This paper reports a search for a light CP-odd scalar resonance with a mass of 20 GeV to 90 GeV in 13 TeV proton-proton collision data with an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis assumes the resonance is produced via gluon-gluon fusion and decays exclusively into a $\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$ pair which decays into a fully leptonic $\mu^{+}\nu_{\mu} \bar{\nu}_{\tau} e^{-} \bar{\nu}_{e} \nu_{\tau}$ or $e^{+}\nu_{e}\bar{\nu}_{\tau} \mu^-\bar{\nu}_{\mu}\nu_{\tau}$ final state. No significant excess of events above the predicted Standard Model background is observed. The results are interpreted within a flavour-aligned two-Higgs-doublet model, and a model-independent cross-section interpretation is also given. Upper limits at 95% confidence level between 3.0 pb and 68 pb are set on the cross-section for producing a CP-odd Higgs boson that decays into a $\tau^+\tau^-$ pair.
Post-fit $m_\mathrm{MMC}$ distribution in the low-mass SR for the $m_A = 20\,\mathrm{GeV}$ signal mass hypothesis. $m_\mathrm{MMC}$ is the mass reconstructed by the Missing Mass Calculator. Processes contributing to the background Others are $Z/\gamma^* \rightarrow ee/\mu\mu$ and SM Higgs. The subscript on the $A\to\tau\tau$ process indicates the mass of the $A$ boson. Total includes all backgrounds and the signal process. The low-mass Signal Region is defined as: - 1 electron and 1 muon with opposite charge - $p_\mathrm{T}$ requirements of the leptons are a combination of the following: - $p_\mathrm{T}^e > 18\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and $p_\mathrm{T}^\mu > 15\,\mathrm{GeV}$ - $p_\mathrm{T}^e > 10\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and $p_\mathrm{T}^\mu > 25\,\mathrm{GeV}$ - $p_\mathrm{T}^e > 27\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and $p_\mathrm{T}^\mu > 10\,\mathrm{GeV}$ - $\vert \eta_e \vert < 2.47$, excluding $1.37 < \vert \eta_e \vert < 1.52$ - $\vert \eta_\mu \vert < 2.7$ - no jets with $b$-quarks - $\Delta R_{\ell\ell} < 0.7$ - $E_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{miss} > 50\,\mathrm{GeV}$ - $m_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{tot} = \sqrt{\left(p_\mathrm{T}^e+p_\mathrm{T}^\mu+E_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{miss}\right)^2-\left(\vec{p}_\mathrm{T}^{\,e}+\vec{p}_\mathrm{T}^{\,\mu}+\vec{E}_\mathrm{T}^{\,\mathrm{miss}}\right)^2} < 45\,\mathrm{GeV}$ - $m_\mathrm{MMC} > 0\,\mathrm{GeV}$
Post-fit $m_\mathrm{MMC}$ distribution in the high-mass SR for the $m_A = 90\,\mathrm{GeV}$ signal mass hypothesis. $m_\mathrm{MMC}$ is the mass reconstructed by the Missing Mass Calculator. Processes contributing to the background Others are $Z/\gamma^* \rightarrow ee/\mu\mu$ and SM Higgs. The subscript on the $A\to\tau\tau$ process indicates the mass of the $A$ boson. otal includes all backgrounds and the signal process. The high-mass Signal Region is defined as: - 1 electron and 1 muon with opposite charge - $p_\mathrm{T}$ requirements of the leptons are a combination of the following: - $p_\mathrm{T}^e > 18\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and $p_\mathrm{T}^\mu > 15\,\mathrm{GeV}$ or - $p_\mathrm{T}^e > 10\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and $p_\mathrm{T}^\mu > 25\,\mathrm{GeV}$ or - $p_\mathrm{T}^e > 27\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and $p_\mathrm{T}^\mu > 10\,\mathrm{GeV}$ - $\vert \eta_e \vert < 2.47$, excluding $1.37 < \vert \eta_e \vert < 1.52$ - $\vert \eta_\mu \vert < 2.7$ - no jets with $b$-quarks - $\Delta R_{\ell\ell} < 1.0$ - $E_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{miss} > 30\,\mathrm{GeV}$ - $m_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{tot} = \sqrt{\left(p_\mathrm{T}^e+p_\mathrm{T}^\mu+E_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{miss}\right)^2-\left(\vec{p}_\mathrm{T}^{\,e}+\vec{p}_\mathrm{T}^{\,\mu}+\vec{E}_\mathrm{T}^{\,\mathrm{miss}}\right)^2} < 65\,\mathrm{GeV}$ - $35\,\mathrm{GeV} < m_\mathrm{MMC} < 130\,\mathrm{GeV}$
Expected and observed $95\%$ CL limits on the production cross-section for $gg\rightarrow A$ times the branching ratio for $A$ decaying into two $\tau$-leptons for $A$ boson masses ranging from $20$ to $90\,\mathrm{GeV}$.
