ORCID Profile
0000-0001-5314-7581
Current Organisation
University of California Davis
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-2022
Abstract: A search for physics beyond the standard model (SM) in final states with an electron or muon and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis uses data from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2016–2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb − 1 . No significant deviation from the SM prediction is observed. Model-independent limits are set on the production cross section of W’ bosons decaying into lepton-plus-neutrino final states. Within the framework of the sequential standard model, with the combined results from the electron and muon decay channels a W’ boson with mass less than 5.7 TeV is excluded at 95% confidence level. Results on a SM precision test, the determination of the oblique electroweak W parameter, are presented using LHC data for the first time. These results together with those from the direct W’ resonance search are used to extend existing constraints on composite Higgs scenarios. This is the first experimental exclusion on compositeness parameters using results from LHC data other than Higgs boson measurements.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 18-08-2022
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 07-2022
DOI: 10.1088/1748-0221/17/07/P07023
Abstract: A new algorithm is presented to discriminate reconstructed hadronic decays of tau leptons ( τ h ) that originate from genuine tau leptons in the CMS detector against τ h candidates that originate from quark or gluon jets, electrons, or muons. The algorithm inputs information from all reconstructed particles in the vicinity of a τ h candidate and employs a deep neural network with convolutional layers to efficiently process the inputs. This algorithm leads to a significantly improved performance compared with the previously used one. For ex le, the efficiency for a genuine τ h to pass the discriminator against jets increases by 10–30% for a given efficiency for quark and gluon jets. Furthermore, a more efficient τ h reconstruction is introduced that incorporates additional hadronic decay modes. The superior performance of the new algorithm to discriminate against jets, electrons, and muons and the improved τ h reconstruction method are validated with LHC proton-proton collision data at √ s = 13 TeV.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 13-07-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-08-2022
Abstract: A measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry of pairs of oppositely charged leptons (dimuons and dielectrons) produced by the Drell-Yan process in proton-proton collisions is presented. The data s le corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb − 1 collected with the CMS detector at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The asymmetry is measured as a function of lepton pair mass for masses larger than 170 GeV and compared with standard model predictions. An inclusive measurement across both channels and the full mass range yields an asymmetry of 0 . 612 ± 0 . 005 (stat) ± 0 . 007 (syst). As a test of lepton flavor universality, the difference between the dimuon and dielectron asymmetries is measured as well. No statistically significant deviations from standard model predictions are observed. The measurements are used to set limits on the presence of additional gauge bosons. For a Z′ boson in the sequential standard model the observed (expected) 95% confidence level lower limit on the Z′ mass is 4.4 TeV (3.7 TeV).
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 21-06-2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-09-2022
Abstract: A search is presented for a heavy W′ boson resonance decaying to a B or T vector-like quark and a t or a b quark, respectively. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collisions collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb − 1 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. Both decay channels result in a signature with a t quark, a Higgs or Z boson, and a b quark, each produced with a significant Lorentz boost. The all-hadronic decays of the Higgs or Z boson and of the t quark are selected using jet substructure techniques to reduce standard model backgrounds, resulting in a distinct three-jet W′ boson decay signature. No significant deviation in data with respect to the standard model background prediction is observed. Upper limits are set at 95% confidence level on the product of the W′ boson cross section and the final state branching fraction. A W′ boson with a mass below 3.1 TeV is excluded, given the benchmark model assumption of democratic branching fractions. In addition, limits are set based on generalizations of these assumptions. These are the most sensitive limits to date for this final state.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 13-07-2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-12-2022
DOI: 10.1140/EPJC/S10052-022-10897-7
