Measurement of the W boson mass

The W boson mass is measured using proton-proton collision data at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ s = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.7 fb−1 recorded during 2016 by the LHCb experiment. With a simultaneous fit of the muon q/pT distribution of a sample of W → μν decays and the ϕ* distribution of a sample of Z → μμ decays the W boson mass is determined to be$$ {m}_w=80354\pm {23}_{\mathrm{stat}}\pm {10}_{\mathrm{exp}}\pm {17}_{\mathrm{theory}}\pm {9}_{\mathrm{PDF}}\mathrm{MeV}, $$ m w = 80354 ± 23 stat ± 10 exp ± 17 theory ± 9 PDF MeV , where uncertainties correspond to contributions from statistical, experimental systematic, theoretical and parton distribution function sources. This is an average of results based on three recent global parton distribution function sets. The measurement agrees well with the prediction of the global electroweak fit and with previous measurements.

A special Higgs challenge: measuring the mass and production cross section with ultimate precision at FCC-ee

The FCC-ee offers powerful opportunities to determine the Higgs boson parameters, exploiting over $$10^6$$ 10 6 $${ \hbox {e}^+\hbox {e}^- \rightarrow \hbox {ZH}}$$ e + e - → ZH events and almost $$10^5$$ 10 5 $${ \hbox {WW} \rightarrow \hbox {H}}$$ WW → H events at centre-of-mass energies around 240 and 365 GeV. This essay spotlights the important measurements of the ZH production cross section and of the Higgs boson mass. The measurement of the total ZH cross section is an essential input to the absolute determination of the HZZ coupling—a “standard candle” that can be used by all other measurements, including those made at hadron colliders—at the per-mil level. A combination of the measured cross sections at the two different centre-of-mass energies further provides the first evidence for the trilinear Higgs self-coupling, and possibly its first observation if the cross section measurement can be made accurate enough. The determination of the Higgs boson mass with a precision significantly better than the Higgs boson width (4.1 MeV in the standard model) is a prerequisite to either constrain or measure the electron Yukawa coupling via direct $${ \hbox {e}^+\hbox {e}^- \rightarrow \hbox {H}}$$ e + e - → H production at $$\sqrt{s} = 125$$ s = 125 GeV. Approaching the statistical limit of 0.1% and $${\mathcal {O}}(1)$$ O ( 1 ) MeV on the ZH cross section and the Higgs boson mass, respectively, sets highly demanding requirements on accelerator operation (ZH threshold scan, centre-of-mass energy measurement), detector design (lepton momentum resolution, hadronic final state reconstruction performance), theoretical calculations, and analysis techniques (efficiency and purity optimization with modern tools, constrained kinematic fits, control of systematic uncertainties). These challenges are examined in turn in this essay

Efficient sampling of constrained high-dimensional theoretical spaces with machine learning

Models of physics beyond the Standard Model often contain a large number of parameters. These form a high-dimensional space that is computationally intractable to fully explore. Experimental results project onto a subspace of parameters that are consistent with those observations, but mapping these constraints to the underlying parameters is also typically intractable. Instead, physicists often resort to scanning small subsets of the full parameter space and testing for experimental consistency. We propose an alternative approach that uses generative models to significantly improve the computational efficiency of sampling high-dimensional parameter spaces. To demonstrate this, we sample the constrained and phenomenological Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Models subject to the requirement that the sampled points are consistent with the measured Higgs boson mass. Our method achieves orders of magnitude improvements in sampling efficiency compared to a brute force search.

SiPM dynamic range for CEPC scintillator-based electromagnetic calorimeter

A high-granularity scintillator calorimeter readout with silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) is an electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) candidate for experiments at the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC). A critical design parameter of this ECAL candidate is the dynamic range of the SiPMs. This study investigates the SiPM dynamic range required for the CEPC scintillator ECAL. A model is developed on the basis of the operation principles of SiPMs to describe the response of an SiPM to light pulses within one recovery period by considering the cross-talk effect, photon detection efficiency, and number of pixels. The response curve of a 10000-pixel SiPM predicted by the model is consistent with the measured curve within 2% for an incident light pulse of up to 12000 photons. The intrinsic fluctuations of the SiPM response naturally exist in this model, and the correction of the saturation effect in the SiPM response is investigated. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation shows that the algorithm can restore the response linearity of an SiPM for an incident light pulse in which the number of photons is up to around six times the number of SiPM pixels. The model and correction program are implemented for full simulation of the ZH production Z → νν, H → γγ channel to evaluate the impact of the SiPM dynamic range of the CEPC scintillator ECAL on the reconstructed Higgs boson mass and the sensitivity to the Higgs signal in this channel. The results show that the CEPC scintillator ECAL equipped with no less than 4000 SiPM pixels and operated with a light yield of 20 photon-electrons per channel for a single minimum ionizing particle can meet the requirements for Higgs boson precision measurement in the di-photon channel at the CEPC.

