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At least 199 records · Page 11
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DOE OSTI2024

W -boson exotic decay into three charged leptons at the LHC

We investigate the W boson’s exotic decay channel, W → ℓ ℓ ℓ ν , at the LHC. Although the four-body final states suppress the decay branching ratio, the large production of W bosons makes detecting and precisely measuring this decay probability entirely feasible. Our simulation study indicates that this tiny branching ratio can be measured with subpercent precision at the HL-LHC. This decay channel can also constrain Standard Model extensions. Using the L μ − L τ model as a benchmark, we find that the current bound on the gauge coupling for Z ′ mass in the range of [4, 75] GeV can significantly improve. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Fei, Yifan (ORCID:0009000988504767)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for lepton flavor-violating decay modes B 0 → K* 0 τ ± ℓ ∓ (ℓ = e, μ) with hadronic B-tagging at Belle and Belle II

We present the results of a search for the charged-lepton-flavor violating decays B 0 → K *0 τ ± ℓ ∓ , where ℓ ∓ is either an electron or a muon. The results are based on 365 fb −1 and 711 fb −1 datasets collected with the Belle II and Belle detectors, respectively. We use an exclusive hadronic B-tagging technique, and search for a signal decay in the system recoiling against a fully reconstructed B meson. We find no evidence for B 0 → K* 0 τ ± ℓ ∓ decays and set upper limits on the branching fractions in the range of (2.9–6.4)×10 −5 at 90% confidence level.

B physics↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measurements of inclusive and differential cross sections for the Higgs boson production and decay to four-leptons in proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 13 TeV

Measurements of the inclusive and differential fiducial cross sections for the Higgs boson production in the H → ZZ → 4ℓ (ℓ = e, μ) decay channel are presented. The results are obtained from the analysis of proton-proton collision data recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{−1}$. The measured inclusive fiducial cross section is 2.73 ± 0.26 fb, in agreement with the standard model expectation of 2.86 ± 0.1 fb. Differential cross sections are measured as a function of several kinematic observables sensitive to the Higgs boson production and decay to four leptons. A set of double-differential measurements is also performed, yielding a comprehensive characterization of the four leptons final state. Constraints on the Higgs boson trilinear coupling and on the bottom and charm quark coupling modifiers are derived from its transverse momentum distribution. All results are consistent with theoretical predictions from the standard model.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Search for charged-lepton-flavour violation in Z-boson decays with the ATLAS detector

Leptons with essentially the same properties apart from their mass are grouped into three families (or flavours). The number of leptons of each flavour is conserved in interactions, but this is not imposed by fundamental principles. Since the formulation of the standard model of particle physics, the observation of flavour oscillations among neutrinos has shown that lepton flavour is not conserved in neutrino weak interactions. So far, there has been no experimental evidence that this also occurs in interactions between charged leptons. Such an observation would be a sign of undiscovered particles or a yet unknown type of interaction. Here the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN reports a constraint on lepton-flavour-violating effects in weak interactions, searching for Z -boson decays into a τ lepton and another lepton of different flavour with opposite electric charge. The branching fractions for these decays are measured to be less than 8.1 × 10 –6 ( eτ ) and 9.5 × 10 –6 ( μτ ) at the 95% confidence level using 139 fb –1 of proton–proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV and 20.3 fb –1 at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV. These results supersede the limits from the Large Electron–Positron Collider experiments conducted more than two decades ago.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for dark matter produced in association with a Higgs boson decaying to a τ lepton pair in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV

A search for dark matter particles produced in association with a Higgs boson decaying into a pair of τ leptons is performed using data collected in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the CMS detector. The analysis is based on a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb −1 collected in 2017–2018. No significant excess over the expected standard model background is observed. This result is interpreted within the frameworks of the 2HDM+a and baryonic Z′ benchmark simplified models. The 2HDM+a model is a type-II two-Higgs-doublet model featuring a heavy pseudoscalar with an additional light pseudoscalar. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the product of the production cross section and the branching fraction for each of these two simplified models. Heavy pseudoscalar boson masses between 400 and 700 GeV are excluded for a light pseudoscalar mass of 100 GeV. For the baryonic Z′ model, a statistical combination is made with an earlier search based on a data set of 36 fb −1 collected in 2016. In this model, Z′ boson masses up to 1050 GeV are excluded for a dark matter particle mass of 1 GeV.