A combination of searches for singly and doubly charged Higgs bosons, $H^{\pm}$ and $H^{\pm\pm}$, produced via vector-boson fusion is performed using 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. Searches targeting decays to massive vector bosons in leptonic final states (electrons or muons) are considered. New constraints are reported on the production cross-section times branching fraction for charged Higgs boson masses between 200 GeV and 3000 GeV. The results are interpreted in the context of the Georgi-Machacek model for which the most stringent constraints to date are set for the masses considered in the combination.
Post-fit $m_{\mathrm{WZ}}$ distribution in the signal region for the SM background-only hypothesis. Data are shown as black markers with vertical error bars representing the statistical uncertainty. Filled histograms show contributions of various SM processes, with the hatched band representing the total uncertainty. The line shows the prediction of the GM model for $\sin \theta_{\mathrm{H}} = 0.17$ and $m_{\mathrm{H_5}} = 375$ GeV, where the $\sin \theta_{\mathrm{H}}$ value corresponds to the expected $95\%$ CL limit for that $H_5$ mass.
Post-fit $m_{\mathrm{T}}$ distribution in the signal region for the SM background-only hypothesis. Data are shown as black markers with vertical error bars representing the statistical uncertainty. Filled histograms show contributions of various SM processes, with the hatched band representing the total uncertainty. The line shows the prediction of the GM model for $\sin \theta_{\mathrm{H}} = 0.17$ and $m_{\mathrm{H_5}} = 375$ GeV, where the $\sin \theta_{\mathrm{H}}$ value corresponds to the expected $95\%$ CL limit for that $H_5$ mass.
Expected and observed exclusion limits at 95% CL for $\sigma_{\mathrm{VBF}}(H_{5}^{\pm}) \times \mathcal{B}(H_{5}^{\pm} \to W^{\pm}Z)$ as a function of $m_{\mathrm{H_5}}$. The inner (outer) band represents the $68\%$ ($95\%$) confidence interval around the median expected limit.
A search for a light charged Higgs boson produced in decays of the top quark, $t \to H^\pm b$ with $H^\pm \to cs$, is presented. This search targets the production of top-quark pairs $t\bar{t} \to Wb H^\pm b$, with $W \to \ell\nu$ ($\ell = e, \mu$), resulting in a lepton-plus-jets final state characterised by an isolated electron or muon and at least four jets. The search exploits $b$-quark and $c$-quark identification techniques as well as multivariate methods to suppress the dominant $t\bar{t}$ background. The data analysed correspond to 140 $\text{fb}^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC between 2015 and 2018. Observed (expected) 95% confidence-level upper limits on the branching fraction $\mathscr{B}(t\to H^\pm b)$, assuming $\mathscr{B}(t\to Wb) + \mathscr{B}(t \to H^\pm (\to cs)b)=1.0$, are set between 0.066% (0.077%) and 3.6% (2.3%) for a charged Higgs boson with a mass between 60 GeV and 168 GeV.
Distributions of the dijet mass. The processes $t\bar{t}$(allHad), $tW$, Single top, $t\bar{t}H$, Other top, $W$ + jets, $Z$ + jets, and $VV$ listed are combined with the multijet background in the ‘Other’ category. The uncertainty band represents the combined statistical and systematic uncertainty of the prediction. Overlaid are the shapes for the $H^{\pm}_{80}$ and $H^{\pm}_{150}$ signal samples normalised to the total background prediction.
Data and background yields after the background-only fit of the BDT-score distribution for the $130\,$GeV signal mass BDT training. For comparison, the expected signal yield for $\mathscr{B}_{H^{\pm}}=1.0\%$ is added.
Observed (solid line) and expected (dotted line) upper limits on $\mathscr{B}_{H^{\pm}}$ for charged Higgs boson with masses between $60\,$GeV and $168\,$GeV, assuming $\mathscr{B}(t \to H^{\pm}(\to cs) b) = 1.0$. The $\pm 1 \sigma$ and $\pm 2 \sigma$ variations around the expected upper limit are indicated by the green and yellow bands, respectively.
