This Letter reports measurements of differential cross sections for the production of two Z bosons in association with jets in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 8 and 13 TeV. The analysis is ...based on data samples collected at the LHC with the CMS detector, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 19.7 and 35.9 fb$^{-1}$ at 8 and 13 TeV, respectively. The measurements are performed in the leptonic decay modes ZZ$\to\ell^+ \ell^- \ell'^+ \ell'^-$, where $\ell,\ell' =$ e, $\mu$. The differential cross sections as a function of the jet multiplicity, the transverse momentum $p_\mathrm{T}$, and pseudorapidity of the $p_\mathrm{T}$-leading and subleading jets are presented. In addition, the differential cross sections as a function of variables sensitive to the vector boson scattering, such as the invariant mass of the two $p_\mathrm{T}$-leading jets and their pseudorapidity separation, are reported. The results are compared to theoretical predictions and found in good agreement within the theoretical and experimental uncertainties.
A search for the electroweak production of supersymmetric particles in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV is presented in final states with a τ lepton pair. Both hadronic ...and leptonic decay modes are considered for the τ leptons. Scenarios involving the direct pair production of τ sleptons, or their indirect production via the decays of charginos and neutralinos, are investigated. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{−1}$ collected with the CMS detector in 2016. The observed number of events is consistent with the standard model background expectation. The results are interpreted as upper limits on the cross section for τ slepton pair production in different scenarios. The strongest limits are observed in the scenario of a purely left-handed low mass τ slepton decaying to a nearly massless neutralino. Exclusion limits are also set in the context of simplified models of chargino-neutralino and chargino pair production with decays to τ leptons, and range up to 710 and 630 GeV, respectively.
This Letter presents the observation of the rare Z boson decay Z$\to\psi\ell^+\ell^-$. Here, $\psi$ represents contributions from direct J/$\psi$ and J/$\psi$$\to$ J$\psi X$, $\ell^+\ell^-$ is a pair ...of electrons or muons, and the J/$\psi$ meson is detected via its decay to $\mu^+\mu^-$. The sample of proton-proton collision data, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The signal is observed with a significance in excess of 5 standard deviations. After subtraction of the $\psi$(2S) $\to$J/$\psi X$ contribution, the ratio of the branching fraction of the exclusive decay Z$\to\psi\ell^+\ell^-$ to the decay Z$\to\mu^+\mu^-\mu^+\mu^-$ within a fiducial phase space is measured to be $\mathcal{B}($Z$\to\psi\ell^+\ell^-) / \mathcal{B}($Z$\to\mu^+\mu^-\mu^+\mu^-) =$ 0.67$\pm$ 0.18 (stat) $\pm$ 0.05 (syst).
A search for heavy resonances, decaying into the standard model vector bosons and the standard model Higgs boson, is presented. The final states considered contain a b quark-antiquark pair from the ...decay of the Higgs boson, along with electrons and muons and missing transverse momentum, due to undetected neutrinos, from the decay of the vector bosons. The mass spectra are used to search for a localized excess consistent with a resonant particle. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{−1}$ collected in 2016 by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data are found to be consistent with background expectations. Exclusion limits are set in the context of spin-0 two Higgs doublet models, some of which include the presence of dark matter. In the spin-1 heavy vector triplet framework, mass-degenerate W′ and Z′ resonances with dominant couplings to the standard model gauge bosons are excluded below a mass of 2.9 TeV at 95% confidence level.
A search for dark matter particles is performed by looking for events with large transverse momentum imbalance and a recoiling Higgs boson decaying to either a pair of photons or a pair of τ leptons. ...The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected at the CERN LHC in 2016 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{−1}$. No significant excess over the expected standard model background is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are presented for the product of the production cross section and branching fraction in the context of two benchmark simplified models. For the Z$^{′}$-two-Higgs-doublet model (where Z$^{′}$ is a new massive boson mediator) with an intermediate heavy pseudoscalar particle of mass m$_{A}$ = 300 GeV and m$_{DM}$ = 100 GeV, the Z$^{′}$ masses from 550 GeV to 1265 GeV are excluded. For a baryonic Z$^{′}$ model, with m$_{DM}$ = 1 GeV, Z$^{′}$ masses up to 615 GeV are excluded. Results are also presented for the spin-independent cross section for the dark matter-nucleon interaction as a function of the mass of the dark matter particle. This is the first search for dark matter particles produced in association with a Higgs boson decaying to two τ leptons.
