A measurement of the production of three isolated photons in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV is reported. The results are based on an integrated luminosity of 20.2 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The differential cross sections are measured as functions of the transverse energy of each photon, the difference in azimuthal angle and in pseudorapidity between pairs of photons, the invariant mass of pairs of photons, and the invariant mass of the triphoton system. A measurement of the inclusive fiducial cross section is also reported. Next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD predictions are compared to the cross-section measurements. The predictions underestimate the measurement of the inclusive fiducial cross section and the differential measurements at low photon transverse energies and invariant masses. They provide adequate descriptions of the measurements at high values of the photon transverse energies, invariant mass of pairs of photons, and invariant mass of the triphoton system.
The three isolated photons cross section with systematic and statistical uncertainties as a function of ET(Photon1).
The three isolated photons cross section with systematic and statistical uncertainties as a function of ET(Photon2).
The three isolated photons cross section with systematic and statistical uncertainties as a function of ET(Photon3).
An observation of electroweak $W^{\pm}Z$ production in association with two jets in proton-proton collisions is presented. The data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015 and 2016 at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$. Events containing three identified leptons, either electrons or muons, and two jets are selected. The electroweak production of $W^{\pm}Z$ bosons in association with two jets is measured with an observed significance of 5.3 standard deviations. A fiducial cross-section for electroweak production including interference effects is measured to be $\sigma_{WZjj\mathrm{-EW}} = 0.57 \; ^{+ 0.14} _{- 0.13} \,(\mathrm{stat.}) \; ^{+ 0.07} _{- 0.06} \,(\mathrm{syst.}) \; \mathrm{fb}$. Total and differential fiducial cross-sections of the sum of $W^\pm Z jj$ electroweak and strong productions for several kinematic observables are also measured.
Fiducial cross section of the electroweak $W^{\pm}Z$ boson pair production in association with two jets. The first systematic uncertainty is experimental, the second is the theory modelling and interference systematics and the third one is the luminosity uncertainty.
Fiducial cross section of the $W^{\pm}Z$ boson pair production in association with two jets. The first systematic uncertainty is experimental, the second is the theory modelling and interference systematics and the third one is the luminosity uncertainty.
Numbers of observed and expected events in the $W^{\pm}Zjj$ signal region and in the three control regions, before the fit. The expected number of $WZjj-EW$ events from $SHERPA$ and the estimated number of background events from the other processes are shown. The sum of the background containing misidentified leptons is labelled "Misid. leptons". The total uncertainties are quoted.
A search for heavy right-handed Majorana or Dirac neutrinos $N_R$ and heavy right-handed gauge bosons $W_R$ is performed in events with a pair of energetic electrons or muons, with the same or opposite electric charge, and two energetic jets. The events are selected from $pp$ collision data with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the ATLAS detector at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. No significant deviations from the Standard Model are observed. The results are interpreted within the theoretical framework of a left-right symmetric model and lower limits are set on masses in the heavy right-handed $W$ boson and neutrino mass plane. The excluded region extends to $m_{W_R}=4.7$ TeV for both Majorana and Dirac $N_R$ neutrinos.
Expected 95% CL exclusion contour in the $m_{W_R}–m_{N_R}$ plane for the Majorana $N_R$ neutrino $ee$ channel.
Observed 95% CL exclusion contour in the $m_{W_R}–m_{N_R}$ plane for the Majorana $N_R$ neutrino $ee$ channel.
Observed and expected 95% CL exclusion, for the tested signal mass hypotheses in the $m_{W_R}–m_{N_R}$ plane, for the Majorana $N_R$ neutrino $ee$ channel.
A search for new charged massive gauge bosons, $W^\prime$, is performed with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Data were collected in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 $\textrm{fb}^{-1}$. This analysis searches for $W^\prime$ bosons in the $W^\prime \rightarrow t\bar{b}$ decay channel in final states with an electron or muon plus jets. The search covers resonance masses between 0.5 and 5.0 TeV and considers right-handed $W^\prime$ bosons. No significant deviation from the Standard Model (SM) expectation is observed and upper limits are set on the $W^\prime \rightarrow t\bar{b}$ cross section times branching ratio and the $W^\prime$ boson effective couplings as a function of the $W^\prime$ boson mass. For right-handed $W^\prime$ bosons with coupling to the SM particles equal to the SM weak coupling constant, masses below 3.15 TeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level. This search is also combined with a previously published ATLAS result for $W^\prime \rightarrow t\bar{b}$ in the fully hadronic final state. Using the combined searches, right-handed $W^\prime$ bosons with masses below 3.25 TeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level.
Signal selection efficiency (efficiency is defined as the number of events passing all selections divided by the total number of simulated $W' \to t\bar{b} \to \ell \nu b \bar{b}$ events) in the signal region as a function of the simulated $W^\prime_{\textrm{R}}$ mass.
