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At least 361 records · Page 20
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Limits on W R from Meson Decays

In this Letter we show that pseudoscalar meson leptonic decay data can be used to set stringent limits on the mass $m$ W$_{R}$ of a right-handed vector boson, such as the one that appears in left-right symmetric models. We have shown that for a heavy neutrino with a mass $m_N$ in the range 50 < $m_N$/MeV < 1900 one can constraint $m$ W$_{R}$ ≳ (4–19) TeV at 90% CL. This provides the most stringent experimental limits on the $W_R$ mass to date for this heavy neutrino mass range.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurements and interpretations of W ± Z production cross-sections in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of integrated and differential cross-sections for W ± Z production in proton-proton collisions are presented. The data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider from 2015 to 2018 at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb −1 . The W ± Z candidate events are reconstructed using leptonic decay modes of the gauge bosons into electrons or muons. The integrated cross-section per lepton flavour for the production of W ± Z is measured in the detector fiducial region with a relative precision of 4%. The measured value is compared with the Standard Model prediction at a precision of up to next-to-next-to-leading-order in QCD and next-to-leading-order in electroweak. Cross-sections for W + Z and W − Z production and their ratio are presented. The W ± Z production is also measured differentially as functions of various kinematic variables, including new observables sensitive to CP-violation effects. All measurements are compared with state-of-the-art Standard Model predictions from fixed-order calculations or Monte Carlo generators based on next-to-leading-order matrix elements interfaced with parton showers. An effective field theory interpretation of the measurements is performed, considering both CP-conserving and CP-violating dimension-6 operators modifying the W ± Z production. In the absence of observed deviations from the Standard Model, limits on CP-conserving Wilson coefficients are extracted using the transverse mass of the W ± Z system. For CP-violating coefficients a machine learning approach is used to construct an observable with enhanced sensitivity to CP-violation effects.

hadron-hadron scattering↗
DOE OSTI2023

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 −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 𝐶⁢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↗
DOE OSTI2023

Search for Z' bosons decaying to pairs of heavy Majorana neutrinos in proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 13 TeV

A search for the production of pairs of heavy Majorana neutrinos (N ℓ ) from the decays of Z' bosons is performed using the CMS detector at the LHC. The data were collected in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt s$ = 13 TeV, with an integrated luminosity of 138 fb –1 . The signature for the search is an excess in the invariant mass distribution of the final-state objects, two same-flavor leptons (e or μ) and at least two jets. No significant excess of events beyond the expected background is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the product of the Z' production cross section and its branching fraction to a pair of N ℓ , as functions of N ℓ and Z' boson masses (m N ℓ and m Z' , respectively) for m Z' from 0.4 to 4.6 TeV and m N ℓ from 0.1 TeV to m Z' /2. In the theoretical framework of a left-right symmetric model, exclusion bounds in the m N ℓ -m Z' plane are presented in both the electron and muon channels. The observed upper limit on m Z' reaches up to 4.42 TeV. These are the most restrictive limits to date on the mass of N ℓ as a function of the Z' boson mass.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Astrophysical consequences of an electroweak 𝜂 𝑤 pseudoscalar

Recently, it has been suggested that the spectrum of physical states in the Standard Model may include an ultralight pseudoscalar, denoted by 𝜂 w , in analogy with the 𝜂′ state arising from the strong interactions. We find that typical expectations for the properties of 𝜂 w get challenged by astrophysical constraints on the couplings of ultralight bosons. Our strongest limit sets a lower bound of 𝒪⁡(100 TeV) on the decay constant of the hypothesized pseudoscalar. We also briefly discuss whether 𝜂 w could be a dark matter candidate, or the origin of dark energy, but conclude that those identifications appear unlikely. Given the important implications of a potentially overlooked 𝜂 w state for a more complete understanding of the electroweak interactions and a fundamental description of nature, further theoretical and phenomenological investigations of this possibility and its associated physics are warranted.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Prospects for Charged Higgs Bosons in Natural SUSY Models at the High-Luminosity LHC

