PreprintCC BY 4.0HAL
Search for a top-philic Z' boson decaying into a tt̅ pair in a final state with jets and an electron or muon in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13.6 TeV
Abstract
A search for a top-philic Z' boson in a final state with jets and an electron or muon is presented. The search is based on a sample of proton-proton collision data collected at √s = 13 TeV by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC during 2016−2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1. The top-philic Z' boson is produced in association with a top-antitop quark pair (tt̅) and decays into a tt̅ pair, as it couples exclusively to top quarks. The analysis aims to identify a heavy Z' boson that produces Lorentz-boosted top quarks, whose hadronic decay products are merged into large-radius jets. A machine-learning algorithm is employed to identify such jets. The distribution of the invariant mass of the two top quark candidates with the highest transverse momentum is used as the discriminant variable in a Z' boson mass range of 0.5−3 TeV, with intrinsic widths of 4, 10, 20, and 50% relative to its mass. The results obtained are found to be in agreement with the standard model background prediction. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the production cross section of the Z' boson, for each of the decay widths as a function of its mass. These results represent the most stringent constraints to date on the existence of a top-philic Z' boson.
Related
- Search for low-mass resonances decaying to ττ in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13.6 TeV
- Search for long-lived particles decaying into muons in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13.6 TeV using data scouting
- Search for a new heavy scalar resonance decaying to a pair of Z bosons in the four-lepton final state in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV
- Search for single production of a vector-like B' quark decaying to a top quark and a W boson in the single-lepton final state in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV
- Search for pair-produced vector-like top quarks decaying into Lorentz-boosted top quarks and scalar bosons in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV
BibTeX
@misc{hayrapetyan2026search,
title = {{Search for a top-philic Z' boson decaying into a $\mathrmt\bart$ pair in a final state with jets and an electron or muon in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrts$ = 13.6 TeV}},
author = {Aram Hayrapetyan and Vladimir Makarenko and Armen Tumasyan and Wolfgang Adam and Lisa Benato and Thomas Bergauer and Marko Dragicevic and Priya Sajid Hussain and Manfred Jeitler and Natascha Krammer and Ang Li and Dietrich Liko and Mark Nicholas Matthewman and Jochen Schieck and Robert Schoefbeck and Maryam Shooshtari and Mangesh Sonawane and Wolfgang Waltenberger and Claudia Wulz and Tahys Janssen and Hyejin Kwon and Daniel Ocampo Henao and Thomas van Laer and Pierre van Mechelen and Jas Bierkens and Nordin Breugelmans and Jorgen d'Hondt and Soumya Dansana and Alexandre de Moor and Martin Delcourt and Felix Johannes Heyen and Yanwen Hong and Pavlo Kashko and Steven Lowette and Inna Makarenko and Denise Muller and Stefaan Tavernier and Michael Tytgat and Gerrit van Onsem and Senne van Putte and David Vannerom and Bugra Bilin and Barbara Clerbaux and Aloke Kumar Das and Isabelle de Bruyn and Gilles de Lentdecker and Hugues Evard and Laurent Favart and Paris Gianneios and Ali Khalilzadeh and Fakhri Alam Khan and Andrea Malara and Muhammad Aamir Shahzad and Archana Sharma and Laurent Thomas and Max Vanden Bemden and Catherine Vander Velde and Pascal Vanlaer and Fengwangdong Zhang and Maarten de Coen},
howpublished = {HAL},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2608.01251},
eprint = {2608.01251},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05734454v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Search for a top-philic Z' boson decaying into a tt̅ pair in a final state with jets and an electron or muon in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13.6 TeV
AU - Aram Hayrapetyan
AU - Vladimir Makarenko
AU - Armen Tumasyan
AU - Wolfgang Adam
AU - Lisa Benato
AU - Thomas Bergauer
AU - Marko Dragicevic
AU - Priya Sajid Hussain
AU - Manfred Jeitler
AU - Natascha Krammer
AU - Ang Li
AU - Dietrich Liko
AU - Mark Nicholas Matthewman
AU - Jochen Schieck
AU - Robert Schoefbeck
AU - Maryam Shooshtari
AU - Mangesh Sonawane
AU - Wolfgang Waltenberger
AU - Claudia Wulz
AU - Tahys Janssen
AU - Hyejin Kwon
AU - Daniel Ocampo Henao
AU - Thomas van Laer
AU - Pierre van Mechelen
AU - Jas Bierkens
AU - Nordin Breugelmans
AU - Jorgen d'Hondt
AU - Soumya Dansana
AU - Alexandre de Moor
AU - Martin Delcourt
AU - Felix Johannes Heyen
AU - Yanwen Hong
AU - Pavlo Kashko
AU - Steven Lowette
AU - Inna Makarenko
AU - Denise Muller
AU - Stefaan Tavernier
AU - Michael Tytgat
AU - Gerrit van Onsem
AU - Senne van Putte
AU - David Vannerom
AU - Bugra Bilin
AU - Barbara Clerbaux
AU - Aloke Kumar Das
AU - Isabelle de Bruyn
AU - Gilles de Lentdecker
AU - Hugues Evard
AU - Laurent Favart
AU - Paris Gianneios
AU - Ali Khalilzadeh
AU - Fakhri Alam Khan
AU - Andrea Malara
AU - Muhammad Aamir Shahzad
AU - Archana Sharma
AU - Laurent Thomas
AU - Max Vanden Bemden
AU - Catherine Vander Velde
AU - Pascal Vanlaer
AU - Fengwangdong Zhang
AU - Maarten de Coen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
PB - HAL
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2608.01251
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05734454v1
AB - A search for a top-philic Z' boson in a final state with jets and an electron or muon is presented. The search is based on a sample of proton-proton collision data collected at √s = 13 TeV by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC during 2016−2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb^−1. The top-philic Z' boson is produced in association with a top-antitop quark pair (tt̅) and decays into a tt̅ pair, as it couples exclusively to top quarks. The analysis aims to identify a heavy Z' boson that produces Lorentz-boosted top quarks, whose hadronic decay products are merged into large-radius jets. A machine-learning algorithm is employed to identify such jets. The distribution of the invariant mass of the two top quark candidates with the highest transverse momentum is used as the discriminant variable in a Z' boson mass range of 0.5−3 TeV, with intrinsic widths of 4, 10, 20, and 50% relative to its mass. The results obtained are found to be in agreement with the standard model background prediction. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the production cross section of the Z' boson, for each of the decay widths as a function of its mass. These results represent the most stringent constraints to date on the existence of a top-philic Z' boson.
ER -