A search for charged Higgs bosons decaying into $W^\pm W^\pm$ or $W^\pm Z$ bosons is performed, involving experimental signatures with two leptons of the same charge, or three or four leptons with a variety of charge combinations, missing transverse momentum and jets. A data sample of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018 is used. The data correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The search is guided by a type-II seesaw model that extends the scalar sector of the Standard Model with a scalar triplet, leading to a phenomenology that includes doubly and singly charged Higgs bosons. Two scenarios are explored, corresponding to the pair production of doubly charged $H^{\pm\pm}$ bosons, or the associated production of a doubly charged $H^{\pm\pm}$ boson and a singly charged $H^\pm$ boson. No significant deviations from the Standard Model predictions are observed. $H^{\pm\pm}$ bosons are excluded at 95% confidence level up to 350 GeV and 230 GeV for the pair and associated production modes, respectively.
Distribution of $E_{T}^{miss}$, which is one of the discriminating variables used to define the $2\ell^{sc}$ SRs. The events are selected with the preselection requirements listed in Table 4 in the paper. The data (dots) are compared with the expected contributions from the relevant background sources (histograms). The expected signal distributions for $m_{H^{\pm\pm}} = 300~GeV$ are also shown, scaled to the observed number of events. The last bin includes overflows.
Distribution of $\Delta R_{\ell^{\pm}\ell^{\pm}}$, which is one of the discriminating variables used to define the $2\ell^{sc}$ SRs. The events are selected with the preselection requirements listed in Table 4 in the paper. The data (dots) are compared with the expected contributions from the relevant background sources (histograms). The expected signal distributions for $m_{H^{\pm\pm}} = 300~GeV$ are also shown, scaled to the observed number of events. The last bin includes overflows.
Distribution of $M_{jets}$, which is one of the discriminating variables used to define the $2\ell^{sc}$ SRs. The events are selected with the preselection requirements listed in Table 4 in the paper. The data (dots) are compared with the expected contributions from the relevant background sources (histograms). The expected signal distributions for $m_{H^{\pm\pm}} = 300~GeV$ are also shown, scaled to the observed number of events. The last bin includes overflows.
The associated production of a Higgs boson with a $W$ or $Z$ boson decaying into leptons and where the Higgs boson decays to a $b\bar{b}$ pair is measured in the high vector-boson transverse momentum regime, above 250 GeV, with the ATLAS detector. The analysed data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$, were collected in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018 at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV. The measured signal strength, defined as the ratio of the measured signal yield to that predicted by the Standard Model, is $0.72 ^{+0.39}_{-0.36}$ corresponding to an observed (expected) significance of 2.1 (2.7) standard deviations. Cross-sections of associated production of a Higgs boson decaying into $b$ quark pairs with a $W$ or $Z$ gauge boson, decaying into leptons, are measured in two exclusive vector boson transverse momentum regions, 250-400 GeV and above 400 GeV, and interpreted as constraints on anomalous couplings in the framework of a Standard Model effective field theory.
Observed correlations between the measured reduced stage-1.2 simplified template VH, V->leptons and H->bb cross sections, including both the statistical and systematic uncertainties.
Measured and predicted VH, V->leptons reduced stage-1.2 simplified template cross sections times the H->bb and V->leptons branching fractions with corresponding uncertainties. All possible Z decays into neutral and charged leptons are considered.
Linear combinations of Wilson coefficients corresponding to the principal component decomposition eigenvectors. The corresponding eigenvalues, representing in the gaussian approximation the inverse uncertainty square of the measured eigenvector, is also indicated.
A search for new physics with non-resonant signals in dielectron and dimuon final states in the mass range above 2 TeV is presented. This is the first search for non-resonant signals in dilepton final states at the LHC to use a background estimate from the data. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$, were recorded by the ATLAS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. The benchmark signal signature is a two-quark and two-lepton contact interaction, which would enhance the dilepton event rate at the TeV mass scale. To model the contribution from background processes a functional form is fit to the dilepton invariant-mass spectra in data in a mass region below the region of interest. It is then extrapolated to a high-mass signal region to obtain the expected background there. No significant deviation from the expected background is observed in the data. Upper limits at 95 % CL on the number of events and the visible cross-section times branching fraction for processes involving new physics are provided. Observed (expected) 95 % CL lower limits on the contact interaction energy scale reach 35.8 (37.6) TeV.