We continue our examination of prospects for the discovery of heavy Higgs bosons of natural SUSY (natSUSY) models at the high luminosity LHC (HL-LHC), this time focusing on charged Higgs bosons. In natSUSY, higgsinos are expected at the few hundred GeV scale whilst electroweak gauginos inhabit the TeV scale and the heavy Higgs bosons, H, A and H± could range up tens of TeV without jeopardizing naturalness. For TeV-scale heavy SUSY Higgs bosons H, A and H±, as currently required by LHC searches, SUSY decays into gaugino plus higgsino can dominate H± decays provided these decays are kinematically accessible. The visible decay products of higgsinos are soft making them largely invisible, whilst the gauginos decay to W, Z or h plus missing transverse energy (ET). Charged Higgs bosons are dominantly produced at LHC14 via the parton subprocess, gb→H±t. In this paper, we examine the viability of observing signatures from H±→τν, H±→tb and H±→W,Z,h+ET events produced in association with a top quark at the HL-LHC over large Standard Model (SM) backgrounds from (mainly) tt¯, tt¯V and tt¯h production (where V=W,Z). We find that the greatest reach is found via the SM H±(→τν)+t channel with a subdominant contribution from the H±(→tb)+t channel. Unlike for neutral Higgs searches, the SUSY decay modes appear to be unimportant for H± searches at the HL-LHC. We delineate regions of the mA vs. tanβ plane, mostly around mA∼ 1–2 TeV, where signals from charged Higgs bosons would serve to confirm signals of a heavy, neutral Higgs boson at the 5σ level or, alternatively, to exclude heavy Higgs bosons at the 95% confidence level at the high luminosity LHC.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Non-local slicing approaches for NNLO QCD in MCFM

We present the implementation of several processes at Next-to-Next-to Leading Order (NNLO) accuracy in QCD in the parton-level Monte Carlo program MCFM. The processes treated are pp → H, W ± , Z, W ± H, ZH, W ± γ, Zγ and γγ and, for the first time in the code, W + W - , W ± Z and ZZ. Decays of the unstable bosons are fully included, resulting in a flexible fully differential Monte Carlo code. The NNLO corrections have been calculated using two non-local slicing approaches, isolating the doubly unresolved region by cutting on the zero-jettiness, $\mathscr{T}_0$, or on q T , the transverse momentum of the colour singlet final-state particles. We find that for most, but not all processes the q T slicing method leads to smaller power corrections for equal computational burden.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Combination of searches for singly produced vectorlike top quarks in 𝑝⁢𝑝 collisions at $\sqrt{𝑠}$ =13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A combination of searches for the single production of vectorlike top quarks (𝑇) is presented. These analyses are based on proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{𝑠}$ = 13 TeV recorded in 2015–2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb −1 . The 𝑇 decay modes considered in this combination are into a top quark and either a Standard Model Higgs boson or a 𝑍 boson (𝑇 → 𝐻⁡𝑡 and 𝑇 → 𝑍⁢𝑡). The individual searches used in the combination are differentiated by the number of leptons (𝑒, 𝜇) in the final state. The observed data are found to be in good agreement with the Standard Model background prediction. Interpretations are provided for a range of masses and couplings of the vectorlike top quark for benchmark models and generalized representations in terms of 95% confidence level limits. For a benchmark signal prediction of a vectorlike top quark SU(2) singlet with electroweak coupling, 𝜅, of 0.5, masses below 2.1 TeV are excluded, resulting in the most restrictive limits to date.

Composite models↗
DOE OSTI2021

The challenges of beam polarization and keV-scale centre-of-mass energy calibration at the FCC-ee

