Observation of γγ → ττ in proton-proton collisions and limits on the anomalous electromagnetic moments of the τ lepton

The production of a pair of τ leptons via photon–photon fusion, γγ → ττ, is observed for the f irst time in proton–proton collisions, with a significance of 5.3 standard deviations. This observation is based on a data set recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1. Events with a pair of τ leptons produced via photon–photon fusion are selected by requiring them to be back-to-back in the azimuthal direction and to have a minimum number of charged hadrons associated with their production vertex. The τ leptons are reconstructed in their leptonic and hadronic decay modes. The measured fiducial cross section of γγ → ττ is σfid obs = 12.4+3.8 −3.1 fb. Constraints are set on the contributions to the anomalous magnetic moment (aτ) and electric dipole moments (dτ) of the τ lepton originating from potential effects of new physics on the γττ vertex: aτ = 0.0009+0.0032 −0.0031 and |dτ| < 2.9×10−17ecm (95% confidence level), consistent with the standard model

Energy Resolution of the Barrel of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

The energy resolution of the barrel part of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter has been studied using electrons of 20 to 250 GeV in a test beam. The incident electron's energy was reconstructed by summing the energy measured in arrays of 3x3 or 5x5 channels. There was no significant amount of correlated noise observed within these arrays. For electrons incident at the centre of the studied 3x3 arrays of crystals, the mean stochastic term was measured to be 2.8% and the mean constant term to be 0.3%. The amount of the incident electron's energy which is contained within the array depends on its position of incidence. The variation of the containment with position is corrected for using the distribution of the measured energy within the array. For uniform illumination of a crystal with 120 GeV electrons a resolution of 0.5% was achieved. The energy resolution meets the design goal for the detector

Results of the First Performance Tests of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

Performance tests of some aspects of the CMS ECAL were carried out on modules of the "barrel" sub-system in 2002 and 2003. A brief test with high energy electron beams was made in late 2003 to validate prototypes of the new Very Front End electronics. The final versions of the monitoring and cooling systems, and of the high and low voltage regulation were used in these tests. The results are consistent with the performance targets including those for noise and overall energy resolution, required to fulfil the physics programme of CMS at the LHC

High-precision measurement of the W boson mass with the CMS experiment at the LHC

In the standard model of particle physics, the masses of the carriers of the weak interaction, the W and Z bosons, are uniquely related. Physics beyond the standard model could change this relationship through the effects of quantum loops of virtual particles, thus making it of great importance to measure these masses with the highest possible precision. Although the mass of the Z boson is known to the remarkable precision of 22 parts per million (2.0 MeV), the W boson mass is known much less precisely, given the difficulty of the measurement. A global fit to electroweak data, used to predict the W boson mass in the standard model, yields an uncertainty of 6 MeV. Reaching a comparable experimental precision would be a sensitive and fundamental test of the standard model. Furthermore, a precision measurement of the W boson mass performed by the CDF Collaboration at the Fermilab Tevatron has challenged the standard model by significantly disagreeing with the prediction of the global electroweak fit and the average of other $m_\mathrm{W}$ measurements. We report the first W boson mass measurement by the CMS Collaboration at the CERN LHC, based on a data sample collected in 2016 at the proton-proton collision energy of 13 TeV. The W boson mass is measured using a large sample of W$\to\mu\nu$ events via a highly granular binned maximum likelihood fit to the kinematic properties of the muons produced in the W$^{+}$ and W$^{-}$ boson decays. The significant in situ constraints of theoretical inputs and their corresponding uncertainties, together with an accurate determination of the experimental effects, lead to a precise W boson mass measurement, $m_\mathrm{W} =$ 80$\,$360.2 $\pm$ 9.9 MeV, in agreement with the standard model prediction

Search for a non-standard-model Higgs boson decaying to a pair of new light bosons in four-muon final states

