A search for WW production from double-parton scattering processes using same-charge electron-muon and dimuon events is reported, based on proton-proton collision data collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The analyzed data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 77.4 fb$^{-1}$, collected using the CMS detector at the LHC in 2016 and 2017. Multivariate classifiers are used to discriminate between the signal and the dominant background processes. A maximum likelihood fit is performed to extract the signal cross section. This leads to the first evidence for WW production via double-parton scattering, with a significance of 3.9 standard deviations. The measured inclusive cross section is 1.41 $\pm$ 0.28 (stat) $\pm$ 0.28 (syst) pb.
A search for pair production of the supersymmetric partner of the top quark, the top squark, in proton-proton collision events at $ \sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV is presented in a final state containing hadronically decaying tau leptons and large missing transverse momentum. This final state is highly sensitive to high-$\tan{\beta}$ or higgsino-like scenarios in which decays of electroweak gauginos to tau leptons are dominant. The search uses a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 77.2 fb$^{-1}$, which was recorded with the CMS detector during 2016 and 2017. No significant excess is observed with respect to the background prediction. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are presented in the top squark and lightest neutralino mass plane within the framework of simplified models, in which top squark masses up to 1100 GeV are excluded for a nearly massless neutralino.
A combination of four searches for new physics involving signatures with at least one photon and large missing transverse momentum, motivated by generalized models of gauge-mediated supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking, is presented. All searches make use of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV, which were recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2016, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. Signatures with at least one photon and large missing transverse momentum are categorized into events with two isolated photons, events with a lepton and a photon, events with additional jets, and events with at least one high-energy photon. No excess of events is observed beyond expectations from standard model processes, and limits are set in the context of gauge-mediated SUSY. Compared to the individual searches, the combination extends the sensitivity to gauge-mediated SUSY in both electroweak and strong production scenarios by up to 100 GeV in neutralino and chargino masses, and yields the first CMS result combining various SUSY searches in events with photons at $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV.
A search for the Higgs boson decaying to two oppositely charged muons is presented using data recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2016 at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. Data are found to be compatible with the predicted background. For a Higgs boson with a mass of 125.09 GeV, the 95% confidence level observed (background-only expected) upper limit on the production cross section times branching fraction to a pair of muons is found to be 3.0 (2.5) times the standard model expectation. In combination with data recorded at center-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s} =$ 7 and 8 TeV, the background-only expected upper limit improves to 2.2 times the standard model value with a standard model expected significance of 1.0 standard deviations. The corresponding observed upper limit is 2.9 with an observed significance of 0.9 standard deviations. This corresponds to an observed upper limit on the standard model Higgs boson branching fraction to muons of 6.4 $\times$ 10$^{-4}$ and to an observed signal strength of 1.0 $\pm$ 1.0 (stat) $\pm$ 0.1 (syst).
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.
A search for long-lived particles decaying to displaced, nonprompt jets and missing transverse momentum is presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2016-2018. Candidate signal events containing nonprompt jets are identified using the timing capabilities of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter. The results of the search are consistent with the background prediction and are interpreted using a gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking reference model with a gluino next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle. In this model, gluino masses up to 2100, 2500, and 1900 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level for proper decay lengths of 0.3, 1, and 100 m, respectively. These are the best limits to date for such massive gluinos with proper decay lengths greater than $\sim$0.5 m.
A search for the production of events containing three W bosons predicted by the standard model is reported. The search is based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC and corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The search is performed in final states with three leptons (electrons or muons), or with two same-charge leptons plus two jets. The observed (expected) significance of the signal for W$^\pm$W$^\pm$W$^\mp$ production is 0.60 (1.78) standard deviations, and the ratio of the measured signal yield to that expected from the standard model is 0.34 $^{+0.62}_{-0.34}$. Limits are placed on three anomalous quartic gauge couplings and on the production of massive axionlike particles.
A search for new massive particles decaying into a pair of Higgs bosons in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV is presented. Data were collected with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The search is performed for resonances with a mass between 0.8 and 3.5 TeV using events in which one Higgs boson decays into a bottom quark pair and the other decays into two W bosons that subsequently decay into a lepton, a neutrino, and a quark pair. The Higgs boson decays are reconstructed with techniques that identify final state quarks as substructure within boosted jets. The data are consistent with standard model expectations. Exclusion limits are placed on the product of the cross section and branching fraction for generic spin-0 and spin-2 massive resonances. The results are interpreted in the context of radion and bulk graviton production in models with a warped extra spatial dimension. These are the best results to date from searches for an HH resonance decaying to this final state, and they are comparable to the results from searches in other channels for resonances with masses below 1.5 TeV.
A statistical combination of searches for heavy resonances decaying to pairs of bosons or leptons is presented. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$ collected during 2016 by the CMS experiment at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data are found to be consistent with expectations from the standard model background. Exclusion limits are set in the context of models of spin-1 heavy vector triplets and of spin-2 bulk gravitons. For mass-degenerate W' and Z' resonances that predominantly couple to the standard model gauge bosons, the mass exclusion at 95% confidence level of heavy vector bosons is extended to 4.5 TeV as compared to 3.8 TeV determined from the best individual channel. This excluded mass increases to 5.0 TeV if the resonances couple predominantly to fermions.
A measurement of the electroweak (EW) production of two jets in association with a Z boson in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = $ 13 TeV is presented, based on data recorded in 2016 by the CMS experiment at the LHC corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The measurement is performed in the $\ell\ell\mathrm{jj}$ final state with $\ell$ including electrons and muons, and the jets j corresponding to the quarks produced in the hard interaction. The measured cross section in a kinematic region defined by invariant masses $m_{\ell\ell} > $ 50 GeV, $m_{\mathrm{jj}} > $ 120 GeV, and transverse momenta $p_{\mathrm{T j}} > $ 25 GeV is $\sigma_\mathrm{EW}(\ell\ell\mathrm{jj})= $ 552 $\pm$ 19 (stat) $\pm$ 55 (syst) fb, in agreement with leading-order standard model predictions. The final state is also used to perform a search for anomalous trilinear gauge couplings. No evidence is found and limits on anomalous trilinear gauge couplings associated with dimension-six operators are given in the framework of an effective field theory. The corresponding 95% confidence level intervals are $-2.6 < c_{WWW}/\Lambda^2 < 2.6 $ TeV$^{-2}$ and $-8.4 < c_{W}/\Lambda^2 < 10.1 $ TeV$^{-2}$. The additional jet activity of events in a signal-enriched region is also studied, and the measurements are in agreement with predictions.
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