Several models of physics beyond the Standard Model predict the existence of dark photons, light neutral particles decaying into collimated leptons or light hadrons. This paper presents a search for long-lived dark photons produced from the decay of a Higgs boson or a heavy scalar boson and decaying into displaced collimated Standard Model fermions. The search uses data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ collected in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV recorded in 2015-2016 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The observed number of events is consistent with the expected background, and limits on the production cross section times branching fraction as a function of the proper decay length of the dark photon are reported. A cross section times branching fraction above 4 pb is excluded for a Higgs boson decaying into two dark photons for dark-photon decay lengths between 1.5 mm and 307 mm.
Upper limits at 95% CL on the cross section times branching fraction for the process $H \to 2\gamma_d + X$ with $m_H$ = 125 GeV in the muon-muon final state.
Upper limits at 95% CL on the cross section times branching fraction for the process $H \to 4\gamma_d + X$ with $m_H$ = 125 GeV in the muon-muon final state.
Upper limits at 95% CL on the cross section times branching fraction for the process $H \to 2\gamma_d + X$ with $m_H$ = 800 GeV in the muon-muon final state.
The coupling properties of the Higgs boson are studied in the four-lepton decay channel using 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data from the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector. Cross sections are measured for the four key production modes in several exclusive regions of the Higgs boson production phase space and are interpreted in terms of coupling modifiers. The inclusive cross section times branching ratio for $H \rightarrow ZZ^*$ decay and for a Higgs boson absolute rapidity below 2.5 is measured to be $1.73^{+0.24}_{-0.23}$(stat.)$^{+0.10}_{-0.08}$(exp.)$\pm 0.04$(th.) pb compared to the Standard Model prediction of $1.34\pm0.09$ pb. In addition, the tensor structure of the Higgs boson couplings is studied using an effective Lagrangian approach for the description of interactions beyond the Standard Model. Constraints are placed on the non-Standard-Model CP-even and CP-odd couplings to $Z$ bosons and on the CP-odd coupling to gluons.
The expected number of SM Higgs boson events with a mass mH= 125.09 GeV in the mass range 118 < m4l < 129 GeV for an integrated luminosity of 36.1/fb and sqrt(s)= 13 TeV in each reconstructed event category, shown separately for each Stage-0 production bin. The ggF and bbH contributions are shown separately but both contribute to the same (ggF) production bin. Statistical and systematic uncertainties are added in quadrature.
The observed and expected numbers of signal and background events in the four-lepton decay channels for an integrated luminosity of 36.1/fb and at sqrt(s)= 13 TeV, assuming the SM Higgs boson signal with a mass m_{H} = 125.09 GeV . The second column shows the expected number of signal events for the full mass range while the subsequent columns correspond to the mass range of 118 < m4l < 129 GeV. In addition to the ZZ* background, the contribution of other backgrounds is shown, comprising the data-driven estimate from Table 4 and the simulation-based estimate of contributions from rare triboson and tbar{t}V processes. Statistical and systematic uncertainties are added in quadrature.
The expected and observed numbers of signal events in reconstructed event categories for an integrated luminosity of 36.1/fb at sqrt(s)= 13 TeV, together with signal acceptances for each Stage-0 production mode. Results are obtained in bins of BDT discriminants using coarse binning with several bins merged into one. Signal acceptances less than 0.0001 are set to 0.
The results of a search for gluino and squark pair production with the pairs decaying via the lightest charginos into a final state consisting of two $W$ bosons, the lightest neutralinos ($\tilde\chi^0_1$), and quarks, are presented. The signal is characterised by the presence of a single charged lepton ($e^{\pm}$ or $\mu^{\pm}$) from a $W$ boson decay, jets, and missing transverse momentum. The analysis is performed using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data taken at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded by the ATLAS experiment. No statistically significant excess of events above the Standard Model expectation is found. Limits are set on the direct production of squarks and gluinos in simplified models. Masses of gluino (squark) up to 2.2 TeV (1.4 TeV) are excluded at 95% confidence level for a light $\tilde\chi^0_1$.
Post-fit $m_{T}$ distribution in the SR 2J b-veto N-1 region. N-1 refers to all cuts except for the requirement on $m_T$ being applied. Uncertainties include statistical and systematic uncertainties. The value 9999 is used as a placeholder for infinity.