Expected and observed event yields in each signal bin.
Model-independent upper limits at 95% CL on the number of signal events in the (constructive/destructive interference) SRs used in the analysis for dielectrons and dimuons.
Lower limits at 95$\%$ CL on $\Lambda$ for the dielectron channel for different signal chiralities in the (constructive/destructive interference) SRs of the analysis.
A search for the pair production of heavy leptons as predicted by the type-III seesaw mechanism is presented. The search uses proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to 139 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity recorded by the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis focuses on the final state with two light leptons (electrons or muons) of different flavour and charge combinations, with at least two jets and large missing transverse momentum. No significant excess over the Standard Model expectation is observed. The results are translated into exclusion limits on heavy-lepton masses, and the observed lower limit on the mass of the type-III seesaw heavy leptons is 790 GeV at 95% confidence level.
Cross-sections of the type-III seesaw process for mass points used in the analysis. Branching ratios into at least two leptons are presented with the corresponding effective cross-section.
Expected and observed 95 % CLs exclusion limits for the type-III seesaw process with the corresponding one- and two-standard-deviation bands, showing the 95 % CL upper limit on the cross-section.
Selection efficiencies in percentage relative to the events with at least two leptons for signal mass points used in the analysis. The efficiency is defined as the ratio of expected signal events in a signal region compared with the number of expected events produced, for integrated luminosity 139 fb$^{-1}$.
The fragmentation properties of jets containing $b$-hadrons are studied using charged $B$ mesons in 139 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC during the period from 2015 to 2018. The $B$ mesons are reconstructed using the decay of $B^{\pm}$ into $J/\psi K^{\pm}$, with the $J/\psi$ decaying into a pair of muons. Jets are reconstructed using the anti-$k_t$ algorithm with radius parameter $R=0.4$. The measurement determines the longitudinal and transverse momentum profiles of the reconstructed $B$ hadrons with respect to the axes of the jets to which they are geometrically associated. These distributions are measured in intervals of the jet transverse momentum, ranging from 50 GeV to above 100 GeV. The results are corrected for detector effects and compared with several Monte Carlo predictions using different parton shower and hadronisation models. The results for the longitudinal and transverse profiles provide useful inputs to improve the description of heavy-flavour fragmentation in jets.
Longitudinal profile for 50 GeV < pT < 70 GeV.
Transverse profile for 50 GeV < pT < 70 GeV.
Longitudinal profile for 70 GeV < pT < 100 GeV.
Differential cross-section measurements are presented for the electroweak production of two jets in association with a $Z$ boson. These measurements are sensitive to the vector-boson fusion production mechanism and provide a fundamental test of the gauge structure of the Standard Model. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collision data collected by ATLAS at $\sqrt{s}$=13 TeV and with an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The differential cross-sections are measured in the $Z\rightarrow \ell^+\ell^-$ decay channel ($\ell=e,\mu$) as a function of four observables: the dijet invariant mass, the rapidity interval spanned by the two jets, the signed azimuthal angle between the two jets, and the transverse momentum of the dilepton pair. The data are corrected for the effects of detector inefficiency and resolution and are sufficiently precise to distinguish between different state-of-the-art theoretical predictions calculated using Powheg+Pythia8, Herwig7+Vbfnlo and Sherpa 2.2. The differential cross-sections are used to search for anomalous weak-boson self-interactions using a dimension-six effective field theory. The differential cross-section as a function of the signed azimuthal angle between the two jets is found to be particularly sensitive to the interference between the Standard Model and dimension-six scattering amplitudes and provides a direct test of charge-conjugation and parity invariance in the weak-boson self-interactions.
Differential cross-sections for EW $Zjj$ production as a function of $m_{jj}$ with breakdown of associated uncertainties. The statistical uncertainty is correlated across bins according to the statistical cross correlation matrix presented in Table 21.
