Anisotropic flow and radial flow are two key probes of the expansion dynamics and properties of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). While anisotropic flow has been extensively studied, radial flow, which governs the system's radial expansion, has received less attention. Notably, experimental evidence for the global and collective nature of radial flow has been lacking. This Letter presents the first measurement of transverse momentum ($p_{\mathrm{T}}$) dependence of radial flow fluctuations ($v_0(p_{\mathrm{T}})$) over $0.5<p_{\mathrm{T}}<10$ GeV, using a two-particle correlation method in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV. The data reveal three key features supporting the collective nature of radial flow: long-range correlation in pseudorapidity, factorization in $p_{\mathrm{T}}$, and centrality-independent shape in $p_{\mathrm{T}}$. The comparison with a hydrodynamic model demonstrates the sensitivity of $v_0(p_{\mathrm{T}})$ to bulk viscosity, a crucial transport property of the QGP. These findings establish a new, powerful tool for probing collective dynamics and properties of the QGP.

A search for pair-production of vector-like leptons is presented, considering their decays into a third-generation Standard Model (SM) quark and a vector leptoquark ($U_1$) as predicted by an ultraviolet-complete extension of the SM, referred to as the '4321' model. Given the assumed decay of $U_1$ into third-generation SM fermions, the final state can contain multiple $\tau$-leptons and $b$-quarks. This search is based on a dataset of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 140 fb$^{-1}$. No significant excess above the SM background prediction is observed, and 95% confidence level limits on the cross-section times branching ratio are derived as a function of the vector-like lepton mass. A lower observed (expected) limit of 910 GeV (970 GeV) is set on the vector-like lepton mass. Additionally, the results are interpreted for a supersymmetric model with an $R$-parity violating coupling to the third-generation quarks and leptons. Lower observed (expected) limits are obtained on the higgsino mass at 880 GeV (940 GeV) and on the wino mass at 1170 GeV (1170 GeV).

A search for events with one displaced vertex from long-lived particles using data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is presented, using 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV recorded in 2015-2018. The search employs techniques for reconstructing vertices of long-lived particles decaying into hadronic jets in the muon spectrometer displaced between 3 m and 14 m from the primary interaction vertex. The observed number of events is consistent with the expected background and limits for several benchmark signals are determined. A scalar-portal model and a Higgs-boson-portal baryogenesis model are considered. A dedicated analysis channel is employed to target Z-boson associated long-lived particle production, including an axion-like particle and a dark photon model. For the Higgs boson model, branching fractions above 1% are excluded at 95% confidence level for long-lived particle proper decay lengths ranging from 5 cm to 40 m. For the photo-phobic axion-like particle model considered, this search produces the strongest limits to date for proper decay lengths greater than $\mathcal{O}(10)$ cm.

This paper presents the measurement of charged-hadron and identified-hadron ($K^\mathrm{0}_\mathrm{S}$, $Λ$, $Ξ^\mathrm{-}$) yields in photo-nuclear collisions using 1.7 $\mathrm{nb^{-1}}$ of $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV Pb+Pb data collected in 2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Candidate photo-nuclear events are selected using a combination of tracking and calorimeter information, including the zero-degree calorimeter. The yields as a function of transverse momentum and rapidity are measured in these photo-nuclear collisions as a function of charged-particle multiplicity. These photo-nuclear results are compared with 0.1 $\mathrm{nb^{-1}}$ of $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV $p$+Pb data collected in 2016 by ATLAS using similar charged-particle multiplicity selections. These photo-nuclear measurements shed light on potential quark-gluon plasma formation in photo-nuclear collisions via observables sensitive to radial flow, enhanced baryon-to-meson ratios, and strangeness enhancement. The results are also compared with the Monte Carlo DPMJET-III generator and hydrodynamic calculations to test whether such photo-nuclear collisions may produce small droplets of quark-gluon plasma that flow collectively.

A search for cascade decays of charged sleptons and sneutrinos using final states characterized by three leptons (electrons or muons) and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on a dataset with 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$=13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. This paper focuses on a supersymmetric scenario that is motivated by the muon anomalous magnetic moment observation, dark mattter relic density abundance, and electroweak naturalness. A mass spectrum involving light higgsinos and heavier sleptons with a bino at intermediate mass is targeted. No significant deviation from the Standard Model expectation is observed. This search enables to place stringent constraints on this model, excluding at the 95% confidence level charged slepton and sneutrino masses up to 450 GeV when assuming a lightest neutralino mass of 100 GeV and mass-degenerate selectrons, smuons and sneutrinos.