A search for neutral long-lived particles (LLPs) decaying in the ATLAS hadronic calorimeter using 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV delivered by the LHC is presented. The analysis is composed of three channels. The first targets pair-produced LLPs, where at least one LLP is produced with sufficiently low boost that its decay products can be resolved as separate jets. The second and third channels target LLPs respectively produced in association with a $W$ or $Z$ boson that decays leptonically. In each channel, different search regions target different kinematic regimes, to cover a broad range of LLP mass hypotheses and models. No excesses of events relative to the background predictions are observed. Higgs boson branching fractions to pairs of hadronically decaying neutral LLPs larger than 1% are excluded at 95% confidence level for proper decay lengths in the range of 30 cm to 4.5 m depending on the LLP mass, a factor of three improvement on previous searches in the hadronic calorimeter. The production of long-lived dark photons in association with a $Z$ boson with cross-sections above 0.1 pb is excluded for dark photon mean proper decay lengths in the range of 20 cm to 50 m, improving previous ATLAS results by an order of magnitude. Finally, long-lived photo-phobic axion-like particle models are probed for the first time by ATLAS, with production cross-sections above 0.1 pb excluded in the 0.1 mm to 10 m range.
Observed (solid line) and expected (dashed line) upper limits at the 95% CL on the cross-section times branching fraction as a function of cτ for a selection of HS signal models in the CalR+2J channel for HS models with mediator masses of (a) 125 GeV, (b) 600 GeV and (c) 1000 GeV.
Observed (solid line) and expected (dashed line) upper limits at the 95% CL on the cross-section times branching fraction as a function of cτ for a selection of HS signal models in the CalR+2J channel for HS models with mediator masses of (a) 125 GeV, (b) 600 GeV and (c) 1000 GeV.
Observed (solid line) and expected (dashed line) upper limits at the 95% CL on the cross-section times branching fraction as a function of cτ for a selection of HS signal models in the CalR+2J channel for HS models with mediator masses of (a) 125 GeV, (b) 600 GeV and (c) 1000 GeV.
This paper presents a search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson into a pair of new pseudoscalar particles, $H\rightarrow aa$, where one pseudoscalar decays into a $b$-quark pair and the other decays into a $\tau$-lepton pair, in the mass range $12\leq m_{a}\leq 60$ GeV. The analysis uses $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 ${fb}^{-1}$. No significant excess above the Standard Model (SM) prediction is observed. Assuming the SM Higgs boson production cross-section, the search sets upper limits at 95% confidence level on the branching ratio of Higgs bosons decaying into $b\bar{b}\tau^+\tau^-$, $\mathcal{B}(H \rightarrow aa \rightarrow b\bar{b}\tau^+\tau^-)$, between 2.2% and 3.9% depending on the pseudoscalar mass.
Visible mass $m^{\mathrm{vis}}(\mu\tau_{\mathrm{had}})$ and distribution for signal and the expected background. In order to compare the shapes, the expected signal distribution is shown assuming ten times the production cross section of the Higgs boson and a 100% branching ratio to $b\bar{b}\tau^+\tau^-$. Overflow events are included in the last bins.
Sum of the transverse mass $\Sigma m_T$ distributions for signal and the expected background. Events with high $m^{\mathrm{vis}}(\mu\tau_{\mathrm{had}})$ and high $\Sigma m_T$ are included in the $t\bar{t}$ region. In order to compare the shapes, the expected signal distribution is shown assuming ten times the production cross section of the Higgs boson and a 100% branching ratio to $b\bar{b}\tau^+\tau^-$. Overflow events are included in the last bins.
The pNN input variable visible mass $m^{\mathrm{vis}}(\mu\tau_{\mathrm{had}})$ is shown in the SR with no cut on the pNN discriminant. The signal shape is normalized to the same integral as the total background prediction. Overflow events are included in the last bins.
This Letter presents results from a combination of searches for Higgs boson pair production using 126$-$140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. At 95% confidence level (CL), the upper limit on the production rate is 2.9 times the standard model (SM) prediction, with an expected limit of 2.4 assuming no Higgs boson pair production. Constraints on the Higgs boson self-coupling modifier $\kappa_{\lambda}=\lambda_{HHH}/\lambda_{HHH}^\mathrm{SM}$, and the quartic $HHVV$ coupling modifier $\kappa_{2V}=g_{HHVV}/g_{HHVV}^\mathrm{SM}$, are derived individually, fixing the other parameter to its SM value. The observed 95% CL intervals are $-1.2 < \kappa_{\lambda} < 7.2$ and $0.6 < \kappa_{2V} < 1.5$, respectively, while the expected intervals are $-1.6 < \kappa_{\lambda} < 7.2$ and $0.4 < \kappa_{2V} < 1.6$ in the SM case. Constraints obtained for several interaction parameters within Higgs effective field theory are the strongest to date, offering insights into potential deviations from SM predictions.