Abstract: Measurements of the associated production of a W boson and a charm ( $${\\text {c}}$$ c ) quark in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 $$\\,\\text {TeV}$$ TeV are reported. The analysis uses a data s le corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 19.7 $$\\,\\text {fb}^{-1}$$ fb - 1 collected by the CMS detector at the LHC. The W bosons are identified through their leptonic decays to an electron or a muon, and a neutrino. Charm quark jets are selected using distinctive signatures of charm hadron decays. The product of the cross section and branching fraction $$\\sigma (\\text {p}\\text {p}\\rightarrow \\text {W}+ {\\text {c}}+ \\text {X}) {\\mathcal {B}}(\\text {W}\\rightarrow \\ell \\upnu )$$ σ ( pp → W + c + X ) B ( W → ℓ ν ) , where $$\\ell = \\text {e}$$ ℓ = e or $$\\upmu $$ μ , and the cross section ratio $$\\sigma (\\text {p}\\text {p}\\rightarrow {{\\text {W}}^{+} + \\bar{{\\text {c}}} + \\text {X}}) / \\sigma (\\text {p}\\text {p}\\rightarrow {{\\text {W}}^{-} + {\\text {c}}+ \\text {X}})$$ σ ( pp → W + + c ¯ + X ) / σ ( pp → W - + c + X ) are measured in a fiducial volume and differentially as functions of the pseudorapidity and of the transverse momentum of the lepton from the W boson decay. The results are compared with theoretical predictions. The impact of these measurements on the determination of the strange quark distribution is assessed.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 20-05-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-2022
Abstract: A search for long-lived particles (LLPs) produced in association with a Z boson is presented. The study is performed using data from proton-proton collisions with a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the CMS experiment during 2016–2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 117 fb − 1 . The LLPs are assumed to decay to a pair of standard model quarks that are identified as displaced jets within the CMS tracker system. Triggers and selections based on Z boson decays to electron or muon pairs improve the sensitivity to light LLPs (down to 15 GeV). This search provides sensitivity to beyond the standard model scenarios which predict LLPs produced in association with a Z boson. In particular, the results are interpreted in the context of exotic decays of the Higgs boson to a pair of scalar LLPs (H → SS). The Higgs boson decay branching fraction is constrained to values less than 6% for proper decay lengths of 10–100 mm and for LLP masses between 40 and 55 GeV. In the case of low-mass ( ≈ 15 GeV) scalar particles that subsequently decay to a pair of b quarks, the search is sensitive to branching fractions $$ \\mathcal{B} $$ B (H → SS) 20% for proper decay lengths of 10–50 mm. The use of associated production with a Z boson increases the sensitivity to low-mass LLPs of this analysis with respect to gluon fusion searches. In the case of 15 GeV scalar LLPs, the improvement corresponds to a factor of 2 at a proper decay length of 30 mm.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-2022
Abstract: The associated production of a W and a Z boson is studied in final states with multiple leptons produced in proton-proton (pp) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV using 137 fb − 1 of data collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. A measurement of the total inclusive production cross section yields σ tot (pp → WZ) = 50 . 6 ± 0 . 8 (stat) ± 1 . 5 (syst) ± 1 . 1 (lumi) ± 0 . 5 (theo) pb. Measurements of the fiducial and differential cross sections for several key observables are also performed in all the final-state lepton flavour and charge compositions with a total of three charged leptons, which can be electrons or muons. All results are compared with theoretical predictions computed up to next-to-next-to-leading order in quantum chromodynamics plus next-to-leading or- der in electroweak theory and for various sets of parton distribution functions. The results include direct measurements of the charge asymmetry and the W and Z vector boson polarization. The first observation of longitudinally polarized W bosons in WZ production is reported. Anomalous gauge couplings are searched for, leading to new constraints on beyond-the-standard-model contributions to the WZ triple gauge coupling.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 05-07-2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-06-2022
Abstract: Results are presented from a search for charged-lepton flavor violating (CLFV) interactions in top quark production and decay in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The events are required to contain one oppositely charged electron-muon pair in the final state, along with at least one jet identified as originating from a bottom quark. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb − 1 , collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. This analysis includes both the production (q → e μ t) and decay (t → e μ q) modes of the top quark through CLFV interactions, with q referring to a u or c quark. These interactions are parametrized using an effective field theory approach. With no significant excess over the standard model expectation, the results are interpreted in terms of vector-, scalar-, and tensor-like CLFV four-fermion effective interactions. Finally, observed exclusion limits are set at 95% confidence levels on the respective branching fractions of a top quark to an e μ pair and an up (charm) quark of 0 . 13 × 10 − 6 (1 . 31 × 10 − 6 ), 0 . 07 × 10 − 6 (0 . 89 × 10 − 6 ), and 0 . 25 × 10 − 6 (2 . 59 × 10 − 6 ) for vector, scalar, and tensor CLFV interactions, respectively.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-05-2022
