Robert Cousins
· Professor EmeritusVerifiedUniversity of California, Los Angeles · Physics and Astronomy
Active 1957–2024
Research topics
- Physics
- Nuclear physics
- Particle physics
- Computer Science
- Astrophysics
- Quantum mechanics
- Optics
- Algorithm
- Engineering
- Artificial Intelligence
- Medicine
- Internal medicine
- Economics
- Statistics
- Mathematics
- Emergency medicine
- Mechanics
- Astronomy
- Virology
- Geography
- Mechanical engineering
Selected publications
Differential cross section measurements for the production of top quark pairs and of additional jets using dilepton events from pp collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 13 TeV
OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) · 2025 · 8 citations
- Physics
- Particle physics
- Nuclear physics
A bstract Differential cross sections for top quark pair ( $$ \textrm{t}\overline{\textrm{t}} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:math> ) production are measured in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV using a sample of events containing two oppositely charged leptons. The data were recorded with the CMS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb − 1 . The differential cross sections are measured as functions of kinematic observables of the $$ \textrm{t}\overline{\textrm{t}} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:math> system, the top quark and antiquark and their decay products, as well as of the number of additional jets in the event. The results are presented as functions of up to three variables and are corrected to the parton and particle levels. When compared to standard model predictions based on quantum chromodynamics at different levels of accuracy, it is found that the calculations do not always describe the observed data. The deviations are found to be largest for the multi-differential cross sections.
Review of top quark mass measurements in CMS
OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) · 2025 · 8 citations
- Particle physics
- Physics
- Nuclear physics
The top quark mass is one of the most intriguing parameters of the standard model (SM). Its value indicates a Yukawa coupling close to unity, and the resulting strong ties to Higgs physics make the top quark mass a crucial ingredient for understanding essential aspects of the electroweak sector of the SM. This review offers the first comprehensive overview of the top quark mass measurements performed by the CMS Collaboration using the data collected at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. Moreover, a detailed description of the top quark event reconstruction is provided and dedicated studies of the dominant uncertainties in the modelling of the signal processes are discussed. The interpretation of the experimental results on the top quark mass in terms of the SM Lagrangian parameter is challenging and is a focus of an ongoing discussion in the theory community. The CMS Collaboration has performed two main types of top quark mass measurements, addressing this challenge from different perspectives: highly precise ‘direct’ measurements, based on reconstructed top quark decay products and relying exclusively on Monte-Carlo simulations, as well as ‘indirect’ measurements, where the simulations are employed to determine parton-level cross sections that are compared to fixed-order perturbative calculations. Recent mass extractions using Lorentz-boosted top quarks open a new avenue of measurements based on top quark decay products contained in a single particle jet, with promising prospects for accurate theoretical interpretations.
arXiv (Cornell University) · 2024 · 6 citations
- Physics
- Particle physics
- Nuclear physics
A bstract An inclusive search for long-lived exotic particles (LLPs) decaying to final states with a pair of muons is presented. The search uses data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.6 fb − 1 collected by the CMS experiment from the proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13.6 TeV in 2022, the first year of Run 3 of the CERN LHC. The experimental signature is a pair of oppositely charged muons originating from a secondary vertex spatially separated from the proton-proton interaction point by distances ranging from several hundred μ m to several meters. The sensitivity of the search benefits from new triggers for displaced dimuons developed for Run 3. The results are interpreted in the framework of the hidden Abelian Higgs model, in which the Higgs boson decays to a pair of long-lived dark photons, and of an R -parity violating supersymmetry model, in which long-lived neutralinos decay to a pair of muons and a neutrino. The limits set on these models are the most stringent to date in wide regions of lifetimes for LLPs with masses larger than 10 GeV.