Post-fit $m_{T}$ distribution in the SR 2J b-veto N-1 region. N-1 refers to all cuts except for the requirement on $m_T$ being applied. Uncertainties include statistical and systematic uncertainties. The value 9999 is used as a placeholder for infinity.
Post-fit $m_{T}$ distribution in the SR 2J b-tag N-1 region. N-1 refers to all cuts except for the requirement on $m_T$ being applied. Uncertainties include statistical and systematic uncertainties. The value 9999 is used as a placeholder for infinity.
This paper presents measurements of $W^{\pm}Z$ production cross sections in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data were collected in 2015 and 2016 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$. The $W^{\pm}Z$ candidate events are reconstructed using leptonic decay modes of the gauge bosons into electrons and muons. The measured inclusive cross section in the detector fiducial region for a single leptonic decay mode is $\sigma_{W^\pm Z \rightarrow \ell^{'} \nu \ell \ell}^{\textrm{fid.}} = 63.7 \pm 1.0$ (stat.) $\pm 2.3$ (syst.) $\pm 1.4$ (lumi.) fb, reproduced by the next-to-next-to-leading-order Standard Model prediction of $61.5^{+1.4}_{-1.3}$ fb. Cross sections for $W^+Z$ and $W^-Z$ production and their ratio are presented as well as differential cross sections for several kinematic observables. An analysis of angular distributions of leptons from decays of $W$ and $Z$ bosons is performed for the first time in pair-produced events in hadronic collisions, and integrated helicity fractions in the detector fiducial region are measured for the $W$ and $Z$ bosons separately. Of particular interest, the longitudinal helicity fraction of pair-produced vector bosons is also measured.
The measured $W^{\pm}Z$ fiducial cross section in the four channels and their combination. The first systematic uncertainty is the combined systematic uncertainty excluding luminosity uncertainty, the second is the modelling uncertainty, the third is luminosity uncertainty.
The measured $W^{+}Z$ fiducial cross section in the four channels and their combination. The first systematic uncertainty is the combined systematic uncertainty excluding luminosity uncertainty, the second is the modelling uncertainty, the third is luminosity uncertainty.
The measured $W^{-}Z$ fiducial cross section in the four channels and their combination. The first systematic uncertainty is the combined systematic uncertainty excluding luminosity uncertainty, the second is the modelling uncertainty, the third is luminosity uncertainty.
Inclusive and differential fiducial cross sections of the Higgs boson are measured in the $H \to ZZ^{*} \to 4\ell$ ($\ell = e,\mu$) decay channel. The results are based on proton$-$proton collision data produced at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector from 2015 to 2018, equivalent to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The inclusive fiducial cross section for the $H \to ZZ^{*} \to 4\ell$ process is measured to be $\sigma_\mathrm{fid} = 3.28 \pm 0.32$ fb, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction of $\sigma_\mathrm{fid, SM} = 3.41 \pm 0.18 $ fb. Differential fiducial cross sections are measured for a variety of observables which are sensitive to the production and decay of the Higgs boson. All measurements are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions. The results are used to constrain anomalous Higgs boson interactions with Standard Model particles.
Fractional uncertainties for the inclusive fiducial and total cross sections, and range of systematic uncertainties for the differential measurements. The columns e/$\mu$ and jets represent the experimental uncertainties in lepton and jet reconstruction and identification, respectively. The Z + jets, $t\bar{t}$, tXX (Other Bkg.) column includes uncertainties related to the estimation of these background sources. The $ZZ^{*}$ theory ($ZZ^{*}$ th.) uncertainties include the PDF and scale variations. Signal theory (Sig th.) uncertainties include PDF choice, QCD scale, and shower modelling of the signal. Finally, the column labelled Comp. contains uncertainties related to production mode composition and unfolding bias which affect the response matrices. The uncertainties have been rounded to the nearest 0.5%, except for the luminosity uncertainty which has been measured to be 1.7%.
Expected (pre-fit) and observed number of events in the four decay final states after the event selection, in the mass range 115< $m_{4l}$ < 130 GeV. The sum of the expected number of SM Higgs boson events and the estimated background yields is compared to the data. Combined statistical and systematic uncertainties are included for the predictions.
