Search for heavy neutral resonances decaying to tau lepton pairs in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for heavy Z' bosons decaying into tau pairs at the LHC, setting new limits on their mass and cross section, and excluding Z' masses below 3.5 TeV.

Contribution

First search to set limits on Z' bosons decaying to tau pairs at 13 TeV with the CMS detector, providing the most stringent constraints to date.

Findings

No excess observed over standard model predictions.

Excluded Z' bosons with masses below 3.5 TeV in the sequential standard model.

Set the most stringent limits on Z' production cross section to date.

Abstract

A search for heavy neutral gauge bosons (Z') decaying into a pair of tau leptons is performed in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV at the CERN LHC. The data were collected with the CMS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The observations are found to be in agreement with the expectation from standard model processes. Limits at 95% confidence level are set on the product of the Z' production cross section and its branching fraction to tau lepton pairs for a range of Z' boson masses. For a narrow resonance in the sequential standard model scenario, a Z' boson with a mass below 3.5 TeV is excluded. This is the most stringent limit to date from this type of search.