The capability to determine the FCC-ee centre-of-mass energies (ECM) at the ppm level using resonant depolarization of the beams is essential for the Z line shape measurements, the W mass and the possible observation of the Higgs boson s-channel production. A first analysis (Blondel A et al Polarization and centre-of-mass energy calibration at FCC-ee. demonstrated the feasibility of this programme, conditional to careful preparation and a number of further developments. The existing simulation codes must be unified; the analysis and design of the instrumentation must be developed; and a detailed planning must be developed for the simultaneous and coordinated operation of the accelerator, of the continuous polarization and depolarization measurements, and of the beam monitoring devices, ensuring a precise extrapolation from beam energies to centre-of-mass energy and energy spread.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Studies of new Higgs boson interactions through nonresonant $HH$ production in the $ b\overline{b}\gamma \gamma $ final state in $pp$ collisions at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for nonresonant Higgs boson pair production in the $ b\overline{b}\gamma \gamma $ final state is performed using 140 fb –1 of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. This analysis supersedes and expands upon the previous nonresonant ATLAS results in this final state based on the same data sample. The analysis strategy is optimised to probe anomalous values not only of the Higgs (H) boson self-coupling modifier κλ but also of the quartic HHVV (V = W, Z) coupling modifier κ 2V . No significant excess above the expected background from Standard Model processes is observed. An observed upper limit μHH < 4.0 is set at 95% confidence level on the Higgs boson pair production cross-section normalised to its Standard Model prediction. The 95% confidence intervals for the coupling modifiers are –1.4 < κ λ < 6.9 and –0.5 < κ 2V < 2.7, assuming all other Higgs boson couplings except the one under study are fixed to the Standard Model predictions. The results are interpreted in the Standard Model effective field theory and Higgs effective field theory frameworks in terms of constraints on the couplings of anomalous Higgs boson (self-)interactions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Impact of W and Z Production Data and Compatibility of Neutrino DIS Data in Nuclear Parton Distribution Functions

Vector boson production and neutrino deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) data are crucial for constraining the strange quark parton distribution function (PDF) and more generally for flavor decomposition in PDF extractions. We extend the nCTEQ15 nuclear PDFs (nPDFs) by adding the recent W and Z production data from the LHC in a global nPDF fit. The new nPDF set, referred to as nCTEQ15WZ, is used as a starting point for a follow-up study in which we assess the compatibility of neutrino DIS data with charged lepton DIS data. Specifically, we re-analyze neutrino DIS data from NuTeV, Chorus, and CDHSW, as well as dimuon data from CCFR and NuTeV. To scrutinize the level of compatibility, different kinematic regions of the neutrino data are investigated. Fits to the neutrino data alone and a preliminary global fit are performed and compared to nCTEQ15WZ.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Search for the nonresonant production of Higgs boson pairs via gluon fusion and vector-boson fusion in the $b\bar{b}$τ + τ – final state in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for the nonresonant production of Higgs boson pairs in the HH → $b\overline{b}$$\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$ channel is performed using 140 fb -1 of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The analysis strategy is optimized to probe anomalous values of the Higgs boson self-coupling modifier $\kappa_{\tau}$ and of the quartic HHVV (v = W,Z) coupling modifier $\kappa$ 2⁢V . No significant excess above the expected background from Standard Model processes is observed. An observed (expected) upper limit μ HH < 5.9⁢(3.3) is set at 95% confidence-level on the Higgs boson pair production cross section normalized to its Standard Model prediction. The coupling modifiers are constrained to an observed (expected) 95% confidence interval of -3.1 <$\kappa_{\tau}$ < 9.0 (-2.5 < $\kappa_{\tau}$ < 9.3) and -0.5 <$\kappa$ 2⁢V < 2.7 (-0.2 <$\kappa$ 2⁢V < 2.4), assuming all other Higgs boson couplings are fixed to the Standard Model prediction. The results are also interpreted in the context of effective field theories via constraints on anomalous Higgs boson couplings and Higgs boson pair production cross sections assuming different kinematic benchmark scenarios.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electroweak scattering at the muon shot

It has long been recognized that the scattering of electroweak particles at very high energies is dominated by vector boson fusion, which probes the origin of electroweak symmetry breaking and offers a unique window into the ultraviolet regime of the Standard Model (SM). Previous studies assume SM-like couplings and rely on the effective W approximation (or electroweak parton distribution), whose validity is well established within the SM but not yet studied in the presence of anomalous Higgs couplings. In this work, we critically examine the electroweak production of two Higgs bosons in the presence of anomalous V V h and V V h h couplings. We compute the corresponding helicity amplitudes and compare the cross section results in the effective W approximation with the full fixed-order calculation. In particular, we identify two distinct classes of anomalous Higgs couplings, whose effects are not captured by vector boson fusion and effective W approximation. Such very-high-energy electroweak scatterings can be probed at the muon shot, a multi-TeV muon collider upon which we base our study, although similar considerations apply to other high-energy colliders. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Han, Tao↗
NASA NTRS1981

Adaptation of the TH Epsilon Mu formalism for the analysis of the equivalence principle in the presence of the weak and electroweak interaction

