Search for neutral color octet weak triplet scalar particles in proton proton collisions at s 8 sqrt s 8 TeV

English (OpenAlex)

A search for pair production of neutral color-octet weak-triplet scalar particles ($\theta^0$) is performed in processes where one $\theta^0$ decays to a pair of b quark jets and the other to a $Z$ boson plus a jet, with the Z boson decaying to a pair of electrons or muons. The search is performed with data collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 $fb^{−1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=8$. The number of observed events is found to be in agreement with the standard model predictions. The 95% confidence level upper limit on the product of the cross section and branching fraction is obtained as a function of the $\theta^0$ mass. The 95% confidence level lower bounds on the $\theta^0$ mass are found to be 623 and 426 GeV, for two different octo-triplet theoretical scenarios. These are the first direct experimental bounds on particles predicted by the octo-triplet model