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At least 37 records · Page 2

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 → b b ¯ WW * → b b ¯ ℓ v q q ¯ ' and the dilepton decay channels HH → b b ¯ WW * → b b ¯ ℓ v ℓ v and HH → b b ¯ ττ → b b ¯ ℓ vv ℓ vv are examined, where ℓ in the final state corresponds to an electron or muon. The signal is extracted using a two-dimensional maximum likelihood fit of the H → b b ¯ 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 → HH signatures with final-state leptons and at some masses provide the most sensitive limits of all X → HH searches.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Leptonic scalars and collider signatures in a UV-complete model

We study the non-standard interactions of neutrinos with light leptonic scalars ( ϕ ) in a global ( B – L )-conserved ultraviolet (UV)-complete model. The model utilizes Type-II seesaw motivated neutrino interactions with an SU(2) L -triplet scalar, along with an additional singlet in the scalar sector. This UV-completion leads to an enriched spectrum and consequently new observable signatures. We examine the low-energy lepton flavor violation constraints, as well as the perturbativity and unitarity constraints on the model parameters. Then we lay out a search strategy for the unique signature of the model resulting from the leptonic scalars at the hadron colliders via the processes H ±± → W ± W ± ϕ and H ± → W ± ϕ for both small and large leptonic Yukawa coupling cases. We find that via these associated production processes at the HL-LHC, the prospects of doubly-charged scalar H ±± can reach up to 800 (500) GeV and 1.1 (0.8) TeV at the 2 σ (5 σ ) significance for small and large Yukawa couplings, respectively. A future 100 TeV hadron collider will further increase the mass reaches up to 3.8 (2.6) TeV and 4 (2.7) TeV, at the 2 σ (5 σ ) significance, respectively. We also demonstrate that the mass of ϕ can be determined at about 10% accuracy at the LHC for the large Yukawa coupling case even though it escapes as missing energy from the detectors.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Leptonic anomalous magnetic moments in ν SMEFT

We investigate contributions to the anomalous magnetic moments of charged leptons in the neutrino-extended Standard Model Effective Field Theory (νSMEFT). We discuss how νSMEFT operators can contribute to a lepton’s magnetic moment at one- and two-loop order. We show that only one operator can account for existing electronic and muonic discrepancies, assuming new physics appears above 1 TeV. In particular, we find that a right-handed charged current in combination with minimal sterile-active mixing can explain the discrepancy for sterile neutrino masses of $\mathcal{O}$(100) GeV while avoiding direct and indirect constraints. We discuss how searches for sterile neutrino production at the (HL-)LHC, measurements of h → μ + μ - and searches for h → e + e - , neutrinoless double beta decay experiments, and improved unitarity tests of the CKM matrix can further probe the relevant parameter space.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The Higgs trilinear coupling and the scale of new physics

We consider modifications of the Higgs potential due to new physics at high energy scales. These upset delicate cancellations predicted by the Standard Model for processes involving Higgs bosons and longitudinal gauge bosons, and lead to a breakdown of the theory at high energies. We focus on modifications of the Higgs trilinear coupling and use the violation of tree-level unitarity as an estimate of the scale where the theory breaks down. We obtain a completely model-independent bound of $ \underset{\sim }{<} $ 13 TeV for an order-1 modification of the trilinear. We argue that this bound can be saturated only in fine-tuned models, and the scale of new physics is likely to be much lower. The most stringent bounds are obtained from amplitudes involving multiparticle states that are not conventional scattering states. Our results show that a future determination of the Higgs cubic coupling can point to a well-defined scale of new physics that can be targeted and explored at future colliders.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Search for resonant pair production of Higgs bosons in the $\textrm{b}\overline{\textrm{b}}\textrm{b}\overline{\textrm{b}}$ final state using large-area jets in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

