A search is presented for flavour-changing neutral-current interactions involving the top quark, the Higgs boson and an up-type quark ($q=u,c$) with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis considers leptonic decays of the top quark along with Higgs boson decays into two $W$ bosons, two $Z$ bosons or a $\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$ pair. It focuses on final states containing either two leptons (electrons or muons) of the same charge or three leptons. The considered processes are $t\bar{t}$ and $Ht$ production. For the $t\bar{t}$ production, one top quark decays via $t\to Hq$. The proton-proton collision data set analysed amounts to 140 fb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV. No significant excess beyond Standard Model expectations is observed and upper limits are set on the $t\to Hq$ branching ratios at 95% confidence level, amounting to observed (expected) limits of $\mathcal{B}(t\to Hu)<2.8\,(3.0) \times 10^{-4}$ and $\mathcal{B}(t\to Hc)<3.3\,(3.8) \times 10^{-4}$. Combining this search with other searches for $tHq$ flavour-changing neutral-current interactions previously conducted by ATLAS, considering $H\to b\bar{b}$ and $H\to\gamma\gamma$ decays, as well as $H\to\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$ decays with one or two hadronically decaying $\tau$-leptons, yields observed (expected) upper limits on the branching ratios of $\mathcal{B}(t\to Hu)<2.6\,(1.8) \times 10^{-4}$ and $\mathcal{B}(t\to Hc)<3.4\,(2.3) \times 10^{-4}$.
Pre-fit background composition of the SR$2\ell$ Dec. The table shows the event yields as opposed to just the percentages of the relevant background processes.
Pre-fit background composition of the SR$2\ell$ Prod. The table shows the event yields as opposed to just the percentages of the relevant background processes.
Pre-fit background composition of the SR$3\ell$ Dec. The table shows the event yields as opposed to just the percentages of the relevant background processes.
A search for charged-lepton-flavour violating $\mu\tau qt$ ($q=u,c$) interactions is presented, considering both top-quark production and decay. The data analysed correspond to 140 $\textrm{fb}^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}= $13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis targets events containing two muons with the same electric charge, a hadronically decaying $\tau$-lepton and at least one jet, with exactly one $b$-tagged jet, produced by a $\mu\tau qt$ interaction. Agreement with the Standard Model expectation within $1.6\sigma$ is observed, and limits are set at the 95% CL on the charged-lepton-flavour violation branching ratio of $\mathcal{B}(t \to \mu\tau q) < 8.7 \times 10^{-7}$. An Effective Field Theory interpretation is performed yielding 95% CL limits on Wilson coefficients, dependent on the flavour of the associated light quark and the Lorentz structure of the coupling. These range from $|c_{\mathsf{lequ}}^{3(2313)}| / \Lambda^{2} < 0.10\textrm{ TeV}^{-2}$ for $\mu\tau ut$ to $|c_{\mathsf{ lequ}}^{1(2323)}| / \Lambda^{2} < 1.8\textrm{ TeV}^{-2}$ for $\mu\tau ct$. An additional interpretation is performed for scalar leptoquark production inducing charged lepton flavour violation, with fixed inter-generational couplings. Upper limits on leptoquark coupling strengths are set at the 95% CL, ranging from $\lambda^{\textrm{LQ}} = $1.3 to $\lambda^{\textrm{LQ}} = $3.7 for leptoquark masses between 0.5 and 2.0 TeV.
Observed event yields in $\textrm{CR}t\bar{t}\mu$ compared with pre-fit expectations from Monte Carlo simulations, as a function of the scalar sum of lepton and jet transverse momenta, $H_{\mathrm{T}}$. The last bin includes overflow events. `Signal (prod.)' and `Signal (dec.)' refer to the single-top-quark production and top-quark pair decay signal contributions, respectively. The pre-fit signal yield represents all Wilson coefficients set to 0.1 simultaneously for a new physics scale of $\Lambda=1$ TeV.
Observed event yields in $\textrm{CR}t\bar{t}\mu$ compared with post-fit expectations from Monte Carlo simulations, as a function of the scalar sum of lepton and jet transverse momenta, $H_{\mathrm{T}}$. The last bin includes overflow events. `Signal (prod.)' and `Signal (dec.)' refer to the single-top-quark production and top-quark pair decay signal contributions, respectively.
Observed event yields in $\textrm{SR}$ compared with pre-fit expectations from Monte Carlo simulations, as a function of the scalar sum of lepton and jet transverse momenta, $H_{\mathrm{T}}$. The last bin includes overflow events. `Signal (prod.)' and `Signal (dec.)' refer to the single-top-quark production and top-quark pair decay signal contributions, respectively. The pre-fit signal yield represents all Wilson coefficients set to 0.1 simultaneously for a new physics scale of $\Lambda=1$ TeV.
Measurements of differential and double-differential cross sections of top quark pair ($\text{t}\overline{\text{t}}$) production are presented in the lepton+jets channels with a single electron or muon and jets in the final state. The analysis combines for the first time signatures of top quarks with low transverse momentum $p_\text{T}$, where the top quark decay products can be identified as separated jets and isolated leptons, and with high $p_\text{T}$, where the decay products are collimated and overlap. The measurements are based on proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s} = $ 13 TeV collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. The cross sections are presented at the parton and particle levels, where the latter minimizes extrapolations based on theoretical assumptions. Most of the measured differential cross sections are well described by standard model predictions with the exception of some double-differential distributions. The inclusive $\text{t}\overline{\text{t}}$ production cross section is measured to be $\sigma_{\text{t}\overline{\text{t}}} = $ 791 $\pm$ 25 pb, which constitutes the most precise measurement in the lepton+jets channel to date.
differential cross sections.
differential cross sections.
differential cross sections.
A search for the production of heavy partners of the top quark with charge 5/3 is performed in events with a pair of same-sign leptons. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 19.5 inverse femtobarns and was collected at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV by the CMS experiment. No significant excess is observed in the data above the expected background and the existence of top-quark partners with masses below 800 GeV is excluded at a 95% confidence level, assuming they decay exclusively to tW. This is the first limit on these particles from the LHC, and it is significantly more restrictive than previous limits.
The distribution of HT for all channels combined after the full selection except for the HT requirement itself.
Expected and observed 95% CL limits on the $\mathrm{T}_{5/3}$ production cross section times the branching fraction for decay to same-sign dileptons.
The distribution of HT for all channels combined, after the requirement of same- sign dileptons, the Z-boson veto, and a requirement of at least two jets.