Measurements of differential cross sections are presented for inclusive isolated-photon production in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV provided by the LHC and using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment. The cross sections are measured as functions of the photon transverse energy in different regions of photon pseudorapidity. The photons are required to be isolated by means of a fixed-cone method with two different cone radii. The dependence of the inclusive-photon production on the photon isolation is investigated by measuring the fiducial cross sections as functions of the isolation-cone radius and the ratios of the differential cross sections with different radii in different regions of photon pseudorapidity. The results presented in this paper constitute an improvement with respect to those published by ATLAS earlier: the measurements are provided for different isolation radii and with a more granular segmentation in photon pseudorapidity that can be exploited in improving the determination of the proton parton distribution functions. These improvements provide a more in-depth test of the theoretical predictions. Next-to-leading-order QCD predictions from JETPHOX and SHERPA and next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD predictions from NNLOJET are compared to the measurements, using several parameterisations of the proton parton distribution functions. The measured cross sections are well described by the fixed-order QCD predictions within the experimental and theoretical uncertainties in most of the investigated phase-space region.
This letter presents a search for narrow, high-mass resonances in the $Z\gamma$ final state with the $Z$ boson decaying into a pair of electrons or muons. The $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV $pp$ collision data were recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and have an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$. The data are found to be in agreement with the Standard Model background expectation. Upper limits are set on the resonance production cross section times the decay branching ratio into $Z\gamma$. For spin-0 resonances produced via gluon-gluon fusion, the observed limits at 95% confidence level vary between 65.5 fb and 0.6 fb, while for spin-2 resonances produced via gluon-gluon fusion (or quark-antiquark initial states) limits vary between 77.4 (76.1) fb and 0.6 (0.5) fb, for the mass range from 220 GeV to 3400 GeV.
Higgsinos with masses near the electroweak scale can solve the hierarchy problem and provide a dark matter candidate, while detecting them at the LHC remains challenging if their mass splitting is $\mathcal{O}(1 \text{GeV})$. This Letter presents a novel search for nearly mass-degenerate Higgsinos in events with an energetic jet, missing transverse momentum, and a low-momentum track with a significant transverse impact parameter using 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment. For the first time since LEP, a range of mass splittings between the lightest charged and neutral Higgsinos from $0.3$ GeV to $0.9$ GeV is excluded at 95$\%$ confidence level, with a maximum reach of approximately $170$ GeV in the Higgsino mass.
This paper reports cross-section measurements of $ZZ$ production in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13.6$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider. The data were collected by the ATLAS detector in 2022, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 29 fb$^-1$. Events in the $ZZ\rightarrow4\ell$ ($\ell = e$, $\mu$) final states are selected and used to measure the inclusive and differential cross-sections in a fiducial region defined close to the analysis selections. The inclusive cross-section is further extrapolated to the total phase space with a requirement of 66 $< m_Z <$ 116 GeV for both $Z$ bosons, yielding $16.8 \pm 1.1$ pb. The results are well described by the Standard Model predictions.
The production of single top quarks and top antiquarks via the $t$-channel exchange of a virtual $W$ boson is measured in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the LHC using $140\,\mathrm{fb^{-1}}$ of ATLAS data. The total cross-sections are determined to be $\sigma(tq)=137^{+8}_{-8}\,\mathrm{pb}$ and $\sigma(\bar{t}q)=84^{+6}_{-5}\,\mathrm{pb}$ for top-quark and top-antiquark production, respectively. The combined cross-section is found to be $\sigma(tq+\bar{t}q)=221^{+13}_{-13}\,\mathrm{pb}$ and the cross-section ratio is $R_{t}=\sigma(tq)/\sigma(\bar{t}q)=1.636^{+0.036}_{-0.034}$. The predictions at next-to-next-to-leading-order in quantum chromodynamics are in good agreement with these measurements. The predicted value of $R_{t}$ using different sets of parton distribution functions is compared with the measured value, demonstrating the potential to further constrain the functions when using this result in global fits. The measured cross-sections are interpreted in an effective field theory approach, setting limits at the 95% confidence level on the strength of a four-quark operator and an operator coupling the third quark generation to the Higgs boson doublet: $-0.37 < C_{Qq}^{3,1}/\Lambda^2 < 0.06$ and $-0.87 < C_{\phi Q}^{3}/\Lambda^2 < 1.42$. The constraint $|V_{tb}|>0.95$ at the 95% confidence level is derived from the measured value of $\sigma(tq+\bar{t}q)$. In a more general approach, pairs of CKM matrix elements involving top quarks are simultaneously constrained, leading to confidence contours in the corresponding two-dimensional parameter spaces.