Detection of particles of dark matter from the spectrum of secondary particles in high-energy proton-proton collisions in a thermodynamic model

In a simple hydrodynamic model, the transverse momentum distributions are found for A hyperons formed in pp collisions at ultrarelativistic energies. The calculated spectra are compared with the experimental data obtained for various colliders in a wide range of proton collision energies, including the data from experiments at the Large Hadron Collider. An interpretation of the transverse momentum spectra of soft photons in pp collisions is proposed, taking into account the X17 boson with a mass of 17 MeV - a new particle, a possible candidate for the role of dark matter particles. A tube model is proposed on the basis of combining two-dimensional quantum chromodynamics and quantum electrodynamics. An interpretation is proposed for the detection of a 38 MeV boson in the spectra of photons emitted in the reactions of protons with carbon nuclei at an incident proton momentum of 5.5 GeV/c. The X38 boson with a mass of 38 MeV has a mass close to the boson mass obtained by us, equal to 35 MeV for an electromagnetic tube. This new particle was discovered in experiments carried out recently in Dubna for the reactionp p + C→2γ + X. To interpret the obtained experimental data on the spectra of emitted photons depending on their mass, it is proposed to use the formulas obtained for massive particles, setting the mass of a boson decaying into two photons equal to 38 MeV. It was proposed to consider bosons X17 and X38 as particles of dark matter.

Spinning no-scale $${\mathcal {F}}$$-SU(5) in the right direction

The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) recently announced confirmation of the Brookhaven National Lab (BNL) measurements of the $$g-2$$ g - 2 of the muon that uncovered a discrepancy with the theoretically calculated Standard Model value. We suggest an explanation for the combined BNL+FNAL 4.2$$\sigma $$ σ deviation within the supersymmetric grand unification theory (GUT) model No-Scale $${\mathcal {F}}$$ F -$$SU(5)$$ S U ( 5 ) supplemented with a string derived TeV-scale extra $$10+\overline{10}$$ 10 + 10 ¯ vector-like multiplet and charged vector-like singlet $$(XE,XE^c)$$ ( X E , X E c ) , dubbed flippons. We introduced these vector-like particles into No-Scale Flipped SU(5) many years ago, and as a result, the renormalization group equation (RGE) running was immediately shaped to produce a distinctive and rather beneficial two-stage gauge coupling unification process to avoid the Landau pole and lift unification to the string scale, in addition to contributing through 1-loop to the light Higgs boson mass. The flippons have long stood ready to tackle another challenge, and now do so yet again, where the charged vector-like “lepton”/singlet couples with the muon, the supersymmetric down-type Higgs $$H_d$$ H d , and a singlet S, using a chirality flip to easily accommodate the muonic $$g-2$$ g - 2 discrepancy in No-Scale $${\mathcal {F}}$$ F -$$SU(5)$$ S U ( 5 ) . Considering the phenomenological success of this string derived model over the prior 11 years that remains accommodative of all presently available LHC limits plus all other experimental constraints, including no fine-tuning, and the fact that for the first time a Starobinsky-like inflationary model consistent with all cosmological data was derived from superstring theory in No-Scale Flipped SU(5), we believe it is imperative to reconcile the BNL+FNAL developments within the model space.

The W mass and width measurement challenge at FCC-ee

The FCC-ee physics program will deliver two complementary top-notch precision determinations of the W boson mass, and width. The first and main measurement relies on the rapid rise of the W-pair production cross section near its kinematic threshold. This method is extremely simple and clean, involving only the selection and counting of events, in all different decay channels. An optimal threshold-scan strategy with a total integrated luminosity of $$12\,\mathrm{ab}^{-1}$$ 12 ab - 1 shared on energy points between 157 and 163 GeV will provide a statistical uncertainty on the W mass of 0.5 MeV and on the W width of 1.2 MeV. For these measurements, the goal of keeping the impact of systematic uncertainties below the statistical precision will be demanding, but feasible. The second method exploits the W-pair final state reconstruction and kinematic fit, making use of events with either four jets or two jets, one lepton and missing energy. The projected statistical precision of the second method is similar to the first method’s, with uncertainties of $$\sim 0.5$$ ∼ 0.5 (1) MeV for the W mass (width), employing W-pair data collected at the production threshold and at 240–365 GeV. For the kinematic reconstruction method, the final impact of systematic uncertainties is currently less clear, in particular uncertainties connected to the modeling of the W hadronic decays. The use and interplay of Z$$\gamma $$ γ and ZZ events, reconstructed and fitted with the same techniques as the WW events, will be important for the extraction of W mass measurements with data at the higher 240 and 365 GeV energies.

