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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
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 OSTI2020

Signals with six bottom quarks for charged and neutral Higgs bosons

In extensions of two Higgs doublet models with vectorlike quarks, the decays of vectorlike quarks may easily be dominated by cascade decays through charged or neutral Higgs bosons leading to signatures with 6 top or bottom quarks. Since top quark decays also contain bottom quarks, a common signature for many possible decay chains is 6 bottom quarks in the final state. We present a search strategy focusing on this final state and find the mass ranges of vectorlike quarks and Higgs bosons that can be explored at the Large Hadron Collider. Among other results, the sensitivity to the charged and neutral Higgs bosons, extending to about 2 TeV, stands out when compared to models without vectorlike matter.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Probing bottom-associated production of a TeV scale scalar decaying to a top quark and dark matter at the LHC

Abstract A minimal non-thermal dark matter model that can explain both the existence of dark matter and the baryon asymmetry in the universe is studied. It requires two color-triplet, iso-singlet scalars with$$ \mathcal{O}\left(\textrm{TeV}\right) $$ O TeV masses and a singlet Majorana fermion with a mass of$$ \mathcal{O}\left(\textrm{GeV}\right) $$ O GeV . The fermion becomes stable and can play the role of the dark matter candidate. We consider the fermion to interact with a top quark via the exchange of QCD-charged scalar fields coupled dominantly to third generation fermions. The signature of a single top quark production associated with a bottom quark and large missing transverse momentum opens up the possibility to search for this type of model at the LHC in a way complementary to existing monotop searches.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Charged and neutral Higgs bosons in final states with 6 bottom quarks

In extensions of two Higgs doublet models with vectorlike quarks, the decays of vectorlike quarks may be easily dominated by cascade decays through charged or neutral Higgs bosons leading to signatures with 6 top or bottom quarks. Since top quark decays also contain bottom quarks, the 6 bottom quarks in final states is a common signature to a large class of possible decay chains. We present a search strategy focusing on this final state and find the mass ranges of vectorlike quarks and Higgs bosons that can be explored at the Large Hadron Collider. Among other results the sensitivity to the charged Higgs boson, extending above 2 TeV, stands out when compared to models without vectorlike matter.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Search for heavy Higgs bosons decaying to a top quark pair in proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 13 TeV

A search is presented for additional scalar (H) or pseudoscalar (A) Higgs bosons decaying to a top quark pair in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data set analyzed corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Final states with one or two charged leptons are considered. The invariant mass of the reconstructed top quark pair system and variables that are sensitive to the spin of the particles decaying into the top quark pair are used to search for signatures of the H or A bosons. The interference with the standard model top quark pair background is taken into account. A moderate signal-like deviation compatible with an A boson with a mass of 400 GeV is observed with a global significance of 1.9 standard deviations. New stringent constraints are reported on the strength of the coupling of the hypothetical bosons to the top quark, with the mass of the bosons ranging from 400 to 750 GeV and their total relative width from 0.5 to 25%. The results of the search are also interpreted in a minimal supersymmetric standard model scenario. Values of $m_\mathrm{A}$ from 400 to 700 GeV are probed, and a region with values of $\tan\beta$ below 1.0 to 1.5, depending on $m_\mathrm{A}$, is excluded at 95% confidence level.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Search for singly produced vectorlike top partners in multilepton final states with 139 fb −1 of 𝑝⁢𝑝 collision data at √𝑠 =13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for the single production of a vectorlike top partner (𝑇) with mass greater than 1 TeV decaying into a 𝑍 boson and a top quark is presented, using the full Run 2 dataset corresponding to 139 fb −1 of 𝑝⁢𝑝 collisions at √𝑠 =13 TeV, collected in 2015–2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The targeted final state is characterized by the presence of a pair of electrons or muons with opposite-sign charges which form a 𝑍-boson candidate, as well as by the presence of 𝑏-tagged jets and forward jets. Events with exactly two or at least three leptons are categorized into two independently optimized analysis channels. No significant excess above the background expectation is observed and the results from the two channels are statistically combined to set exclusion limits at 95% confidence level on the masses and couplings of 𝑇. The results are interpreted in several benchmark scenarios to set limits on the mass and universal coupling strength (𝜅) of the vectorlike quark. For singlet 𝑇 quarks, 𝜅 values between 0.22 and 0.64 are excluded for masses between 1000 and 1975 GeV. For 𝑇 quarks in the doublet scenario, where the production cross section is much lower, 𝜅 values between 0.54 and 0.88 are excluded for masses between 1000 and 1425 GeV.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

On the modeling of $t\bar{t}W^\pm$ signatures at the LHC

We discuss our recent progress on improving the theoretical description of the pp \to t\bar{t}W^\pm p p → t t ‾ W ± process with particular focus on fiducial signatures that include top-quark decays. We employ a wide range of techniques from parton shower matching, narrow width approximation to full off-shell computations to assess the importance of the different modeling approaches.