Dark Matter↗
DOE OSTI2022

Proton decay from quark and lepton compositeness

Within a chiral SU(15) gauge theory in which the Standard Model fermions are bound states of massless preons, we show that proton-decay operators are likely induced at the compositeness scale, Λ pre . Our estimate of the limit imposed by searches for proton decays is Λ pre > 10 4 TeV 1/2 $C^{1/4}_{8} m^{1/2}_{Q}$, where C 8 is a rescaled coefficient of an 8-prebaryon operator induced by SU(15) dynamics, and m Q is the mass of a composite vectorlike quark. The latter has a lower limit related to the mass of a composite vectorlike lepton, which in turn is required by LHC searches to be above 1 TeV. For C 8 in the 10 –5 – 1 range, the lower limit on Λ pre varies between 3 × 10 3 TeV and 5 × 10 4 TeV. We point out that exotic proton decay modes, into a π + and a heavy right-handed neutrino, could be observed using the Super-Kamiokande or DUNE detectors.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Search for direct pair production of supersymmetric partners to the $\tau$ lepton in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13\,\text {TeV} $

A search is presented for $\tau$ slepton pairs produced in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The search is carried out in events containing two $\tau$ leptons in the final state, on the assumption that each $\tau$ slepton decays primarily to a $\tau$ lepton and a neutralino. Events are considered in which each $\tau$ lepton decays to one or more hadrons and a neutrino, or in which one of the $\tau$ leptons decays instead to an electron or a muon and two neutrinos. The data, collected with the CMS detector in 2016 and 2017, correspond to an integrated luminosity of 77.2 fb$^{-1}$. The observed data are consistent with the standard model background expectation. The results are used to set 95% confidence level upper limits on the cross section for $\tau$ slepton pair production in various models for $\tau$ slepton masses between 90 and 200 GeV and neutralino masses of 1, 10, and 20 GeV. In the case of purely left-handed $\tau$ slepton production and decay to a $\tau$ lepton and a neutralino with a mass of 1 GeV, the strongest limit is obtained for a $\tau$ slepton mass of 125 GeV at a factor of 1.14 larger than the theoretical cross section.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Search for pair production of third-generation leptoquarks decaying into a bottom quark and a $\tau $-lepton with the ATLAS detector

Abstract A search for pair-produced scalar or vector leptoquarks decaying into a b -quark and a $$\tau $$ τ -lepton is presented using the full LHC Run 2 (2015–2018) data sample of 139 fb $$^{-1}$$ - 1 collected with the ATLAS detector in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $$\sqrt{s} =13$$ s = 13 TeV. Events in which at least one $$\tau $$ τ -lepton decays hadronically are considered, and multivariate discriminants are used to extract the signals. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectation are observed and 95% confidence-level upper limits on the production cross-section are derived as a function of leptoquark mass and branching ratio $$\mathcal {B}$$ B into a $$\tau $$ τ -lepton and b -quark. For scalar leptoquarks, masses below 1460 GeV are excluded assuming $$\mathcal {B}=100$$ B = 100 %, while for vector leptoquarks the corresponding limit is 1650 GeV (1910 GeV) in the minimal-coupling (Yang–Mills) scenario.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Search for excited $τ$-leptons and leptoquarks in the final state with $τ$-leptons and jets in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search is reported for excited $τ$-leptons and leptoquarks in events with two hadronically decaying $τ$-leptons and two or more jets. The search uses proton-proton ($pp$) collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment during the Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider in 2015–2018. The total integrated luminosity is 139 fb -1 . The excited $τ$-lepton is assumed to be produced and to decay via a four-fermion contact interaction into an ordinary $τ$-lepton and a quark-antiquark pair. The leptoquarks are assumed to be produced in pairs via the strong interaction, and each leptoquark is assumed to couple to a charm or lighter quark and a $τ$-lepton. No excess over the background prediction is observed. Excited $τ$-leptons with masses below 2.8 TeV are excluded at 95% CL in scenarios with the contact interaction scale Λ set to 10 TeV. At the extreme limit of model validity where Λ is set equal to the excited $τ$-lepton mass, excited $τ$-leptons with masses below 4.6 TeV are excluded. Leptoquarks with masses below 1.3 TeV are excluded at 95% CL if their branching ratio to a charm quark and a $τ$-lepton equals 1. The analysis does not exploit flavour-tagging in the signal region.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for excited tau leptons in the ττγ final state in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{\text{s}}$ = 13 TeV

Results are presented for a test of the compositeness of the heaviest charged lepton, τ, using data collected by the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC. The data were collected in 2016–2018 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . This analysis searches for tau lepton pair production in which one of the tau leptons is produced in an excited state and decays to a ground state tau lepton and a photon. The event selection consists of two isolated tau lepton decay candidates and a high-energy photon. The mass of the excited tau lepton is reconstructed using the missing transverse momentum in the event, assuming the momentum of the neutrinos from each tau lepton decay are aligned with the visible decay products. No excess of events above the standard model background prediction is observed. This null result is used to set lower bounds on the excited tau lepton mass. For a compositeness scale Λ equal to the excited tau lepton mass, excited tau leptons with masses below 4700 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level; for Λ = 10 TeV this exclusion is set at 2800 GeV. This is the first experimental result covering this production and decay process in the excited tau mass range above 175 GeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of the top quark mass with the ATLAS detector using $t\bar{t}$ events with a high transverse momentum top quark

Journal article.The mass of the top quark is measured using top-quark-top-antiquark pair events with high transverse momentum top quarks. The dataset, collected with the ATLAS detector in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV delivered by the Large Hadron Collider, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb −1 . The analysis targets events in the lepton-plus-jets decay channel, with an electron or muon from a semi-leptonically decaying top quark and a hadronically decaying top quark that is sufficiently energetic to be reconstructed as a single large-radius jet. The mean of the invariant mass of the reconstructed large-radius jet provides the sensitivity to the top quark mass and is simultaneously fitted with two additional observables to reduce the impact of the systematic uncertainties. The top quark mass is measured to be m t = 172.95 ± 0.53 GeV, which is the most precise ATLAS measurement from a single channel.