Differential cross-sections for EW $Zjj$ production as a function of $|\Delta y_{jj}|$ with breakdown of associated uncertainties. The statistical uncertainty is correlated across bins according to the statistical cross correlation matrix presented in Table 21.
Differential cross-sections for EW $Zjj$ production as a function of $p_{\mathrm{T},\ell\ell}$ with breakdown of associated uncertainties. The statistical uncertainty is correlated across bins according to the statistical cross correlation matrix presented in Table 21.
Inclusive and differential cross-sections for the production of top quarks in association with a photon are measured with proton$-$proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The data were collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC during Run 2 between 2015 and 2018 at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The measurements are performed in a fiducial volume defined at parton level. Events with exactly one photon, one electron and one muon of opposite sign, and at least two jets, of which at least one is $b$-tagged, are selected. The fiducial cross-section is measured to be $39.6\,^{+2.7}_{-2.3}\,\textrm{fb}$. Differential cross-sections as functions of several observables are compared with state-of-the-art Monte Carlo simulations and next-to-leading-order theoretical calculations. These include cross-sections as functions of photon kinematic variables, angular variables related to the photon and the leptons, and angular separations between the two leptons in the event. All measurements are in agreement with the predictions from the Standard Model.
The measured fiducial cross-section in the electron-muon channel. The first uncertainty is the statistical uncertainty and the second one is the systematic uncertainty.
The absolute differential cross-section measured in the fiducial phase-space as a function of the photon pT in the electron-muon channel. The uncertainty is decomposed into four components which are the signal modelling uncertainty, the background modelling uncertainty, the experimental uncertainty, and the data statistical uncertainty.
The absolute differential cross-section measured in the fiducial phase-space as a function of the photon $|\eta|$ in the electron-muon channel. The uncertainty is decomposed into four components which are the signal modelling uncertainty, the background modelling uncertainty, the experimental uncertainty, and the data statistical uncertainty.
Measurements of the Standard Model Higgs boson decaying into a $b\bar{b}$ pair and produced in association with a $W$ or $Z$ boson decaying into leptons, using proton-proton collision data collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS detector, are presented. The measurements use collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = $13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The production of a Higgs boson in association with a $W$ or $Z$ boson is established with observed (expected) significances of 4.0 (4.1) and 5.3 (5.1) standard deviations, respectively. Cross-sections of associated production of a Higgs boson decaying into bottom quark pairs with an electroweak gauge boson, $W$ or $Z$, decaying into leptons are measured as a function of the gauge boson transverse momentum in kinematic fiducial volumes. The cross-section measurements are all consistent with the Standard Model expectations, and the total uncertainties vary from 30% in the high gauge boson transverse momentum regions to 85% in the low regions. Limits are subsequently set on the parameters of an effective Lagrangian sensitive to modifications of the $WH$ and $ZH$ processes as well as the Higgs boson decay into $b\bar{b}$.
Best-fit values and uncertainties for $VH, V\rightarrow\mathrm{leptons}$ for the cross-section times the $H\rightarrow b\bar{b}$ branching fraction, in the reduced stage-1.2 simplififed template cross-sections (STXS) scheme. The SM predictions for each region is also shown. They are obtained from the samples of simulated events scaled to the inclusive cross-sections calculated at NNLO(QCD)+NLO(EW) accuracy for the $qq\rightarrow WH$ and $qq\rightarrow ZH$ processes, and at NLO+NLL accuracy for the $gg\rightarrow ZH$ process. The contributions to the total uncertainty in the measurements from statistical (Stat.) or systematic uncertainties in the signal modelling (Th. sig.), background modelling (Th. bkg.) and in experimental performance (Exp.) are given separately. All leptonic decays of the $V$ bosons (including those to $\tau$ leptons, $\ell = e, \mu, \tau$) are considered.
Observed correlations between the measured reduced stage-1.2 simplified template $VH, H \rightarrow b\bar{b}$ cross-sections (STXS), including both the statistical and systematic uncertainties. All leptonic decays of the $V$ bosons (including those to $\tau$ leptons, $\ell = e, \mu, \tau$) are considered.