Abstract: A search is presented for single production of a vector-like T quark with charge 2 / 3 e , in the decay channel featuring a top quark and a Z boson, with the top quark decaying hadronically and the Z boson decaying to neutrinos. The search uses data collected by the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb − 1 recorded at the CERN LHC in 2016–2018. The search is sensitive to a T quark mass between 0.6 and 1.8 TeV with decay widths ranging from negligibly small up to 30% of the T quark mass. Reconstruction strategies for the top quark are based on the degree of Lorentz boosting of its final state. At 95% confidence level, the upper limit on the product of the cross section and branching fraction for a T quark of small decay width varies between 15 and 602 fb, depending on its mass. For a T quark with decay widths between 10 and 30% of its mass, this upper limit ranges between 16 and 836 fb. For most of the studied range, the results provide the best limits to date. This is the first search for single T quark production based on the full Run 2 data set of the LHC.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-05-2022
Abstract: The production cross section of a top quark pair in association with a photon is measured in proton-proton collisions in the decay channel with two oppositely charged leptons ( e ± μ ∓ , e + e − , or μ + μ − ). The measurement is performed using 138 fb − 1 of proton-proton collision data recorded by the CMS experiment at $$ \\sqrt{s} $$ s = 13 TeV during the 2016–2018 data-taking period of the CERN LHC. A fiducial phase space is defined such that photons radiated by initial-state particles, top quarks, or any of their decay products are included. An inclusive cross section of 175 . 2 ± 2 . 5(stat) ± 6 . 3(syst) fb is measured in a signal region with at least one jet coming from the hadronization of a bottom quark and exactly one photon with transverse momentum above 20 GeV. Differential cross sections are measured as functions of several kinematic observables of the photon, leptons, and jets, and compared to standard model predictions. The measurements are also interpreted in the standard model effective field theory framework, and limits are found on the relevant Wilson coefficients from these results alone and in combination with a previous CMS measurement of the t $$ \\overline{t} $$ t ¯ γ production process using the lepton+jets final state.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-10-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41567-022-01682-0
Abstract: Since the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, detailed studies of its properties have been ongoing. Besides its mass, its width—related to its lifetime—is an important parameter. One way to determine this quantity is to measure its off-shell production, where the Higgs boson mass is far away from its nominal value, and relating it to its on-shell production, where the mass is close to the nominal value. Here we report evidence for such off-shell contributions to the production cross-section of two Z bosons with data from the CMS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. We constrain the total rate of the off-shell Higgs boson contribution beyond the Z boson pair production threshold, relative to its standard model expectation, to the interval [0.0061, 2.0] at the 95% confidence level. The scenario with no off-shell contribution is excluded at a p -value of 0.0003 (3.6 standard deviations). We measure the width of the Higgs boson as $${{{\\varGamma }}}_{{{{{{\\rm{H}}}}}}}={3.2}_{-1.7}^{+2.4}\\,{{{{{\\rm{MeV}}}}}}$$ Γ H = 3.2 − 1.7 + 2.4 MeV , in agreement with the standard model expectation of 4.1 MeV. In addition, we set constraints on anomalous Higgs boson couplings to W and Z boson pairs.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2022
DOI: 10.1140/EPJC/S10052-022-10315-Y
Abstract: Using a data s le of $$\\sqrt{s}=13\\,\\text {TeV}$$ s = 13 TeV proton-proton collisions collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2017 and 2018 with an integrated luminosity of $$103\\text {~fb}^{-1}$$ 103 fb - 1 , the $$\\text {B}^{0}_{\\mathrm{s}} \\rightarrow \\uppsi (\\text {2S})\\text {K}_\\mathrm{S}^{0}$$ B s 0 → ψ ( 2S ) K S 0 and $$\\text {B}^{0} \\rightarrow \\uppsi (\\text {2S})\\text {K}_\\mathrm{S}^{0} \\uppi ^+\\uppi ^-$$ B 0 → ψ ( 2S ) K S 0 π + π - decays are observed with significances exceeding 5 standard deviations. The resulting branching fraction ratios, measured for the first time, correspond to $${\\mathcal {B}}(\\text {B}^{0}_{\\mathrm{s}} \\rightarrow \\uppsi (\\text {2S})K_\\mathrm{S}^{0})/{\\mathcal {B}}(\\text {B}^{0}\\rightarrow \\uppsi (\\text {2S})K_\\mathrm{S}^{0}) = (3.33 \\pm 0.69 (\\text {stat})\\, \\pm 0.11\\,(\\text {syst}) \\pm 0.34\\,(f_{\\mathrm{s}}/f_{\\mathrm{d}})) \\times 10^{-2}$$ B ( B s 0 → ψ ( 2S ) K S 0 ) / B ( B 0 → ψ ( 2S ) K S 0 ) = ( 3.33 ± 0.69 ( stat ) ± 0.11 ( syst ) ± 0.34 ( f s / f d ) ) × 10 - 2 and $${\\mathcal {B}}(\\text {B}^{0} \\rightarrow \\uppsi (\\text {2S})\\text {K}_\\mathrm{S}^{0} \\uppi ^{+} \\uppi ^{-})/ {\\mathcal {B}}(\\text {B}^{0} \\rightarrow \\uppsi (\\text {2S})\\text {K}^{0}_{\\mathrm{S}}) = 0.480 \\pm 0.013\\,(\\text {stat}) \\pm 0.032\\,(\\text {syst})$$ B ( B 0 → ψ ( 2S ) K S 0 π + π - ) / B ( B 0 → ψ ( 2S ) K S 0 ) = 0.480 ± 0.013 ( stat ) ± 0.032 ( syst ) , where the last uncertainty in the first ratio is related to the uncertainty in the ratio of production cross sections of $$\\hbox {B}^{0}_{\\mathrm{s}}$$ B s 0 and $$\\hbox {B}^{0}$$ B 0 mesons, $$f_{\\mathrm{s}}/f_{\\mathrm{d}}$$ f s / f d .
