Charged Lepton Pairs Research Articles

Mixed scalar-pseudoscalar Higgs boson production through next-to-next-to-leading order at the LHC

We study the production of a mixed scalar-pseudoscalar Higgs boson in gluon fusion at the LHC, through next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in QCD. We obtain fully differential results, including the decay of the Higgs boson to two charged lepton pairs. We discuss the impact of the interference between the scalar and pseudoscalar states. We also show differential distributions for several kinematic variables whose shape is sensitive to the parity of the Higgs boson, and assess the impact of the NNLO QCD corrections on these shapes.

Testing Lorentz-symmetry violation via electroweak decays

In this work we introduce CPT-odd non-minimal Lorentz-symmetry violating couplings to the electroweak sector modifying the interaction between leptons and gauge bosons. The vertex rules allow us to calculate tree-level processes modified by the presence of the novel dimension-five operators. For definitiveness, we investigate the $W$ decay into a lepton-neutrino pair, the $Z$ decay into pairs of charged and neutral leptons, as well as the decay of the muon. By comparing the experimental measurements on these processes to our results we are able to bound several combinations of the background 4-vectors to be $\lesssim 10^{-4} \, \mbox{GeV}^{-1}$.

Generalised \u03bc-\u03c4 symmetries and calculable gauge kinetic and mass mixing in mathrm{U}{(1)}_{L_{mu }-{L}_{tau }} models

Extensions of the standard model with a U(1) gauge symmetry contain gauge invariant kinetic mixing, sin χ, and gauge non-invariant mass mixing, δM2, between the hypercharge and the new gauge boson Z′. These represent a priori incalculable but phe- nomenologically important parameters of the theory. They become calculable if there exist spontaneously or softly broken symmetries which forbid them at tree level but allow their generation at the loop level. We discuss various symmetries falling in this category in the context of the gauged Lμ − Lτ models and their interplay with lepton mixing. It is shown that one gets phenomenologically inconsistent lepton mixing parameters if these symmetries are exact. Spontaneous breaking of these symmetries can lead to consistent lepton mixing and also generates finite and calculable values of these parameters at one or two loop order depending on the underlying symmetry. We calculate these parameters in two specific cases: (i) the standard seesaw model with μ-τ symmetry broken by the masses of the right-handed neutrinos and (ii) in a model containing a pair of vectorlike charged leptons which break μ-τ symmetry. In case (i), the right-handed neutrinos are the only source of gauge mixing. The kinetic mixing parameters are suppressed and vanish if the right-handed neutrinos decouple from the theory. In contrast, there exists a finite gauge mixing in case (ii) which survives even when the masses of vectorlike leptons are taken to infinity, exhibiting non-decoupling behaviour. The seesaw model discussed here represents a complete framework with practically no kinetic mixing and hence can survive a large number of experimental probes used to rule out specific ranges in the coupling g′ and mass {M}_{Z^{prime }} . The model can generate non-universality in tau decays, which can be tested in future experiments.

Measurement of top quark pair production in association with a Z boson in proton-proton collisions at sqrt{mathrm{s}} = 13 TeV

A measurement of the inclusive cross section of top quark pair production in association with a Z boson using proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the LHC is performed. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 77.5 fb−1, collected by the CMS experiment during 2016 and 2017. The measurement is performed using final states containing three or four charged leptons (electrons or muons), and the Z boson is detected through its decay to an oppositely charged lepton pair. The production cross section is measured to be σ( mathrm{t}overline{mathrm{t}}mathrm{Z} ) = 0.95 ± 0.05 (stat) ± 0.06 (syst) pb. For the first time, differential cross sections are measured as functions of the transverse momentum of the Z boson and the angular distribution of the negatively charged lepton from the Z boson decay. The most stringent direct limits to date on the anomalous couplings of the top quark to the Z boson are presented, including constraints on the Wilson coefficients in the framework of the standard model effective field theory.

Sensitivity on anomalous neutral triple gauge couplings via ZZ production at FCC-hh

We study the sensitivity of anomalous neutral triple gauge couplings (aNTGC) via pp rightarrow ZZ production in the 4ell channel at 100 TeV center of mass energy of future circular hadron collider, FCC-hh. The analysis including the realistic detector effects is performed in the mode where both Z bosons decay into same-flavor, oppositely charged lepton pairs. The sensitivities to the charge–parity (CP)-conserving couplings C_{{tilde{B}}W} / Lambda ^{4} and CP-violating couplings C_{WW} / Lambda ^{4}, C_{BW} / Lambda ^{4} and C_{BB} / Lambda ^{4} obtained at 95% Confidence Level using the invariant mass distribution of the 4ell system reconstructing the leading and sub-leading Z boson candidates are [-,0.09, ,, +,0.09], [-,0.21, ,, +,0.21], [-,0.26, ,, +,0.26], and [-,0.10, ,, +,0.10] in units of hbox {TeV}^{-4}, respectively.