The fiducial and total cross sections of Higgs boson production measured in the 4l final state. The fiducial cross sections are given separately for each decay final state, and for same- and different-flavour decays. The inclusive fiducial cross section is measured as the sum of all final states ($\sigma_{sum}$), as well as by combining the per-final state measurements assuming SM $ZZ^{*} \to 4l$ relative branching ratios ($\sigma_{comb}$). For the total cross section ($\sigma_{tot}$), the Higgs boson branching ratio at $m_{H}$= 125 GeV is assumed. The total SM prediction is accurate to N3LO in QCD and NLO EW for the ggF process. The cross sections for all other Higgs boson production modes XH are added. For the fiducial cross section predictions, the SM cross sections are multiplied by the acceptances determined using the NNLOPS sample for ggF. The p-values indicating the compatibility of the measurement and the SM prediction are shown as well. They do not include the systematic uncertainty in the theoretical predictions.
A search is made for a vector-like $T$ quark decaying into a Higgs boson and a top quark in 13 TeV proton-proton collisions using the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider with a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The Higgs-boson and top-quark candidates are identified in the all-hadronic decay mode, where $H\to b\bar{b}$ and $t\to b W \to b q \bar{q}^\prime$ are reconstructed as large-radius jets. The candidate Higgs boson, top quark, and associated B-hadrons are identified using tagging algorithms. No significant excess is observed above the background, so limits are set on the production cross-section of a singlet $T$ quark at 95% confidence level, depending on the mass, $m_T$, and coupling, $\kappa_T$, of the vector-like $T$ quark to Standard Model particles. In the considered mass range between 1.0 and 2.3 TeV, the upper limit on the allowed coupling values increases with $m_T$ from a minimum value of 0.35 for 1.07 < $m_T$ < 1.4 TeV to 1.6 for $m_T$ = 2.3 TeV.
Dijet invariant mass distribution for the $SR$ showing the results of the model when fitted to the data. A $T$-quark hypothesis with $m_{T} = 1.6$ TeV and $\kappa_{T} = 0.5$ is used in the fit.
Dijet invariant mass distribution for the $ttNR$ showing the results of the model when fitted to the data. A $T$-quark hypothesis with $m_{T} = 1.6$ TeV and $\kappa_{T} = 0.5$ is used in the fit.
Observed and expected 95% CL upper limits on the single $T$-quark coupling $\kappa_{T}$ as a function of $m_{T}$ are shown.
Searches for exclusively produced $W$ boson pairs in the process $pp(\gamma\gamma) \rightarrow pW^+W^-p$ and exclusively produced Higgs boson in the process $pp(gg) \rightarrow pHp$ have been performed using $e^{\pm}\mu^{\mp}$ final states. These measurements use 20.2 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions collected by the ATLAS experiment at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV at the LHC. Exclusive production of $W^+W^-$ consistent with the Standard Model prediction is found with 3.0$\sigma$ significance. The exclusive $W^+W^-$ production cross-section is determined to be $\sigma (\gamma\gamma\rightarrow W^{+}W^{-}\rightarrow e^{\pm}\mu^{\mp} X) = 6.9 \pm 2.2 (\mathrm{stat.}) \pm 1.4 (\mathrm{sys.})$ fb, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction. Limits on anomalous quartic gauge couplings are set at 95\% confidence-level as $-1.7 \times 10^{-6} < a_0^W/\Lambda^2 < 1.7 \times 10^{-6}$ GeV$^{-2}$and $-6.4 \times 10^{-6} < a_C^W/\Lambda^2 < 6.3 \times 10^{-6}$ GeV$^{-2}$. A 95\% confidence-level upper limit on the total production cross-section for exclusive Higgs boson is set to 1.2 pb.
Observed allowed ranges for 6 dimensional aQGCs, cutoff 500 GeV.
Expected allowed ranges for 6 dimensional aQGCs, no cutoff).
Observed allowed ranges for 8 dimensional aQGCs, cutoff 500).
The production of $W$ boson pairs in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=$ 8 TeV is studied using data corresponding to 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity collected by the ATLAS detector during 2012 at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The $W$ bosons are reconstructed using their leptonic decays into electrons or muons and neutrinos. Events with reconstructed jets are not included in the candidate event sample. A total of 6636 $WW$ candidate events are observed. Measurements are performed in fiducial regions closely approximating the detector acceptance. The integrated measurement is corrected for all acceptance effects and for the $W$ branching fractions to leptons in order to obtain the total $WW$ production cross section, which is found to be 71.1$\pm1.1$(stat)$^{+5.7}_{-5.0}$(syst)$\pm1.4$ pb. This agrees with the next-to-next-to-leading-order Standard Model prediction of 63.2$^{+1.6}_{-1.4}$(scale)$\pm1.2$(PDF) pb. Fiducial differential cross sections are measured as a function of each of six kinematic variables. The distribution of the transverse momentum of the leading lepton is used to set limits on anomalous triple-gauge-boson couplings.
