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  1. Abstract A model based on a$$U(1)_{T^3_R}$$ U ( 1 ) T R 3 extension of the Standard Model can address the mass hierarchy between generations of fermions, explain thermal dark matter abundance, and the muon$$g - 2$$ g - 2 ,$$R_{(D)}$$ R ( D ) , and$$R_{(D^*)}$$ R ( D ) anomalies. The model contains a light scalar boson$$\phi '$$ ϕ and a heavy vector-like quark$$\chi _\textrm{u}$$ χ u that can be probed at CERN’s large hadron collider (LHC). We perform a phenomenology study on the production of$$\phi '$$ ϕ and$${\chi }_u$$ χ u particles from proton–proton$$(\textrm{pp})$$ ( pp ) collisions at the LHC at$$\sqrt{s}=13.6$$ s = 13.6 TeV, primarily through$$g{-g}$$ g - g and$$t{-\chi _\textrm{u}}$$ t - χ u fusion. We work under a simplified model approach and directly take the$$\chi _\textrm{u}$$ χ u and$$\phi '$$ ϕ masses as free parameters. We perform a phenomenological analysis considering$$\chi _\textrm{u}$$ χ u final states to b-quarks, muons, and neutrinos, and$$\phi '$$ ϕ decays to$$\mu ^+\mu ^-$$ μ + μ - . A machine learning algorithm is used to maximize the signal sensitivity, considering an integrated luminosity of 3000$$\text {fb}^{-1}$$ fb - 1 . The proposed methodology can be a key mode for discovery over a large mass range, including low masses, traditionally considered difficult due to experimental constraints. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available April 1, 2026
  2. A<sc>bstract</sc> We present a detailed study concerning a new physics scenario involving four fermion operators of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio type characterized by a strong-coupling ultraviolet fixed point where composite particles are formed as bound states of elementary fermions at the scale$$ \Lambda =\mathcal{O}\left(\textrm{TeV}\right) $$ Λ = O TeV . After implementing the model in the Universal FeynRules Output format, we focus on the phenomenology of the scalar leptoquarks at the LHC and the High-Luminosity option. Leptoquark particles have undergone extensive scrutiny in the literature and experimental searches, primarily relying on pair production and, more recently, incorporating single, Drell-Yan t-channel, and lepton-induced processes. This study marks, for the first time, the examination of these production modes at varying jet multiplicities. Novel mechanisms emerge, enhancing the total production cross section. A global strategy is devised to capture all final state particles produced in association with leptoquarks or originating from their decay, which we termed “exclusive”, in an analogy to the nomenclature used in nuclear reactions. The assessment of the significance in current and future LHC runs, focusing on the case of a leptoquark coupling to a muon–cquark pair, reveals greater sensitivity compared to ongoing searches. Given this heightened discovery potential, we advocate the incorporation of exclusive leptoquark searches in future investigations at the LHC. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available August 1, 2025
  3. Abstract Leptoquarks ($$\textrm{LQ}$$ LQ s) are hypothetical particles that appear in various extensions of the Standard Model (SM), that can explain observed differences between SM theory predictions and experimental results. The production of these particles has been widely studied at various experiments, most recently at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and stringent bounds have been placed on their masses and couplings, assuming the simplest beyond-SM (BSM) hypotheses. However, the limits are significantly weaker for$$\textrm{LQ}$$ LQ models with family non-universal couplings containing enhanced couplings to third-generation fermions. We present a new study on the production of a$$\textrm{LQ}$$ LQ at the LHC, with preferential couplings to third-generation fermions, considering proton-proton collisions at$$\sqrt{s} = 13 \, \textrm{TeV}$$ s = 13 TeV and$$\sqrt{s} = 13.6 \, \textrm{TeV}$$ s = 13.6 TeV . Such a hypothesis is well motivated theoretically and it can explain the recent anomalies in the precision measurements of$$\textrm{B}$$ B -meson decay rates, specifically the$$R_{D^{(*)}}$$ R D ( ) ratios. Under a simplified model where the$$\textrm{LQ}$$ LQ masses and couplings are free parameters, we focus on cases where the$$\textrm{LQ}$$ LQ decays to a$$\tau $$ τ lepton and a$$\textrm{b}$$ b quark, and study how the results are affected by different assumptions about chiral currents and interference effects with other BSM processes with the same final states, such as diagrams with a heavy vector boson,$$\textrm{Z}^{\prime }$$ Z . The analysis is performed using machine learning techniques, resulting in an increased discovery reach at the LHC, allowing us to probe new physics phase space which addresses the$$\textrm{B}$$ B -meson anomalies, for$$\textrm{LQ}$$ LQ masses up to$$5.00\, \textrm{TeV}$$ 5.00 TeV , for the high luminosity LHC scenario. 
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  4. Abstract Since the initial data taking of the CERN LHC, the CMS experiment has undergone substantial upgrades and improvements. This paper discusses the CMS detector as it is configured for the third data-taking period of the CERN LHC, Run 3, which started in 2022. The entire silicon pixel tracking detector was replaced. A new powering system for the superconducting solenoid was installed. The electronics of the hadron calorimeter was upgraded. All the muon electronic systems were upgraded, and new muon detector stations were added, including a gas electron multiplier detector. The precision proton spectrometer was upgraded. The dedicated luminosity detectors and the beam loss monitor were refurbished. Substantial improvements to the trigger, data acquisition, software, and computing systems were also implemented, including a new hybrid CPU/GPU farm for the high-level trigger. 