Search for displaced vertices of oppositely charged leptons from decays of long-lived particles in pp collisions at [formula omitted] TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for long-lived particles decaying into an oppositely charged lepton pair, μμ, ee, or eμ, is presented using 32.8fb−1 of pp collision data collected at s=13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Candidate leptons are required to form a vertex, within the inner tracking volume of ATLAS, displaced from the primary pp interaction region. No lepton pairs with an invariant mass greater than 12 GeV are observed, consistent with the background expectations derived from data. The detection efficiencies for generic resonances with lifetimes (cτ) of 100–1000 mm decaying into a dilepton pair with masses between 0.1–1.0 TeV are presented as a function of pT and decay radius of the resonances to allow the extraction of upper limits on the cross sections for theoretical models. The result is also interpreted in a supersymmetric model in which the lightest neutralino, produced via squark–antisquark production, decays into ℓ+ℓ′−ν (ℓ,ℓ′=e, μ) with a finite lifetime due to the presence of R-parity violating couplings. Cross-section limits are presented for specific squark and neutralino masses. For a 700 GeV squark, neutralinos with masses of 50–500 GeV and mean proper lifetimes corresponding to cτ values between 1 mm to 6 m are excluded. For a 1.6 TeV squark, cτ values between 3 mm to 1 m are excluded for 1.3 TeV neutralinos.

A neutrino mass model with hidden U(1) gauge symmetry

We propose a realisation of inverse seesaw model controlled by hidden U(1) gauge symmetry, and discuss the impact of a bosonic dark matter (DM) candidate by imposing a Z2 parity. We present the detail of scalar spectra and apply the Casas-Ibarra parametrisation to fit the neutrino oscillation data. For this model, the allowed region is extracted to explain the observed relic density and the muon g−2 discrepancy, satisfying flavor constraints with DM involved. We interpret the DM annihilation into f¯f including all SM charged fermions and investigate the direct detection to place the bound on DM-Higgs coupling. Finally the LHC DM production is explored in light of charged lepton pair signature plus missing transverse energy.

Systematic studies of exact O(α2L) CEEX EW corrections in a hadronic MC for precision Z/γ* physics at LHC energies

With an eye toward the precision physics of the LHC, such as the recent measurement of $M_W$ by the ATLAS Collaboration, we present here systematic studies relevant to the assessment of the expected size of multiple photon radiative effects in heavy gauge boson production with decay to charged lepton pairs. We use the new version 4.22 of ${\cal KK}$MC-hh so that we have CEEX EW exact ${\cal O}(\alpha^2 L)$ corrections in a hadronic MC and control over the corresponding EW initial-final interference (IFI) effects as well. In this way, we illustrate the interplay between cuts of the type used in the measurement of $M_W$ at the LHC and the sizes of the expected responses of the attendant higher order corrections. We find that there are per cent to per mille level effects in the initial-state radiation, fractional per mille level effects in the IFI and per mille level effects in the over-all ${\cal O}(\alpha^2 L)$ corrections that any treatment of EW corrections at the per mille level should consider. Our results have direct applicability to current LHC experimental data analyses.

Measurements of properties of the Higgs boson decaying to a W boson pair in pp collisions at [formula omitted

Measurements of the production of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a W boson pair are reported. The W+W− candidates are selected in events with an oppositely charged lepton pair, large missing transverse momentum, and various numbers of jets. To select Higgs bosons produced via vector boson fusion and associated production with a W or Z boson, events with two jets or three or four leptons are also selected. The event sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9fb−1, collected in pp collisions at s=13TeV by the CMS detector at the LHC during 2016. Combining all channels, the observed cross section times branching fraction is 1.28−0.17+0.18 times the standard model prediction for the Higgs boson with a mass of 125.09GeV. This is the first observation of the Higgs boson decay to W boson pairs by the CMS experiment.

