Search for high-mass exclusive $\gamma\gamma$ $\to$ WW and $\gamma\gamma$ $\to$ ZZ production in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

TL;DR

This study searches for exclusive high-mass gamma-gamma to WW and ZZ production in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV, setting new limits on anomalous gauge couplings with no observed excess.

Contribution

First search for exclusive gamma-gamma to WW and ZZ production at 13 TeV using forward proton detectors and jet decay channels, establishing new constraints on anomalous couplings.

Findings

No excess observed above background

Set upper limits on cross sections for pp to pWWp and pZZp

Derived new limits on anomalous quartic gauge couplings

Abstract

A search is performed for exclusive high-mass $\gamma\gamma$ $\to$ WW and $\gamma\gamma$ $\to$ ZZ production in proton-proton collisions using intact forward protons reconstructed in near-beam detectors, with both weak bosons decaying into boosted and merged jets. The analysis is based on a sample of proton-proton collisions collected by the CMS and TOTEM experiments at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 100 fb$^{-1}$. No excess above the standard model background prediction is observed, and upper limits are set on the pp $\to$ pWWp and pp $\to$ pZZp cross sections in a fiducial region defined by the diboson invariant mass $m$(VV) $\lt$ 1 TeV (with V = W, Z) and proton fractional momentum loss 0.04 $\lt$ $\xi$ $\lt$ 0.20. The results are interpreted as new limits on dimension-6 and dimension-8 anomalous quartic gauge couplings.