Improving data quality monitoring via a partnership of technologies and resources between the CMS experiment at CERN and industry

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment dedicates significant effort to assess the quality of its data, online and offline. A real-time data quality monitoring system is in place to spot and diagnose problems as promptly as possible to avoid data loss. The a posteriori evaluation of processed data is designed to categorize it in terms of their usability for physics analysis. These activities produce data quality metadata. The data quality evaluation relies on a visual inspection of the monitoring features. This practice has a cost in term of human resources and is naturally subject to human arbitration. Potential limitations are linked to the ability to spot a problem within the overwhelming number of quantities to monitor, or to the lack of understanding of detector evolving conditions. In view of Run 3, CMS aims at integrating deep learning technique in the online workflow to promptly recognize and identify anomalies and improve data quality metadata precision. The CMS experiment engaged in a partnership with IBM with the objective to support, through automatization, the online operations and to generate benchmarking technological results. The research goals, agreed within the CERN Openlab framework, how they matured in a demonstration applic tion and how they are achieved, through a collaborative contribution of technologies and resources, are presented

Measurement of W-gamma and Z-gamma production in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for Microscopic Black Hole Signatures at the Large Hadron Collider

Peer reviewe

Search for Pair-Produced Resonances Decaying to Quark Pairs in Proton-Proton Collisions at √s = 13 TeV

A general search for the pair production of resonances, each decaying to two quarks, is reported. The search is conducted separately for heavier resonances (masses above 400 GeV), where each of the four final-state quarks generates a hadronic jet resulting in a four-jet signature, and for lighter resonances (masses between 80 and 400 GeV), where the pair of quarks from each resonance is collimated and reconstructed as a single jet resulting in a two-jet signature. In addition, a b-tagged selection is applied to target resonances with a bottom quark in the final state. The analysis uses data collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9  fb⁻¹, from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The mass spectra are analyzed for the presence of new resonances, and are found to be consistent with standard model expectations. The results are interpreted in the framework of R-parity-violating supersymmetry assuming the pair production of scalar top quarks decaying via the hadronic coupling λ′′312 or λ′′323 and upper limits on the cross section as a function of the top squark mass are set. These results probe a wider range of masses than previously explored at the LHC, and extend the top squark mass limits in the ˜t→qq′ scenario

Search for electroweak production of charginos and neutralinos in multilepton final states in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV

Results are presented from a search for the direct electroweak production of charginos and neutralinos in signatures with either two or more leptons (electrons or muons) of the same electric charge, or with three or more leptons, which can include up to two hadronically decaying tau leptons. The results are based on a sample of proton-proton collision data collected at s√=13 TeV, recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb⁻¹. The observed event yields are consistent with the expectations based on the standard model. The results are interpreted in simplified models of supersymmetry describing various scenarios for the production and decay of charginos and neutralinos. Depending on the model parameters chosen, mass values between 180 GeV and 1150 GeV are excluded at 95% CL. These results significantly extend the parameter space probed for these particles in searches at the LHC. In addition, results are presented in a form suitable for alternative theoretical interpretations

Understanding the relationship between cognitive performance and function in daily life after traumatic brain injury

Objective: Cognitive impairment is a key cause of disability after traumatic brain injury (TBI) but relationships with overall functioning in daily life are often modest. The aim is to examine cognition at different levels of function and identify domains associated with disability. Methods: 1554 patients with mild-to-severe TBI were assessed at 6 months post injury on the Glasgow Outcome Scale—Extended (GOSE), the Short Form-12v2 and a battery of cognitive tests. Outcomes across GOSE categories were compared using analysis of covariance adjusting for age, sex and education. Results: Overall effect sizes were small to medium, and greatest for tests involving processing speed (ηp2 0.057–0.067) and learning and memory (ηp2 0.048–0.052). Deficits in cognitive performance were particularly evident in patients who were dependent (GOSE 3 or 4) or who were unable to participate in one or more major life activities (GOSE 5). At higher levels of function (GOSE 6–8), cognitive performance was surprisingly similar across categories. There were decreases in performance even in patients reporting complete recovery without significant symptoms. Medium to large effect sizes were present for summary measures of cognition (ηp2 0.111), mental health (ηp2 0.131) and physical health (ηp2 0.252). Conclusions: This large-scale study provides novel insights into cognitive performance at different levels of disability and highlights the importance of processing speed in function in daily life. At upper levels of outcome, any influence of cognition on overall function is markedly attenuated and differences in mental health are salient.publishedVersion© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ

Search for Standard Model Production of Four Top Quarks with Same-Sign and Multilepton Final States in Proton–proton Collisions at √s = 13 TeV

A search for standard model production of four top quarks (tt¯tt¯) is reported using events containing at least three leptons (e,μ) or a same-sign lepton pair. The events are produced in proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13TeV at the LHC, and the data sample, recorded in 2016, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9fb[superscript −1]. Jet multiplicity and flavor are used to enhance signal sensitivity, and dedicated control regions are used to constrain the dominant backgrounds. The observed and expected signal significances are, respectively, 1.6 and 1.0 standard deviations, and the tt¯tt¯ cross section is measured to be 16.9[superscript +13.8][subscript −11.4] fb, in agreement with next-to-leading-order standard model predictions. These results are also used to constrain the Yukawa coupling between the top quark and the Higgs boson to be less than 2.1 times its expected standard model value at 95% confidence level

Search for Low Mass Vector Resonances Decaying to Quark-Antiquark Pairs in Proton-Proton Collisions at √s = 13 TeV

A search is reported for a narrow vector resonance decaying to quark-antiquark pairs in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.7 fb⁻¹. The vector resonance is produced at large transverse momenta, with its decay products merged into a single jet. The resulting signature is a peak over background in the distribution of the invariant mass of the jet. The results are interpreted in the framework of a leptophobic vector resonance and no evidence is found for such particles in the mass range of 100-300 GeV. Upper limits at 95% confidence level on the production cross section are presented in a region of mass-coupling phase space previously unexplored at the LHC. The region below 140 GeV has not been explored by any previous experiments

Search for supersymmetry in events with at least one photon, missing transverse momentum, and large transverse event activity in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV

A search for physics beyond the standard model in final states with at least one photon, large transverse momentum imbalance, and large total transverse event activity is presented. Such topologies can be produced in gauge-mediated supersymmetry models in which pair-produced gluinos or squarks decay to photons and gravitinos via short-lived neutralinos. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb[superscript −1] of proton-proton collisions at s√=13 TeV recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2016. No significant excess of events above the expected standard model background is observed. The data are interpreted in simplified models of gluino and squark pair production, in which gluinos or squarks decay via neutralinos to photons. Gluino masses of up to 1.50-2.00 TeV and squark masses up to 1.30-1.65 TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level, depending on the neutralino mass and branching fraction. Keywords: Hadron-Hadron scattering (experiments); Supersymmetry; Photon productio