We report on a polarization measurement of inclusive $J/\psi$ mesons in the di-electron decay channel at mid-rapidity at 2 $<p_{T}<$ 6 GeV/$c$ in $p+p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV. Data were taken with the STAR detector at RHIC. The $J/\psi$ polarization measurement should help to distinguish between different models of the $J/\psi$ production mechanism since they predict different $p_{T}$ dependences of the $J/\psi$ polarization. In this analysis, $J/\psi$ polarization is studied in the helicity frame. The polarization parameter $\lambda_{\theta}$ measured at RHIC becomes smaller towards high $p_{T}$, indicating more longitudinal $J/\psi$ polarization as $p_{T}$ increases. The result is compared with predictions of presently available models.

The $\jpsi$ $\pt$ spectrum and nuclear modification factor ($\raa$) are reported for $\pt < 5 \ \gevc$ and $|y|<1$ from 0\% to 60\% central Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at $\snn = 200 \ \gev$ at STAR. A significant suppression of $\pt$-integrated $\jpsi$ production is observed in central Au+Au events. The Cu+Cu data are consistent with no suppression, although the precision is limited by the available statistics. $\raa$ in Au+Au collisions exhibits a strong suppression at low transverse momentum and gradually increases with $\pt$. The data are compared to high-$\pt$ STAR results and previously published BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider results. Comparing with model calculations, it is found that the invariant yields at low $\pt$ are significantly above hydrodynamic flow predictions but are consistent with models that include color screening and regeneration.

We present a measurement of inclusive $J/\psi$ production at mid-rapidity ($|y|<1$) in $p+p$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV with the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The differential production cross section for $J/\psi$ as a function of transverse momentum ($p_T$) for $0

We report the measurement of $K^{*0}$ meson at midrapidity ($|y|<$ 1.0) in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$~=~7.7, 11.5, 14.5, 19.6, 27 and 39 GeV collected by the STAR experiment during the RHIC beam energy scan (BES) program. The transverse momentum spectra, yield, and average transverse momentum of $K^{*0}$ are presented as functions of collision centrality and beam energy. The $K^{*0}/K$ yield ratios are presented for different collision centrality intervals and beam energies. The $K^{*0}/K$ ratio in heavy-ion collisions are observed to be smaller than that in small system collisions (e+e and p+p). The $K^{*0}/K$ ratio follows a similar centrality dependence to that observed in previous RHIC and LHC measurements. The data favor the scenario of the dominance of hadronic re-scattering over regeneration for $K^{*0}$ production in the hadronic phase of the medium.

The polarizations of the Y(1S), Y(2S), and Y(3S) mesons are measured as a function of the charged particle multiplicity in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV. The measurements are performed with a dimuon data sample collected in 2011 by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.9 inverse femtobarns. The results are extracted from the dimuon decay angular distributions, in two ranges of Y(nS) transverse momentum (10-15 and 15-35 GeV), and in the rapidity interval abs(y) < 1.2. The results do not show significant changes from low- to high-multiplicity pp collisions, although large uncertainties preclude definite statements in the Y(2S) and Y(3S) cases.

Vector mesons may be photoproduced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions when a virtual photon emitted by one nucleus scatters from the other nucleus, emerging as a vector meson. The STAR Collaboration has previously presented measurements of coherent $\rho^0$ photoproduction at center of mass energies of 130 GeV and 200 GeV in AuAu collisions. Here, we present a measurement of the cross section at 62.4 GeV; we find that the cross section for coherent $\rho^0$ photoproduction with nuclear breakup is $10.5\pm1.5\pm 1.6$ mb at 62.4 GeV. The cross-section ratio between 200 GeV and 62.4 GeV is $2.8\pm0.6$, less than is predicted by most theoretical models. It is, however, proportionally much larger than the previously observed $15\pm 55$% increase between 130 GeV and 200 GeV.

We report on the measurement of $\rm{J}/\psi$ production in the dielectron channel at mid-rapidity (|y|<1) in p+p and d+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV from the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The transverse momentum $p_{T}$ spectra in p+p for $p_{T}$ < 4 GeV/c and d+Au collisions for $p_{T}$ < 3 GeV/c are presented. These measurements extend the STAR coverage for $\rm{J}/\psi$ production in p+p collisions to low $p_{T}$. The $<p_{T}^{2}>$ from the measured $\rm{J}/\psi$ invariant cross section in p+p and d+Au collisions are evaluated and compared to similar measurements at other collision energies. The nuclear modification factor for $\rm{J}/\psi$ is extracted as a function of $p_{T}$ and collision centrality in d+Au and compared to model calculations using the modified nuclear Parton Distribution Function and a final-state $\rm{J}/\psi$ nuclear absorption cross section.