Dark tridents at off-axis liquid argon neutrino detectors

We present dark tridents, a new channel for exploring dark sectors in short-baseline neutrino experiments. Dark tridents are clean, distinct events where, like neutrino tridents, the scattering of a very weakly coupled particle leads to the production of a lepton-antilepton pair. Dark trident production occurs in models where long-lived dark-sector particles are produced along with the neutrinos in a beam-dump environment and interact with neutrino detectors downstream, producing an on-shell boson which decays into a pair of charged leptons. We focus on a simple model where the dark matter particle interacts with the standard model exclusively through a dark photon, and concentrate on the region of parameter space where the dark photon mass is smaller than twice that of the dark matter particle and hence decays exclusively into standard-model particles. We compute event rates and discuss search strategies for dark tridents from dark matter at the current and upcoming liquid argon detectors aligned with the Booster beam at Fermilab — MicroBooNE, SBND, and ICARUS — assuming the dark sector particles are produced off-axis in the higher energy NuMI beam. We find that MicroBooNE has already recorded enough data to be competitive with existing bounds on this dark sector model, and that new regions of parameter space will be probed with future data and experiments.

Neutrino trident scattering at near detectors

Neutrino trident scattering is a rare Standard Model process where a charged-lepton pair is produced in neutrino-nucleus scattering. To date, only the dimuon final-state has been observed, with around 100 total events, while the other channels are as yet unexplored. In this work, we compute the trident production cross section by performing a complete four-body phase space calculation for different hadronic targets. This provides a correct estimate both of the coherent and the diffractive contributions to these cross sections, but also allows us to address certain inconsistencies in the literature related to the use of the Equivalent Photon Approximation in this context. We show that this approximation can give a reasonable estimate only for the production of dimuon final-states in coherent scattering, being inadmissible for all other cases considered. We provide estimates of the number and distribution of trident events at several current and future near detector facilities subjected to intense neutrino beams from accelerators: five liquid-argon detectors (SBND, μBooNE, ICARUS, DUNE and νSTORM), the iron detector of T2K (INGRID) and three detectors made of composite material (MINOS, NOνA and MINERνA). We find that for many experiments, trident measurements are an attainable goal and a valuable addition to their near detector physics programme.

Searching for light from a dark matter clump

The DAMPE experiment has recently reported an electron spectrum that can be explained by dark matter annihilation into charged lepton pairs in a nearby dark matter clump. The accompanying bremsstrahlung may yield a gamma-ray excess with a known spectral shape that extends over an angular scale of \U0001d4aa(10̂). We show that such an excess is not present in Fermi-LAT data.

Searches for heavy ZZ and ZW resonances in the \u2113\u2113qq and \u03bd\u03bdqq final states in pp collisions at sqrt{s}=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper reports searches for heavy resonances decaying into ZZ or ZW using data from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt{s}=13 TeV. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb−1, were recorded with the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016 at the Large Hadron Collider. The searches are performed in final states in which one Z boson decays into either a pair of light charged leptons (electrons and muons) or a pair of neutrinos, and the associated W boson or the other Z boson decays hadronically. No evidence of the production of heavy resonances is observed. Upper bounds on the production cross sections of heavy resonances times their decay branching ratios to ZZ or ZW are derived in the mass range 300-5000GeV within the context of Standard Model extensions with additional Higgs bosons, a heavy vector triplet or warped extra dimensions. Production through gluon-gluon fusion, Drell-Yan or vector-boson fusion are considered, depending on the assumed model.

Measurement of the Forward-Backward Asymmetry in the Drell-Yan Dilepton Production in Proton-Proton Collisions at the CMS Experiment at the LHC

In this paper we review the results of a measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry of oppositely charged lepton pairs produced via Z/γ* boson in pp collisions during the LHC Run 1 at √s = 8 TeV with integrated luminosity 19.1 fb-1 (2012). We also present our preliminary results obtained with Monte Carlo samples at √s = 13 TeV

Search for Evidence of the Type-III Seesaw Mechanism in Multilepton Final States in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.

A search for a signal consistent with the type-III seesaw mechanism in events with three or more electrons or muons is presented. The data sample consists of proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2016 and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb^{-1}. Selection criteria based on the number of leptons and the invariant mass of oppositely charged lepton pairs are used to distinguish the signal from the standard model background. The observations are consistent with the expectations from standard model processes. The results are used to place limits on the production of heavy fermions of the type-III seesaw model as a function of the branching ratio to each lepton flavor. In the scenario of equal branching fractions to each lepton flavor, heavy fermions with masses below 840GeV are excluded. This is the most sensitive probe to date of the type-III seesaw mechanism.