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-01-2023
DOI: 10.1038/S41567-022-01838-Y
Abstract: Protons consist of three valence quarks, two up-quarks and one down-quark, held together by gluons and a sea of quark-antiquark pairs. Collectively, quarks and gluons are referred to as partons. In a proton-proton collision, typically only one parton of each proton undergoes a hard scattering – referred to as single-parton scattering – leaving the remainder of each proton only slightly disturbed. Here, we report the study of double- and triple-parton scatterings through the simultaneous production of three J/ ψ mesons, which consist of a charm quark-antiquark pair, in proton-proton collisions recorded with the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. We observed this process – reconstructed through the decays of J/ ψ mesons into pairs of oppositely charged muons – with a statistical significance above five standard deviations. We measured the inclusive fiducial cross-section to be $$27{2}_{-104}^{+141}\\,{{{\\rm{(stat)}}}}\\,\\pm 17\\,{{{\\rm{(syst)}}}}\\,{{{\\rm{fb}}}}\\,$$ 27 2 − 104 + 141 (stat) ± 17 (syst) fb , and compared it to theoretical expectations for triple-J/ ψ meson production in single-, double- and triple-parton scattering scenarios. Assuming factorization of multiple hard-scattering probabilities in terms of single-parton scattering cross-sections, double- and triple-parton scattering are the dominant contributions for the measured process.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 14-06-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-06-2022
Abstract: The first measurement of the CP structure of the Yukawa coupling between the Higgs boson and τ leptons is presented. The measurement is based on data collected in proton-proton collisions at $$ \\sqrt{s} $$ s = 13 TeV by the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb − 1 . The analysis uses the angular correlation between the decay planes of τ leptons produced in Higgs boson decays. The effective mixing angle between CP -even and CP -odd τ Yukawa couplings is found to be − 1 ± 19°, compared to an expected value of 0 ± 21° at the 68.3% confidence level. The data disfavour the pure CP -odd scenario at 3.0 standard deviations. The results are compatible with predictions for the standard model Higgs boson.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2022
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 31-05-2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-2019
Abstract: A search for heavy neutral leptons (HNLs), the right-handed Dirac or Majorana neutrinos, is performed in final states with three charged leptons (electrons or muons) using proton-proton collision data collected by the CMS experiment at $$ \\sqrt{s} $$ s = 13 TeV at the CERN LHC. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb − 1 . The HNLs could be produced through mixing with standard model neutrinos ν . For small values of the HNL mass ( 20 GeV) and the square of the HNL- ν mixing parameter (10 − 7 –10 − 2 ), the decay length of these particles can be large enough so that the secondary vertex of the HNL decay can be resolved with the CMS silicon tracker. The selected final state consists of one lepton emerging from the primary proton-proton collision vertex, and two leptons forming a displaced, secondary vertex. No significant deviations from the standard model expectations are observed, and constraints are obtained on the HNL mass and coupling strength parameters, excluding previously unexplored regions of parameter space in the mass range 1–20 GeV and squared mixing parameter values as low as 10 − 7 .
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-06-2022
Abstract: The first collider search for dark matter arising from a strongly coupled hidden sector is presented and uses a data s le corresponding to 138 fb −1 , collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC, at $$ \\sqrt{s} $$ s = 13 TeV. The hidden sector is hypothesized to couple to the standard model (SM) via a heavy leptophobic Z′ mediator produced as a resonance in proton-proton collisions. The mediator decay results in two “semivisible” jets, containing both visible matter and invisible dark matter. The final state therefore includes moderate missing energy aligned with one of the jets, a signature ignored by most dark matter searches. No structure in the dijet transverse mass spectra compatible with the signal is observed. Assuming the Z′ boson has a universal coupling of 0.25 to the SM quarks, an inclusive search, relevant to any model that exhibits this kinematic behavior, excludes mediator masses of 1.5–4.0 TeV at 95% confidence level, depending on the other signal model parameters. To enhance the sensitivity of the search for this particular class of hidden sector models, a boosted decision tree (BDT) is trained using jet substructure variables to distinguish between semivisible jets and SM jets from background processes. When the BDT is employed to identify each jet in the dijet system as semivisible, the mediator mass exclusion increases to 5.1 TeV, for wider ranges of the other signal model parameters. These limits exclude a wide range of strongly coupled hidden sector models for the first time.
No related grants have been discovered for Richard Breedon.