Gluino-SUGRA scenarios in light of FNAL muon g – 2 anomaly

Gluino-SUGRA ($$ \overset{\sim }{g} $$ g ~ SUGRA), which is an economical extension of the predictive mSUGRA, adopts much heavier gluino mass parameter than other gauginos mass parameters and universal scalar mass parameter at the unification scale. It can elegantly reconcile the experimental results on the Higgs boson mass, the muon g − 2, the null results in search for supersymmetry at the LHC and the results from B-physics. In this work, we propose several new ways to generate large gaugino hierarchy (i.e. M3 » M1, M2) for $$ \overset{\sim }{g} $$ g ~ SUGRA model building and then discuss in detail the implications of the new muon g − 2 results with the updated LHC constraints on such $$ \overset{\sim }{g} $$ g ~ SUGRA scenarios. We obtain the following observations: (i) for the most interesting M1 = M2 case at the GUT scale with a viable bino-like dark matter, the $$ \overset{\sim }{g} $$ g ~ SUGRA can explain the muon g − 2 anomaly at 1σ level and be consistent with the updated LHC constraints for 6 ≤ M3/M1 ≤ 9 at the GUT scale; (ii) For M1 : M2 = 5 : 1 at the GUT scale with wino-like dark matter, the $$ \overset{\sim }{g} $$ g ~ SUGRA model can explain the muon g − 2 anomaly at 2σ level and be consistent with the updated LHC constraints for 3 ≤ M3/M1 ≤ 3.2 at the GUT scale; (iii) For M1 : M2 = 3 : 2 at the GUT scale with mixed bino-wino dark matter, the $$ \overset{\sim }{g} $$ g ~ SUGRA model can explain the muon g − 2 anomaly at 1σ level and be consistent with the updated LHC constraints for 6.9 ≤ M3/M1 ≤ 7.5 at the GUT scale. Although the choice of heavy gluino will always increase the FT involved, some of the 1σ/2σ survived points of $$ \Delta {a}_{\mu}^{\mathrm{combine}} $$ ∆ a μ combine can still allow low EWFT of order several hundreds and be fairly natural. Constraints from (dimension-five operator induced) proton decay are also discussed.

Accurate prediction of the Drell-Yan φ∗ η distribution in wide dilepton mass and rapidity ranges in pp collisions through NNLO+N3LL

This paper presents high-accuracy predictions for the differential cross sections as a function of the key observable φ*η of the neutral-current Drell-Yan (DY) dilepton production in proton-proton (pp) collisions. The differential distributions for the φ*η are presented by using the state-of-the-art predictions from the combined calculations of fixed-order perturbative QCD corrections at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) accuracy and resummation of large logarithmic terms at next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic (NNLL) and next-to-NNLL (N3LL) accuracies, i.e., NNLO+NNLL and NNLO+N3LL, respectively. The predicted distributions are reported for a thorough set of the DY dilepton invariant mass mll ranges, spanning a wide kinematic region of 50 < mll< 1000 GeV both near and away from the Z-boson mass peak, and rapidity yll ranges in the central detector acceptance region of |yll| < 2.4. The differential φ*η distributions in the wide mll and yll ranges offer stringent tests to assess the reliability of the predictions, where the mll and yll are closely correlated with the parton distribution functions (PDFs) of the incoming partons. The merged predictions through NNLO+N3LL are observed to provide good description of the 13 TeV pp collision data for the φ*η (including the dilepton transverse momentum pll T as well) distributions in almost the entire mll and yll ranges, apart from the intermediate- to high-φ*η region in the lowest mass range 50–76 GeV which is assessed to constitute a challenge for the presented predictions. The merged predictions at NNLO+N3LL are also reported at 14 TeV for the upcoming high-luminosity running era of the LHC, in which increasing amount of data is expected to require more accurate and precise theoretical description. The most recent PDF models MSHT20 and CT18 are tested for the first time in addition to the NNPDF3.1 exploiting the merged φ*η predictions.