Measurement of detector-corrected observables sensitive to the anomalous production of events with jets and large missing transverse momentum in varvec{pp} collisions at mathbf {sqrt{s}=13}\xa0TeV using the ATLAS detector

Observables sensitive to the anomalous production of events containing hadronic jets and missing momentum in the plane transverse to the proton beams at the Large Hadron Collider are presented. The observables are defined as a ratio of cross sections, for events containing jets and large missing transverse momentum to events containing jets and a pair of charged leptons from the decay of a Z/gamma ^* boson. This definition minimises experimental and theoretical systematic uncertainties in the measurements. This ratio is measured differentially with respect to a number of kinematic properties of the hadronic system in two phase-space regions; one inclusive single-jet region and one region sensitive to vector-boson-fusion topologies. The data are found to be in agreement with the Standard Model predictions and used to constrain a variety of theoretical models for dark-matter production, including simplified models, effective field theory models, and invisible decays of the Higgs boson. The measurements use 3.2 fb^{-1} of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 text {TeV} and are fully corrected for detector effects, meaning that the data can be used to constrain new-physics models beyond those shown in this paper.

Calculation of the decay rate of tachyonic neutrinos against charged-lepton-pair and neutrino-pair Cerenkov radiation

We consider in detail the calculation of the decay rate of high-energy superluminal neutrinos against (charged) lepton pair Cerenkov radiation, and neutrino pair Cerenkov radiation, i.e., against the decay channels and . Under the hypothesis of a tachyonic nature of neutrinos, these decay channels put constraints on the lifetime of high-energy neutrinos for terrestrial experiments as well as on cosmic scales. For the oncoming neutrino, we use the Lorentz-covariant tachyonic relation , where mν is the tachyonic mass parameter. We derive both threshold conditions as well as on decay and energy loss rates, using the plane-wave fundamental bispinor solutions of the tachyonic Dirac equation. Various intricacies of rest frame versus lab frame calculations are highlighted. The results are compared to the observations of high-energy IceCube neutrinos of cosmological origin.

Probing anomalous Higgs couplings in H → ZV decays

We analyze the possibility of probing anomalous Higgs couplings in the rare decays H [Formula: see text] ZV, V being a vector quarkonium state. These rare decays involve both gauge as well as the Yukawa sectors and either of them can potentially be anomalous. We show that the branching fractions for H [Formula: see text] ZV decays in Standard Model (SM) are small, making it a sensitive probe for anomalous Higgs couplings originating from physics beyond SM. Moreover, as both V and Z can decay into pair of charged leptons, they provide experimentally clean channels and future LHC runs should observe such decays. We perform a model independent analysis and show how angular asymmetries can be used to probe these anomalous Higgs couplings, taking further decays of V and Z to pair of charged leptons into account. The angular asymmetries can provide significant information about anomalous Higgs couplings in both gauge and Yukawa sectors.

Neutrino Pair Cerenkov Radiation for Tachyonic Neutrinos

The emission of a charged light lepton pair by a superluminal neutrino has been identified as a major factor in the energy loss of highly energetic neutrinos. The observation of PeV neutrinos by IceCube implies their stability against lepton pair Cerenkov radiation. Under the assumption of a Lorentz-violating dispersion relation for highly energetic superluminal neutrinos, one may thus constrain the Lorentz-violating parameters. A kinematically different situation arises when one assumes a Lorentz-covariant, space-like dispersion relation for hypothetical tachyonic neutrinos, as an alternative to Lorentz-violating theories. We here discuss a hitherto neglected decay process, where a highly energetic tachyonic neutrino may emit other (space-like, tachyonic) neutrino pairs. We find that the space-like dispersion relation implies the absence of a q2 threshold for the production of a tachyonic neutrino-antineutrino pair, thus leading to the dominant additional energy loss mechanism for an oncoming tachyonic neutrino in the medium-energy domain. Surprisingly, the small absolute values of the decay rate and energy loss rate in the tachyonic model imply that these models, in contrast to the Lorentz-violating theories, are not pressured by the cosmic PeV neutrinos registered by the IceCube collaboration.

Measurement of the top quark mass in dileptonic top quark pair decays with √s = 7 TeV ATLAS data

The top quark mass in dileptonic top quark pair decays was measured using 4.7 fb–1 of √s = 7 TeV proton-proton (pp) collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in 2011. The event topology is characterized by the presence of two charged leptons, at least two neutrinos and several jets, two of which originate from bottom quarks. Using the template method and the mlb observable, defined as the average invariant mass of the two charged lepton plus b-jet pairs in each event, the top quark mass is measured to be 173.09 ± 0.64(stat) ± 1.50(syst) GeV. This proceeding is based on a preliminary result, which has been superseded meanwhile.