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  5. Abstract The production of heavy neutral mass resonances, $$\text {Z}^{\prime }$$ Z ′ , has been widely studied theoretically and experimentally. Although the nature, mass, couplings, and associated quantum numbers of this hypothetical particle are yet to be determined, current LHC experimental results have set strong constraints assuming the simplest beyond Standard Model (SM) hypotheses. We present a new feasibility study on the production of a $$\text {Z}^{\prime }$$ Z ′ boson at the LHC, with family non-universal couplings, considering proton–proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s} = 13$$ s = 13 and 14 TeV. Such a hypothesis is well motivated theoretically and it can explain observed differences between SM predictions and experimental results, as well as being a useful tool to further probe recent results in searches for new physics considering non-universal fermion couplings. We work under two simplified phenomenological frameworks where the $$\textrm{Z}^{\prime }$$ Z ′ masses and couplings to the SM particles are free parameters, and consider final states of the $$\text {Z}^{\prime }$$ Z ′ decaying to a pair of $$\textrm{b}$$ b quarks. The analysis is performed using machine learning techniques to maximize the sensitivity. Despite being a well motivated physics case in its own merit, such scenarios have not been fully considered in ongoing searches at the LHC. We note the proposed search methodology can be a key mode for discovery over a large mass range, including low masses, traditionally considered difficult due to experimental constrains. In addition, the proposed search is complementary to existing strategies. 
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  6. A bstract Searches for new low-mass matter and mediator particles have actively been pursued at fixed target experiments and at e + e − colliders. It is challenging at the CERN LHC, but they have been searched for in Higgs boson decays and in B meson decays by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations, as well as in a low transverse momentum phenomena from forward scattering processes (e.g., FASER). We propose a search for a new scalar particle in association with a heavy vector-like quark. We consider the scenario in which the top quark ( t ) couples to a light scalar ϕ′ and a heavy vector-like top quark T . We examine single and pair production of T in pp collisions, resulting in a final state with a top quark that decays purely hadronically, a T which decays semileptonically ( T → W + b → ℓ ν b ), and a ϕ′ that is very boosted and decays to a pair of collimated photons which can be identified as a merged photon system. The proposed search is expected to achieve a discovery reach with signal significance greater than 5 σ (3 σ ) for m ( T ) as large as 1.8 (2) TeV and m ( ϕ′ ) as small as 1 MeV, assuming an integrated luminosity of 3000 fb − 1 . This search can expand the reach of T , and demonstrates that the LHC can probe low-mass, MeV-scale particles. 
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  7. A bstract The identity of Dark Matter (DM) is one of the most active topics in particle physics today. Supersymmetry (SUSY) is an extension of the standard model (SM) that could describe the particle nature of DM in the form of the lightest neutralino in R-parity conserving models. We focus on SUSY models that solve the hierarchy problem with small fine tuning, and where the lightest SUSY particles $$ \left({\tilde{\upchi}}_1^0,{\tilde{\upchi}}_1^{\pm },{\tilde{\upchi}}_2^0\right) $$ χ ˜ 1 0 χ ˜ 1 ± χ ˜ 2 0 are a triplet of higgsino-like states, such that the mass difference $$ \Delta m\left({\tilde{\upchi}}_2^0,{\tilde{\upchi}}_1^0\right) $$ Δ m χ ˜ 2 0 χ ˜ 1 0 is 0.5–50 GeV. We perform a feasibility study to assess the long-term discovery potential for these compressed SUSY models with higgsino-like states, using vector boson fusion (VBF) processes in the context of proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ s = 13 TeV, at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Assuming an integrated luminosity of 3000 fb − 1 , we find that stringent VBF requirements, combined with large missing momentum and one or two low- p T leptons, is effective at reducing the major SM backgrounds, leading to a 5 σ (3 σ ) discovery reach for $$ m\left({\tilde{\upchi}}_2^0\right) $$ m χ ˜ 2 0 < 180 (260) GeV, and a projected 95% confidence level exclusion region that covers $$ m\left({\tilde{\upchi}}_2^0\right) $$ m χ ˜ 2 0 up to 385 GeV, parameter space that is currently unconstrained by other experiments. 
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  8. Abstract In July 2012, the ATLAS and CMS collaborations at the CERN Large Hadron Collider announced the observation of a Higgs boson at a mass of around 125 gigaelectronvolts. Ten years later, and with the data corresponding to the production of a 30-times larger number of Higgs bosons, we have learnt much more about the properties of the Higgs boson. The CMS experiment has observed the Higgs boson in numerous fermionic and bosonic decay channels, established its spin–parity quantum numbers, determined its mass and measured its production cross-sections in various modes. Here the CMS Collaboration reports the most up-to-date combination of results on the properties of the Higgs boson, including the most stringent limit on the cross-section for the production of a pair of Higgs bosons, on the basis of data from proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 teraelectronvolts. Within the uncertainties, all these observations are compatible with the predictions of the standard model of elementary particle physics. Much evidence points to the fact that the standard model is a low-energy approximation of a more comprehensive theory. Several of the standard model issues originate in the sector of Higgs boson physics. An order of magnitude larger number of Higgs bosons, expected to be examined over the next 15 years, will help deepen our understanding of this crucial sector. 
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