Evidence for the light-by-light scattering process, $\gamma\gamma$ $\to$ $\gamma\gamma$, in ultraperipheral PbPb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV is reported. The analysis is conducted using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 390 $\mu$b$^{-1}$ recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Light-by-light scattering processes are selected in events with two photons exclusively produced, each with transverse energy E$_\mathrm{T}^{\gamma}$ $>$ 2 GeV, pseudorapidity $|\eta^{\gamma}|$ $\lt$ 2.4, diphoton invariant mass $m^{\gamma\gamma}$ $\gt$ 5 GeV, diphoton transverse momentum $p_\mathrm{T}^{\gamma\gamma}$ $\lt$ 1 GeV, and diphoton acoplanarity below 0.01. After all selection criteria are applied, 14 events are observed, compared to expectations of 9.0 $\pm$ 0.9 (theo) events for the signal and 4.0 $\pm$ 1.2 (stat) for the background processes. The excess observed in data relative to the background-only expectation corresponds to a significance of 3.7 standard deviations, and has properties consistent with those expected for the light-by-light scattering signal. The measured fiducial light-by-light scattering cross section, $\sigma_\mathrm{fid} (\gamma\gamma$ $\to$ $\gamma\gamma) =$ 120 $\pm$ 46 (stat) $\pm$ 28 (syst) $\pm$ 12 (theo) nb, is consistent with the standard model prediction. The $m^{\gamma\gamma}$ distribution is used to set new exclusion limits on the production of pseudoscalar axion-like particles, via the $\gamma\gamma$ $\to$ a $\to$ $\gamma\gamma$ process, in the mass range $m_{\mathrm{a}} =$ 5-90 GeV.
Interactions between jets and the quark-gluon plasma produced in heavy ion collisions are studied via the angular distributions of summed charged-particle transverse momenta (pt) with respect to both the leading and subleading jet axes in high-pt dijet events. The contributions of charged particles in different momentum ranges to the overall event pt balance are decomposed into short-range jet peaks and a long-range azimuthal asymmetry in charged-particle pt. The results for PbPb collisions are compared to those in pp collisions using data collected in 2011 and 2013, at collision energy sqrt(s[NN]) = 2.76 TeV with integrated luminosities of 166 inverse microbarns and 5.3 inverse picobarns, respectively, by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Measurements are presented as functions of PbPb collision centrality, charged-particle pt, relative azimuth, and radial distance from the jet axis for balanced and unbalanced dijets.
Measurements of two- and multi-particle angular correlations in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 5, 7, and 13 TeV are presented as a function of charged-particle multiplicity. The data, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 1.0 inverse picobarn (5 TeV), 6.2 inverse picobarns (7 TeV), and 0.7 inverse picobarns (13 TeV), were collected using the CMS detector at the LHC. The second-order (v[2]) and third-order (v[3]) azimuthal anisotropy harmonics of unidentified charged particles, as well as v[2] of K0 short and Lambda/anti-Lambda particles, are extracted from long-range two-particle correlations as functions of particle multiplicity and transverse momentum. For high-multiplicity pp events, a mass ordering is observed for the v[2] values of charged hadrons (mostly pions), K0 short, and Lambda/anti-Lambda, with lighter particle species exhibiting a stronger azimuthal anisotropy signal below pt of about 2 GeV/c. For 13 TeV data, the v[2] signals are also extracted from four- and six-particle correlations for the first time in pp collisions, with comparable magnitude to those from two-particle correlations. These observations are similar to those seen in pPb and PbPb collisions, and support the interpretation of a collective origin for the observed long-range correlations in high-multiplicity pp collisions.
The second- and third-order azimuthal anisotropy Fourier harmonics of charged particles produced in pPb collisions, at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} =$ 8.16 TeV, are studied over a wide range of event multiplicities. Multiparticle correlations are used to isolate global properties stemming from the collision overlap geometry. The second-order "elliptic" harmonic moment is obtained with high precision through four-, six-, and eight-particle correlations and, for the first time, the third-order "triangular" harmonic moment is studied using four-particle correlations. A sample of peripheral PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} =$ 5.02 TeV that covers a similar range of event multiplicities as the pPb results is also analyzed. Model calculations of initial-state fluctuations in pPb and PbPb collisions can be directly compared to the high precision experimental results. This work provides new insight into the fluctuation-driven origin of the $v_3$ coefficients in pPb and PbPb collisions, and into the dominating overall collision geometry in PbPb collisions at the earliest stages of heavy ion interactions.
The relative yields of $\Upsilon$ mesons produced in pp and PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV and reconstructed via the dimuon decay channel are measured using data collected by the CMS experiment. Double ratios are formed by comparing the yields of the excited states, $\Upsilon$(2S) and $\Upsilon$(3S), to the ground state, $\Upsilon$(1S), in both PbPb and pp collisions at the same center-of-mass energy. The double ratios, [$\Upsilon$(nS)/$\Upsilon$(1S)]$_\mathrm{PbPb}$ / [$\Upsilon$(nS)/$\Upsilon$(1S)]$_\mathrm{pp}$, are measured to be 0.308 $\pm$ 0.055 (stat) $\pm$ 0.019 (syst) for the $\Upsilon$(2S) and less than 0.26 at 95% confidence level for the $\Upsilon$(3S). No significant $\Upsilon$(3S) signal is found in the PbPb data. The double ratios are studied as a function of collision centrality, as well as dimuon transverse momentum and rapidity. No significant dependencies are observed.
