Document Type

Article

Abstract

A search is described for the production of a pair of bottom-type vectorlike quarks (VLQs), each decaying into a b or b¯ quark and either a Higgs or a Z boson, with a mass greater than 1000 GeV. The analysis is based on data from proton-proton collisions at a 13 TeV center-of-mass energy recorded at the CERN LHC, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 137 fb-1. As the predominant decay modes of the Higgs and Z bosons are to a pair of quarks, the analysis focuses on final states consisting of jets resulting from the six quarks produced in the events. Since the two jets produced in the decay of a highly Lorentz-boosted Higgs or Z boson can merge to form a single jet, nine independent analyses are performed, categorized by the number of observed jets and the reconstructed event mode. No signal in excess of the expected background is observed. Lower limits are set on the VLQ mass at 95% confidence level equal to 1570 GeV in the case where the VLQ decays exclusively to a b quark and a Higgs boson, 1390 GeV for when it decays exclusively to a b quark and a Z boson, and 1450 GeV for when it decays equally in these two modes. These limits represent significant improvements over the previously published VLQ limits.

Department(s)

Physics and Engineering

Publication Title

Physical Review D

Volume

102

Issue

11

Publication Date

12-7-2020

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevD.102.112004

ISSN

24700010

E-ISSN

24700029

Comments

The CMS Collaboration includes over 100 authors. This record includes the Bethel authors and the first 5 authors listed. The full list of authors can be viewed on the downloaded document or at the original publisher the Physical Review D - 10.1103/PhysRevD.102.112004

Student author: S. Johnson, Physics and Engineering

Article deposited with permission through a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

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