Distribution of the reconstructed invariant mass of the $W^\prime$ boson candidate in the 2-jet 1-tag VR$_{\textrm{HF}}$ electron validation region. Background templates are fit to data in each VR using the same statistical method as for the signal region except that the normalizations of $t\bar{t}$ and $W$+jets backgrounds are constrained to the post-fit rates obtained in the signal region. Uncertainties include all the systematic and statistical uncertainties.
Distribution of the reconstructed invariant mass of the $W^\prime$ boson candidate in the 2-jet 1-tag VR$_{\textrm{HF}}$ muon validation region. Background templates are fit to data in each VR using the same statistical method as for the signal region except that the normalizations of $t\bar{t}$ and $W$+jets backgrounds are constrained to the post-fit rates obtained in the signal region. Uncertainties include all the systematic and statistical uncertainties.
A search for new phenomena in events with two same-charge leptons or three leptons and jets identified as originating from $b$-quarks in a data sample of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}= 13$ TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is reported. No significant excess is found and limits are set on vector-like quark, four-top-quark, and same-sign top-quark pair production. The observed (expected) 95% CL mass limits for a vector-like $T$- and $B$-quark singlet are $m_T > 0.98$ $(0.99)$ TeV and $m_B > 1.00$ $(1.01)$ TeV respectively. Limits on the production of the vector-like $T_{5/3}$-quark are also derived considering both pair and single production; in the former case the lower limit on the mass of the $T_{5/3}$-quark is (expected to be) 1.19 (1.21) TeV. The Standard Model four-top-quark production cross-section upper limit is (expected to be) 69 (29) fb. Constraints are also set on exotic four-top-quark production models. Finally, limits are set on same-sign top-quark pair production. The upper limit on $uu \to tt$ production is (expected to be) 89 (59) fb for a mediator mass of 1 TeV, and a dark-matter interpretation is also derived, excluding a mediator of 3 TeV with a dark-sector coupling of 1.0 and a coupling to ordinary matter above 0.31.
Expected and observed limits on vector-like B-quark pair production as a function of mass, assuming the branching ratios expected in the singlet model.
Expected and observed limits on vector-like T-quark pair production as a function of mass, assuming the branching ratios expected in the singlet model.
Mass hypotheses excluded at 95% CL as a function of the branching ratio, expected and observed limits for a vector-like B-quark.
Inclusive and differential cross-sections for the production of a top-quark pair in association with a photon are measured with proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$, collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2015 and 2016 at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The measurements are performed in single-lepton and dilepton final states in a fiducial volume. Events with exactly one photon, one or two leptons, a channel-dependent minimum number of jets, and at least one $b$-jet are selected. Neural network algorithms are used to separate the signal from the backgrounds. The fiducial cross-sections are measured to be 521 $\pm$ 9(stat.) $\pm$ 41(sys.) fb and 69 $\pm$ 3(stat.) $\pm$ 4(sys.) fb for the single-lepton and dilepton channels, respectively. The differential cross-sections are measured as a function of photon transverse momentum, photon absolute pseudorapidity, and angular distance between the photon and its closest lepton in both channels, as well as azimuthal opening angle and absolute pseudorapidity difference between the two leptons in the dilepton channel. All measurements are in agreement with the theoretical predictions.
The measured fiducial cross section in the single lepton channel. The first uncertainty is the statistical uncertainty and the second one is the systematic uncertainty.
The measured fiducial cross section in the dilepton channel. The first uncertainty is the statistical uncertainty and the second one is the systematic uncertainty.
The measured normalized differential cross section as a function of the photon pT in the single lepton channel. The uncertainty is decomposed into five components which are the signal modelling uncertainty, the experimental uncertainty, the ttbar modelling uncertainty, the other background estimation uncertainty, and the data statistical uncertainty.
This Letter presents a normalized differential cross-section measurement in a fiducial phase-space region where interference effects between top-quark pair production and associated production of a single top quark with a $W$ boson and a $b$-quark are significant. Events with exactly two leptons ($ee$, $\mu\mu$, or $e\mu$) and two $b$-tagged jets that satisfy a multi-particle invariant mass requirement are selected from $36.1$ fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data taken at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2015 and 2016. The results are compared with predictions from simulations using various strategies for the interference. The standard prescriptions for interference modeling are significantly different from each other but are within $2\sigma$ of the data. State-of-the-art predictions that naturally incorporate interference effects provide the best description of the data in the measured region of phase space most sensitive to these effects. These results provide an important constraint on interference models and will guide future model development and tuning.
The minimax-mbl distribution in the three-b-tag region, constructed from the two b-jets with largest transverse momentum. The predicted tt+HF contribution from simulation is scaled to match observed data in this region. The hashed band indicates the uncertainty on the total number of predicted events, where the DR scheme is used to estimate the minor contribution from the tW process. Uncertainties include all statistical and systematic sources.
The detector-level minimax-mbl distribution, with signal selection and background estimation as described in the text. The total predicted events are shown for both the DR and DS definitions of the tW process, with uncertainties on the respective estimates indicated by separate error bars. Uncertainties include all statistical and systematic sources.
