The first measurements from proton-proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC are presented. Data were collected in December 2009 using a minimum-bias trigger during collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 900 GeV. The charged-particle multiplicity, its dependence on transverse momentum and pseudorapidity, and the relationship between mean transverse momentum and charged-particle multiplicity are measured for events with at least one charged particle in the kinematic range |eta|<2.5 and pT>500 MeV. The measurements are compared to Monte Carlo models of proton-proton collisions and to results from other experiments at the same centre-of-mass energy. The charged-particle multiplicity per event and unit of pseudorapidity at eta = 0 is measured to be 1.333 +/- 0.003 (stat.) +/- 0.040 (syst.), which is 5-15% higher than the Monte Carlo models predict.
Average value of charged particle multiplicity per event and unit of pseudorapidity in the pseudorapidity range from -0.2 to 0.2.
Charged particle multiplicity as a function of pseudorapidity.
Charged particle multiplicity as a function of transverse momentum.
The results of a dedicated search for pair production of scalar partners of charm quarks are reported. The search is based on an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The search is performed using events with large missing transverse momentum and at least two jets, where the two leading jets are each tagged as originating from c-quarks. Events containing isolated electrons or muons are vetoed. In an R-parity-conserving minimal supersymmetric scenario in which a single scalar-charm state is kinematically accessible, and where it decays exclusively into a charm quark and a neutralino, 95% confidence-level upper limits are obtained in the scalar-charm-neutralino mass plane such that, for neutralino masses below 200 GeV, scalar-charm masses up to 490 GeV are excluded.
$m_{CT}$ distribution in signal region (before $m_{CT}$ cuts).
$m_{cc}$ distribution in the signal region with $m_{CT}>150$ GeV.
95% C.L. expected exclusion contour for all regions combined.
A search is presented for the direct pair production of a chargino and a neutralino $pp\to\tilde{\chi}^\pm_1\tilde{\chi}^0_2$, where the chargino decays to the lightest neutralino and the $W$ boson, $\tilde{\chi}^\pm_1 \to \tilde{\chi}^0_1 (W^{\pm}\to\ell^{\pm}\nu)$, while the neutralino decays to the lightest neutralino and the 125 GeV Higgs boson, $\tilde{\chi}^0_2 \to \tilde{\chi}^0_1 (h\to bb/\gamma\gamma/\ell^{\pm}\nu qq)$. The final states considered for the search have large missing transverse momentum, an isolated electron or muon, and one of the following: either two jets identified as originating from bottom quarks, or two photons, or a second electron or muon with the same electric charge. The analysis is based on 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV proton-proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with the Standard Model expectations, and limits are set in the context of a simplified supersymmetric model.
Distribution of contransverse mass $m_{\rm CT}$ in CRlbb-T, central $m_{bb}$ bin. The background histograms are obtained from the background-only fit, and their uncertainty represents the total background uncertainty after the fit. The last bin includes overflow.
Distribution of contransverse mass $m_{\rm CT}$ in SRlbb-1 and SRlbb-2, $m_{bb}$ sideband. The background histograms are obtained from the background-only fit, and their uncertainty represents the total background uncertainty after the fit. The last bin includes overflow.
Distribution of the transverse mass of the $W$-candidate $m_{\rm T}^{W}$ for the one lepton and two $b$-jets channel in VRlbb-2, central $m_{bb}$ bin. The background histograms are obtained from the background-only fit, and their uncertainty represents the total background uncertainty after the fit. The last bin includes overflow.
Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with $p_T > 120$ GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between $E_T^{miss} > 150$ GeV and $E_T^{miss} > 700$ GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, and production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presented.
Distributions of the measured transverse mass distribution of the identified muon in the $W\mu\nu$+jets control region for the inclusive SR1 selection, compared to the background expectations. The latter include the global normalization factors extracted from the data. Where appropriate, the last bin of the distribution includes overflows.
Measured $E_{T}^{miss}$ distribution in the $W\mu\nu$+jets control region for the inclusive SR1 selection, compared to the background expectations. The latter include the global normalization factors extracted from the data. Where appropriate, the last bin of the distribution includes overflows.