The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health · 2024 · 34 citations
- Medicine
- Internal medicine
- Virology
BACKGROUND: Paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS), also known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) emerged in April, 2020. The paediatric comparisons within the RECOVERY trial aimed to assess the effect of intravenous immunoglobulin or corticosteroids compared with usual care on duration of hospital stay for children with PIMS-TS and to compare tocilizumab (anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody) or anakinra (anti-IL-1 receptor antagonist) with usual care for those with inflammation refractory to initial treatment. METHODS: We did this randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial in 51 hospitals in the UK. Eligible patients were younger than 18 years and had been admitted to hospital for PIMS-TS. In the first randomisation, patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to usual care (no additional treatments), usual care plus methylprednisolone (10mg/kg per day for 3 consecutive days), or usual care plus intravenous immunoglobulin (a single dose of 2 g/kg). If further anti-inflammatory treatment was considered necessary, children aged at least 1 year could be considered for a second randomisation, in which patients were randomly assigned (1:2:2) to usual care, intravenous tocilizumab (12 mg/kg in patients <30 kg; 8mg/kg in patients ≥30 kg, up to a maximum dose of 800 mg), or subcutaneous anakinra (2 mg/kg once per day in patients ≥10 kg). Randomisation was by use of a web-based simple (unstratified) randomisation with allocation concealment. The primary outcome was duration of hospital stay. Analysis was by intention to treat. For treatments assessed in each randomisation, a single Bayesian framework assuming uninformative priors for treatment was used to jointly assess the efficacy of each intervention compared with usual care. The trial was registered with ISRCTN (50189673) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04381936). FINDINGS: Between May 18, 2020, and Jan 20, 2022, 237 children with PIMS-TS were enrolled and included in the intention-to-treat analysis. Of the 214 patients who entered the first randomisation, 73 were assigned to receive intravenous immunoglobulin, 61 methylprednisolone, and 80 usual care. Of the 70 children who entered the second randomisation (including 23 who did not enter the first randomisation), 28 were assigned to receive tocilizumab, 14 anakinra, and 28 usual care. Mean age was 9·5 years (SD 3·8) in the randomisation and 9·6 years (3·6) in the second randomisation. 118 (55%) of 214 patients in the first randomisation and 39 (56%) of 70 patients in the second randomisation were male. 130 (55%) of 237 patients were Black, Asian, or minority ethnic, and 105 (44%) were White. Mean duration of hospital stay was 7·4 days (SD 0·4) in children assigned to intravenous immunoglobulin and 7·6 days (0·4) in children assigned to usual care (difference -0·1 days, 95% credible interval [CrI] -1·3 to 1·0; posterior probability 59%). Mean duration of hospital stay was 6·9 days (SD 0·5) in children assigned to methylprednisolone (difference from usual care -0·7 days, 95% CrI -1·9 to 0·6; posterior probability 87%). Mean duration of hospital stay was 6·6 days (SD 0·7) in children assigned to second-line tocilizumab and 9·9 days (0·9) in children assigned to usual care (difference -3·3 days, 95% CrI -5·6 to -1·0; posterior probability >99%). Mean duration of hospital stay was 8·5 days (SD 1·2) in children assigned to anakinra (difference from usual care -1·4 days, 95% CrI -4·3 to 1·8; posterior probability 84%). Two persistent coronary artery aneurysms were reported among patients assigned to usual care in the first randomisation. There were few cardiac arrythmias, bleeding, or thrombotic events in any group. Two children died; neither was considered related to study treatment. INTERPRETATION: Moderate evidence suggests that, compared with usual care, first-line intravenous methylprednisolone reduces duration of hospital stay for children with PIMS-TS. Good evidence suggests that second-line tocilizumab reduces duration of hospital stay for children with inflammation refractory to initial treatment. Neither intravenous immunoglobulin nor anakinra had any effect on duration of hospital stay compared with usual care. FUNDING: Medical Research Council and National Institute of Health Research.
Search for heavy neutral leptons in final states with electrons, muons, and hadronically decaying tau leptons in proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 13 TeV
2024
- Physics
- Particle physics
- Nuclear physics
A search for heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) of Majorana or Dirac type using proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ =13 TeV is presented. The data were collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Events with three charged leptons (electrons, muons, and hadronically decaying tau leptons) are selected, corresponding to HNL production in association with a charged lepton and decay of the HNL to two charged leptons and a standard model (SM) neutrino. The search is performed for HNL masses between 10 GeV and 1.5 TeV. No evidence for an HNL signal is observed in data. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are found for the squared coupling strength of the HNL to SM neutrinos, considering exclusive coupling of the HNL to a single SM neutrino generation, for both Majorana and Dirac HNLs. The limits exceed previously achieved experimental constraints for a wide range of HNL masses, and the limits on tau neutrino coupling scenarios with HNL masses above the W boson mass are presented for the first time.
Model-independent search for pair production of new bosons decaying into muons in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 13 TeV
arXiv (Cornell University) · 2024 · 2 citations
- Physics
- Particle physics
- Nuclear physics
A bstract The results of a model-independent search for the pair production of new bosons within a mass range of 0 . 21 < m < 60 GeV, are presented. This study utilizes events with a four-muon final state. We use two data sets, comprising 41 . 5 fb − 1 and 59 . 7 fb − 1 of proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV, recorded in 2017 and 2018 by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC. The study of the 2018 data set includes a search for displaced signatures of a new boson within the proper decay length range of 0 < cτ < 100 mm. Our results are combined with a previous CMS result, based on 35 . 9 fb − 1 of proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV collected in 2016. No significant deviation from the expected background is observed. Results are presented in terms of a model-independent upper limit on the product of cross section, branching fraction, and acceptance. The findings are interpreted across various benchmark models, such as an axion-like particle model, a vector portal model, the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model, and a dark supersymmetric scenario, including those predicting a non-negligible proper decay length of the new boson. In all considered scenarios, substantial portions of the parameter space are excluded, expanding upon prior results.