Linear combination of Wilson coefficients corresponding to SMEFT operators in the Warsaw basis for which this analysis provides orthogonal constraints (eigenvectors). Eigenvalues are shown for each eigenvector, which provides a measure of the experimental sensitivity to that linear combination. The modifications to the $qq\rightarrow ZH$ and $qq\rightarrow WH$ processes due to SMEFT operators are computed at LO, and changes to the $gg\rightarrow ZH$ process are neglected.
This paper describes a search for beyond the Standard Model decays of the Higgs boson into a pair of new spin-0 particles subsequently decaying into $b$-quark pairs, $H \rightarrow aa \rightarrow (b\bar{b})(b\bar{b})$, using proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV. This search focuses on the regime where the decay products are collimated and in the range $15 \leq m_a \leq 30$ GeV and is complementary to a previous search in the same final state targeting the regime where the decay products are well separated and in the range $20 \leq m_a \leq 60$ GeV. A novel strategy for the identification of the $a \rightarrow b\bar{b}$ decays is deployed to enhance the efficiency for topologies with small separation angles. The search is performed with 36 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity collected in 2015 and 2016 and sets upper limits on the production cross-section of $H \rightarrow aa \rightarrow (b\bar{b})(b\bar{b})$, where the Higgs boson is produced in association with a $Z$ boson.
Summary of the 95% CL upper limits on $\sigma_{ZH} BR(H\rightarrow aa \rightarrow (b\bar{b})(b\bar{b}))$. Both observed and expected limits are listed. In the case of the expected limits, one- and two-standard-deviation uncertainty bands are also listed.
Summary of the 95% C.L. upper limits on $\sigma_{ZH} BR(H\rightarrow aa \rightarrow (b\bar{b})(b\bar{b}))$ for the dilepton channel in the resolved analysis. The observed limits are shown, together with the expected limits (dotted black lines). In the case of the expected limits, one- and two-standard-deviation uncertainty bands are also displayed. The data was published in JHEP 10 (2018) 031.
Efficiency and acceptance for simulated $ZH(\rightarrow aa\rightarrow (b\bar{b})(b\bar{b}))$ samples in two signal regions (SR) of the analysis, one with two $a\to b\bar{b}$ candidates in the High Purity Category (HPC), and the other with one $a\to b\bar{b}$ candidate in the High Purity Category (HPC) and one in the Low Purity Category (LPC).
This paper presents a measurement of the production cross-section of a $Z$ boson in association with $b$-jets, in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.6 fb$^{-1}$. Inclusive and differential cross-sections are measured for events containing a $Z$ boson decaying into electrons or muons and produced in association with at least one or at least two $b$-jets with transverse momentum $p_\textrm{T}>$ 20 GeV and rapidity $|y| < 2.5$. Predictions from several Monte Carlo generators based on leading-order (LO) or next-to-leading-order (NLO) matrix elements interfaced with a parton-shower simulation and testing different flavour schemes for the choice of initial-state partons are compared with measured cross-sections. The 5-flavour number scheme predictions at NLO accuracy agree better with data than 4-flavour number scheme ones. The 4-flavour number scheme predictions underestimate data in events with at least one b-jet.
Measured fiducial cross sections for events with $Z(\rightarrow ll)\ge+1$ b-jets or with $Z(\rightarrow ll)\ge+2$ b-jets. The statistical uncertainties and the individual components of systematic uncertainty are given in each bin. Statistical uncertainties are bin-to-bin uncorrelated.
Differential fiducial cross section of the Z boson $p_{\text{T}}$ in events with $Z(\rightarrow ll)\ge+1$ b-jets. The statistical uncertainties and the individual components of systematic uncertainty are given in each bin. Statistical uncertainties are bin-to-bin uncorrelated.
Differential fiducial cross section of the leading b-jet $p_{\text{T}}$ in events with $Z(\rightarrow ll)\ge+1$ b-jets. The statistical uncertainties and the individual components of systematic uncertainty are given in each bin. Statistical uncertainties are bin-to-bin uncorrelated.