The analysis of the momentum difference between charged hadrons in high-energy proton-proton collisions is performed in order to study coherent particle production. The observed correlation pattern agrees with a model of a helical QCD string fragmenting into a chain of ground-state hadrons. A threshold momentum difference in the production of adjacent pairs of charged hadrons is observed, in agreement with model predictions. The presence of low-mass hadron chains also explains the emergence of charge-combination-dependent two-particle correlations commonly attributed to Bose-Einstein interference. The data sample consists of 190 inverse microbarns of minimum bias events collected with proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV in the early low-luminosity data taking with the ATLAS detector at the LHC.
The inclusive Delta as a function of $Q$, in the interval 0.02 GeV < Q < 2 GeV.
The Delta(3h), for 3-hadron chains with mass below 0.59 GeV, as a function of $Q$, in the interval 0.02 GeV < Q < 0.36 GeV.
The Dalitz plot, for 3-hadron chains with mass below 0.59 GeV. Coordinates X = sqrt(3)(T0-T2)/sum(T) , Y = 3T1/sum(T) - 1. T0/T1/T2 stand for kinetic energy of hadrons in the rest frame of the triplet ( hadrons 0 and 2 form like-sign pair).
A search is presented for the pair production of heavy vector-like $T$ and $B$ quarks, primarily targeting the $T$ quark decays to a $W$ boson and a $b$-quark. The search is based on $36.1$ fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV recorded in 2015 and 2016 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Data are analysed in the lepton-plus-jets final state, including at least one $b$-tagged jet and a large-radius jet identified as originating from the hadronic decay of a high-momentum $W$ boson. No significant deviation from the Standard Model expectation is observed in the reconstructed $T$ mass distribution. The observed 95% confidence level lower limit on the $T$ mass are 1350 GeV assuming 100% branching ratio to $Wb$. In the SU(2) singlet scenario, the lower mass limit is 1170 GeV. This search is also sensitive to a heavy vector-like $B$ quark decaying to $Wt$ and other final states. The results are thus reinterpreted to provide a 95% confidence level lower limit on the $B$ quark mass at 1250 GeV assuming 100% branching ratio to $Wt$; in the SU(2) singlet scenario, the limit is 1080 GeV. Mass limits on both $T$ and $B$ production are also set as a function of the decay branching ratios. The 100% branching ratio limits are found to be applicable to heavy vector-like $Y$ and $X$ production that decay to $Wb$ and $Wt$, respectively.
The leptonic VLQ candidate mass distributions in the signal region after the maximum likelihood fit in the signal region and control region.
Expected and observed upper limits at the 95% CL on the TT cross section as a function of T quark mass under the assumption of BR(T->Wb)=1.
Expected and observed upper limits at the 95% CL on the TT cross section as a function of T quark mass for an SU(2) singlet T.
The cross-section for the production of two jets in association with a leptonically decaying Z boson ($Zjj$) is measured in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, using data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb$^{-1}$. The electroweak $Zjj$ cross-section is extracted in a fiducial region chosen to enhance the electroweak contribution relative to the dominant Drell-Yan $Zjj$ process, which is constrained using a data-driven approach. The measured fiducial electroweak cross-section is $\sigma^{Zjj}_{EW}= 119\pm 16 (\mathrm{stat.}) \pm 20 (\mathrm{syst.})\pm 2 (\mathrm{lumi.})$ for dijet invariant mass greater than 250 GeV, and $34.2\pm 5.8 (\mathrm{stat.})\pm 5.5 (\mathrm{syst.})\pm 0.7 (\mathrm{lumi.})$ for dijet invariant mass greater than 1 TeV. Standard Model predictions are in agreement with the measurements. The inclusive $Zjj$ cross-section is also measured in six different fiducial regions with varying contributions from electroweak and Drell-Yan $Zjj$ production.
Fiducial regions definitions
Measured and predicted inclusive Zjj production cross-sections in the six fiducial regions
Measured and predicted EW-Zjj production cross-sections in the EW-enriched fiducial regions with and without an additional kinematic requirement of $m_{jj} > $ 1 TeV
The results of a search for direct pair production of top squarks in events with two opposite-charge leptons (electrons or muons) are reported, using 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity from proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. To cover a range of mass differences between the top squark $\tilde{t}$ and lighter supersymmetric particles, four possible decay modes of the top squark are targeted with dedicated selections: the decay $\tilde{t} \rightarrow b \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$ into a $b$-quark and the lightest chargino with $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm} \rightarrow W \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$, the decay $\tilde{t} \rightarrow t \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ into an on-shell top quark and the lightest neutralino, the three-body decay $\tilde{t} \rightarrow b W \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ and the four-body decay $\tilde{t} \rightarrow b \ell \nu \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$. No significant excess of events is observed above the Standard Model background for any selection, and limits on top squarks are set as a function of the $\tilde{t}$ and $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ masses. The results exclude at 95% confidence level $\tilde{t}$ masses up to about 720 GeV, extending the exclusion region of supersymmetric parameter space covered by previous searches.