Aad, G. (ORCID:0000000266654934)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Search for decays of the Higgs boson into pair-produced pseudoscalar particles decaying into τ+τ−τ+τ− using pp collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for a pair of low-mass pseudoscalars a that promptly decay into τ-leptons is presented using 140 fb −1 of proton–proton collision data at 13 TeV centre-of-mass energy recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The result is used to place constraints on exotic decays of the Higgs boson into four τ-leptons, H→aa→τ+τ−τ+τ−. This search focuses on events with either one or two τ-leptons decaying into hadrons and neutrinos, and the remaining three or two τ-leptons decaying into either electron or muon and neutrinos. No significant excess is observed above the expected Standard Model background and upper limits at the 95% confidence level on B(H→aa→τ+τ−τ+τ−) are set ranging from 0.06 to 0.23, depending on the mass ma ranging from 15 to 60 GeV.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2022

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↗
DOE OSTI2022

Systematic study of nuclear effects in p + Al , p + Au , d + Au , and He 3 + Au collisions at s N N = 200 GeV using π 0 production

The PHENIX Collaboration presents a systematic study of inclusive π 0 production from p + p , p + Al , p + Au , d + Au , and He 3 + Au collisions at s N N = 200 GeV . Measurements were performed with different centrality selections as well as the total inelastic, 0–100%, selection for all collision systems. For 0–100% collisions, the nuclear-modification factors, R x A , are consistent with unity for p T above 8 GeV / c , but exhibit an enhancement in peripheral collisions and a suppression in central collisions. The enhancement and suppression characteristics are similar for all systems for the same centrality class. It is shown that for high- p T - π 0 production, the nucleons in the d and He 3 interact mostly independently with the Au nucleus and that the counterintuitive centrality dependence is likely due to a physical correlation between multiplicity and the presence of a hard scattering process. These observations disfavor models where parton energy loss has a significant contribution to nuclear modifications in small systems. Nuclear modifications at lower p T resemble the Cronin effect—an increase followed by a peak in central or inelastic collisions and a plateau in peripheral collisions. The peak height has a characteristic ordering by system size as p + Au > d + Au > He 3 + Au > p + Al . For collisions with Au ions, current calculations based on initial-state cold nuclear matter effects result in the opposite order, suggesting the presence of other contributions to nuclear modifications, in particular at lower p T .

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Improved Neutron Lifetime Measurement with UCN$\tau$

In this work, we report an improved measurement of the free neutron lifetime $\tau_n$ using the UCN$\tau$ apparatus at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. We count a total of approximately 38×10 6 surviving ultracold neutrons (UCNs) after storing in UCN$\tau$’s magnetogravitational trap over two data acquisition campaigns in 2017 and 2018. We extract $\tau$ n from three blinded, independent analyses by both pairing long and short storage time runs to find a set of replicate $\tau$ n measurements and by performing a global likelihood fit to all data while self-consistently incorporating the β-decay lifetime. Both techniques achieve consistent results and find a value $\tau$ n =877.75±0.28 stat +0.22/–0.16 syst s. With this sensitivity, neutron lifetime experiments now directly address the impact of recent refinements in our understanding of the standard model for neutron decay.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2019

LHC probes of the 10 TeV scale

The usual range of new particle masses, up to a few TeV, searched for at the LHC may be substantially extended if ultraheavy diquark particles exist. A diquark scalar, $S_{uu}$, that interacts perturbatively with two up quarks may be as heavy as 10 TeV and would still produce tens of spectacular events at the 14 TeV LHC. It is shown here that an ultraheavy $S_{uu}$ could be discovered through final states of very high energy in various channels, especially if the diquark can decay into other new heavy particles. Examples include cascade decays of $S_{uu}$ via a second scalar produced in pairs, which leads to two dijet resonances, or to more exotic signals with top quarks, Higgs bosons, electroweak bosons, and high-$p_T$ jets. Another possibility is that the diquark decays into a vectorlike quark of multi-TeV mass and a top or up quark. Signal events include one or two highly boosted top quarks and a Higgs boson or a $Z$, without counterparts containing top antiquarks. Similarly, direct decays of the diquark into $tj$ or $tt$ with leptonic top decays involve only positively charged leptons.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