Search for high-mass exclusive $\gamma\gamma\to WW$ and $\gamma\gamma\to ZZ$ production in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

A search is performed for exclusive high-mass γγ → WW and γγ → ZZ
production in proton-proton collisions using intact forward protons reconstructed in nearbeam detectors, with both weak bosons decaying into boosted and merged jets. The
analysis is based on a sample of proton-proton collisions collected by the CMS and TOTEM
experiments at √
s = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 100 fb−1
. No
excess above the standard model background prediction is observed, and upper limits
are set on the pp → pWWp and pp → pZZp cross sections in a fiducial region defined
by the diboson invariant mass m(VV) > 1 TeV (with V = W, Z) and proton fractional
momentum loss 0.04 < ξ < 0.20. The results are interpreted as new limits on dimension-6
and dimension-8 anomalous quartic gauge couplings.