A search is presented for the resonant production of a pair of standard model-like Higgs bosons using data from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2016–2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . The final state consists of two b quark-antiquark pairs. The search is conducted in the region of phase space where at least one of the pairs is highly Lorentz-boosted and is reconstructed as a single large-area jet. The other pair may be either similarly merged or resolved, the latter reconstructed using two b-tagged jets. The data are found to be consistent with standard model processes and are interpreted as 95% confidence level upper limits on the product of the cross sections and the branching fractions of the spin-0 radion and the spin-2 bulk graviton that arise in warped extradimensional models. The limits set are in the range 9.74–0.29 fb and 4.94–0.19 fb for a narrow radion and a graviton, respectively, with masses between 1 and 3 TeV. For a radion and for a bulk graviton with widths 10% of their masses, the limits are in the range 12.5–0.35 fb and 8.23–0.23 fb, respectively, for the same masses. These limits result in the exclusion of a narrow-width graviton with a mass below 1.2 TeV, and of narrow and 10%-width radions with masses below 2.6, and 2.9 TeV, respectively.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Higgs coupling measurements and the scale of new physics

A primary goal of present and future colliders is measuring the Higgs couplings to Standard Model (SM) particles. Any observed deviation from the SM predictions for these couplings is a sign of new physics whose energy scale can be bounded from above by requiring tree-level unitarity. In this paper, we extend previous work on unitarity bounds from the Higgs cubic coupling to Higgs couplings to vector bosons and top quarks. We find that HL-LHC measurements of these couplings compatible with current experimental bounds may point to a scale that can be explored at the HL-LHC or a next-generation collider. Our approach is completely model-independent: we assume only that there are no light degrees of freedom below the scale of new physics, and allow arbitrary values for the infinitely many couplings beyond the SM as long as they are in agreement with current measurements. We also extend and clarify the methodology of this analysis, and show that if the scale of new physics is above the TeV scale, then the deviations can be described by the leading higher-dimension gauge invariant operator, as in the SM effective field theory.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

A natural mechanism for approximate Higgs alignment in the 2HDM

The 2HDM possesses a neutral scalar interaction eigenstate whose tree-level properties coincide with the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson. In light of the LHC Higgs data which suggests that the observed Higgs boson is SM-like, it follows that the mixing of the SM Higgs interaction eigenstate with the other neutral scalar interaction eigenstates of the 2HDM should be suppressed, corresponding to the so-called Higgs alignment limit. The exact Higgs alignment limit can arise naturally due to a global symmetry of the scalar potential. If this symmetry is softly broken, then the Higgs alignment limit becomes approximate (although still potentially consistent with the current LHC Higgs data). In this paper, we obtain the approximate Higgs alignment suggested by the LHC Higgs data as a consequence of a softly broken global symmetry of the Higgs Lagrangian. However, this can only be accomplished if the Yukawa sector of the theory is extended. We propose an extended 2HDM with vector-like top quark partners, where explicit mass terms in the top sector provide the source of the soft symmetry breaking of a generalized CP symmetry. In this way, we can realize approximate Higgs alignment without a significant fine-tuning of the model parameters. We then explore the implications of the current LHC bounds on vector-like top quark partners for the success of our proposed scenario.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Probing exotic charged Higgs decays in the Type-II 2HDM through top rich signal at a future 100 TeV pp collider

The exotic decay modes of non-Standard Model Higgs bosons are efficient in probing the hierarchical Two Higgs Doublet Models (2HDM). In particular, the decay mode H ± → HW ± serves as a powerful channel in searching for charged Higgses. In this paper, we analyze the reach for H ± → HW ± → $t\bar{t}W$ at a 100 TeV pp collider, and show that it extends the reach of the previously studied ττW final states once above the top threshold. Top tagging technique is used, in combination with a boosted decision tree classifier. At the low tan β region, almost the entire hierarchical Type-II 2HDM parameter space can be probed via the combination of all exotic decay channels.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Global electroweak symmetric vacuum