Measurements of prompt $\psi$(2S) meson production cross sections in proton-lead (pPb) and proton-proton (pp) collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s_{_\mathrm{NN}}}=$ 5.02 TeV are reported. The results are based on pPb and pp data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 34.6 nb$^{-1}$ and 28.0 pb$^{-1}$, respectively. The nuclear modification factor $R_\mathrm{pPb}$ is measured for prompt $\psi$(2S) in the transverse momentum range 4 $<$ p$_\mathrm{T}$ $<$ 30 GeV$/c$ and the center-of-mass rapidity range $-$2.4 $< y_\mathrm{cm} <$ 1.93. The results on $\psi$(2S) $R_\mathrm{pPb}$ are compared to the corresponding modification factor for prompt J$/\psi$ mesons and are found to be more suppressed than the J$/\psi$ states over the entire kinematic range studied.
The quark-gluon plasma is studied via medium-induced changes to correlations between jets and charged particles in PbPb collisions compared to pp reference data. This analysis uses data sets from PbPb and pp collisions with integrated luminosities of 166 inverse microbarns and 5.3 inverse picobarns, respectively, collected at sqrt(s[NN]) = 2.76 TeV. The angular distributions of charged particles are studied as a function of relative pseudorapidity (Delta eta) and relative azimuthal angle (Delta phi) with respect to reconstructed jet directions. Charged particles are correlated with all jets with transverse momentum (pt) above 120 GeV, and with the leading and subleading jets (the highest and second-highest in pt, respectively) in a selection of back-to-back dijet events. Modifications in PbPb data relative to pp reference data are characterized as a function of PbPb collision centrality and charged particle pt. A centrality-dependent excess of low-pt particles is present for all jets studied, and is most pronounced in the most central events. This excess of low-pt particles follows a Gaussian-like distribution around the jet axis, and extends to large relative angles of Delta eta approximately 1 and Delta phi approximately 1.
The spectra of charged particles produced within the pseudorapidity window abs(eta) < 1 at sqrt(s[NN]) = 5.02 TeV are measured using 404 inverse microbarns of PbPb and 27.4 inverse picobarns of pp data collected by the CMS detector at the LHC in 2015. The spectra are presented over the transverse momentum ranges spanning 0.5 < pt < 400 GeV in pp and 0.7 < pt < 400 GeV in PbPb collisions. The corresponding nuclear modification factor, R[AA], is measured in bins of collision centrality. The R[AA] in the 5% most central collisions shows a maximal suppression by a factor of 7-8 in the pt region of 6-9 GeV. This dip is followed by an increase, which continues up to the highest pt measured, and approaches unity in the vicinity of pt = 200 GeV. The R[AA] is compared to theoretical predictions and earlier experimental results at lower collision energies. The newly measured pp spectrum is combined with the pPb spectrum previously published by the CMS Collaboration to construct the pPb nuclear modification factor, R[pA], up to 120 GeV. For pt > 20 GeV, R[pA] exhibits weak momentum dependence and shows a moderate enhancement above unity.
The CMS Collaboration presents the first measurement of the differential cross section of jets from charm quarks produced in proton-lead (pPb) collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s[NN]) = 5.02 TeV, as well as results from charm quark jets in proton-proton (pp) collisions at sqrt(s) = 2.76 and 5.02 TeV. By comparing the yields of the pPb and pp collision systems at the same energy, a nuclear modification factor for charm jets from 55 to 400 GeV/c in pPb collisions at sqrt(s[NN]) = 5.02 TeV of R[pA] = 0.92 +/- 0.07 (stat) +/- 0.11 (syst) is obtained. This is consistent with an absence of final-state energy loss for charm quarks in pPb collisions. In addition, the fraction of jets coming from charm quarks is found to be consistent with that predicted by PYTHIA 6 for pp collisions at sqrt(s)= 2.76 and 5.02 TeV, and is independent of the jet transverse momentum from 55 to 400 GeV/c.
The production of jets in association with Z bosons, reconstructed via the mu+mu- and e+e- decay channels, is studied in pp and, for the first time, in PbPb collisions. Both data samples were collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV. The PbPb collisions were analyzed in the 0-30% centrality range. The back-to-back azimuthal alignment was studied in both pp and PbPb collisions for Z bosons with transverse momentum p[tz] > 60 GeV/c and a recoiling jet with p[tj] > 30 GeV/c. The pt imbalance, x[jz] = p[tj] / p[tz], as well as the average number of jet partners per Z, R[jz], were studied in intervals of p[tz], in both pp and PbPb collisions. The R[jz] is found to be smaller in PbPb than in pp collisions, which suggests that in PbPb collisions a larger fraction of partons, associated with the Z bosons, lose energy and fall below the 30 GeV/c p[tj] threshold.