Search NASAβŒ• Search

Engineering topics

Van Remortel, N. (ORCID:0000000341808199)

Publications and source records attributed to Van Remortel, N. (ORCID:0000000341808199).

At least 19 records

First measurement of the forward rapidity gap distribution in pPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 8.16 TeV

For the first time at LHC energies, the forward rapidity gap spectra from proton-lead collisions for both proton and lead dissociation processes are presented. The analysis is performed over 10.4 units of pseudorapidity at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 8.16 TeV , almost 300 times higher than in previous measurements of diffractive production in proton-nucleus collisions. For lead dissociation processes, which correspond to the pomeron-lead event topology, the EPOS-LHC generator predictions are a factor of 2 below the data, but the model gives a reasonable description of the rapidity gap spectrum shape. For the pomeron-proton topology, the EPOS-LHC , QGSJET II , and HIJING predictions are all at least a factor of 5 lower than the data. The latter effect might be explained by a significant contribution of ultraperipheral photoproduction events mimicking the signature of diffractive processes. These data may be of significant help in understanding the high energy limit of quantum chromodynamics and for modeling cosmic ray air showers.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement of differential cross sections for the production of a Z boson in association with jets in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV

A measurement is presented of the production of Z bosons that decay into two electrons or muons in association with jets, in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data were recorded by the CMS Collaboration at the LHC with an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The differential cross sections are measured as a function of the transverse momentum ($p_\mathrm{T}$) of the Z boson and the transverse momentum and rapidities of the five jets with largest $p_\mathrm{T}$. The jet multiplicity distribution is measured for up to eight jets. The hadronic activity in the events is estimated using the scalar sum of the $p_\mathrm{T}$ of all the jets. All measurements are unfolded to the stable particle-level and compared with predictions from various Monte Carlo event generators, as well as with expectations at leading and next-to-leading orders in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Reconstruction of decays to merged photons using end-to-end deep learning with domain continuation in the CMS detector

A novel technique based on machine learning is introduced to reconstruct the decays of highly Lorentz-boosted particles. Using an end-to-end deep learning strategy, the technique bypasses existing rule-based particle reconstruction methods typically used in high energy physics analyses. It uses minimally processed detector data as input and directly outputs particle properties of interest. The new technique is demonstrated for the reconstruction of the invariant mass of particles decaying in the CMS detector. The decay of a hypothetical scalar particle A into two photons, A β†’ Ξ³ Ξ³ , is chosen as a benchmark decay. Lorentz boosts Ξ³ L = 60 – 600 are considered, ranging from regimes where both photons are resolved to those where the photons are closely merged as one object. A training method using domain continuation is introduced, enabling the invariant mass reconstruction of unresolved photon pairs in a novel way. The new technique is validated using Ο€ 0 β†’ Ξ³ Ξ³ decays in LHC collision data.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND β†—

Constraints on anomalous Higgs boson couplings to vector bosons and fermions from the production of Higgs bosons using the 𝜏⁒𝜏 final state

A study of anomalous couplings of the Higgs boson to vector bosons and fermions is presented. The data were recorded by the CMS experiment at a center-of-mass energy of pp collisions at the LHC of 13 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb βˆ’1 . The study uses Higgs boson candidates produced mainly in gluon fusion or electroweak vector boson fusion at the LHC that subsequently decay to a pair of 𝜏 leptons. Matrix-element and machine-learning techniques were employed in a search for anomalous interactions. The results are combined with those from the four-lepton and two-photon decay channels to yield the most stringent constraints on anomalous Higgs boson couplings to date. The pure 𝐢⁒𝑃-odd scenario of the Higgs boson coupling to gluons is excluded at 2.4 standard deviations. The results are consistent with the standard model predictions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Azimuthal Correlations within Exclusive Dijets with Large Momentum Transfer in Photon-Lead Collisions

The structure of nucleons is multidimensional and depends on the transverse momenta, spatial geometry, and polarization of the constituent partons. Such a structure can be studied using high-energy photons produced in ultraperipheral heavy-ion collisions. The first measurement of the azimuthal angular correlations of exclusively produced events with two jets in photon-lead interactions at large momentum transfer is presented, a process that is considered to be sensitive to the underlying nuclear gluon polarization. This study uses a data sample of ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions at s NN = 5.02 TeV , corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.38 nb - 1 , collected with the CMS experiment at the LHC. The measured second harmonic of the correlation between the sum and difference of the two jet transverse momentum vectors is found to be positive, and rising, as the dijet transverse momentum increases. A well-tuned model that has been successful at describing a wide range of proton scattering data from the HERA experiments fails to describe the observed correlations, suggesting the presence of gluon polarization effects.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for direct pair production of supersymmetric partners of Ο„ leptons in the final state with two hadronically decaying Ο„ leptons and missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV

A search for the direct production of a pair of $Ο„$ sleptons, the supersymmetric partners of $Ο„$ leptons, is presented. Each $Ο„$ slepton is assumed to decay to a $Ο„$ 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 $Ο„$ leptons, each decaying to one or more hadrons and a neutrino, and significant transverse momentum imbalance. In addition to scenarios in which the $Ο„$ sleptons decay promptly, the search also addresses scenarios in which the $Ο„$ sleptons have sufficiently long lifetimes to give rise to nonprompt $Ο„$ 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 $Ο„$ sleptons are obtained in the framework of simplified models. In a scenario in which the $Ο„$ sleptons are superpartners of left-handed $Ο„$ leptons, and each undergoes a prompt decay to a $Ο„$ lepton and a nearly massless LSP, $Ο„$ slepton masses between 115 and 340 GeV are excluded. In a scenario in which the lifetime of the $Ο„$ sleptons corresponds to c$Ο„$ 0 = 0.1 mm, where $Ο„_{0}$ represents the mean proper lifetime of the $Ο„$ slepton, masses between 150 and 220 GeV are excluded.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for narrow resonances in the b -tagged dijet mass spectrum in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV

A search is performed for narrow resonances decaying to final states of two jets, with at least one jet originating from a b quark, in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV . The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb - 1 collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. Jets originating from energetic b hadrons are identified through a b -tagging algorithm that utilizes a deep neural network or the presence of a muon inside a jet. The invariant mass spectrum of jet pairs is well described by a smooth parametrization and no evidence for the production of new particles is observed. Upper limits on the production cross section are set for excited b quarks and other resonances decaying to dijet final states containing b quarks. These limits exclude at 95% confidence level models of Z ' bosons with masses from 1.8 TeV to 2.4 TeV and of excited b quarks with masses from 1.8 TeV to 4.0 TeV. This is the most stringent exclusion of excited b quarks to date.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for Higgs boson decays into Z and J/ψ and for Higgs and Z boson decays into J/ψ or Y pairs in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV

Decays of the Higgs boson into a z boson and a J/ψ or ψ(2S) meson are searched for in four-lepton final states with the CMS detector at the LHC. A data set of proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb -1 is used. Using the same data set, decays of the Higgs and z boson into quarkonium pairs are also searched for. An observation of such decays with this sample would indicate the presence of physics beyond the standard model. No evidence for these decays has been observed and upper limits at the 95% confidence level are placed on the corresponding branching fractions ($\mathscr{B}$). Assuming longitudinal polarization of the Higgs boson decay products, 95% confidence level observed upper limits for $\mathcal{B}$(Hβ†’ZJ/ψ) and $\mathcal{B}$(Hβ†’Zψ(2S)) are 1.9 X 10 -3 and 6.6 X 10 -3 , respectively.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for electroweak production of charginos and neutralinos at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV in final states containing hadronic decays of WW, WZ, or WH and missing transverse momentum

This Letter presents a search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos via electroweak interactions. The results are based on data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb -1 . The search considers final states with large missing transverse momentum and pairs of hadronically decaying bosons WW, WZ, and WH, where H is the Higgs boson. These bosons are identified using novel algorithms. No significant excess of events is observed relative to the expectations from the standard model. Limits at the 95% confidence level are placed on the cross section for production of mass-degenerate wino-like supersymmetric particles $\widetilde{Ο‡}_1^Β±$ and $\widetilde{Ο‡}_2^0$, and mass-degenerate higgsino-like supersymmetric particles $\widetilde{Ο‡}_1^Β±$, $\widetilde{Ο‡}_2^0$, and $\widetilde{Ο‡}_3^0$. In the limit of a nearly-massless lightest supersymmetric particle $\widetilde{Ο‡}_1^0$, wino-like particles with masses up to 870 and 960 GeV are excluded in the cases of $\widetilde{Ο‡}_2^0$β†’Z$\widetilde{Ο‡}_1^0$ and $\widetilde{Ο‡}_2^0$β†’$\widetilde{Ο‡}_1^0$, respectively, and higgsino-like particles are excluded between 300 and 650 GeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Observation of electroweak W + W – pair production in association with two jets in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV

An observation is reported of the electroweak production of a W + W – pair in association with two jets, with both W bosons decaying leptonically. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb –1 of proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV, collected by the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. Events are selected by requiring exactly two opposite-sign leptons (electrons or muons) and two jets with large pseudorapidity separation and high dijet invariant mass. Events are categorized based on the flavor of the final-state leptons. A signal is observed with a significance of 5.6 standard deviations (5.2 expected) with respect to the background-only hypothesis. The measured fiducial cross section is 10.2 Β± 2.0 fb and this value is consistent with the standard model prediction of 9.1 Β± 0.6 fb.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for new particles in an extended Higgs sector with four b quarks in the final state at $\sqrt{s}$ = $\mathrm{13 TeV}$

A search for a massive resonance X decaying to a pair of spin-0 bosons Ο† that themselves decay to pairs of bottom quarks, is presented. The analysis is restricted to the mass ranges m Ο† from 25 to 100 GeV and m x from 1 to 3 TeV. For these mass ranges, the decay products of each Ο† boson are expected to merge into a single large-radius jet. Jet substructure and flavor identification techniques are used to identify these jets. The search is based on CERN LHC proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, collected with the CMS detector in 2016–2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb -1 Model-specific limits, where the two new particles arise from an extended Higgs sector, are set on the product of the production cross section and branching fraction for X β†’ φφ β†’ ($b\bar{b}$)($b\bar{b}$) as a function of the resonances' masses, where both the X β†’ φφ β†’ and Ο† β†’ $b\bar{b}$ branching fractions are assumed to be 100%. These limits are the first of their kind on this process, ranging between 30 and 1fb at 95% confidence level for the considered mass ranges.

2HDM↗

Measurement of the Higgs boson width and evidence of its off-shell contributions to ZZ production

Since the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, detailed studies of its properties have been ongoing. Besides its mass, its width - related to its lifetime - is an important parameter. One way to determine this quantity is by measuring its off-shell production, where the Higgs boson mass is far away from its nominal value, and relating it to its on-shell production, where the mass is close to the nominal value. Here, we report evidence for such off-shell contributions to the production cross section of two Z bosons with data from the CMS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. We constrain the total rate of the off-shell Higgs boson contribution beyond the Z boson pair production threshold, relative to its standard model expectation, to the interval [0.0061, 2.0] at 95% confidence level. The scenario with no off-shell contribution is excluded at a p-value of 0.0003 (3.6 standard deviations). We measure the width of the Higgs boson as $\Gamma_{\mathrm{H}}$ = 3.2 $_{-1.7}^{+2.4}$ MeV, in agreement with the standard model expectation of 4.1 MeV. In addition, we set constraints on anomalous Higgs boson couplings to W and Z boson pairs.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Evidence for WW/WZ vector boson scattering in the decay channel β„“Ξ½qq produced in association with two jets in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV

Evidence is reported for electroweak (EW) vector boson scattering in the decay channel $\ell\nu$qq of two weak vector bosons WV (V = W or Z), produced in association with two parton jets. The search uses a data set of proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV collected with the CMS detector during 2016-2018 with an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Events are selected requiring one lepton (electron or muon), moderate missing transverse momentum, two jets with a large pseudorapidity separation and a large dijet invariant mass, and a signature consistent with the hadronic decay of a W/Z boson. The cross section is computed in a fiducial phase space defined at parton level requiring all parton transverse momenta $p_\mathrm{T}$$\gt$ 10 GeV and at least one pair of outgoing partons with invariant mass $m_\mathrm{qq}$$\gt$ 100 GeV. The measured and expected EW WV production cross sections are 1.90 $^{+0.53}_{-0.46}$ pb and 2.23 $^{+0.08}_{-0.11}$ (scale) $\pm$ 0.05 (PDF) pb, respectively, where PDF is the parton distribution function. The observed EW signal strength is $m_\mathrm{EW}$ = 0.85 $\pm$ 0.12 (stat) $^{+0.19}_{-0.17}$ (syst), corresponding to a signal significance of 4.4 standard deviations with 5.1 expected, and it is measured keeping the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) associated diboson production fixed to the standard model prediction. This is the first evidence of vector boson scattering in the $\ell\nu$qq decay channel at LHC. The simultaneous measurement of the EW and QCD associated diboson production agrees with the standard model prediction.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for a massive scalar resonance decaying to a light scalar and a Higgs boson in the four b quarks final state with boosted topology