A search is described for the production of a pair of bottom-type vector-like quarks (B VLQs) with mass greater than 1000 GeV. Each B VLQ decays into a b quark and a Higgs boson, a b quark and a Z boson, or a t quark and a W boson. This analysis considers both fully hadronic final states and those containing a charged lepton pair from a Z boson decay. The products of the H $to$ bb boson decay and of the hadronic Z or W boson decays can be resolved as two distinct jets or merged into a single jet, so the final states are classified by the number of reconstructed jets. The analysis uses data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ collected in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC from 2016 to 2018. No excess over the expected background is observed. Lower limits are set on the B VLQ mass at 95% confidence level. These depend on the B VLQ branching fractions and are 1570 and 1540 GeV for 100% B $\to$ bH and 100% B $\to$ bZ, respectively. In most cases, the mass limits obtained exceed previous limits by at least 100 GeV.

A search is described for the production of a pair of bottom-type vector-like quarks (VLQs), each decaying into a b or $\mathrm{\bar{b}}$ quark and either a Higgs or a Z boson, with a mass greater than 1000 GeV. The analysis is based on data from proton-proton collisions at a 13 TeV center-of-mass energy recorded at the CERN LHC, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. As the predominant decay modes of the Higgs and Z bosons are to a pair of quarks, the analysis focuses on final states consisting of jets resulting from the six quarks produced in the events. Since the two jets produced in the decay of a highly Lorentz-boosted Higgs or Z boson can merge to form a single jet, nine independent analyses are performed, categorized by the number of observed jets and the reconstructed event mode. No signal in excess of the expected background is observed. Lower limits are set on the VLQ mass at 95% confidence level equal to 1570 GeV in the case where the VLQ decays exclusively to a b quark and a Higgs boson, 1390 GeV for when it decays exclusively to a b quark and a Z boson, and 1450 GeV for when it decays equally in these two modes. These limits represent significant improvements over the previously published VLQ limits.

A search for decays to invisible particles of Higgs bosons produced in association with a top-antitop quark pair or a vector boson, which both decay to a fully hadronic final state, has been performed using proton-proton collision data collected at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The 95% confidence level upper limit set on the branching fraction of the 125 GeV Higgs boson to invisible particles, $\mathcal{B}$(H $\to$ inv), is 0.54 (0.39 expected), assuming standard model production cross sections. The results of this analysis are combined with previous $\mathcal{B}$(H $\to$ inv) searches carried out at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7, 8, and 13 TeV in complementary production modes. The combined upper limit at 95% confidence level on $\mathcal{B}$(H $\to$ inv) is 0.15 (0.08 expected).

A search for new phenomena is performed in final states containing one or more jets and an imbalance in transverse momentum in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The analysed data sample, recorded with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 inverse femtobarns. Several kinematic variables are employed to suppress the dominant background, multijet production, as well as to discriminate between other standard model and new physics processes. The search provides sensitivity to a broad range of new-physics models that yield a stable weakly interacting massive particle. The number of observed candidate events is found to agree with the expected contributions from standard model processes, and the result is interpreted in the mass parameter space of fourteen simplified supersymmetric models that assume the pair production of gluinos or squarks and a range of decay modes. For models that assume gluino pair production, masses up to 1575 and 975 GeV are excluded for gluinos and neutralinos, respectively. For models involving the pair production of top squarks and compressed mass spectra, top squark masses up to 400 GeV are excluded.

A search for new light bosons decaying into muon pairs is presented using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV, collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The search is model independent, only requiring the pair production of a new light boson and its subsequent decay to a pair of muons. No significant deviation from the predicted background is observed. A model independent limit is set on the product of the production cross section times branching fraction to dimuons squared times acceptance as a function of new light boson mass. This limit varies between 0.16 and 0.45 fb over a range of new light boson masses from 0.25 to 8.5 GeV. It is then interpreted in the context of the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model and a dark supersymmetry model that allows for nonnegligible light boson lifetimes. In both cases, there is significant improvement over previously published limits.

The differential cross sections for the production of photons in Z to mu+ mu- gamma decays are presented as a function of the transverse energy of the photon and its separation from the nearest muon. The data for these measurements were collected with the CMS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 inverse femtobarns of pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV delivered by the CERN LHC. The cross sections are compared to simulations with POWHEG and PYTHIA, where PYTHIA is used to simulate parton showers and final-state photons. These simulations match the data to better than 5%.

The first measurement of the CP structure of the Yukawa coupling between the Higgs boson and $\tau$ leptons is presented. The measurement is based on data collected in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV by the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. The analysis uses the angular correlation between the decay planes of $\tau$ leptons produced in Higgs boson decays. The effective mixing angle between CP-even and CP-odd $\tau$ Yukawa couplings is found to be $-$1 $\pm$ 19$^\circ$, compared to an expected value of 0 $\pm$ 21$^\circ$ at the 68.3% confidence level. The data disfavour the pure CP-odd scenario at 3.0 standard deviations. The results are compatible with predictions for the standard model Higgs boson.