Two-body selection background fit results for the CRs of the SRA$^{2-body}_{180}$ and SRB$^{2-body}_{140}$ background fits. The nominal expectations from MC simulation are given for comparison for those backgrounds (top, $VV$-SF, ttZ and $VZ$) that are normalised to data in dedicated CRs. The `Others category contains the contributions from $ttW$, $tth$, $ttWW$, $ttt$, $tttt$, $Wh$, $ggh$ and $Zh$ production. Combined statistical and systematic uncertainties are given. Entries marked ``--'' indicate a negligible background contribution. Uncertainties on the predicted background event yields are quoted as symmetric except where the negative uncertainty extends to zero predicted events, in which case the negative uncertainty is truncated.
Two-body selection background fit results for the CRs of the SRC$^{2-body}_{110}$ background fit. The nominal expectations from MC simulation are given for comparison for those backgrounds ($t\bar t$, $t\bar t Z$) that are normalised to data in dedicated CRs. The Others category contains the contributions from $t\bar t W$, $t\bar t h$, $t\bar t WW$, $t\bar t t$, $t\bar t t\bar t$, $Wh$, $ggh$ and $Zh$ production. Combined statistical and systematic uncertainties are given. Entries marked $--$ indicate a negligible background contribution. Uncertainties on the predicted background event yields are quoted as symmetric except where the negative uncertainty extends to zero predicted events, in which case the negative uncertainty is truncated.
Two-body selection distribution of $n_{jets}$ in CR$^{2-body}_{top}$ after the background fits. The contributions from all SM backgrounds are shown as a histogram stack; the bands represent the total statistical and detector-related systematic uncertainty. The rightmost bin of each plot includes overflow events.
This article presents searches for the $Z\gamma$ decay of the Higgs boson and for narrow high-mass resonances decaying to $Z\gamma$, exploiting $Z$ boson decays to pairs of electrons or muons. The data analysis uses 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The data are found to be consistent with the expected Standard Model background. The observed (expected - assuming Standard Model $pp\to H\to Z\gamma$ production and decay) upper limit on the production cross section times the branching ratio for $pp\to H\to Z\gamma$ is 6.6 (5.2) times the Standard Model prediction at the 95% confidence level for a Higgs boson mass of 125.09 GeV. In addition, upper limits are set on the production cross section times the branching ratio as a function of the mass of a narrow resonance between 250 GeV and 2.4 TeV, assuming spin-0 resonances produced via gluon-gluon fusion, and spin-2 resonances produced via gluon-gluon or quark-antiquark initial states. For high-mass spin-0 resonances, the observed (expected) limits vary between 88 fb (61 fb) and 2.8 fb (2.7 fb) for the mass range from 250 GeV to 2.4 TeV at the 95% confidence level.
The measured sigma(pp-->X)xB(X->Z gamma) limit with the hypothesis of spin-0 resonance.
The measured sigma(pp-->X)xB(X->Z gamma) limit with the hypothesis of spin-2 resonance via gluon-gluon initial states.
The measured sigma(pp-->X)xB(X->Z gamma) limit with the hypothesis of spin-0 resonance via qqbar initial states.
This paper presents a study of $WW\gamma$ and $WZ\gamma$ triboson production using events from proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.2 fb$^{-1}$. The $WW\gamma$ production cross-section is determined using a final state containing an electron, a muon, a photon, and neutrinos ($e\nu\mu\nu\gamma$). Upper limits on the production cross-section of the $e\nu\mu\nu\gamma$ final state and the $WW\gamma$ and $WZ\gamma$ final states containing an electron or a muon, two jets, a photon, and a neutrino ($e\nu jj\gamma$ or $\mu\nu jj\gamma$) are also derived. The results are compared to the cross-sections predicted by the Standard Model at next-to-leading order in the strong-coupling constant. In addition, upper limits on the production cross-sections are derived in a fiducial region optimised for a search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. The results are interpreted in the context of anomalous quartic gauge couplings using an effective field theory. Confidence intervals at 95% confidence level are derived for the 14 coupling coefficients to which $WW\gamma$ and $WZ\gamma$ production are sensitive.