Measured production cross sections of WW production in the fiducial region for different final states corresponding to different W decay channels: both W's decaying into electrons or both decaying to muon. The cross sections are defined for direct decays of the W bosons into prompt electrons or muons, intermediate decays into tau leptons are disregarded. The electrons are required to be contained within abs(eta)<2.47 and to lie outside of 1.37 < abs(eta) < 1.53, muons are required to lie within abs(eta)<2.4. The leading and subleading leptons in the events are required to have a transverse momentum above 25 and 20 GeV respectively. The transverse momentum of the vectorial sum of the neutrinos in the event should be larger than 45 GeV (PT(C=SUM(NU))). The transverse momentum of the vectorial sum of the neutrinos multiplied by the sine of azimuthal difference between lepton and the vectorial sum of the neutrinos in the event should be larger than 45 GeV if the azimuthal difference between lepton and the vectorial sum of the neutrinos is smaller than PI/2. The invariant mass of the leptons should exceed 15 GeV. The absolute difference between the invariant mass of the leptons and the mass of the Z boson should be larger than 15 GeV. Particle-level jets are defined using the anti-kT algorithm with radius of 0.4. No jets above 25 GeV and within abs(eta)<4.5 are allowed in the event. Both, resonant and non-resonant WW production processes, are included in the cross sections.
Measured production cross section of WW production in the fiducial region in case one W boson decays into a prompt electron and the other one into a prompt muon. The cross section is defined for direct decays of the W bosons into prompt electrons or muons, intermediate decays into tau leptons are disregarded. The electrons are required to be contained within abs(eta)<2.47 and to lie outside of 1.37 < abs(eta) < 1.53, muons are required to lie within abs(eta)<2.4. The leading and subleading leptons in the events are required to have a transverse momentum above 25 and 20 GeV respectively. The transverse momentum of the vectorial sum of the neutrinos in the event should be larger than 20 GeV (PT(C=SUM(NU))). The transverse momentum of the vectorial sum of the neutrinos is multiplied by the sine of the azimuthal difference between lepton and the vectorial sum of the neutrinos if their azimuthal difference is smaller than PI/2. It is required to be larger than 15 GeV. The invariant mass of the leptons should exceed 10 GeV. Particle-level jets are defined using the anti-kT algorithm with radius of 0.4. No jets above 25 GeV and within abs(eta)<4.5 are allowed in the event. Both, resonant and non-resonant WW production processes, are included in the cross sections.
Measured total production cross sections of WW production in the total phase space. Both, resonant and non-resonant WW, production are considered as signal.
This paper presents a search for new heavy particles decaying into a pair of top quarks using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton--proton collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The search is performed using events consistent with pair production of high-transverse-momentum top quarks and their subsequent decays into the fully hadronic final states. The analysis is optimized for resonances decaying into a $t\bar{t}$ pair with mass above 1.4 TeV, exploiting a dedicated multivariate technique with jet substructure to identify hadronically decaying top quarks using large-radius jets and evaluating the background expectation from data. No significant deviation from the background prediction is observed. Limits are set on the production cross-section times branching fraction for the new $Z'$ boson in a topcolor-assisted-technicolor model. The $Z'$ boson masses below 3.9 and 4.7 TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level for the decay widths of 1% and 3%, respectively.
Acceptance and acceptance times selection efficiency as a function of $m^{gen}_{t\bar{t}}$ in SR$1b$. The acceptance is measured as the fraction of events with two leading truth-contained large-$R$ jets, both satisfying the kinematic requirements, but not containing generator-level electrons or muons, as described in the paper. The acceptance $\times$ efficiency is calculated with respect to the full analysis selections including top- and $b$-tagging requirements on the two leading large-$R$ jets. The $m^{gen}_{t\bar{t}}$ is calculated from the momenta of top and anti-top quarks at the generator level before final-state radiation. The branching fractions of the $t \bar{t}$ into all possible final states are included in the acceptance calculation.
