Higher harmonic anisotropic flow measurements of charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at 2.76 TeV

We report on the first measurement of the triangular $v_3$, quadrangular $v_4$, and pentagonal $v_5$ charged particle flow in Pb-Pb collisions at 2.76 TeV measured with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. We show that the triangular flow can be described in terms of the initial spatial anisotropy and its fluctuations, which provides strong constraints on its origin. In the most central events, where the elliptic flow $v_2$ and $v_3$ have similar magnitude, a double peaked structure in the two-particle azimuthal correlations is observed, which is often interpreted as a Mach cone response to fast partons. We show that this structure can be naturally explained from the measured anisotropic flow Fourier coefficients.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/387

Description and performance of track and primary-vertex reconstruction with the CMS tracker

A description is provided of the software algorithms developed for the CMS tracker both for reconstructing charged-particle trajectories in proton-proton interactions and for using the resulting tracks to estimate the positions of the LHC luminous region and individual primary-interaction vertices. Despite the very hostile environment at the LHC, the performance obtained with these algorithms is found to be excellent. For t (t) over bar events under typical 2011 pileup conditions, the average track-reconstruction efficiency for promptly-produced charged particles with transverse momenta of p(T) > 0.9GeV is 94% for pseudorapidities of vertical bar eta vertical bar < 0.9 and 85% for 0.9 < vertical bar eta vertical bar < 2.5. The inefficiency is caused mainly by hadrons that undergo nuclear interactions in the tracker material. For isolated muons, the corresponding efficiencies are essentially 100%. For isolated muons of p(T) = 100GeV emitted at vertical bar eta vertical bar < 1.4, the resolutions are approximately 2.8% in p(T), and respectively, 10 m m and 30 mu m in the transverse and longitudinal impact parameters. The position resolution achieved for reconstructed primary vertices that correspond to interesting pp collisions is 10-12 mu m in each of the three spatial dimensions. The tracking and vertexing software is fast and flexible, and easily adaptable to other functions, such as fast tracking for the trigger, or dedicated tracking for electrons that takes into account bremsstrahlung

Measurement of the ratio B(t -> Wb)/B(t -> Wq) in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV

The ratio of the top-quark branching fractions R = B(t --> Wb)/B(t --> Wq), where the denominator includes the sum over all down-type quarks (q = b, s, d), is measured in the t (t) over bar dilepton final state with proton-proton collision data at root s = 8 TeV from an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb(-1), collected with the CMS detector. In order to quantify the purity of the signal sample, the cross section is measured by fitting the observed jet multiplicity, thereby constraining the signal and background contributions. By counting the number of b jets per event, an unconstrained value of R = 1.014 +/- 0.003 (stat.) +/- 0.032 (syst.) is measured, in a good agreement with current precision measurements in electroweak and flavour sectors. A lower limit R > 0.955 at the 95% confidence level is obtained after requiring R 0.975 is set at 95% confidence level. The result is combined with a previous CMS measurement of the t-channel single-top-quark cross section to determine the top-quark total decay width, Gamma(t) = 1.36 +/- 0.02 (stat.)(-0.11)(+0.14) (syst.) GeV

Alignment of the CMS tracker with LHC and cosmic ray data

The central component of the CMS detector is the largest silicon tracker ever built. The precise alignment of this complex device is a formidable challenge, and only achievable with a significant extension of the technologies routinely used for tracking detectors in the past. This article describes the full-scale alignment procedure as it is used during LHC operations. Among the specific features of the method are the simultaneous determination of up to 200 000 alignment parameters with tracks, the measurement of individual sensor curvature parameters, the control of systematic misalignment effects, and the implementation of the whole procedure in a multiprocessor environment for high execution speed. Overall, the achieved statistical accuracy on the module alignment is found to be significantly better than 10 mu m

Measurement of the cross section ratio sigma(t(t)over-barb(b)over-bar)/sigma(t(t)over-barjj) in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV

The first measurement of the cross section ratio sigma(t (t) over barb (b) over bar)/sigma(t (t) over bar jj) is presented using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.6 fb(-1) collected in pp collisions at root s = 8 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. Events with two leptons (e or mu) and four reconstructed jets, including two identified as b quark jets, in the final state are selected. The ratio is determined for a minimum jet transverse momentum p(T) of both 20 and 40 GeV/c. The measured ratio is 0.022 +/- 0.003 (stat) +/- 0.005 (syst) for p(T) > 20GeV/c. The absolute cross sections sigma(t (t) over barb (b) over bar) and sigma(t (t) over bar jj) are also measured. The measured ratio for p(T) > 40 GeV/c is compatible with a theoretical quantum chromodynamics calculation at next-to-leading order. (C) 2015 CERN for the benefit of the CMS Collaboration

Search for pair production of third-generation scalar leptoquarks and top squarks in proton-proton collisions at v root s=8 TeV

A search for pair production of third-generation scalar leptoquarks and supersymmetric top quark partners, top squarks, in final states involving tau leptons and bottom quarks is presented. The search uses events from a data sample of proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb(-1), collected with the CMS detector at the LHC with root s = 8 TeV. The number of observed events is found to be in agreement with the expected standard model background. Third-generation scalar leptoquarks with masses below 740 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level, assuming a 100% branching fraction for the leptoquark decay to a tau lepton and a bottom quark. In addition, this mass limit applies directly to top squarks decaying via an R-parity violating coupling. lambda(') (333). The search also considers a similar signature from top squarks undergoing a chargino-mediated decay involving the Rparity violating coupling. lambda(')(3jk). Each top squark decays to a tau lepton, a bottom quark, and two light quarks. Top squarks in this model with masses below 580 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level. The constraint on the leptoquark mass is the most stringent to date, and this is the first search for top squarks decaying via. lambda(')(3jk)

Measurement of the production cross section ratio sigma(chi b2(1P))/sigma(chi b1(1P)) in pp collisions at root s=8TeV

A measurement of the production cross section ratio sigma(chi b2(1P))/sigma(chi b1(1P)) is presented. The chi b1 (1P) and chi b2 (1P) bottomonium states, promptly produced in pp collisions at root s = 8TeV, are detected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC through their radiative decays chi b1,2(1P) -> Y(1S) + gamma. The emitted photons are measured through their conversion to e(+) e(-) pairs, whose reconstruction allows the two states to be resolved. The Y(1S) is measured through its decay to two muons. An event sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.7 fb(-1) is used to measure the cross section ratio in a phase-space region defined by the photon pseudorapidity, vertical bar eta(gamma)vertical bar < 1.0; the Y(1S) rapidity, vertical bar y(Y)vertical bar < 1.5; and the Y(1S) transverse momentum, 7 < p(T)(Y) < 40 GeV. The cross section ratio shows no significant dependence on the.(1S) transverse momentum, with a measured average value of 0.85 +/- 0.07 (stat + syst) +/- 0.08 (BF), where the first uncertainty is the combination of the experimental statistical and systematic uncertainties and the second is from the uncertainty in the ratio of the chi b branching fractions

Measurement of the t(t)over-bar production cross section in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV in dilepton final states containing one tau lepton

The top-quark pair production cross section is measured in final states with one electron or muon and one hadronically decaying tau lepton from the process t (t) over bar -> (l nu(l))(tau nu(tau))b (b) over bar, where l = e, mu. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 19.6 fb(-1) collected with the CMS detector in proton-proton collisions at root s = 8 TeV. The measured cross section sigma(t (t) over bar) = 257 +/- 3 (stat) +/- 24 (syst) +/- 7 (lumi) pb, assuming a top-quark mass of 172.5 GeV, is consistent with the standard model prediction

Measurement of charm production at central rapidity in proton-proton collisions at ps = 7 TeV

The p t-differential inclusive production cross sections of the prompt charmed mesons D0, D+, and D*+ in the rapidity range |y| < 0.5 were measured in proton-proton collisions at Ös = 7 TeVs=7TeV at the LHC using the ALICE detector. Reconstructing the decays D0 → K−π+, D+ → K−π+π+, D*+ → D0π+, and their charge conjugates, about 8,400 D0, 2,900 D+, and 2,600 D*+ mesons with 1 < p t < 24 GeV/c were counted, after selection cuts, in a data sample of 3.14 × 108 events collected with a minimum-bias trigger (integrated luminosity L int = 5 nb−1). The results are described within uncertainties by predictions based on perturbative QCD