We search for new massive scalar particles X and Y through the resonant process Xβ†’YHβ†’$b\bar{b}b\bar{b}$, where H is the standard model Higgs boson. Data from CERN LHC proton-proton collisions are used, collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV in 2016–2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb -1 . The search is performed in mass ranges of 0.9–4 TeV for X and 60–600 GeV for Y, where both Y and H are reconstructed as Lorentz-boosted single large-area jets. The results are interpreted in the context of the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model and also in an extension of the standard model with two additional singlet scalar fields. The 95% confidence level upper limits for the production cross section vary between 0.1 and 150 fb depending on the X and Y masses, and represent a significant improvement over results from previous searches.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for high-mass resonances decaying to a jet and a Lorentz-boosted resonance in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV

A search is reported for high-mass hadronic resonances that decay to a parton and a Lorentz-boosted resonance, which in turn decays into a pair of partons. The search is based on data collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The boosted resonance is reconstructed as a single wide jet with substructure consistent with a two-body decay. The high-mass resonance is thus considered as a dijet system. The jet substructure information and the kinematic properties of cascade resonance decays are exploited to disentangle the signal from the large quantum chromodynamics multijet background. The dijet mass spectrum is analyzed for the presence of new high-mass resonances, and is found to be consistent with the standard model background predictions. Results are interpreted in a warped extra dimension model where the high-mass resonance is a Kaluza-Klein gluon, the boosted resonance is a radion, and the final state partons are all gluons. Limits on the production cross section are set as a function of the Kaluza-Klein gluon and radion masses. These limits exclude at 95% confidence level models with Kaluza-Klein gluon masses in the range from 2.0 to 4.3 TeV and radion masses in the range from 0.20 to 0.74 TeV. By exploring a novel experimental signature, the observed limits on the Kaluza-Klein gluon mass are extended by up to about 1 TeV compared to previous searches.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for heavy resonances decaying to a pair of Lorentz-boosted Higgs bosons in final states with leptons and a bottom quark pair at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 13 TeV

A search for new heavy resonances decaying to a pair of Higgs bosons (HH) 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 in 2016–2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb - 1 . Resonances with a mass between 0.8 and 4.5 TeV are considered using events in which one Higgs boson decays into a bottom quark pair and the other into final states with either one or two charged leptons. Specifically, the single-lepton decay channel HH β†’ b b Β― WW * β†’ b b Β― β„“ v q q Β― ' and the dilepton decay channels HH β†’ b b Β― WW * β†’ b b Β― β„“ v β„“ v and HH β†’ b b Β― ττ β†’ b b Β― β„“ vv β„“ vv are examined, where β„“ in the final state corresponds to an electron or muon. The signal is extracted using a two-dimensional maximum likelihood fit of the H β†’ b b Β― jet mass and HH invariant mass distributions. No significant excess above the standard model expectation is observed in data. Model-independent exclusion limits are placed on the product of the cross section and branching fraction for narrow spin-0 and spin-2 massive bosons decaying to HH. The results are also interpreted in the context of radion and bulk graviton production in models with a warped extra spatial dimension. The results provide the most stringent limits to date for X β†’ HH signatures with final-state leptons and at some masses provide the most sensitive limits of all X β†’ HH searches.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement of the inclusive $ \mathrm{t}\overline{\mathrm{t}} $ production cross section in proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 5.02 TeV

The top quark pair production cross section is measured in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV. The data were collected in a special LHC low-energy and low-intensity run in 2017, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 302 pb - 1 . The measurement is performed using events with one electron and one muon of opposite charge, and at least two jets. The measured cross section is 60 . 7 Β± 5 . 0 (stat) Β± 2 . 8 (syst) Β± 1 . 1 (lumi) pb. A combination with the result in the single lepton + jets channel, based on data collected in 2015 at the same center-of-mass energy and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 27.4 pb - 1 , is then performed. The resulting measured value is 63 . 0 Β± 4 . 1 (stat) Β± 3 . 0 (syst+lumi) pb, in agreement with the standard model prediction of \( {66.8}_{-3.1}^{+2.9} \) pb.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for electroweak production of charginos and neutralinos in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 13 TeV

A direct search for electroweak production of charginos and neutralinos is presented. Events with three or four leptons, with up to two hadronically decaying $\tau$ leptons, or two same-sign light leptons are analyzed. The data sample consists of 137 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions with a center of mass energy of 13 TeV, recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC. The results are interpreted in terms of several simplified models. These represent a broad range of production and decay scenarios for charginos and neutralinos. A parametric neural network is used to target several of the models with large backgrounds. In addition, results using orthogonal search regions are provided for all the models, simplifying alternative theoretical interpretations of the results. Depending on the model hypotheses, charginos and neutralinos with masses up to values between 300 and 1450 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