Measured leading jet $p_{T}$ distribution in the $W\mu\nu$+jets control region for the inclusive SR1 selection, compared to the background expectations. The latter include the global normalization factors extracted from the data. Where appropriate, the last bin of the distribution includes overflows.
Results of a search for decays of massive particles to fully hadronic final states are presented. This search uses 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of data collected by the ATLAS detector in $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV proton--proton collisions at the LHC. Signatures based on high jet multiplicities without requirements on the missing transverse momentum are used to search for $R$-parity-violating supersymmetric gluino pair production with subsequent decays to quarks. The analysis is performed using a requirement on the number of jets, in combination with separate requirements on the number of $b$-tagged jets, as well as a topological observable formed from the scalar sum of the mass values of large-radius jets in the event. Results are interpreted in the context of all possible branching ratios of direct gluino decays to various quark flavors. No significant deviation is observed from the expected Standard Model backgrounds estimated using jet-counting as well as data-driven templates of the total-jet-mass spectra. Gluino pair decays to ten or more quarks via intermediate neutralinos are excluded for a gluino with mass $m_{\tilde{g}} < 1$ TeV for a neutralino mass $m_{\tilde{\chi}^0_1} = 500$ GeV. Direct gluino decays to six quarks are excluded for $m_{\tilde{g}} < 917$ GeV for light-flavor final states, and results for various flavor hypotheses are presented.
Expected and observed event yields for signal regions with at least 6 jets as a function of transverse momentum requirements.
Expected and observed event yields for signal regions with at least 6 jets with at least 1 b-tag as a function of transverse momentum requirements.
Expected and observed event yields for signal regions with at least 6 jets with at least 2 b-tags as a function of transverse momentum requirements.
A search for high-mass resonances decaying into $\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$ final states using proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}= 8$ TeV produced by the Large Hadron Collider is presented. The data were recorded with the ATLAS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.5-20.3 fb$^{-1}$. No statistically significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed; 95% credibility upper limits are set on the cross section times branching fraction of $Z^{\prime}$ resonances decaying into $\tau^+\tau^-$ pairs as a function of the resonance mass. As a result, $Z^{\prime}$ bosons of the Sequential Standard Model with masses less than 2.02 TeV are excluded at 95% credibility. The impact of the fermionic couplings on the $Z^{\prime}$ acceptance is investigated and limits are also placed on a $Z^{\prime}$ model that exhibits enhanced couplings to third-generation fermions.
Signal acceptance times efficiency (ACC*EFF) for Z'L, Z'R, Z'narrow and Z'wide divided by ACC*EFF for Z'SSM as a function of the Z' mass, separately for the had-had and lep-had channels.
Ratio of the Z'NU to Z'SSM cross section times tau+tau- branching fraction (SIG*BR) as a function of sin^2phi and the Z' mass.
Ratio of the Z'NU to Z'SSM acceptance times efficiency (ACC*EFF) in the had-had channel as a function of sin^2phi and the Z' mass.
This Letter reports evidence of triple gauge boson production $pp\to W(\ell\nu)\gamma\gamma + X$, which is accessible for the first time with the 8 TeV LHC data set. The fiducial cross section for this process is measured in a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$, collected by the ATLAS detector in 2012. Events are selected using the $W$ boson decay to $e\nu$ or $\mu\nu$ as well as requiring two isolated photons. The measured cross section is used to set limits on anomalous quartic gauge couplings in the high diphoton mass region.
The measured inclusive ($N_{jet}\geq$ 0) fiducial cross section in the e$\nu\gamma\gamma$, $\mu\nu\gamma\gamma$ channels together with the combined $\ell\nu\gamma\gamma$ cross section. The first uncertainty shown is the statistical uncertainty on the measurement, the second one is the total systematic uncertainty (excluding the term coming from the luminosity), the third one is the systematic uncertainty coming from the luminosity. A parton to particle correction factors of 0.99 is applied to the MCFM prediction.
