed using data collected from 2016 to 2018 by the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb${-1}$. Upper limits at the 95% confidence level are placed on the signal strength for Higgs boson production in association with bottom quarks; the observed (expected) upper limit is 3.7 (6.1) times the standard model prediction.
Inclusive signal strength modifiers $\mu$.
Cross section limits assuming a SM cross-section of 1.489 pb $\sigma_i$.
Signal strength modifier calculated for the bbH(yb2) process $\mu_i$.
The first search for soft unclustered energy patterns (SUEPs) is performed using an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected in 2016-2018 by the CMS detector at the LHC. Such SUEPs are predicted by Hidden Valley models with a new, confining force with a large 't Hooft coupling. In events with boosted topologies, selected by high-threshold hadronic triggers, the multiplicity and sphericity of clustered tracks are used to reject the background from standard model quantum chromodynamics. With no observed excess of events over the standard model expectation, limits are set on the cross section for production via gluon fusion of a scalar mediator with SUEP-like decays.
The number of observed events as a function of the number of tracks in the SUEP candidate, for all CRs (A–H) and the SR, as well as two signal samples. The three figures correspond to contiguous $S_{boosted}^{SUEP}$ ranges. The VR is not used in the fit so the estimation comes from the observed values in the control regions. For all other regions and bins, the post-fit values for a background-only fit are shown.
The observed exclusions for the nominal $\sigma$ cross section in the plane of $m_{\phi}$ and $T_D$, for various $m_S$ values, for the case $m_{A'}=1.0$ GeV ($A' \rightarrow \pi^+\pi^-$ with $\mathcal{BR}=100\%$).
The expected exclusions for the nominal $\sigma$ cross section in the plane of $m_{\phi}$ and $T_D$, for various $m_S$ values, for the case $m_{A'}=1.0$ GeV ($A' \rightarrow \pi^+\pi^-$ with $\mathcal{BR}=100\%$).
A search for beyond the standard model spin-0 bosons, $\phi$, that decay into pairs of electrons, muons, or tau leptons is presented. The search targets the associated production of such bosons with a W or Z gauge boson, or a top quark-antiquark pair, and uses events with three or four charged leptons, including hadronically decaying tau leptons. The proton-proton collision data set used in the analysis was collected at the LHC from 2016 to 2018 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The observations are consistent with the predictions from standard model processes. Upper limits are placed on the product of cross sections and branching fractions of such new particles over the mass range of 15 to 350 GeV with scalar, pseudoscalar, or Higgs-boson-like couplings, as well as on the product of coupling parameters and branching fractions. Several model-dependent exclusion limits are also presented. For a Higgs-boson-like $\phi$ model, limits are set on the mixing angle of the Higgs boson with the $\phi$ boson. For the associated production of a $\phi$ boson with a top quark-antiquark pair, limits are set on the coupling to top quarks. Finally, limits are set for the first time on a fermiophilic dilaton-like model with scalar couplings and a fermiophilic axion-like model with pseudoscalar couplings.
Binned representation of the control and signal regions for the combined multilepton event selection and the combined 2016–2018 data set. The control region bins follow their definitions as given in Table 1 of the paper, and the signal region bins correspond to the channels as defined by the lepton flavor composition. The normalizations of the background samples in the control regions are described in Sections 5.1 and 5.2 of the paper. All three (four) lepton events are required to have $\mathrm{Q_{\ell}=1 (0)}$, and those satisfying any of the control region requirements are removed from the signal region bins. All subsequent selections given in Tables 2 and 3 of the paper are based on events given in the signal region bins. The lower panel shows the ratio of observed events to the total expected SM background prediction (Obs/Exp), and the gray band represents the statistical uncertainties in the background prediction.
The $M_{OSSF}$ spectrum for the combined 2L1T, 2L2T, 3L, 3L1T, and 4L event selection (excluding the $\mathrm{Z\gamma}$ control region) and the combined 2016-2018 data set. All three (four) lepton events are required to have $\mathrm{Q_{\ell}=1 (0)}$. The lower panel shows the ratio of observed events to the total expected SM background prediction (Obs/Exp), and the gray band represents the statistical uncertainties in the background prediction.
Dilepton mass spectra for the low mass $W\phi($ee$)$ SR1 event selections for the combined 2016–2018 data set. The lower panel shows the ratio of observed events to the total expected SM background prediction (Obs/Exp), and the gray band represents the sum of statistical and systematic uncertainties in the background prediction. The expected background distributions and the uncertainties are shown after the data is fit under the background-only hypothesis. For illustration, two example signal hypotheses for the production and decay of a scalar and a pseudoscalar $\phi$ boson are shown, and their masses (in units of GeV) are indicated in the legend. The signals are normalized to the product of the cross section and branching fraction of 10 fb.
Forum