Inclusive and differential cross-sections are measured at particle level for the associated production of a top quark pair and a photon ($t\bar{t}\gamma$). The analysis is performed using an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector. The measurements are performed in the single-lepton and dilepton top quark pair decay channels focusing on $t\bar{t}\gamma$ topologies where the photon is radiated from an initial-state parton or one of the top quarks. The absolute and normalised differential cross-sections are measured for several variables characterising the photon, lepton and jet kinematics as well as the angular separation between those objects. The observables are found to be in good agreement with the Monte Carlo predictions. The photon transverse momentum differential distribution is used to set limits on effective field theory parameters related to the electroweak dipole moments of the top quark. The combined limits using the photon and the $Z$ boson transverse momentum measured in $t\bar{t}$ production in associations with a $Z$ boson are also set.
Three searches for the direct production of $\tau$-sleptons or charginos and neutralinos in final states with at least two hadronically decaying $\tau$-leptons are presented. For chargino and neutralino production, decays via intermediate $\tau$-sleptons or $W$ and $h$ bosons are considered. The analysis uses a dataset of $pp$ collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $139\,$fb$^{-1}$, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No significant deviation from the expected Standard Model background is observed and supersymmetric particle mass limits at 95% confidence level are obtained in simplified models. For direct production of $\tilde~{\chi}^+_1\tilde~{\chi}^-_1$, chargino masses are excluded up to 970 GeV, while $\tilde~{\chi}^{\pm}_1$ and $\tilde~{\chi}^0_2$ masses up to 1160 GeV (330 GeV) are excluded for $\tilde~{\chi}^{\pm}_1\tilde~{\chi}^0_2$/$\tilde~{\chi}^+_1\tilde~{\chi}^-_1$ production with subsequent decays via $\tau$-sleptons ($W$ and $h$ bosons). Masses of $\tau$-sleptons up to 500 GeV are excluded for mass degenerate $\tilde~{\tau}_{L,R}$ scenarios and up to 425 GeV for $\tilde~{\tau}_L$-only scenarios. Sensitivity to $\tilde~{\tau}_R$-only scenarios from the ATLAS experiment is presented here for the first time, with $\tilde~{\tau}_R$ masses excluded up to 350 GeV.
A search for a new massive charged gauge boson, $W'$, is performed with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The dataset used in this analysis was collected from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} =13$ TeV, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The reconstructed $tb$ invariant mass is used to search for a $W'$ boson decaying into a top quark and a bottom quark. The result is interpreted in terms of a $W'$ boson with purely right-handed or left-handed chirality in a mass range of 0.5-6 TeV. Different values for the coupling of the $W'$ boson to the top and bottom quarks are considered, taking into account interference with single-top-quark production in the $s$-channel. No significant deviation from the background prediction is observed. The results are expressed as upper limits on the $W' \rightarrow tb$ production cross-section times branching ratio as a function of the $W'$-boson mass and in the plane of the coupling vs the $W'$-boson mass.
Measurements of the differential production cross-sections of prompt and non-prompt $J/\psi$ and $\psi(2$S$)$ mesons with transverse momenta between 8 and 360 GeV and rapidity in the range $|y|<2$ are reported. Furthermore, measurements of the non-prompt fractions of $J/\psi$ and $\psi(2$S$)$, and the prompt and non-prompt $\psi(2$S$)$-to-$J/\psi$ production ratios, are presented. The analysis is performed using 140 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV $pp$ collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC during the years 2015-2018.
The ratio of branching ratios of the $W$ boson to muons and electrons, $R^{\mu/e}_W=B(W\rightarrow \mu\nu)/B(W\rightarrow e\nu)$, has been measured using 140 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, probing the universality of lepton couplings. The ratio is obtained from measurements of the $t\bar{t}$ production cross-section in the $ee$, $e\mu$ and $\mu\mu$ dilepton final states. To reduce systematic uncertainties, it is normalised by the square root of the corresponding ratio $R^{\mu\mu/ee}_Z$ for the $Z$ boson measured in inclusive $Z\rightarrow ee$ and $Z\rightarrow\mu\mu$ events. By using the precise value of $R^{\mu\mu/ee}_Z$ determined from $e^+e^-$ colliders, the ratio $R^{\mu/e}_W$ is determined to be $R^{\mu/e}_W = 0.9995 \pm 0.0022 \pm 0.0036 \pm 0.0014$. The three uncertainties correspond to data statistics, experimental systematics and the external measurement of $R^{\mu\mu/ee}_Z$, giving a total uncertainty of 0.0045, and confirming the Standard Model assumption of lepton flavour universality in $W$-boson decays at the 0.5% level.