Search for rare decays of Z and Higgs bosons to J/𝜓� and a photon in proton-proton collisions at 𝑠�√ = 13TeV

Abstract

A search is presented for decays of Z and Higgs bosons to a J/𝜓 meson and a photon, with the subsequent decay of the J/𝜓 to 𝜇+𝜇−. The analysis uses data from proton-proton collisions with an integrated luminosity of 35.9fb−1 at 𝑠√=13TeV collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The observed limit on the Z→J/𝜓𝛾 decay branching fraction, assuming that the J/𝜓 meson is produced unpolarized, is 1.4×10−6 at 95% confidence level, which corresponds to a rate higher than expected in the standard model by a factor of 15. For extreme-polarization scenarios, the observed limit changes from −13.6 to +8.6% with respect to the unpolarized scenario. The observed upper limit on the branching fraction for H→J/𝜓𝛾 where the J/𝜓 meson is assumed to be transversely polarized is 7.6×10−4, a factor of 260 larger than the standard model prediction. The results for the Higgs boson are combined with previous data from proton-proton collisions at 𝑠√=8TeV to produce an observed upper limit on the branching fraction for H→J/𝜓𝛾 that is a factor of 220 larger than the standard model value.