A search for long-lived particles decaying into hadrons is presented. The analysis uses 139 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data collected at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV by the ATLAS detector at the LHC using events that contain multiple energetic jets and a displaced vertex. The search employs dedicated reconstruction techniques that significantly increase the sensitivity to long-lived particles decaying in the ATLAS inner detector. Background estimates for Standard Model processes and instrumental effects are extracted from data. The observed event yields are compatible with those expected from background processes. The results are used to set limits at 95% confidence level on model-independent cross sections for processes beyond the Standard Model, and on scenarios with pair-production of supersymmetric particles with long-lived electroweakinos that decay via a small $R$-parity-violating coupling. The pair-production of electroweakinos with masses below 1.5 TeV is excluded for mean proper lifetimes in the range from 0.03 ns to 1 ns. When produced in the decay of $m(\tilde{g})=2.4$ TeV gluinos, electroweakinos with $m(\tilde\chi^0_1)=1.5$ TeV are excluded with lifetimes in the range of 0.02 ns to 4 ns.
A search for the direct production of a pair of $\tau$ sleptons, the supersymmetric partners of $\tau$ leptons, is presented. Each $\tau$ slepton is assumed to decay to a $\tau$ lepton and the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP), which is assumed to be stable and to not interact in the detector, leading to an imbalance in the total reconstructed transverse momentum. The search is carried out in events identified as containing two $\tau$ leptons, each decaying to one or more hadrons and a neutrino, and significant transverse momentum imbalance. In addition to scenarios in which the $\tau$ sleptons decay promptly, the search also addresses scenarios in which the $\tau$ sleptons have sufficiently long lifetimes to give rise to nonprompt $\tau$ leptons. The data were collected in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC with the CMS detector in 2016-2018, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. No significant excess is seen with respect to standard model expectations. Upper limits on cross sections for the pair production of $\tau$ sleptons are obtained in the framework of simplified models. In a scenario in which the $\tau$ sleptons are superpartners of left-handed $\tau$ leptons, and each undergoes a prompt decay to a $\tau$ lepton and a nearly massless LSP, $\tau$ slepton masses between 115 and 340 GeV are excluded. In a scenario in which the lifetime of the $\tau$ sleptons corresponds to $c\tau_0$ = 0.1 mm, where $\tau_{0}$ represents the mean proper lifetime of the $\tau$ slepton, masses between 150 and 220 GeV are excluded.
The dependence of the ratio between the B$_\mathrm{s}^0$ and B$^+$ hadron production fractions, $f_\mathrm{s} / f_\mathrm{u}$, on the transverse momentum ($p_\mathrm{T}$) and rapidity of the B mesons is studied using the decay channels B$_\mathrm{s}^0$$\to$ J$/\psi\,\phi$ and B$^+$$\to$ J$/\psi$ K$^+$. The analysis uses a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment in 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 61.6 fb$^{-1}$. The $f_\mathrm{s} / f_\mathrm{u}$ ratio is observed to depend on the B $p_\mathrm{T}$ and to be consistent with becoming asymptotically constant at large $p_\mathrm{T}$. No rapidity dependence is observed. The ratio of the B$^0$ to B$^+$ hadron production fractions, $f_\mathrm{d} / f_\mathrm{u}$, measured using the B$^0$$\to$ J$/\psi$ K$^{*0}$ decay channel, is found to be consistent with unity and independent of $p_\mathrm{T}$ and rapidity, as expected from isospin invariance.
A search is presented for heavy bosons decaying to Z($\nu\bar{\nu}$)V(qq'), where V can be a W or a Z boson. A sample of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV was collected by the CMS experiment during 2016-2018. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. The event categorization is based on the presence of high-momentum jets in the forward region to identify production through weak vector boson fusion. Additional categorization uses jet substructure techniques and the presence of large missing transverse momentum to identify W and Z bosons decaying to quarks and neutrinos, respectively. The dominant standard model backgrounds are estimated using data taken from control regions. The results are interpreted in terms of radion, W' boson, and graviton models, under the assumption that these bosons are produced via gluon-gluon fusion, Drell-Yan, or weak vector boson fusion processes. No evidence is found for physics beyond the standard model. Upper limits are set at 95% confidence level on various types of hypothetical new bosons. Observed (expected) exclusion limits on the masses of these bosons range from 1.2 to 4.0 (1.1 to 3.7) TeV.
A search for production of the supersymmetric partners of the top quark, top squarks, is presented. The search is based on proton-proton collision events containing multiple jets, no leptons, and large transverse momentum imbalance. The data were collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. The targeted signal production scenarios are direct and gluino-mediated top squark production, including scenarios in which the top squark and neutralino masses are nearly degenerate. The search utilizes novel algorithms based on deep neural networks that identify hadronically decaying top quarks and W bosons, which are expected in many of the targeted signal models. No statistically significant excess of events is observed relative to the expectation from the standard model, and limits on the top squark production cross section are obtained in the context of simplified supersymmetric models for various production and decay modes. Exclusion limits as high as 1310 GeV are established at the 95% confidence level on the mass of the top squark for direct top squark production models, and as high as 2260 GeV on the mass of the gluino for gluino-mediated top squark production models. These results represent a significant improvement over the results of previous searches for supersymmetry by CMS in the same final state.
Forum