Search for new resonances decaying to pairs of merged diphotons in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

Abstract

A search is presented for an extended Higgs sector with two new particles, X and $\phi$, in the process X $\to$$\phi\phi$$\to$$(\gamma\gamma)(\gamma\gamma)$. Novel neural networks classify events with diphotons that are merged and determine the diphoton masses. The search uses LHC proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected with the CMS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. No evidence of such resonances is seen. Upper limits are set on the production cross section versus the resonance masses, representing the most sensitive search in this channel.Physical review letters 134(4), 041801 (2025). doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.041801Published by APS, College Park, Md.