The unfolded, normalized differential minimax-mbl cross-section compared with theoretical models of the tt+tWb signal with various implementations of interference effects. The uncertainty of each data point includes all statistical and systematic sources, while uncertainties for each of the MC predictions correspond to variations of the PDF set and renormalization and factorization scales.
A measurement of jet substructure variables is presented using data collected in 2016 by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC with proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV. Large-radius jets groomed with the trimming and soft-drop algorithms are studied. Dedicated event selections are used to study jets produced by light quarks or gluons, and hadronically decaying top quarks and $W$ bosons. The variables measured are sensitive to pronged substructure, and therefore are typically used for tagging jets from boosted massive particles. These include the energy correlation functions and the $N$-subjettiness variables. The number of subjets and the Les Houches angularity are also considered. The distributions of the substructure variables, corrected for detector effects, are compared to the predictions of various Monte Carlo event generators. They are also compared between the large-radius jets originating from light quarks or gluons, and hadronically decaying top quarks and $W$ bosons.
Figure 3a, Normalised differential Nsubjets distribution for soft-drop groomed jets, Dijet selection.
Figure 4a, Normalised differential LHA distribution for soft-drop groomed jets, Dijet selection
Figure 5a, Normalised differential C2 distribution for soft-drop groomed jets, Dijet selection
A search for a heavy charged-boson resonance decaying into a charged lepton (electron or muon) and a neutrino is reported. A data sample of 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2015-2018 is used in the search. The observed transverse mass distribution computed from the lepton and missing transverse momenta is consistent with the distribution expected from the Standard Model, and upper limits on the cross section for $pp \to W^\prime \to \ell\nu$ are extracted ($\ell = e$ or $\mu$). These vary between 1.3 pb and 0.05 fb depending on the resonance mass in the range between 0.15 and 7.0 TeV at 95% confidence level for the electron and muon channels combined. Gauge bosons with a mass below 6.0 TeV and 5.1 TeV are excluded in the electron and muon channels, respectively, in a model with a resonance that has couplings to fermions identical to those of the Standard Model $W$ boson. Cross-section limits are also provided for resonances with several fixed $\Gamma / m$ values in the range between 1% and 15%. Model-independent limits are derived in single-bin signal regions defined by a varying minimum transverse mass threshold. The resulting visible cross-section upper limits range between 4.6 (15) pb and 22 (22) ab as the threshold increases from 130 (110) GeV to 5.1 (5.1) TeV in the electron (muon) channel.
Transverse mass distribution for events satisfying all selection criteria in the electron channel.
Transverse mass distribution for events satisfying all selection criteria in the muon channel.
Upper limits at the 95% CL on the cross section for SSM $W^\prime$ production and decay to the electron+neutrino channel as a function of the $W^\prime$ pole mass.
A search for excited electrons produced in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV via a contact interaction $q\bar{q} \to ee^*$ is presented. The search uses 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of data collected in 2015 and 2016 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Decays of the excited electron via a contact interaction into an electron and a pair of quarks ($eq\bar{q}$) are targeted in final states with two electrons and two hadronic jets, and decays via a gauge interaction into a neutrino and a $W$ boson ($\nu W$) are probed in final states with an electron, missing transverse momentum, and a large-radius jet consistent with a hadronically decaying $W$ boson. No significant excess is observed over the expected backgrounds. Upper limits are calculated for the $pp \to ee^* \to eeq\bar{q}$ and $pp \to ee^* \to e\nu W$ production cross sections as a function of the excited electron mass $m_{e^*}$ at 95% confidence level. The limits are translated into lower bounds on the compositeness scale parameter $\Lambda$ of the model as a function of $m_{e^*}$. For $m_{e^*} < 0.5$ TeV, the lower bound for $\Lambda$ is 11 TeV. In the special case of $m_{e^*} = \Lambda$, the values of $m_{e^*} < 4.8$ TeV are excluded. The presented limits on $\Lambda$ are more stringent than those obtained in previous searches.
The distribution of $m_{lljj}$ used to discriminate the signal from background processes in the $eejj$ channel. The distribution is shown after applying the preselection criteria. The background contributions are constrained using the CRs. The signal models assume $\Lambda$ = 5 TeV. The uncertainties for the expected backgrounds represent all considered systematic and statistical sources.
The distribution of $m_{T}^{\nu W}$ used to discriminate the signal and background processes in the $e\nu J$ channel. The distribution is shown after applying the preselection criteria. The background contributions are constrained using the CRs. The signal models assume $\Lambda$ = 5 TeV. The last bin includes overflow events (the underflow is not shown). The uncertainties for the expected backgrounds represent all considered systematic and statistical sources.
Upper limits on $\sigma\times B$ as a function of $m_{e^*}$ in the $eejj$ channel. The $\pm 1(2)\sigma$ uncertainty bands around the expected limit represent all sources of systematic and statistical uncertainties.
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