Although the Higgs potential in the Standard Model (SM) contains only a simple electroweak symmetry breaking vacuum in the small field region, additional metastable or global vacua could exist in models beyond the SM. In this paper, we study one intriguing scenario with an additional electroweak symmetric vacuum that could be the global one. For the thermal universe ending at the current metastable vacuum, the electroweak symmetry should stay non-restored at high temperatures. We realize the scenario in a model with Higgs-portal couplings to SM singlet scalars with approximately global O(N) symmetries with a large N. For a large portion of model parameter space, both the quantum and thermal tunneling rates are suppressed such that our current metastable vacuum is long-lived enough. Our scenario predicts order-one changes for the Higgs self-couplings and a large contribution to the signal of the off-shell Higgs invisible decay. It can be partly probed at the LHC Run 3 and well tested at the high luminosity LHC. We also discuss the subcritical (anti-de Sitter) bubbles from the thermal tunneling that could have a large population and interesting cosmological implications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Probing exotic triple Higgs couplings at the LHC

In extended Higgs sectors that exhibit alignment without decoupling, the additional scalars are allowed to have large couplings to the Standard Model Higgs. We show that current nonresonant di-Higgs searches can be straightforwardly adapted to look for additional Higgses in these scenarios, where pair production of non-SM Higgses can be enhanced. For concreteness, we study pair production of exotic Higgses in the context of an almost inert two Higgs doublet model, where alignment is explained through an approximate $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry under which the additional scalars are odd. In this context, the smallness of the $\mathbb Z_2$ violating parameter suppresses single production of exotic Higgses, but it does not prevent a sizeable trilinear coupling $hHH$ between the SM Higgs ($h$) and the additional states ($H$). We study the process $pp\rightarrow h^* \rightarrow HH$ in the final states of $b\bar b b \bar b$, $b\bar b\gamma\gamma$, and multi-leptons. We find that at the HL-LHC these modes could be sensitive to masses of the additional neutral scalars in the range $130\mbox{ GeV} \lesssim m_H \lesssim 290\mbox{ GeV}$.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for new neutral Higgs bosons through the H$\to$ ZA $\to \ell^{+}\ell^{-} \mathrm{b\bar{b}}$ process in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV

This paper reports on a search for an extension to the scalar sector of the standard model, where a new CP-even (odd) boson decays to a Z boson and a lighter CP-odd (even) boson, and the latter further decays to a b quark pair. The Z boson is reconstructed via its decays to electron or muon pairs. The analysed data were recorded in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy $ \sqrt{s} $ = 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC during 2016, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{−1}$. Data and predictions from the standard model are in agreement within the uncertainties. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the production cross section times branching fraction, with masses of the new bosons up to 1000 GeV. The results are interpreted in the context of the two-Higgs-doublet model.[graphic not available: see fulltext]

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Model selection and signal extraction using Gaussian Process regression

We present a novel computational approach for extracting localized signals from smooth background distributions. We focus on datasets that can be naturally presented as binned integer counts, demonstrating our procedure on the CERN open dataset with the Higgs boson signature, from the ATLAS collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider. Our approach is based on Gaussian Process (GP) regression — a powerful and flexible machine learning technique which has allowed us to model the background without specifying its functional form explicitly and separately measure the background and signal contributions in a robust and reproducible manner. Unlike functional fits, our GP-regression-based approach does not need to be constantly updated as more data becomes available. We discuss how to select the GP kernel type, considering trade-offs between kernel complexity and its ability to capture the features of the background distribution. We show that our GP framework can be used to detect the Higgs boson resonance in the data with more statistical significance than a polynomial fit specifically tailored to the dataset. Finally, we use Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling to confirm the statistical significance of the extracted Higgs signature.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Unified framework for B -anomalies, muon g – 2 and neutrino masses