Computed fiducial cross section in the $e\nu\mu\nu\gamma$ channel. The first uncertainty shown is the statistical uncertainty and the second one is the total systematic uncertainty including the uncertainty due to the luminosity. The theoretical prediction is determined with the VBFNLO generator and its uncertainty does not account for an uncertainty related to the scale introduced by restricting the jet multiplicity in the fully leptonic channel.
Observed and expected cross-section upper limits at 95\% CL for the different final states using the CL$_{\text{s}}$ method. The expected cross-section limits are computed assuming no signal is present. The last column shows the theory prediction for the signal cross-section ($\sigma_{\text{theo}}$) computed with the VBFNLO generator and corrected to particle level. The $\ell \nu jj \gamma$ cross-section corresponds to the average cross-section per lepton flavour in the semileptonic analysis and all events of the $e \nu jj \gamma$ and $\mu\nu jj \gamma$ final states are employed for the determination of this limit.
Observed and expected cross-section upper limits at 95\% CL using the CL$_{\text{s}}$ method for the different final states with the photon \et threshold optimised for maximal aQGC sensitivity. The expected cross-section limits are computed assuming the absence of $WV\gamma$ production. The last column shows the theory prediction for the SM signal cross-section computed with the VBFNLO generator and corrected to particle level. The $\ell \nu jj \gamma$ cross-section corresponds to the average cross-section per lepton flavour in the semileptonic analysis and all events of the $e \nu jj \gamma$ and $\mu\nu jj \gamma$ final states are employed for the determination of this limit.
This Letter presents a measurement of the inelastic proton-proton cross section using 60 $\mu$b$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$ of $13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Inelastic interactions are selected using rings of plastic scintillators in the forward region ($2.07<|\eta|<3.86$) of the detector. A cross section of $68.1\pm 1.4$ mb is measured in the fiducial region $\xi=M_X^2/s>10^{-6}$, where $M_X$ is the larger invariant mass of the two hadronic systems separated by the largest rapidity gap in the event. In this $\xi$ range the scintillators are highly efficient. For diffractive events this corresponds to cases where at least one proton dissociates to a system with $M_X>13$ GeV. The measured cross section is compared with a range of theoretical predictions. When extrapolated to the full phase space, a cross-section of $78.1 \pm 2.9$ mb is measured, consistent with the inelastic cross section increasing with center-of-mass energy.
The measured and extrapolated inelastic cross section. The statistical uncertainty is negligible and is therefore displayed as zero. The first systematic uncertainty is the experimental systematic uncertainty apart from the luminosity, the second is the luminosity uncertainty, and the third is the extrapolation uncertainty.
A search for a heavy resonance decaying into $WZ$ in the fully leptonic channel (electrons and muons) is performed. It is based on proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$. No significant excess is observed over the Standard Model predictions and limits are set on the production cross section times branching ratio of a heavy vector particle produced either in quark-antiquark fusion or through vector-boson fusion. Constraints are also obtained on the mass and couplings of a singly charged Higgs boson, in the Georgi-Machacek model, produced through vector-boson fusion.
The signal selection acceptance times efficiency (A$\times\epsilon$), defined as the ratio of the number of MC signal events in the category to the number of generated signal events, is presented as a function of the Georgi-Machacek Model $H_5^\pm$ resonance mass in the VBF category. The A$\times\epsilon$ is shown for the combination of all decay channels. For the Georgi-Machacek Model $H_5^\pm$ samples, generator cuts are: $p_{\mathrm T}$ (jets) $>$ 15 GeV, $p_{\mathrm T}$ (leptons) $>$ 10 GeV, $|\eta|$(jets) $<$ 5 and $|\eta|$(leptons) $<$ 2.7. The decay of $W$ is to all flavors of leptons and of $Z$ to $e^+e^−$ and $\mu^+\mu^-$. The $Z$ to $\tau^+\tau-$ decays give a negligible contribution and were not included in the simulation, however the acceptancs shown here was scaled to include all decays. A systematic uncertainty was applied to cover the scaling uncertainty. The uncertainty shown represents the total statistical and systematic uncertainties.
The signal selection acceptance times efficiency (A$\times \epsilon$), defined as the ratio of the number of MC signal events in the category to the number of generated signal events, is presented as a function of the HVT resonance mass in the VBF category. The A$\times \epsilon$ is shown for the combination of all decay channels. For the HVT VBF samples, generator cuts are: m$_{jj} >$ 150 GeV. The decay of $W$ and $Z$ are to all flavors of leptons. The uncertainty shown represents the total statistical and systematic uncertainties.
