The Drell-Yan differential cross section is measured in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, from a data sample collected with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns. The cross section measurement, normalized to the measured cross section in the Z region, is reported for both the dimuon and dielectron channels in the dilepton invariant mass range 15-600 GeV. The normalized cross section values are quoted both in the full phase space and within the detector acceptance. The effect of final state radiation is also identified. The results are found to agree with theoretical predictions.

A search for narrow resonances in the dijet mass spectrum is performed using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.9 inverse pb collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Upper limits at the 95% confidence level (CL) are presented on the product of the resonance cross section, branching fraction into dijets, and acceptance, separately for decays into quark-quark, quark-gluon, or gluon-gluon pairs. The data exclude new particles predicted in the following models at the 95% CL: string resonances, with mass less than 2.50 TeV, excited quarks, with mass less than 1.58 TeV, and axigluons, colorons, and E_6 diquarks, in specific mass intervals. This extends previously published limits on these models.

The integrated and differential cross sections for the production of pairs of isolated photons is measured in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. A data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns is analysed. A next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculation is compared to the measurements. A discrepancy is observed for regions of the phase space where the two photons have an azimuthal angle difference, $\Delta(\phi)$, less than approximately 2.8.

Measurements of the differential and double-differential Drell-Yan cross sections in the dielectron and dimuon channels are presented. They are based on proton-proton collision data at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 inverse femtobarns. The measured inclusive cross section in the Z peak region (60-120 GeV), obtained from the combination of the dielectron and dimuon channels, is 1138 +/- 8 (exp) +/- 25 (theo) +/- 30 (lumi) pb, where the statistical uncertainty is negligible. The differential cross section d(sigma)/d(m) in the dilepton mass range 15 to 2000 GeV is measured and corrected to the full phase space. The double-differential cross section d2(sigma)/d(m)d(abs(y)) is also measured over the mass range 20 to 1500 GeV and absolute dilepton rapidity from 0 to 2.4. In addition, the ratios of the normalized differential cross sections measured at sqrt(s) = 7 and 8 TeV are presented. These measurements are compared to the predictions of perturbative QCD at next-to-leading and next-to-next-to-leading (NNLO) orders using various sets of parton distribution functions (PDFs). The results agree with the NNLO theoretical predictions computed with FEWZ 3.1 using the CT10 NNLO and NNPDF2.1 NNLO PDFs. The measured double-differential cross section and ratio of normalized differential cross sections are sufficiently precise to constrain the proton PDFs.

Measurements of the differential and double-differential Drell-Yan cross sections are presented using an integrated luminosity of 4.5(4.8) inverse femtobarns in the dimuon (dielectron) channel of proton-proton collision data recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV. The measured inclusive cross section in the Z-peak region (60-120 GeV) is $\sigma(\ell \ell)$ = 986.4 +/- 0.6 (stat.) +/- 5.9 (exp. syst.) +/- 21.7 (th. syst.) +/- 21.7 (lum.) pb for the combination of the dimuon and dielectron channels. Differential cross sections $d\sigma/dm$ for the dimuon, dielectron, and combined channels are measured in the mass range 15 to 1500 GeV and corrected to the full phase space. Results are also presented for the measurement of the double-differential cross section $d^2\sigma/dm d |y|$ in the dimuon channel over the mass range 20 to 1500 GeV and absolute dimuon rapidity from 0 to 2.4. These measurements are compared to the predictions of perturbative QCD calculations at next-to-leading and next-to-next-to-leading orders using various sets of parton distribution functions.

The normalized differential cross section for top quark pair (tt-bar) production is measured in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV at the CERN LHC using the CMS detector in data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 inverse femtobarns. The measurements are performed in the lepton + jets (e/mu + jets) and in the dilepton (e+e-, mu+mu-, and e+-mu-+) decay channels. The tt-bar cross section is measured as a function of the kinematic properties of the charged leptons, the jets associated to b quarks, the top quarks, and the tt-bar system. The data are compared with several predictions from perturbative quantum chromodynamics up to approximate next-to-next-to-leading-order precision. No significant deviations are observed relative to the standard model predictions.

The first search for scalar leptoquarks produced in $\tau$-lepton-quark collisions is presented. It is based on a set of proton-proton collision data recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The reconstructed final state consists of a jet, significant missing transverse momentum, and a $\tau$ lepton reconstructed through its hadronic or leptonic decays. Limits are set on the product of the leptoquark production cross section and branching fraction and interpreted as exclusions in the plane of the leptoquark mass and the leptoquark-$\tau$-quark coupling strength.

A measurement of differential cross sections for the production of a pair of isolated photons in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV is presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 inverse femtobarns collected with the CMS detector. A data-driven isolation template method is used to extract the prompt diphoton yield. The measured cross section for two isolated photons, with transverse energy above 40 and 25 GeV respectively, in the pseudorapidity range abs(eta) < 2.5, abs(eta) not in [1.44,1.57] and with an angular separation Delta R > 0.45, is 17.2 +/- 0.2 (stat.) +/- 1.9 (syst.) +/- 0.4 (lum.) pb. Differential cross sections are measured as a function of the diphoton invariant mass, the diphoton transverse momentum, the azimuthal angle difference between the two photons, and the cosine of the polar angle in the Collins-Soper reference frame of the diphoton system. The results are compared to theoretical predictions at leading, next-to-leading, and next-to-next-to-leading order in quantum chromodynamics.

The production of the X(3872) is studied in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using decays to J/psi pi pi, where the J/psi decays to two muons. The data were recorded by the CMS experiment and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 inverse femtobarns. The measurements are performed in a kinematic range in which the X(3872) candidates have a transverse momentum 10 < pt < 50 GeV and rapidity abs(y) < 1.2. The ratio of the X(3872) and psi(2S) cross sections times their branching fractions into J/psi pi pi is measured as a function of pt. In addition, the fraction of X(3872) originating from B decays is determined. From these measurements the prompt X(3872) differential cross section times branching fraction as a function of pt is extracted. The pi pi mass spectrum of the J/psi pi pi system in the X(3872) decays is also investigated.

Differential cross sections for a W boson produced in association with jets are measured in a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV recorded with the CMS detector and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.6 inverse femtobarns. The W bosons are identified through their decay mode W to mu nu. The cross sections are reported as functions of jet multiplicity, transverse momenta, and the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta (HT) for different jet multiplicities. Distributions of the angular correlations between the jets and the muon are examined, as well as the average number of jets as a function of HT and as a function of angular variables. The measured differential cross sections are compared with tree-level and higher-order recent event generators, as well as next-to-leading-order and next-to-next-to-leading-order theoretical predictions. The agreement of the generators with the measurements builds confidence in their use for the simulation of W+jets background processes in searches for new physics at the LHC.