Angular distributions of the decay B$^+$$\to$ K$^*$(892)$^+\mu^+\mu^-$ are studied using events collected with the CMS detector in $\sqrt{s} =$ 8 TeV proton-proton collisions at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.0 fb$^{-1}$. The forward-backward asymmetry of the muons and the longitudinal polarization of the K$^*$(892)$^+$ meson are determined as a function of the square of the dimuon invariant mass. These are the first results from this exclusive decay mode and are in agreement with a standard model prediction.

The angular distribution of the flavor-changing neutral current decay B$^+$$\to$ K$^+\mu^+\mu^-$ is studied in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The analysis is based on data collected with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.5 fb$^{-1}$. The forward-backward asymmetry $A_{\mathrm{FB}}$ of the dimuon system and the contribution $F_{\mathrm{H}}$ from the pseudoscalar, scalar, and tensor amplitudes to the decay width are measured as a function of the dimuon mass squared. The measurements are consistent with the standard model expectations.

The angular distributions and the differential branching fraction of the decay B0 to K*0(892) mu mu are studied using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.5 inverse femtobarns collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV. From 1430 signal decays, the forward-backward asymmetry of the muons, the K*0(892) longitudinal polarization fraction, and the differential branching fraction are determined as a function of the dimuon invariant mass squared. The measurements are among the most precise to date and are in good agreement with standard model predictions.

Measurements of the five most significant angular coefficients, A[0] through A[4], for Z bosons produced in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV and decaying to $\mu^+ \mu^-$ are presented as a function of the transverse momentum and rapidity of Z boson. The integrated luminosity of the dataset collected with the CMS detector at the LHC corresponds to 19.7 inverse femtobarns. These measurements provide comprehensive information about Z boson production mechanisms, and are compared to QCD predictions at leading order, next-to-leading order, and next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbation theory.

We present two-dimensional (2D) two-particle angular correlations on relative pseudorapidity $\eta$ and azimuth $\phi$ for charged particles from Au-Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 62$ and 200 GeV with transverse momentum $p_t \geq 0.15$ GeV/$c$, $|\eta| \leq 1$ and $2\pi$ azimuth. Observed correlations include a {same-side} (relative azimuth $< \pi/2$) 2D peak, a closely-related away-side azimuth dipole, and an azimuth quadrupole conventionally associated with elliptic flow. The same-side 2D peak and away-side dipole are explained by semihard parton scattering and fragmentation (minijets) in proton-proton and peripheral nucleus-nucleus collisions. Those structures follow N-N binary-collision scaling in Au-Au collisions until mid-centrality where a transition to a qualitatively different centrality trend occurs within a small centrality interval. Above the transition point the number of same-side and away-side correlated pairs increases rapidly {relative to} binary-collision scaling, the $\eta$ width of the same-side 2D peak also increases rapidly ($\eta$ elongation) and the $\phi$ width actually decreases significantly. Those centrality trends are more remarkable when contrasted with expectations of jet quenching in a dense medium. Observed centrality trends are compared to {\sc hijing} predictions and to the expected trends for semihard parton scattering and fragmentation in a thermalized opaque medium. We are unable to reconcile a semihard parton scattering and fragmentation origin for the observed correlation structure and centrality trends with heavy ion collision scenarios which invoke rapid parton thermalization. On the other hand, if the collision system is effectively opaque to few-GeV partons the observations reported here would be inconsistent with a minijet picture.

Results on high transverse momentum charged particle emission with respect to the reaction plane are presented for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$= 200 GeV. Two- and four-particle correlations results are presented as well as a comparison of azimuthal correlations in Au+Au collisions to those in $p+p$ at the same energy. Elliptic anisotropy, $v_2$, is found to reach its maximum at $p_t \sim 3$ GeV/c, then decrease slowly and remain significant up to $p_t\approx 7$ -- 10 GeV/c. Stronger suppression is found in the back-to-back high-$p_t$ particle correlations for particles emitted out-of-plane compared to those emitted in-plane. The centrality dependence of $v_2$ at intermediate $p_t$ is compared to simple models based on jet quenching.

The results from the STAR Collaboration on directed flow (v_1), elliptic flow (v_2), and the fourth harmonic (v_4) in the anisotropic azimuthal distribution of particles from Au+Au collisions at sqrtsNN = 200 GeV are summarized and compared with results from other experiments and theoretical models. Results for identified particles are presented and fit with a Blast Wave model. Different anisotropic flow analysis methods are compared and nonflow effects are extracted from the data. For v_2, scaling with the number of constituent quarks and parton coalescence is discussed. For v_4, scaling with v_2^2 and quark coalescence is discussed.

