$ZZ\gamma$ and $Z\gamma\gamma$ anomalous couplings in $\gamma p$ collision at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper investigates the potential to detect anomalous $ZZ ext{ } ext{ extgamma}$ and $Z ext{ extgamma} ext{ extgamma}$ couplings at the LHC through photon-proton collisions, providing improved limits on these couplings compared to previous experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis of photon-proton induced processes at the LHC to set tighter constraints on anomalous gauge couplings.

Findings

Significant improvement in limits on $h_4^{ ext{ extgamma},Z}$ couplings.

Demonstrates the effectiveness of $pp o p ext{ extgamma}p o Z q X$ process for new physics searches.

Provides 95% confidence level bounds for various luminosities.

Abstract

We study the sensitivity of anomalous $ZZ\gamma$ and $Z\gamma\gamma$ vertex couplings $h_3^{\gamma,Z}$ and $h_4^{\gamma,Z}$, which would be powerful sign of new physics, via the subprocess $\gamma q\to Z q$ of the main reaction $pp\to p\gamma p\to Z q X$ at the LHC. We calculated limits on these couplings at 95% confidence level for various values of integrated luminosity. It is shown that the $pp\to p\gamma p\to Z q X$ reaction provides one order of magnitude improvement in the couplings $h_4^{\gamma,Z}$ compared to the current experimental limits obtained in events dominated by $Z\gamma$ production from the LHC and Tevatron.