This paper presents a first measurement of the cross-section for the charged-current Drell-Yan process $pp\rightarrow W^{\pm} \rightarrow \ell^{\pm} ν$ above the resonance region, where $\ell$ is an electron or muon. The measurement is performed for transverse masses, $m_{\text{T}}^{\text{W}}$, between 200 GeV and 5000 GeV, using a sample of 140 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2015-2018. The data are presented single differentially in transverse mass and double differentially in transverse mass and absolute lepton pseudorapidity. A test of lepton flavour universality shows no significant deviations from the Standard Model. The electron and muon channel measurements are combined to achieve a total experimental precision of 3% at low $m_{\text{T}}^{\text{W}}$. The single- and double differential $W$-boson charge asymmetries are evaluated from the measurements. A comparison to next-to-next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD predictions using several recent parton distribution functions and including next-to-leading-order electroweak effects indicates the potential of the data to constrain parton distribution functions. The data are also used to constrain four fermion operators in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory formalism, in particular the lepton-quark operator Wilson coefficient $c_{\ell q}^{(3)}.$

A search is performed for long-lived heavy neutral leptons (HNLs), produced through the decay of a $W$ boson along with a muon or electron. Two channels are explored: a leptonic channel, in which the HNL decays into two leptons and a neutrino, and a semi-leptonic channel, in which the HNL decays into a lepton and a charged pion. The search is performed with 140~fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV proton--proton collision data collected by ATLAS during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. No excess of events is observed; Dirac-like and Majorana-like HNLs with masses below 14.5 GeV and mixing coefficients as small as 10$^{-7}$ are excluded at the 95% confidence level. The results are interpreted under different assumptions on the flavour of the leptons from the HNL decays.

High-energy nuclear collisions create a quark-gluon plasma, whose initial condition and subsequent expansion vary from event to event, impacting the distribution of the event-wise average transverse momentum ($P([p_{\mathrm{T}}])$). Distinguishing between contributions from fluctuations in the size of the nuclear overlap area (geometrical component) and other sources at fixed size (intrinsic component) presents a challenge. Here, these two components are distinguished by measuring the mean, variance, and skewness of $P([p_{\mathrm{T}}])$ in $^{208}$Pb+$^{208}$Pb and $^{129}$Xe+$^{129}$Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{{\mathrm{NN}}}} = 5.02$ and 5.44 TeV, respectively, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. All observables show distinct changes in behavior in ultra-central collisions, where the geometrical variations are suppressed as the overlap area reaches its maximum. These results demonstrate a new technique to disentangle geometrical and intrinsic fluctuations, enabling constraints on initial condition and properties of the quark-gluon plasma, such as the speed of sound.

Measurements of jet cross-section ratios between inclusive bins of jet multiplicity are performed in 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton--proton collisions with $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV center-of-mass energy, recorded with the ATLAS detector at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. Observables that are sensitive the energy-scale and angular distribution of radiation due to the strong interaction in the final state are measured double-differentially, in bins of jet multiplicity, and are unfolded to account for acceptance and detector-related effects. Additionally, the scalar sum of the two leading jets' transverse momenta is measured triple-differentially, in bins of the third jet's transverse momentum as well as bins of jet multiplicity. The measured distributions are used to construct ratios of the inclusive jet-multiplicity bins, which have been shown to be sensitive to the strong coupling $\alpha_{\textrm S}$ while being less sensitive than other observables to systematic uncertainties and parton distribution functions. The measured distributions are compared with state-of-the-art QCD calculations, including next-to-next-to-leading-order predictions. Studies leading to reduced jet energy scale uncertainties significantly improve the precision of this work, and are documented herein.

This Letter presents results from a combination of searches for Higgs boson pair production using 126$-$140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. At 95% confidence level (CL), the upper limit on the production rate is 2.9 times the standard model (SM) prediction, with an expected limit of 2.4 assuming no Higgs boson pair production. Constraints on the Higgs boson self-coupling modifier $\kappa_{\lambda}=\lambda_{HHH}/\lambda_{HHH}^\mathrm{SM}$, and the quartic $HHVV$ coupling modifier $\kappa_{2V}=g_{HHVV}/g_{HHVV}^\mathrm{SM}$, are derived individually, fixing the other parameter to its SM value. The observed 95% CL intervals are $-1.2 < \kappa_{\lambda} < 7.2$ and $0.6 < \kappa_{2V} < 1.5$, respectively, while the expected intervals are $-1.6 < \kappa_{\lambda} < 7.2$ and $0.4 < \kappa_{2V} < 1.6$ in the SM case. Constraints obtained for several interaction parameters within Higgs effective field theory are the strongest to date, offering insights into potential deviations from SM predictions.