Speaker
Melissa Quinnan
Description
Standard model four top quark production is a rare process with great potential to reveal new physics. Measurement of the cross section is not only a direct probe of the top quark Yukawa coupling with the Higgs, but an enhancement of this cross section is predicted by several beyond the standard model (BSM) theories. This process is studied in fully-hadronic proton-proton collision events collected during Run II of the CERN LHC by the CMS detector, which corresponded to an integrated luminosity of 137fb−1 and a center of mass energy of 13TeV. In order to optimize signal sensitivity with respect to significant and challenging backgrounds, several novel machine-learning based tools are applied in a multi-step and data-driven approach.