Performance of CMS muon reconstruction from proton-proton to heavy ion collisions
OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) · 2024 · 3 citations
- Physics
- Nuclear physics
- Particle physics
Abstract The performance of muon tracking, identification, triggering, momentum resolution, and momentum scale has been studied with the CMS detector at the LHC using data collected at √( s NN ) = 5.02 TeV in proton-proton (pp) and lead-lead (PbPb) collisions in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and at √( s NN ) = 8.16 TeV in proton-lead (pPb) collisions in 2016. Muon efficiencies, momentum resolutions, and momentum scales are compared by focusing on how the muon reconstruction performance varies from relatively small occupancy pp collisions to the larger occupancies of pPb collisions and, finally, to the highest track multiplicity PbPb collisions. We find the efficiencies of muon tracking, identification, and triggering to be above 90% throughout most of the track multiplicity range. The momentum resolution and scale are unaffected by the detector occupancy. The excellent muon reconstruction of the CMS detector enables precision studies across all available collision systems.
Luminosity determination using Z boson production at the CMS experiment
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · 2024 · 7 citations
- Physics
- Particle physics
- Nuclear physics
of integrated luminosity, thus facilitating the efficiency and rate measurement as a function of time and instantaneous luminosity. Using the ratio of the efficiency-corrected numbers of Z bosons, the precisely measured integrated luminosity of one data set is used to determine the luminosity of another. For the first time, a full quantitative uncertainty analysis of the use of Z bosons for the integrated luminosity measurement is performed. The uncertainty in the extrapolation between two data sets, recorded in 2017 at low and high instantaneous luminosity, is less than 0.5%. We show that the Z boson rate measurement constitutes a precise method, complementary to traditional methods, with the potential to improve the measurement of the integrated luminosity.
Physics Reports · 2024 · 9 citations
- Physics
- Particle physics
- Nuclear physics
The Large Hadron Collider at CERN, delivering proton-proton collisions at much higher energies and far higher luminosities than previous machines, has enabled a comprehensive programme of measurements of the standard model (SM) processes by the CMS experiment. These unprecedented capabilities facilitate precise measurements of the properties of a wide array of processes, the most fundamental being cross sections. The discovery of the Higgs boson and the measurement of its mass became the keystone of the SM. Knowledge of the mass of the Higgs boson allows precision comparisons of the predictions of the SM with the corresponding measurements. These measurements span the range from one of the most copious SM processes, the total inelastic cross section for proton-proton interactions, to the rarest ones, such as Higgs boson pair production. They cover the production of Higgs bosons, top quarks, single and multibosons, and hadronic jets. Associated parameters, such as coupling constants, are also measured. These cross section measurements can be pictured as a descending stairway, on which the lowest steps represent the rarest processes allowed by the SM, some never seen before.
Physical Review Letters · 2024 · 96 citations
- Physics
A search is reported for near-threshold structures in the J/ψJ/ψ invariant mass spectrum produced in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV from data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 135 fb^{-1}. Three structures are found, and a model with quantum interference among these structures provides a good description of the data. A new structure is observed with a local significance above 5 standard deviations at a mass of 6638_{-38}^{+43}(stat)_{-31}^{+16}(syst) MeV. Another structure with even higher significance is found at a mass of 6847_{-28}^{+44}(stat)_{-20}^{+48}(syst) MeV, which is consistent with the X(6900) resonance reported by the LHCb experiment and confirmed by the ATLAS experiment. Evidence for another new structure, with a local significance of 4.7 standard deviations, is found at a mass of 7134_{-25}^{+48}(stat)_{-15}^{+41}(syst) MeV. Results are also reported for a model without interference, which does not fit the data as well and shows mass shifts up to 150 MeV relative to the model with interference.
Recent grants
U.S. CMS Operations at the LHC
NSF · $42.2M · 2007–2012
Frequent coauthors
- 5057 shared
M. Titov
Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
- 5044 shared
G. Hamel de Monchenault
Université Paris-Saclay
- 4940 shared
M. Lethuillier
Institute of Nuclear Physics of Lyon
- 4675 shared
A. Rosowsky
Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
- 4419 shared
S. Perriès
Institute of Nuclear Physics of Lyon
- 4369 shared
F. Beaudette
Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
- 4337 shared
J. Andreä
Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien
- 4292 shared
C. Collard
Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien
Education
- 1981
Ph.D., Physics
Stanford University
- 1976
A.B., Physics
Princeton University
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