We present a model of radiative neutrino masses which also resolves anomalies reported in B -meson decays, \( {R}_{D^{\left(\ast \right)}} \) and \( {R}_{K^{\left(\ast \right)}} \) , as well as in muon g – 2 measurement, Δ a μ . Neutrino masses arise in the model through loop diagrams involving TeV-scale leptoquark (LQ) scalars R 2 and S 3 . Fits to neutrino oscillation parameters are obtained satisfying all flavor constraints which also explain the anomalies in \( {R}_{D^{\left(\ast \right)}} \) , \( {R}_{K^{\left(\ast \right)}} \) and Δ a μ within 1 σ . An isospin-3/2 Higgs quadruplet plays a crucial role in generating neutrino masses; we point out that the doubly-charged scalar contained therein can be produced in the decays of the S 3 LQ, which enhances its reach to 1.1 (6.2) TeV at \( \sqrt{s} \) = 14 TeV high-luminosity LHC ( \( \sqrt{s} \) = 100 TeV FCC-hh). We also present flavor-dependent upper limits on the Yukawa couplings of the LQs to the first two family fermions, arising from non-resonant dilepton ( pp → ℓ + ℓ – ) processes mediated by t -channel LQ exchange, which for 1 TeV LQ mass, are found to be in the range (0 . 15 – 0 . 36). These limits preclude any explanation of \( {R}_{D^{\left(\ast \right)}} \) through LQ-mediated B -meson decays involving ν e or ν μ in the final state. We also find that the same Yukawa couplings responsible for the chirally-enhanced contribution to Δ a μ give rise to new contributions to the SM Higgs decays to muon and tau pairs, with the modifications to the corresponding branching ratios being at (2–6)% level, which could be tested at future hadron colliders, such as HL-LHC and FCC-hh.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Search for light pseudoscalar boson pairs produced from Higgs boson decays using the 4τ and 2μ2τ final states in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV

A search for a pair of light pseudoscalar bosons (a 1 ) produced in the decay of the 125 GeV Higgs boson is presented. The analysis examines decay modes where one a 1 decays into a pair of tau leptons and the other decays into either another pair of tau leptons or a pair of muons. The a1 boson mass probed in this study ranges from 4 to 15 GeV. The data sample was recorded by the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . No excess above standard model (SM) expectations is observed. The study combines the 4τ and 2μ2τ channels to set upper limits at 95% confidence level (CL) on the product of the Higgs boson production cross section and the branching fraction to the 4τ final state, relative to the Higgs boson production cross section predicted by the SM. In this interpretation, the a 1 boson is assumed to have Yukawa-like couplings to fermions, with coupling strengths proportional to the respective fermion masses. The observed (expected) upper limits range between 0.007 (0.011) and 0.079 (0.066) across the mass range considered. The results are also interpreted in the context of models with two Higgs doublets and an additional complex singlet field (2HD+S). The tightest constraints are obtained for the Type III 2HD+S model. In this case, assuming the Higgs boson production cross section equals the SM prediction, values of the branching ratio for the Higgs boson decay into a pair of a1 bosons exceeding 16% are excluded at 95% CL for a1 boson masses between 5 and 15 GeV and tan β > 2, with the exception of scenarios in which the a1 boson mixes with charm or bottom quark-antiquark bound states.

Higgs physics↗

Probing the top Yukawa coupling at the LHC via associated production of single top and Higgs

We study Higgs boson production associated with single top or anti-top via t-channel weak boson exchange at the LHC. The process is an ideal probe of the top quark Yukawa coupling, because we can measure the relative phase of htt and hWW couplings, thanks to the significant interference between the two amplitudes. By choosing the emitted W momentum along the polar axis in the th ($\bar{t}h$) rest frame, we obtain the helicity amplitudes for all the contributing subprocesses analytically, with possible CP phase of the Yukawa coupling. We study the azimuthal asymmetry between the W emission and the Wb ($\bar{b}$) → t($\bar{t}$) h scattering planes, as well as several t and $\bar{t}$ polarization asymmetries as a signal of CP violating phase in the htt coupling. Both the azimuthal asymmetry and the polarization perpendicular to the scattering plane are found to have the opposite sign between the top and anti-top events. We identify the origin of the sign of asymmetries, and propose the possibility of direct CP violation test in pp collisions by comparing the top and anti-top polarization at the LHC.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Type-I 2HDM under the Higgs and electroweak precision measurements