Kraus, Manfred↗
DOE OSTI2023

Search for a new pseudoscalar decaying into a pair of muons in events with a top-quark pair at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ $\mathrm{TeV}$ with the ATLAS detector

A search for a new pseudoscalar a-boson produced in events with a top-quark pair, where the a-boson decays into a pair of muons, is performed using $\sqrt{s}$=13 TeV pp collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb -1 . The search targets the final state where only one top quark decays to an electron or muon, resulting in a signature with three leptons eμμ and μμμ. No significant excess of events above the Standard Model expectation is observed and upper limits are set on two signal models: $pp→t\bar{t}a$ and $pp→t\bar{t}$ with $t→H^±b, H^±→W^±a$, where $a→μμ$, in the mass ranges 15 GeV a <72 GeV and 120 GeV≤m H± ≤160 GeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Search for the rare decay of the W boson into a pion and a photon in proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s}$=13TeV

A search is performed for the rare decay W ± → π ± γ in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV . Data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb - 1 were collected during 2016 to 2018 with the CMS detector. This analysis exploits a novel search strategy based on W boson production in top quark pair events. An inclusive search for the W ± → π ± γ decay is not optimal at the LHC because of the high trigger thresholds. Instead, a trigger selection is exploited in which the W boson originating from one of the top quarks is used to tag the event in a leptonic decay. The W boson emerging from the other top quark is used to search for the W ± → π ± γ signature. Such decays are characterized by an isolated track pointing to a large energy deposit, and by an isolated photon of large transverse momentum. The presence of b quark jets reduces the background from the hadronization of light-flavor quarks and gluons. The W ± → π ± γ decay is not observed. An upper exclusion limit is set to this branching fraction, corresponding to 1.50 × 10 - 5 at 95% confidence level, whereas the expected upper exclusion limit is 0.85 - 0.29 + 0.52 × 10 - 5 .

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for dark matter production in association with a single top quark in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV

A search for the production of a single top quark in association with invisible particles is performed using proton-proton collision data collected with the CMS detector at the LHC at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . In this search, a flavor-changing neutral current produces a single top quark or antiquark and an invisible state nonresonantly. The invisible state consists of a hypothetical spin-1 particle acting as a new mediator and decaying to two spin-1/2 dark matter candidates. The analysis searches for events in which the top quark or antiquark decays hadronically. No significant excess of events compatible with that signature is observed. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are placed on the masses of the spin-1 mediator and the dark matter candidates, and are compared to constraints from the dark matter relic density measurements. In a vector (axial-vector) coupling scenario, masses of the spin-1 mediator are excluded up to 1.85 (1.85) TeV with an expectation of 2.0 (2.0) TeV, whereas masses of the dark matter candidates are excluded up to 0.75 (0.55) TeV with an expectation of 0.85 (0.65) TeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evidence for top quark production in nucleus-nucleus collisions

We report droplets of quark-gluon plasma (QGP), an exotic state of strongly interacting quantum chromodynamics (QCD) matter, are routinely produced in heavy nuclei high-energy collisions. Although the experimental signatures marked a paradigm shift away from expectations of a weakly coupled QGP, a challenge remains as to how the locally deconfined state with a lifetime of a few fm can be resolved. The only colored particle that decays mostly within the QGP is the top quark. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, that top quark decay products are identified, irrespective of whether interacting with the medium (bottom quarks) or not (leptonically decaying W bosons). Using 1.7±0.1 nb -1 of lead-lead (A = 208) collision data recorded by the CMS experiment at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV, we report evidence of top quark pair ($t\bar{t}$) production. Dilepton final states are selected, and the cross section ($σ_{t\bar{t}}$) is measured from a likelihood fit to a multivariate discriminator using lepton kinematic variables. The $σ_{t\bar{t}}$ measurement is additionally performed considering the jets originating from the hadronization of bottom quarks, which improve the sensitivity to the $t\bar{t}$ signal process. After background subtraction and analysis corrections, the measured $σ_{t\bar{t}}$ is 2.56 ± 0.82(tot) and 2.02 ± 0.69(tot)μb in the two cases, respectively, consistent with predictions from perturbative QCD.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

$t\overline{t}t\overline{t}$ signatures through the lens of color-octet scalars

We reinterpret two recent LHC searches for events containing four top quarks ($t\overline{t}t\overline{t}$) in the context of supersymmetric models with Dirac gauginos and color-octet scalars (sgluons). We explore whether sgluon contributions to the four-top production cross section σ ($pp$ → $t\overline{t}t\overline{t}$) can accommodate an excess of four-top events recently reported by the ATLAS collaboration. We also study constraints on these models from an ATLAS search for new phenomena with high jet multiplicity and significant missing transverse energy ($E^{miss}_{T}$) sensitive to signals with four top quarks. We find that these two analyses provide complementary constraints, with the jets + $E^{miss}_{T}$ search exceeding the four-top cross section measurement in sensitivity for sgluons heavier than about 800 GeV. We ultimately find that either a scalar or a pseudoscalar sgluon can currently fit the ATLAS excess in a range of reasonable benchmark scenarios, though a pseudoscalar in minimal Dirac gaugino models is ruled out. We finally offer sensitivity projections for these analyses at the HL-LHC, mapping the 5σ discovery potential in sgluon parameter space and computing exclusion limits at 95% CL in scenarios where no excess is found.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Measurement of the Higgs boson production rate in association with top quarks in final states with electrons, muons, and hadronically decaying tau leptons at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV

The rate for Higgs (${\mathrm{H}} $) bosons production in association with either one (${\mathrm{t}} {\mathrm{H}} $) or two (${\mathrm{t}} {{\overline{{{\mathrm{t}}}}}} {\mathrm{H}} $) top quarks is measured in final states containing multiple electrons, muons, or tau leptons decaying to hadrons and a neutrino, using proton–proton collisions recorded at a center-of-mass energy of $13\,\text {Te}\text {V} $ by the CMS experiment. The analyzed data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 137$\,\text {fb}^{-1}$. The analysis is aimed at events that contain ${\mathrm{H}} \rightarrow {\mathrm{W}} {\mathrm{W}} $, ${\mathrm{H}} \rightarrow {\tau } {\tau } $, or ${\mathrm{H}} \rightarrow {\mathrm{Z}} {\mathrm{Z}} $ decays and each of the top quark(s) decays either to lepton+jets or all-jet channels. Sensitivity to signal is maximized by including ten signatures in the analysis, depending on the lepton multiplicity. The separation among ${\mathrm{t}} {\mathrm{H}} $, ${\mathrm{t}} {{\overline{{{\mathrm{t}}}}}} {\mathrm{H}} $, and the backgrounds is enhanced through machine-learning techniques and matrix-element methods. The measured production rates for the ${\mathrm{t}} {{\overline{{{\mathrm{t}}}}}} {\mathrm{H}} $ and ${\mathrm{t}} {\mathrm{H}} $ signals correspond to $0.92 \pm 0.19\,\text {(stat)} ^{+0.17}_{-0.13}\,\text {(syst)} $ and $5.7 \pm 2.7\,\text {(stat)} \pm 3.0\,\text {(syst)} $ of their respective standard model (SM) expectations. The corresponding observed (expected) significance amounts to 4.7 (5.2) standard deviations for ${\mathrm{t}} {{\overline{{{\mathrm{t}}}}}} {\mathrm{H}} $, and to 1.4 (0.3) for ${\mathrm{t}} {\mathrm{H}} $ production. Assuming that the Higgs boson coupling to the tau lepton is equal in strength to its expectation in the SM, the coupling $y_{{\mathrm{t}}}$ of the Higgs boson to the top quark divided by its SM expectation, $\kappa _{{\mathrm{t}}}=y_{{\mathrm{t}}}/y_{{\mathrm{t}}}^{\mathrm {SM}}$, is constrained to be within $-0.9< \kappa _{{\mathrm{t}}}< -0.7$ or $0.7< \kappa _{{\mathrm{t}}}< 1.1$, at 95% confidence level. This result is the most sensitive measurement of the ${\mathrm{t}} {{\overline{{{\mathrm{t}}}}}} {\mathrm{H}} $ production rate to date.

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 OSTI2025

Search for a new pseudoscalar decaying into a pair of bottom and antibottom quarks in top-associated production in $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV proton–proton collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for a pseudoscalar a produced in association with a top-quark pair, or in association with a single top quark plus a W boson, with the pseudoscalar decaying into b-quarks $(a → b\bar{b})$, is performed using the full Run 2 data sample using a dileptonic decay mode signature. The search covers pseudoscalar boson masses between 12 and 100 GeV and involves both the kinematic regime where the decay products of the pseudoscalar are reconstructed as two standard b-tagged small-radius jets, or merged into a large-radius jet due to its Lorentz boost. No significant excess relative to expectations is observed. Assuming a branching ratio BR$(a → b\bar{b})$ = 100%, the range of pseudoscalar masses between 50 and 80 GeV is excluded at 95% confidence level for a coupling of the pseudoscalar to the top quark of 0.5, while a coupling of 1.0 is excluded at 95% confidence level for the masses considered, with the coupling defined as the strength modifier of the Standard Model Yukawa coupling.

Aad, G. [Aix-Marseille Univ., Marseille (France)] ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Combined searches for the production of supersymmetric top quark partners in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13\,\text {Te}\text {V} $

A combination of searches for top squark pair production using proton–proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13$\,\text {Te}\text {V}$ at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137$\,\text {fb}^{-1}$ collected by the CMS experiment, is presented. Signatures with at least 2 jets and large missing transverse momentum are categorized into events with 0, 1, or 2 leptons. New results for regions of parameter space where the kinematical properties of top squark pair production and top quark pair production are very similar are presented. Depending on the model, the combined result excludes a top squark mass up to 1325$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$ for a massless neutralino, and a neutralino mass up to 700$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$ for a top squark mass of 1150$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$. Top squarks with masses from 145 to 295$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$, for neutralino masses from 0 to 100$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$, with a mass difference between the top squark and the neutralino in a window of 30$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$ around the mass of the top quark, are excluded for the first time with CMS data. The results of theses searches are also interpreted in an alternative signal model of dark matter production via a spin-0 mediator in association with a top quark pair. Upper limits are set on the cross section for mediator particle masses of up to 420$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