The TH epsilon mu formalism, used in analyzing equivalence principle experiments of metric and nonmetric gravity theories, is adapted to the description of the electroweak interaction using the Weinberg-Salam unified SU(2) x U(1) model. The use of the TH epsilon mu formalism is thereby extended to the weak interactions, showing how the gravitational field affects W sub mu (+ or -1) and Z sub mu (0) boson propagation and the rates of interactions mediated by them. The possibility of a similar extension to the strong interactions via SU(5) grand unified theories is briefly discussed. Also, using the effects of the potentials on the baryon and lepton wave functions, the effects of gravity on transition mediated in high-A atoms which are electromagnetically forbidden. Three possible experiments to test the equivalence principle in the presence of the weak interactions, which are technologically feasible, are then briefly outline: (1) K-capture by the FE nucleus (counting the emitted X-ray); (2) forbidden absorption transitions in high-A atoms' vapor; and (3) counting the relative Beta-decay rates in a suitable alpha-beta decay chain, assuming the strong interactions obey the equivalence principle.

Fennelly, A. J.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Improving Di-Higgs Sensitivity at Future Colliders in Hadronic Final States with Machine Learning

One of the central goals of the physics program at the future colliders is to elucidate the origin of electroweak symmetry breaking, including precision measurements of the Higgs sector. This includes a detailed study of Higgs boson (H) pair production, which can reveal the H self-coupling. Since the discovery of the Higgs boson, a large campaign of measurements of the properties of the Higgs boson has begun and many new ideas have emerged during the completion of this program. One such idea is the use of highly boosted and merged hadronic decays of the Higgs boson ($\mathrm{H}\to\mathrm{b}\bar{\mathrm{b}}$, $\mathrm{H}\to\mathrm{W}\mathrm{W}\to\mathrm{q}\bar{\mathrm{q}}\mathrm{q}\bar{\mathrm{q}}$) with machine learning methods to improve the signal-to-background discrimination. In this white paper, we champion the use of these modes to boost the sensitivity of future collider physics programs to Higgs boson pair production, the Higgs self-coupling, and Higgs-vector boson couplings. We demonstrate the potential improvement possible at the Future Circular Collider in hadron mode, especially with the use of graph neural networks.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

A measurement of the Higgs boson mass in the diphoton decay channel

A measurement of the mass of the Higgs boson in the diphoton decay channel is presented. This analysis is based on 35.9 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data collected during the 2016 LHC running period, with the CMS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. A refined detector calibration and new analysis techniques have been used to improve the precision of this measurement. The Higgs boson mass is measured to be $m_\mathrm{H} =$ 125.78$\pm$0.26 GeV. This is combined with a measurement of $m_\mathrm{H}$ already performed in the H$\to$ZZ$\to$4$\ell$ decay channel using the same data set, giving $m_\mathrm{H} =$ 125.46$\pm$0.16 GeV. This result, when further combined with an earlier measurement of $m_\mathrm{H}$ using data collected in 2011 and 2012 with the CMS detector, gives a value for the Higgs boson mass of $m_\mathrm{H} =$ 125.38$\pm$0.14 GeV. This is currently the most precise measurement of the mass of the Higgs boson.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measurements of Higgs boson production in the decay channel with a pair of τ leptons in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV

Measurements of Higgs boson production, where the Higgs boson decays into a pair of τ leptons, are presented, using a sample of proton-proton collisions collected with the CMS experiment at a center-of-mass energy of , corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb –1 . Three analyses are presented. Two are targeting Higgs boson production via gluon fusion and vector boson fusion: a neural network based analysis and an analysis based on an event categorization optimized on the ratio of signal over background events. These are complemented by an analysis targeting vector boson associated Higgs boson production. Results are presented in the form of signal strengths relative to the standard model predictions and products of cross sections and branching fraction to τ leptons, in up to 16 different kinematic regions. For the simultaneous measurements of the neural network based analysis and the analysis targeting vector boson associated Higgs boson production signal strengths are found to be 0.82 ± 0.11 for inclusive Higgs boson production, 0.67 ± 0.19 (0.81 ± 0.17) for the production mainly via gluon fusion (vector boson fusion), and 1.79 ± 0.45 for vector boson associated Higgs boson production.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