Acceptance and acceptance times selection efficiency as a function of $m^{gen}_{t\bar{t}}$ in SR$2b$. The acceptance is measured as the fraction of events with two leading truth-contained large-$R$ jets, both satisfying the kinematic requirements, but not containing generator-level electrons or muons, as described in the paper. The acceptance $\times$ efficiency is calculated with respect to the full analysis selections including top- and $b$-tagging requirements on the two leading large-$R$ jets. The $m^{gen}_{t\bar{t}}$ is calculated from the momenta of top and anti-top quarks at the generator level before final-state radiation. The branching fractions of the $t \bar{t}$ into all possible final states are included in the acceptance calculation.
Observed $m_{t\bar{t}}^{reco}$ distributions in data for SR$1b$, shown together with the result of the fit with the three-shape-parameter function. The error bars indicate the effect of the fit parameter uncertainty on the background prediction. The bin width of the distributions is chosen to be the same as that used in the background parameterization.
A search for new phenomena in final states with hadronically decaying tau leptons, $b$-jets, and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analyzed dataset comprises $pp$~collision data at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt s = 13$ TeV with an integrated luminosity of 139/fb, delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector from 2015 to 2018. The observed data are compatible with the expected Standard Model background. The results are interpreted in simplified models for two different scenarios. The first model is based on supersymmetry and considers pair production of top squarks, each of which decays into a $b$-quark, a neutrino and a tau slepton. Each tau slepton in turn decays into a tau lepton and a nearly massless gravitino. Within this model, top-squark masses up to 1.4 TeV can be excluded at the 95% confidence level over a wide range of tau-slepton masses. The second model considers pair production of leptoquarks with decays into third-generation leptons and quarks. Depending on the branching fraction into charged leptons, leptoquarks with masses up to around 1.25 TeV can be excluded at the 95% confidence level for the case of scalar leptoquarks and up to 1.8 TeV (1.5 TeV) for vector leptoquarks in a Yang--Mills (minimal-coupling) scenario. In addition, model-independent upper limits are set on the cross section of processes beyond the Standard Model.
Relative systematic uncertainties in the estimated number of background events in the signal regions. In the lower part of the table, a breakdown of the total uncertainty into different categories is given. For the multi-bin SR, the breakdown refers to the integral over all three $p_{\text{T}}(\tau)$ bins. As the individual uncertainties are correlated, they do not add in quadrature to equal the total background uncertainty.
Distributions of $m_{\text{T}2}(\tau_{1},\tau_{2})$ in the di-tau SR. The stacked histograms show the various SM background contributions. The hatched band indicates the total statistical and systematic uncertainty of the SM background. The $t\bar{t}$ (2 real $\tau$) and $t\bar{t}$ (1 real $\tau$) as well as the single-top background contributions are scaled with the normalization factors obtained from the background-only fit. Minor backgrounds are grouped together and denoted as 'Other'. This includes $t\bar{t}$-fake, single top, and other top (di-tau channel) or $t\bar{t}$-fake, $t\bar{t}+H$, multiboson, and other top (single-tau channel). The overlaid dotted lines show the additional contributions for signal scenarios close to the expected exclusion contour with the particle type and the mass and $\beta$ parameters for the simplified models indicated in the legend. For the leptoquark signal model the shapes of the distributions for $\text{LQ}_{3}^{\text{d}}$ and $\text{LQ}_{3}^{\text{v}}$ (not shown) are similar to that of $\text{LQ}_{3}^{\text{u}}$. The rightmost bin includes the overflow.
Distributions of $E_{\text{T}}^{\text{miss}}$ in the di-tau SR. The stacked histograms show the various SM background contributions. The hatched band indicates the total statistical and systematic uncertainty of the SM background. The $t\bar{t}$ (2 real $\tau$) and $t\bar{t}$ (1 real $\tau$) as well as the single-top background contributions are scaled with the normalization factors obtained from the background-only fit. Minor backgrounds are grouped together and denoted as 'Other'. This includes $t\bar{t}$-fake, single top, and other top (di-tau channel) or $t\bar{t}$-fake, $t\bar{t}+H$, multiboson, and other top (single-tau channel). The overlaid dotted lines show the additional contributions for signal scenarios close to the expected exclusion contour with the particle type and the mass and $\beta$ parameters for the simplified models indicated in the legend. For the leptoquark signal model the shapes of the distributions for $\text{LQ}_{3}^{\text{d}}$ and $\text{LQ}_{3}^{\text{v}}$ (not shown) are similar to that of $\text{LQ}_{3}^{\text{u}}$. The rightmost bin includes the overflow.
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