We explore the extent to which future precision measurements of the Standard Model (SM) observables at the proposed Z -factories and Higgs factories may have impacts on new physics beyond the Standard Model, as illustrated by studying the Type-I Two-Higgs-doublet model (Type-I 2HDM). We include the contributions from the heavy Higgs bosons at the tree-level and at the one-loop level in a full model-parameter space. While only small tan β region is strongly constrained at tree level, the large tan β region gets constrained at loop level due to tan β enhanced tri-Higgs couplings. We perform a multiple variable χ 2 fit with non-alignment and non-degenerate masses. We find that the allowed parameter ranges could be tightly constrained by the future Higgs precision measurements, especially for small and large values of tan β . Indirect limits on the masses of heavy Higgs bosons can be obtained, which can be complementary to the direct searches of the heavy Higgs bosons at hadron colliders. We also find that the expected accuracies at the Z -pole and at a Higgs factory are quite complementary in constraining mass splittings of heavy Higgs bosons. The typical results are | cos( β - α ) | < 0 . 05 , | Δ m Φ | < 200 GeV, and tan β ≳ 0 . 3. The reaches from CEPC, Fcc-ee and ILC are also compared, for both Higgs and Z -pole precision measurements. Comparing to the Type-II 2HDM, the 95% C.L. allowed range of cos( β - α ) is larger, especially for large values of tan β .

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Search for a new scalar resonance decaying to a Higgs boson and another new scalar particle in the final state with two bottom quarks and two photons in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV

A search is presented for a new scalar resonance, X, decaying to a standard model Higgs boson and another new scalar particle, Y, in the final state where the Higgs boson decays to a $\text{b}\overline{\text{b} }$ pair, while the Y particle decays to a pair of photons. The search is performed in the mass range 240–1000 GeV for the resonance X, and in the mass range 70–800 GeV for the particle Y, using proton-proton collision data collected by the CMS experiment at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 132 fb −1 . In general, the data are found to be compatible with the standard model expectation. Observed (expected) upper limits at 95% confidence level on the product of the production cross section and the relevant branching fraction are extracted for the X → YH process, and are found to be within the range of 0.05–2.69 (0.08–1.94) fb, depending on m X and m Y . The most significant deviation from the background-only hypothesis is observed for X and Y masses of 300 and 77 GeV, respectively, with a local (global) significance of 3.33 (0.65) standard deviations.

Beyond Standard Model↗

Measurement of cross sections for production of a $Z$ boson in association with a flavor-inclusive or doubly $b$-tagged large-radius jet in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = $13$ $\mathrm{TeV}$ with the ATLAS experiment

We present measurements of cross sections for production of a leptonically decaying $Z$ boson in association with a large-radius jet in 13 TeV proton-proton collisions at the LHC, using 36 fb –1 of data from the ATLAS detector. Integrated and differential cross sections are measured at particle level in both a flavor inclusive and a doubly $b$-tagged fiducial phase space. The large-radius jet mass and transverse momentum, its kinematic relationship to the Z boson, and the angular separation of $b$-tagged small-radius track jets within the large-radius jet are measured. This measurement constitutes an important test of perturbative quantum chromodynamics in kinematic and flavor configurations relevant to several Higgs boson and beyond-Standard-Model physics analyses. The results highlight issues with modeling of additional hadronic activity in the flavor-inclusive selection, and a distinction between flavor-number schemes in the $b$-tagged phase space.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