A search for Supersymmetry involving the pair production of gluinos decaying via third-generation squarks to the lightest neutralino is reported. It uses an LHC proton--proton dataset at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV with an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the ATLAS detector in 2015. The signal is searched for in events containing several energetic jets, of which at least three must be identified as $b$-jets, large missing transverse momentum and, potentially, isolated electrons or muons. Large-radius jets with a high mass are also used to identify highly boosted top quarks. No excess is found above the predicted background. For neutralino masses below approximately 700 GeV, gluino masses of less than 1.78 TeV and 1.76 TeV are excluded at the 95% CL in simplified models of the pair production of gluinos decaying via sbottom and stop, respectively. These results significantly extend the exclusion limits obtained with the $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV dataset.
Results of a search for new phenomena in events with an energetic photon and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 3.2 $\rm fb^{-1}$. The observed data are in agreement with the Standard Model expectations. Exclusion limits are presented in models of new phenomena including pair production of dark matter candidates or large extra spatial dimensions. In a simplified model of dark matter and an axial-vector mediator, the search excludes mediator masses of up to 710 GeV for dark matter candidate masses up to 150 GeV. In an effective theory of dark matter production, values of the suppression scale $M_*$ up to 570 GeV are excluded and the effect of truncation for various coupling values is reported. For the ADD large extra spatial dimension model the search places more stringent limits than earlier searches in the same event topology, excluding $M_{\rm D}$ up to about 2.3 (2.8) TeV for two (six) additional spatial dimensions; the limits are reduced by 20--40% depending on the number of additional spatial dimensions when applying a truncation procedure.
A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with at least two hadronically decaying tau leptons is presented. The analysis uses a dataset of $pp$ collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No significant deviation from the Standard Model background expectation is observed. Limits are derived in scenarios of $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{+}\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{-}$ pair production and of $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}\tilde{\chi}_{2}^{0}$ and $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{+}\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{-}$ production in simplified models where the neutralinos and charginos decay solely via intermediate left-handed staus and tau sneutrinos, and the mass of the $\tilde{\tau}_{\mathrm L}$ state is set to be halfway between the masses of the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$ and the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$. Chargino masses up to 630 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level in the scenario of direct production of $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{+}\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{-}$ for a massless $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$. Common $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$, $\tilde{\chi}_{2}^{0}$ masses up to 760 GeV are excluded in the case of production of $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}\tilde{\chi}_{2}^{0}$ and $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{+}\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{-}$ assuming a massless $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$. Exclusion limits for additional benchmark scenarios with large and small mass-splitting between the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$ and the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ are also studied by varying the $\tilde{\tau}_{\mathrm L}$ mass between the masses of the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$ and the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$.
A search for R-parity violating supersymmetry in final states characterised by high jet multiplicity, at least one isolated light lepton and either zero or at least three $b$-tagged jets is presented. The search uses 139 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. The results are interpreted in the context of R-parity-violating supersymmetry models that feature gluino production, top-squark production, or electroweakino production. The dominant sources of background are estimated using a data-driven model, based on observables at medium jet multiplicity, to predict the $b$-tagged jet multiplicity distribution at the higher jet multiplicities used in the search. Machine learning techniques are used to reach sensitivity to electroweakino production, extending the data-driven background estimation to the shape of the machine learning discriminant. No significant excess over the Standard Model expectation is observed and exclusion limits at the 95% confidence-level are extracted, reaching as high as 2.4 TeV in gluino mass, 1.35 TeV in top-squark mass, and 320 (365) GeV in higgsino (wino) mass.
A search for invisible decays of the Higgs boson as well as searches for dark matter candidates, produced together with a leptonically decaying $Z$ boson, are presented. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, delivered by the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ and recorded by the ATLAS experiment. Assuming Standard Model cross-sections for $ZH$ production, the observed (expected) upper limit on the branching ratio of the Higgs boson to invisible particles is found to be 19% (19%) at the 95% confidence level. Exclusion limits are also set for simplified dark matter models and two-Higgs-doublet models with an additional pseudoscalar mediator.