The azimuthal anisotropic flow of identified and unidentified charged particles has been systematically studied in Cu+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$ = 200 GeV for harmonics $n=$ 1-4 in the pseudorapidity range $|\eta|<1$. The directed flow in Cu+Au collisions is compared with the rapidity-odd and, for the first time, the rapidity-even components of charged particle directed flow in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$ = 200~GeV. The slope of the directed flow pseudorapidity dependence in Cu+Au collisions is found to be similar to that in Au+Au collisions, with the intercept shifted toward positive $\eta$ values, i.e., the Cu-going direction. The mean transverse momentum projected onto the spectator plane, $\langle p_x\rangle$, in Cu+Au collision also exhibits approximately linear dependence on $\eta$ with the intercept at about $\eta\approx-0.4$, closer to the rapidity of the Cu+Au system center-of-mass. The observed dependencies find natural explanation in a picture of the directed flow originating partly due the "tilted source" and partly due to the rapidity dependent asymmetry in the initial density distribution. Charge-dependence of the $\langle p_x\rangle$ was also observed in Cu+Au collisions, indicating an effect of the initial electric field created by charge difference of the spectator protons in two colliding nuclei. The rapidity-even component of directed flow in Au+Au collisions is close to that in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$ = 2.76 TeV, indicating a similar magnitude of dipole-like fluctuations in the initial-state density distribution. Higher harmonic flow in Cu+Au collisions exhibits similar trends to those observed in Au+Au and Pb+Pb collisions and is qualitatively reproduced by a viscous hydrodynamic model and a multi-phase transport model. For all harmonics with $n\ge2$ we observe an approximate scaling of $v_n$ with the number of constituent quarks.

Collisions between prolate uranium nuclei are used to study how particle production and azimuthal anisotropies depend on initial geometry in heavy-ion collisions. We report the two- and four-particle cumulants, $v_2\{2\}$ and $v_2\{4\}$, for charged hadrons from U+U collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 193 GeV and Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 200 GeV. Nearly fully overlapping collisions are selected based on the amount of energy deposited by spectators in the STAR Zero Degree Calorimeters (ZDCs). Within this sample, the observed dependence of $v_2\{2\}$ on multiplicity demonstrates that ZDC information combined with multiplicity can preferentially select different overlap configurations in U+U collisions. An initial-state model with gluon saturation describes the slope of $v_2\{2\}$ as a function of multiplicity in central collisions better than one based on Glauber with a two-component multiplicity model.

Azimuthal anisotropy of produced particles is one of the most important observables used to access the collective properties of the expanding medium created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. In this paper, we present second ($v_{2}$) and third ($v_{3}$) order azimuthal anisotropies of $K_{S}^{0}$, $\phi$, $\Lambda$, $\Xi$ and $\Omega$ at mid-rapidity ($|y|<$1) in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\text{NN}}}$ = 54.4 GeV measured by the STAR detector. The $v_{2}$ and $v_{3}$ are measured as a function of transverse momentum and centrality. Their energy dependence is also studied. $v_{3}$ is found to be more sensitive to the change in the center-of-mass energy than $v_{2}$. Scaling by constituent quark number is found to hold for $v_{2}$ within 10%. This observation could be evidence for the development of partonic collectivity in 54.4 GeV Au+Au collisions. Differences in $v_{2}$ and $v_{3}$ between baryons and anti-baryons are presented, and ratios of $v_{3}$/$v_{2}^{3/2}$ are studied and motivated by hydrodynamical calculations. The ratio of $v_{2}$ of $\phi$ mesons to that of anti-protons ($v_{2}(\phi)/v_{2}(\bar{p})$) shows centrality dependence at low transverse momentum, presumably resulting from the larger effects from hadronic interactions on anti-proton $v_{2}$.

We present systematic measurements of azimuthal anisotropy for strange and multistrange hadrons ($K^{0}_{s}$, $\Lambda$, $\Xi$, and $\Omega$) and $\phi$ mesons at midrapidity ($|y| <$ 1.0) in collisions of U + U nuclei at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 193$ GeV, recorded by the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Transverse momentum ($p_{\text{T}}$) dependence of flow coefficients ($v_{2}$, $v_{3}$, and $v_{4}$) is presented for minimum bias collisions and three different centrality intervals. Number of constituent quark scaling of the measured flow coefficients in U + U collisions is discussed. We also present the ratio of $v_{n}$ scaled by the participant eccentricity ($\varepsilon_{n}\left\lbrace 2 \right\rbrace$) to explore system size dependence and collectivity in U + U collisions. The magnitude of $v_{2}/\varepsilon_{2}$ is found to be smaller in U + U collisions than that in central Au + Au collisions contradicting naive eccentricity scaling. Furthermore, the ratios between various flow harmonics ($v_{3}/v_{2}^{3/2}$, $v_{4}/v_{2}^{4/2}$) are studied and compared with hydrodynamic and transport model calculations.