Observed and expected 95% CL upper limits on the signal strength for inclusive ggF HH and VBF HH production from the bb̄τ<sup>+</sup>τ<sup>-</sup>, bb̄γγ, bb̄bb̄, multilepton and bb̄ℓℓ+E<sub>T</sub><sup>miss</sup> decay channels, and their statistical combination. The predicted SM cross-section assumes m<sub>H</sub> = 125 GeV. The expected limit, along with its associated ±1σ and ±2σ bands, is calculated for the assumption of no HH production and with all NPs profiled to the observed data.
Expected value of the test statistic (-2ln$\Lambda$), as a function of the $\kappa_\lambda$ parameter for $b\bar{b}b\bar{b}$.
Expected value of the test statistic (-2ln$\Lambda$), as a function of the $\kappa_\lambda$ parameter for $b\bar{b}\tau\tau$.
$Z$ boson events at the Large Hadron Collider can be selected with high purity and are sensitive to a diverse range of QCD phenomena. As a result, these events are often used to probe the nature of the strong force, improve Monte Carlo event generators, and search for deviations from Standard Model predictions. All previous measurements of $Z$ boson production characterize the event properties using a small number of observables and present the results as differential cross sections in predetermined bins. In this analysis, a machine learning method called OmniFold is used to produce a simultaneous measurement of twenty-four $Z$+jets observables using $139$ fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected with the ATLAS detector. Unlike any previous fiducial differential cross-section measurement, this result is presented unbinned as a dataset of particle-level events, allowing for flexible re-use in a variety of contexts and for new observables to be constructed from the twenty-four measured observables.
Differential cross-section in bins of dimuon $p_\text{T}$. The actual measurement is unbinned and available with examples at <a href="https://gitlab.cern.ch/atlas-physics/public/sm-z-jets-omnifold-2024">gitlab.cern.ch/atlas-physics/public/sm-z-jets-omnifold-2024</a>
Differential cross-section in bins of dimuon rapidity. The actual measurement is unbinned and available with examples at <a href="https://gitlab.cern.ch/atlas-physics/public/sm-z-jets-omnifold-2024">gitlab.cern.ch/atlas-physics/public/sm-z-jets-omnifold-2024</a>
Differential cross-section in bins of leading muon $p_\mathrm{T]$. The actual measurement is unbinned and available with examples at <a href="https://gitlab.cern.ch/atlas-physics/public/sm-z-jets-omnifold-2024">gitlab.cern.ch/atlas-physics/public/sm-z-jets-omnifold-2024</a>
Measurements of jet cross-section ratios between inclusive bins of jet multiplicity are performed in 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton--proton collisions with $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV center-of-mass energy, recorded with the ATLAS detector at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. Observables that are sensitive the energy-scale and angular distribution of radiation due to the strong interaction in the final state are measured double-differentially, in bins of jet multiplicity, and are unfolded to account for acceptance and detector-related effects. Additionally, the scalar sum of the two leading jets' transverse momenta is measured triple-differentially, in bins of the third jet's transverse momentum as well as bins of jet multiplicity. The measured distributions are used to construct ratios of the inclusive jet-multiplicity bins, which have been shown to be sensitive to the strong coupling $\alpha_{\textrm S}$ while being less sensitive than other observables to systematic uncertainties and parton distribution functions. The measured distributions are compared with state-of-the-art QCD calculations, including next-to-next-to-leading-order predictions. Studies leading to reduced jet energy scale uncertainties significantly improve the precision of this work, and are documented herein.
