Search for the lepton flavor violating decay τ → 3μ in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV

Results are reported from a search for the lepton flavor violating decay τ → 3μ in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 33.2 fb⁻¹ recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2016. The search exploits τ leptons produced in both W boson and heavy-flavor hadron decays. No significant excess above the expected background is observed. An upper limit on the branching fraction ℬ(τ → 3μ) of 8.0 × 10⁻⁸ at 90% confidence level is obtained, with an expected upper limit of 6.9 × 10⁻⁸. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]