Measurements of the differential jet cross section are presented as a function of the jet mass in dijet events, in bins of jet transverse momentum, with and without a jet grooming algorithm. The data ...have been recorded by the CMS Collaboration in proton-proton collisions at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 fb$^{−1}$. The absolute cross sections show slightly different jet transverse momentum spectra in data and Monte Carlo event generators for the settings used. Removing this transverse momentum dependence, the normalized cross section for ungroomed jets is consistent with the prediction from Monte Carlo event generators for masses below 30% of the transverse momentum. The normalized cross section for groomed jets is measured with higher precision than the ungroomed cross section. Semi-analytical calculations of the jet mass beyond leading logarithmic accuracy are compared to data, as well as predictions at leading order and next-to-leading order, which include parton showering and hadronization. Overall, in the normalized cross section, the theoretical predictions agree with the measured cross sections within the uncertainties for masses from 10 to 30% of the jet transverse momentum.
A search for a Higgs boson decaying into a pair of electrons or muons and a photon is described. Higgs boson decays to a Z boson and a photon (H → Zγ → ℓℓγ, ℓ = e or μ), or to two photons, one of ...which has an internal conversion into a muon pair (H → γ$^{*}$γ → μμγ) were considered. The analysis is performed using a data set recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{−1}$. No significant excess above the background prediction has been found. Limits are set on the cross section for a standard model Higgs boson decaying to opposite-sign electron or muon pairs and a photon. The observed limits on cross section times the corresponding branching fractions vary between 1.4 and 4.0 (6.1 and 11.4) times the standard model cross section for H → γ$^{*}$γ → μμγ (H → Zγ → ℓℓγ) in the 120–130 GeV mass range of the ℓℓγ system. The H → γ$^{*}$γ → μμγ and H → Zγ →ℓℓγ analyses are combined for m$_{H}$ =125GeV, obtaining an observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper limit of 3.9 (2.0) times the standard model cross section.
This Letter presents the results of a search for pair-produced particles of masses above 100 GeV that each decay into at least four quarks. Using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in ...2015–2016, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 38.2 fb-1, reconstructed particles are clustered into two large jets of similar mass, each consistent with four-parton substructure. No statistically significant excess of data over the background prediction is observed in the distribution of average jet mass. Pair-produced squarks with dominant hadronic R-parity-violating decays into four quarks and with masses between 0.10 and 0.72 TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level. Similarly, pair-produced gluinos that decay into five quarks are also excluded with masses between 0.10 and 1.41 TeV at 95% confidence level. These are the first constraints that have been placed on pair-produced particles with masses below 400 GeV that decay into four or five quarks, bridging a significant gap in the coverage of R-parity-violating supersymmetry parameter space.
A search for pair production of supersymmetric particles in events with two oppositely charged leptons (electrons or muons) and missing transverse momentum is reported. The data sample corresponds to ...an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{−1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s}=13 $ TeV collected with the CMS detector during the 2016 data taking period at the LHC. No significant deviation is observed from the predicted standard model background. The results are interpreted in terms of several simplified models for chargino and top squark pair production, assuming R-parity conservation and with the neutralino as the lightest supersymmetric particle. When the chargino is assumed to undergo a cascade decay through sleptons, with a slepton mass equal to the average of the chargino and neutralino masses, exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are set on the masses of the chargino and neutralino up to 800 and 320 GeV, respectively. For top squark pair production, the search focuses on models with a small mass difference between the top squark and the lightest neutralino. When the top squark decays into an off-shell top quark and a neutralino, the limits extend up to 420 and 360 GeV for the top squark and neutralino masses, respectively.