R32 for $H_{T2}$, 60 GeV < $p_{T,3}$
R32 for $H_{T2}$, 0.05 x $H_{T2} < $p_{T,3}$
R32 for $H_{T2}$, 0.1 x $H_{T2} < $p_{T,3}$
Properties of the underlying-event in $pp$ interactions are investigated primarily via the strange hadrons $K_{S}^{0}$, $\Lambda$ and $\bar\Lambda$, as reconstructed using the ATLAS detector at the LHC in minimum-bias $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV. The hadrons are reconstructed via the identification of the displaced two-particle vertices corresponding to the decay modes $K_{S}^{0}\rightarrow\pi^+\pi^-$, $\Lambda\rightarrow\pi^-p$ and $\bar\Lambda\rightarrow\pi^+\bar{p}$. These are used in the construction of underlying-event observables in azimuthal regions computed relative to the leading charged-particle jet in the event. None of the hadronisation and underlying-event physics models considered can describe the data over the full kinematic range considered. Events with a leading charged-particle jet in the range of $10 < p_T \leq 40$ GeV are studied using the number of prompt charged particles in the transverse region. The ratio $N(\Lambda\rightarrow\pi^\mp p^\pm)/N(K_{S}^{0}\rightarrow\pi^+\pi^-)$ as a function of the number of such charged particles varies only slightly over this range. This disagrees with the expectations of some of the considered Monte Carlo models.
Mean multiplicity of $K^{0}_{S}$ per unit $(\eta, \phi)$ in the away region vs. leading-jet $p_{T}$
Statistical covariance between bins of Table 1
Mean multiplicity of $K^{0}_{S}$ per unit $(\eta, \phi)$ in the towards region vs. leading-jet $p_{T}$
This paper reports the observation of top-quark pair production in proton-lead collisions in the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is performed using 165 nb$^{-1}$ of $p$+Pb data collected at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}=8.16$ TeV in 2016. Events are categorised in two analysis channels, consisting of either events with exactly one lepton (electron or muon) and at least four jets, or events with two opposite-charge leptons and at least two jets. In both channels at least one $b$-tagged jet is also required. Top-quark pair production is observed with a significance over five standard deviations in each channel. The top-quark pair production cross-section is measured to be $\sigma_{t\bar{t}}= 58.1\pm 2.0\;\mathrm{(stat.)\;^{+4.8}_{-4.4} \;\mathrm{(syst.)}}\;\mathrm{nb}$, with a total uncertainty of 9%. In addition, the nuclear modification factor is measured to be $R_{p\mathrm{A}} = 1.090\pm0.039\;(\mathrm{stat.})\;^{+0.094}_{-0.087}\;(\mathrm{syst.})$. The measurements are found to be in good agreement with theory predictions involving nuclear parton distribution functions.
The figure shows the pre-fit distribution of events as a function of $H_{\mathrm{T}}^{\ell,j} = \sum_{\ell,j} p_{T}^{\ell,j}$, scalar sum of $p_T$ for all jets and leptons in the $\ell+$jets channel, in proton-lead (p+Pb) collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 8.16$ TeV, with an integrated luminosity of 165 nb$^{-1}$. The data correspond to the $1\ell 1b$ $e$+jets channel in a pre-fit configuration. The stacked histograms represent different processes contributing to the event yield, including top quark pair production ($t\bar{t}$), single top, $W$ boson production with $b$, $c$, and light quarks, $Z$ boson production with $b$, $c$, and light quarks, diboson, and fake lepton backgrounds.
The figure shows the post-fit distribution of events as a function of $H_{\mathrm{T}}^{\ell,j} = \sum_{\ell,j} p_{T}^{\ell,j}$, scalar sum of $p_T$ for all jets and leptons in the $\ell+$jets channel, in proton-lead (p+Pb) collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 8.16$ TeV, with an integrated luminosity of 165 nb$^{-1}$. The data correspond to the $1\ell 1b$ $e$+jets channel in a pre-fit configuration. The stacked histograms represent different processes contributing to the event yield, including top quark pair production ($t\bar{t}$), single top, $W$ boson production with $b$, $c$, and light quarks, $Z$ boson production with $b$, $c$, and light quarks, diboson, and fake lepton backgrounds.
The figure shows the pre-fit distribution of events as a function of $H_{\mathrm{T}}^{\ell,j} = \sum_{\ell,j} p_{T}^{\ell,j}$, scalar sum of $p_T$ for all jets and leptons in the $\ell+$jets channel, in proton-lead (p+Pb) collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 8.16$ TeV, with an integrated luminosity of 165 nb$^{-1}$. The data correspond to the $1\ell 1b$ $\mu$+jets channel in a pre-fit configuration. The stacked histograms represent different processes contributing to the event yield, including top quark pair production ($t\bar{t}$), single top, $W$ boson production with $b$, $c$, and light quarks, $Z$ boson production with $b$, $c$, and light quarks, diboson, and fake lepton backgrounds.