Bounds on the mass and mixing of $Z^\prime$ and $W^\prime$ bosons decaying into different pairings of $W$, $Z$, or Higgs bosons using CMS data at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper uses CMS Run 2 data to set new limits on the masses and mixing parameters of hypothetical $Z'$ and $W'$ bosons predicted by extended gauge models, significantly improving previous constraints.

Contribution

It provides the most restrictive exclusion limits to date on $Z'$ and $W'$ boson masses and mixing parameters using the full CMS Run 2 dataset in diboson channels.

Findings

Exclusion limits on $Z'$ and $W'$ masses between 1.0 and 4.5 TeV.

Constraints on $Z$-$Z'$ and $W$-$W'$ mixing parameters.

Significant extension of previous bounds from Tevatron and earlier CMS data.

Abstract

The full CMS Run 2 datasets with time-integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$ in the diboson channels are used to probe benchmark models with extended gauge sectors such as $E_6$, left-right symmetric (LR) and the sequential standard model (extended gauge model, EGM), that predict the existence of neutral $Z'$- and charged $W'$-bosons decaying to a pair of bosons $WW$, $ZH$, $WZ$ and $WH$ in the semileptonic final state. These benchmark models are used to interpret the results. Exclusion limits at the 95% C.L. on the $Z'$ and $W'$ resonance production cross section times branching ratio to electroweak gauge boson pairs in the resonance mass range between 1.0 and 4.5 TeV are here converted to constraints on $Z$-$Z'$ and $W$-$W'$ mixing parameters and masses. We present exclusion regions on the parameter spaces of the $Z'$ and $W'$ and show that the obtained exclusion regions are significantly extended compared to those derived from the previous analysis performed with Tevatron data as well as with the CMS data collected at 7 and 8 TeV in Run 1. The reported limits are the most restrictive to date.