Results are reported from a search for non-standard-model Higgs boson decays to pairs of new light bosons, each of which decays into the μ+μ− final state. The new bosons may be produced either promptly or via a decay chain. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.3 fb−1 of proton–proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV, recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2011. Such Higgs boson decays are predicted in several scenarios of new physics, including supersymmetric models with extended Higgs sectors or hidden valleys. Thus, the results of the search are relevant for establishing whether the new particle observed in Higgs boson searches at the LHC has the properties expected for a standard model Higgs boson. No excess of events is observed with respect to the yields expected from standard model processes. A model-independent upper limit of 0.86±0.06 fb on the product of the cross section times branching fraction times acceptance is obtained. The results, which are applicable to a broad spectrum of new physics scenarios, are compared with the predictions of two benchmark models as functions of a Higgs boson mass larger than 86 GeV/c2 and of a new light boson mass within the range 0.25–3.55 GeV/c2

Search for gluino mediated bottom- and top-squark production in multijet final states in pp collisions at 8 TeV

A search for supersymmetry is presented based on events with large missing transverse energy, no isolated electron or muon, and at least three jets with one or more identified as a bottom-quark jet. A simultaneous examination is performed of the numbers of events in exclusive bins of the scalar sum of jet transverse momentum values, missing transverse energy, and bottom-quark jet multiplicity. The sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.4 fb−1, consists of proton–proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2012. The observed numbers of events are found to be consistent with the standard model expectation, which is evaluated with control samples in data. The results are interpreted in the context of two simplified supersymmetric scenarios in which gluino pair production is followed by the decay of each gluino to an undetected lightest supersymmetric particle and either a bottom or top quark–antiquark pair, characteristic of gluino mediated bottom- or top-squark production. Using the production cross section calculated to next-to-leading-order plus next-to-leading-logarithm accuracy, and in the limit of a massless lightest supersymmetric particle, we exclude gluinos with masses below 1170 GeV and 1020 GeV for the two scenarios, respectively

Search for long-lived particles in events with photons and missing energy in proton–proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV

Results are presented from a search for long-lived neutralinos decaying into a photon and an invisible particle, a signature associated with gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking in supersymmetric models. The analysis is based on a 4.9 inverse femtobarn sample of proton-proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The missing transverse energy and the time of arrival of the photon at the electromagnetic calorimeter are used to search for an excess of events over the expected background. No significant excess is observed, and lower limits at the 95% confidence level are obtained on the mass of the lightest neutralino, m(neutralino) > 220 GeV (for c tau 6000 mm (for m(neutralino) < 150 GeV)

Measurement of the Υ(1S), Υ(2S), and Υ(3S) cross sections in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The Υ(1S), Υ(2S), and Υ(3S) production cross sections are measured using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.8 ± 1.4 inverse picobarns of proton-proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The Upsilon resonances are identified through their decays to dimuons. Integrated over the Υ transverse momentum range pΥt< 50GeV and rapidity range |yΥ| < 2.4, and assuming unpolarized Upsilon production, the products of the Upsilon production cross sections and dimuon branching fractions are σ(pp→Υ(1S)X).B(Υ(1S)→μ+μ−)=(8.55±0.05+0.56−0.50±0.34)nb, σ(pp→Υ(2S)X).B(Υ(2S)→μ+μ−)=(2.21±0.03+0.16−0.14±0.09)nb, σ(pp→Υ(3S)X).B(Υ(3S)→μ+μ−)=(1.11±0.02+0.10−0.08±0.04)nb, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is from the uncertainty in the integrated luminosity. The differential cross sections in bins of transverse momentum and rapidity, and the cross section ratios are presented. Cross section measurements performed within a restricted muon kinematic range and not corrected for acceptance are also provided. These latter measurements are independent of Upsilon polarization assumptions. The results are compared to theoretical predictions and previous measurements

Search for anomalous production of highly boosted Z bosons decaying to μ+μ− in proton–proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV

Results are reported from a search for the anomalous production of highly boosted Z bosons with large transverse momentum and decaying to μ+μ-. Such Z bosons may be produced in the decays of new heavy particles. The search uses pp collision data at sqrt(s)=7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb−1 recorded with the CMS detector. The shape of the observed transverse momentum distribution of Z bosons is consistent with standard model expectations. Constraints are obtained on models predicting the production of excited quarks decaying via electroweak processes. Assuming a compositeness scale that is equal to the excited quark mass as well as transition coupling strengths between Z bosons and excited quarks that are equal to standard model couplings to quarks, masses of excited quarks below 1.94 TeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level. For excited quark production via a novel contact interaction, masses below 2.22 TeV are excluded, even if the excited quarks do not couple to gluon