The measured exclusive ($N_{jet}$ = 0) fiducial cross section in the e$\nu\gamma\gamma$, $\mu\nu\gamma\gamma$ channels together with the combined $\ell\nu\gamma\gamma$ cross section. The first uncertainty shown is the statistical uncertainty on the measurement, the second one is the total systematic uncertainty (excluding the term coming from the luminosity), the third one is the systematic uncertainty coming from the luminosity. A parton to particle correction factor of 0.87 is applied to the MCFM prediction.
Observed and expected 95\% CL limits obtained for the $f_{\mathrm{T0}}/\Lambda^4$, $f_{\mathrm{M2}}/\Lambda^4$ and $f_{\mathrm{M3}}/\Lambda^4$ aQGC parameters for the combination of the two channels. The values of $n = 0,\,1,\,2$ are the exponential choices of the form factor, $\Lambda_{\rm{FF}}$ is fixed to $600$ GeV for $f_{\mathrm{T0}}/\Lambda^4$ and to $500$ GeV for the other parameters. The $n=0$ choice produces the limits without the form factor applied.
Two searches for supersymmetric particles in final states containing a same-flavour opposite-sign lepton pair, jets and large missing transverse momentum are presented. The proton-proton collision data used in these searches were collected at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$. Two leptonic production mechanisms are considered: decays of squarks and gluinos with $Z$ bosons in the final state, resulting in a peak in the dilepton invariant mass distribution around the $Z$-boson mass; and decays of neutralinos (e.g. $\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{2} \rightarrow \ell^{+}\ell^{-}\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{1}$), resulting in a kinematic endpoint in the dilepton invariant mass distribution. For the former, an excess of events above the expected Standard Model background is observed, with a significance of 3 standard deviations. In the latter case, the data are well-described by the expected Standard Model background. The results from each channel are interpreted in the context of several supersymmetric models involving the production of squarks and gluinos.
The observed and expected dielectron invariant mass distribution in SR-Z. The negigible estimated contribution from Z+jets is omitted in these distributions.
The observed and expected dimuon invariant mass distribution in SR-Z. The negigible estimated contribution from Z+jets is omitted in these distributions.
The observed and expected $E_T^{miss}$ distribution in the dielectron SR-Z. The negigible estimated contribution from Z+jets is omitted in these distributions. The last bin contains the overflow.
This Letter presents a search for a heavy neutral particle decaying into an opposite-sign different-flavor dilepton pair, $e^\pm \mu^\mp$, $e^\pm \tau^\mp$, or $\mu^\pm \tau^\mp$ using 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The numbers of observed candidate events are compatible with the Standard Model expectations. Limits are set on the cross section of new phenomena in two scenarios: the production of $\tilde{\nu}_{\tau}$ in $R$-parity-violating supersymmetric models and the production of a lepton-flavor-violating $Z'$ vector boson.
Observed and predicted $e\mu$ invariant mass distributions.
The expected invariant mass distribution of signal Z'@0.75TeV and $\tilde{\nu}_{\tau}$@1TeV. The arbitrary choice of couplings are: $\lambda_{311}^{'}=0.11$ and $\lambda_{i3k}=0.07$ for $\tilde{\nu}_{\tau}$, $Q_{ll^{'}}=1$ for Z' .
Observed and predicted $e\tau$ invariant mass distributions.
A search is presented for narrow diboson resonances decaying to $WW$ or $WZ$ in the final state where one $W$ boson decays leptonically (to an electron or a muon plus a neutrino) and the other $W/Z$ boson decays hadronically. The analysis is performed using an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. No evidence for resonant diboson production is observed, and resonance masses below 700 GeV and 1490 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level for the spin-2 Randall-Sundrum bulk graviton $G^*$ with coupling constant of 1.0 and the extended gauge model $W'$ boson respectively.
Reconstructed mass distribution in the low-pt resolved region (LRR).
Reconstructed mass distribution in the high-pt resolved region (HRR).
Reconstructed mass distribution in the merged region (MR).