Combination of searches for singly produced vector-like top quarks in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

The ATLAS collaboration Aad, Georges ; Aakvaag, Erlend ; Abbott, Braden Keim ; et al.
Phys.Rev.D 111 (2025) 012012, 2025.
Inspire Record 2818839 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.153640

A combination of searches for the single production of vector-like top quarks ($T$) is presented. These analyses are based on proton$-$proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV recorded in 2015$-$2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The $T$-quark decay modes considered in this combination are into a top quark and either a Standard Model Higgs boson or a $Z$ boson ($T \to Ht$ and $T \to Zt$). The individual searches used in the combination are differentiated by the number of leptons ($e$, $\mu$) in the final state. The observed data are found to be in good agreement with the Standard Model background prediction. Interpretations are provided for a range of masses and couplings of the vector-like top quark for benchmark models and generalized representations in terms of 95% confidence level limits. For a benchmark signal prediction of a vector-like top quark SU2 singlet with electroweak coupling, $\kappa$, of 0.5, masses below 2.1 TeV are excluded, resulting in the most restrictive limits to date.

52 data tables

Observed and expected 95% CL upper limits on the total cross-section σ($pp$ → $T$ → $Ht/Zt$) as a function of $T$-quark mass in the SU(2) singlet representation assuming $\kappa$=0.3. The expected limits for the individual analyses are shown. The $HtZt$ analysis is only included in the limit calculation for $m_{\mathrm{T}}$ < 2.1 TeV.

Observed and expected 95% CL upper limits on the total cross-section σ($pp$ → $T$ → $Ht/Zt$) as a function of $T$-quark mass in the SU(2) singlet representation assuming $\kappa$=0.5. The expected limits for the individual analyses are shown. The $HtZt$ analysis is only included in the limit calculation for $m_{\mathrm{T}}$ < 2.1 TeV.

Observed and expected 95% CL upper limits on the total cross-section σ($pp$ → $T$ → $Ht/Zt$) as a function of $T$-quark mass in the SU(2) doublet representation assuming $\kappa$=0.3. The expected limits for the individual analyses are shown. The $HtZt$ analysis is only included in the limit calculation for $m_{\mathrm{T}}$ < 2.1 TeV.

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Version 2
Search for pair-production of vector-like quarks in $pp$ collision events at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with at least one leptonically decaying $Z$ boson and a third-generation quark with the ATLAS detector

The ATLAS collaboration Aad, Georges ; Abbott, Braden Keim ; Abbott, Dale ; et al.
Phys.Lett.B 843 (2023) 138019, 2023.
Inspire Record 2172216 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.134010

A search for the pair-production of vector-like quarks optimized for decays into a $Z$ boson and a third-generation Standard Model quark is presented, using the full Run 2 dataset corresponding to 139 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, collected in 2015-2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The targeted final state is characterized by the presence of a $Z$ boson with high transverse momentum, reconstructed from a pair of same-flavour leptons with opposite-sign charges, as well as by the presence of $b$-tagged jets and high-transverse-momentum large-radius jets reconstructed from calibrated smaller-radius jets. Events with exactly two or at least three leptons are used, which are further categorized by the presence of boosted $W$, $Z$, and Higgs bosons and top quarks. The categorization is performed using a neural-network-based boosted object tagger to enhance the sensitivity to signal relative to the background. No significant excess above the background expectation is observed and exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are set on the masses of the vector-like partners $T$ and $B$ of the top and bottom quarks, respectively. In the singlet model, the limits allow $m_T > 1.27$ TeV and $m_B > 1.20$ TeV. In the doublet model, allowed masses are $m_T > 1.46$ TeV and $m_B >1.32$ TeV. In the case of 100% branching ratio for $T\rightarrow Zt$ and 100% branching ratio for $B\rightarrow Zb$, the limits allow $m_T > 1.60$ TeV and $m_B > 1.42$ TeV, respectively.

20 data tables

Expected and observed lower limits on B masses at 95% CL in the BR plane from the combination of the two analysis channels for all BR configurations when assuming a total BR of 100% for H, W and Z.

Expected and observed lower limits on T masses at 95% CL in the BR plane from the combination of the two analysis channels for all BR configurations when assuming a total BR of 100% for H, W and Z.

Expected and observed combined limits at 95% CL on the production cross-section of vector-like T for 100% $T\rightarrow Zt$.

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