Signal selection acceptance times efficiency (A$\times \epsilon$), defined as the ratio of the number of MC signal events in the category to the number of generated signal events, as a function of the HVT resonance mass for the quark-antiquark production. The $A\times\epsilon$ is shown for each decay channel and the inclusive one. The decay of $W$ and $Z$ are to all flavors of leptons. The uncertainty shown represents the total statistical and systematic uncertainties.
This paper presents a measurement of the triple-differential cross section for the Drell--Yan process $Z/\gamma^*\rightarrow \ell^+\ell^-$ where $\ell$ is an electron or a muon. The measurement is performed for invariant masses of the lepton pairs, $m_{\ell\ell}$, between $46$ and $200$ GeV using a sample of $20.2$ fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions data at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2012. The data are presented in bins of invariant mass, absolute dilepton rapidity, $|y_{\ell\ell}|$, and the angular variable $\cos\theta^{*}$ between the outgoing lepton and the incoming quark in the Collins--Soper frame. The measurements are performed in the range $|y_{\ell\ell}|<2.4$ in the muon channel, and extended to $|y_{\ell\ell}|<3.6$ in the electron channel. The cross sections are used to determine the $Z$ boson forward-backward asymmetry as a function of $|y_{\ell\ell}|$ and $m_{\ell\ell}$. The measurements achieve high-precision, below the percent level in the pole region, excluding the uncertainty in the integrated luminosity, and are in agreement with predictions. These precision data are sensitive to the parton distribution functions and the effective weak mixing angle.
Detailed breakdown of systematic uncertainties for the measurement in the central rapidity muon channel. Common systematic uncertainty on the luminosity measurment of 1.8% is not included. Correlated systematic uncertainties with the suffix :A should be treated as additive and with the suffix :M should be treated as multiplicative. The source 'sys,uncor' represents bin-to-bin uncorrelated systematic uncertainty. The cross sections are given at the Born QED level. 'C Dressed' represents the multiplicative correction factor to translate the cross sections to the dressed level with the cone radius of 0.1: SigmaDressed = C Dressed * SigmaBorn.
Detailed breakdown of systematic uncertainties for the measurement in the central rapidity electron channel. Common systematic uncertainty on the luminosity measurment of 1.8% is not included. Correlated systematic uncertainties with the suffix :A should be treated as additive and with the suffix :M should be treated as multiplicative. The source 'sys,uncor' represents bin-to-bin uncorrelated systematic uncertainty. The cross sections are given at the Born QED level. 'C Dressed' represents the multiplicative correction factor to translate the cross sections to the dressed level with the cone radius of 0.1: SigmaDressed = C Dressed * SigmaBorn.
Detailed breakdown of systematic uncertainties for the measurement in the forward rapidity electron channel. Common systematic uncertainty on the luminosity measurment of 1.8% is not included. Correlated systematic uncertainties with the suffix :A should be treated as additive and with the suffix :M should be treated as multiplicative. The source 'sys,uncor' represents bin-to-bin uncorrelated systematic uncertainty. The cross sections are given at the Born QED level. 'C Dressed' represents the multiplicative correction factor to translate the cross sections to the dressed level with the cone radius of 0.1: SigmaDressed = C Dressed * SigmaBorn.
A search is presented for the pair production of heavy vector-like quarks, $T\bar T$ or $B\bar B$, that decay into final states with jets and no reconstructed leptons. Jets in the final state are classified using a deep neural network as arising from hadronically decaying $W/Z$ bosons, Higgs bosons, top quarks, or background. The analysis uses data from the ATLAS experiment corresponding to 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions with a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV delivered by the Large Hadron Collider in 2015 and 2016. No significant deviation from the Standard Model expectation is observed. Results are interpreted assuming the vector-like quarks decay into a Standard Model boson and a third-generation-quark, $T\rightarrow Wb,Ht,Zt$ or $B\rightarrow Wt,Hb,Zb$, for a variety of branching ratios. At 95% confidence level, the observed (expected) lower limit on the vector-like $B$-quark mass for a weak-isospin doublet ($B, Y$) is 950 (890) GeV, and the lower limits on the masses for the pure decays $B\rightarrow Hb$ and $T\rightarrow Ht$, where these results are strongest, are 1010 (970) GeV and 1010 (1010) GeV, respectively.
Expected and observed upper limits at the 95% CL on the $T\bar T$ cross section as a function of $T$ mass under the assumption BR($T\to Ht$)=1.
Expected and observed upper limits at the 95% CL on the $B\bar B$ cross section as a function of $B$ mass under the assumption BR($B\to Hb$)=1.
Expected and observed upper limits at the 95% CL on the $B\bar B$ cross section as a function of $B$ mass under the assumption of a weak-isospin doublet.
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