Measurement of Z$\gamma$ production in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13.6 TeV and constraints on neutral triple gauge couplings

TL;DR

This paper reports a precise measurement of Zγ production at 13.6 TeV, confirming Standard Model predictions and setting new constraints on neutral triple gauge couplings using CMS data from 2022.

Contribution

First measurement of Zγ production cross section at 13.6 TeV and first constraints on neutral triple gauge couplings within an effective field theory framework.

Findings

Measured cross section agrees with Standard Model predictions.

Set new limits on neutral triple gauge couplings.

Used 34.8 fb$^{-1}$ of CMS data from 2022.

Abstract

A measurement of the Z$\gamma$ production cross section in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13.6 TeV is presented. Data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34.8 fb$^{-1}$, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2022 are used. Events with an oppositely charged pair of muons or electrons, with an invariant mass corresponding to a Z boson, together with an isolated photon are selected. The measured fiducial cross section for the combined electron and muon channels is 1.896 $\pm$ 0.033 (stat) $\pm$ 0.05 (syst) $\pm$ 0.006 (theo) pb, in agreement with the standard model prediction of 1.922 $\pm$ 0.094 pb. Constraints on neutral triple gauge couplings generated by dimension-8 operators in a recently proposed effective field theory framework are determined for the first time.