A direct search for Higgs bosons produced via vector-boson fusion and subsequently decaying into invisible particles is reported. The analysis uses 139 $\text{fb}^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$=13 $\text{TeV}$ recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The observed numbers of events are found to be in agreement with the background expectation from Standard Model processes. For a scalar Higgs boson with a mass of 125 $\text{GeV}$ and a Standard Model production cross section, an observed upper limit of $0.145$ is placed on the branching fraction of its decay into invisible particles at 95% confidence level, with an expected limit of $0.103$. These results are interpreted in the context of models where the Higgs boson acts as a portal to dark matter, and limits are set on the scattering cross section of weakly interacting massive particles and nucleons. Invisible decays of additional scalar bosons with masses from 50 $\text{GeV}$ to 2 $\text{TeV}$ are also studied, and the derived upper limits on the cross section times branching fraction decrease with increasing mass from 1.0 $\text{pb}$ for a scalar boson mass of 50 $\text{GeV}$ to 0.1 $\text{pb}$ at a mass of 2 $\text{TeV}$.
Results of a search for physics beyond the Standard Model in events containing an energetic photon and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. As the number of events observed in data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 $\textrm fb^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, is in agreement with the Standard Model expectations, exclusion limits in models where dark-matter candidates are pair-produced are determined. For dark-matter production via an axial-vector or a vector mediator in the s-channel, this search excludes mediator masses below 750-1200 GeV for dark-matter candidate masses below 230-480 GeV at 95% confidence level, depending on the couplings. In an effective theory of dark-matter production, the limits restrict the value of the suppression scale $M_{*}$ to be above 790 GeV at 95% confidence level. A limit is also reported on the production of a high-mass scalar resonance by processes beyond the Standard Model, in which the resonance decays to $Z\gamma$ and the Z boson subsequently decays into neutrinos.
A search for strongly produced supersymmetric particles using signatures involving multiple energetic jets and either two isolated same-sign leptons ($e$ or $\mu$), or at least three isolated leptons, is presented. The analysis relies on the identification of $b$-jets and high missing transverse momentum to achieve good sensitivity. A data sample of proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}= 13$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015 and 2016, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$, is used for the search. No significant excess over the Standard Model prediction is observed. The results are interpreted in several simplified supersymmetric models featuring $R$-parity conservation or $R$-parity violation, extending the exclusion limits from previous searches. In models considering gluino pair production, gluino masses are excluded up to 1.87 TeV at 95% confidence level. When bottom squarks are pair-produced and decay to a chargino and a top quark, models with bottom squark masses below 700 GeV and light neutralinos are excluded at 95% confidence level. In addition, model-independent limits are set on a possible contribution of new phenomena to the signal region yields.
A search for long-lived, massive particles predicted by many theories beyond the Standard Model is presented. The search targets final states with large missing transverse momentum and at least one high-mass displaced vertex with five or more tracks, and uses 32.8 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV $pp$ collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The observed yield is consistent with the expected background. The results are used to extract 95\% CL exclusion limits on the production of long-lived gluinos with masses up to 2.37 TeV and lifetimes of $\mathcal{O}(10^{-2})$-$\mathcal{O}(10)$ ns in a simplified model inspired by Split Supersymmetry.
A search is presented for photonic signatures, motivated by generalized models of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking. This search makes use of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC, and it explores models dominated by both strong and electroweak production of supersymmetric partner states. Experimental signatures incorporating an isolated photon and significant missing transverse momentum are explored. These signatures include events with an additional photon or additional jet activity not associated with any specific underlying quark flavor. No significant excess of events is observed above the Standard Model prediction, and 95% confidence-level upper limits of between 0.083 fb and 0.32 fb are set on the visible cross section of contributions from physics beyond the Standard Model. These results are interpreted in terms of lower limits on the masses of gluinos, squarks, and gauginos in the context of generalized models of gauge-mediated supersymmetry, which reach as high as 2.3 TeV for strongly produced and 1.3 TeV for weakly produced supersymmetric partner pairs.
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