A search for the $Z\gamma$ decay of the Higgs boson, with $Z$ boson decays into pairs of electrons or muons is presented. The analysis uses proton$-$proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The observed data are consistent with the expected background with a $p$-value of 1.3%. An upper limit at 95% confidence level on the production cross-section times the branching ratio for $pp\to H\to Z\gamma$ is set at 3.6 times the Standard Model prediction while 2.6 times is expected in the presence of the Standard Model Higgs boson. The best-fit value for the signal yield normalised to the Standard Model prediction is $2.0^{+1.0}_{-0.9}$ where the statistical component of the uncertainty is dominant.
The number of data events selected in each category, and in the $Z\gamma$ mass range of 105--160 GeV. In addition, the following numbers are given: the expected number of Higgs boson signal events in an interval around the peak position for a signal of $m_{H}=125.09$ GeV containing 68% of the SM signal ($S_{68}$), the mass resolution quantified by the width of the $S_{68}$ interval ($w_{68}$) defined by the difference between the 84th and the 16th percentile of the signal mass distribution, the background in the $S_{68}$ interval ($B_{68}$) is estimated from fits to the data using the background models described in paper, the observed number of events in the $S_{68}$ interval ($N_{68}$), the expected signal-to-background ratio in the $S_{68}$ window ($S_{68}/B_{68}$), and the expected significance estimate defined as $S_{68}/\sqrt{S_{68}+B_{68}}$. The final row of the table displays the expected number of events for an analysis performed in a single inclusive category.
Upper limit at 95% confidence level on the signal yield normalised to the Standard Model prediction (signal strength) for $pp \to H \to Z+\gamma$
The best fit value for the signal yield normalised to the Standard Model prediction (signal strength) for $pp \to H \to Z+\gamma$
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