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.
The production of single top quarks and top antiquarks via the $t$-channel exchange of a virtual $W$ boson is measured in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the LHC using $140\,\mathrm{fb^{-1}}$ of ATLAS data. The total cross-sections are determined to be $\sigma(tq)=137^{+8}_{-8}\,\mathrm{pb}$ and $\sigma(\bar{t}q)=84^{+6}_{-5}\,\mathrm{pb}$ for top-quark and top-antiquark production, respectively. The combined cross-section is found to be $\sigma(tq+\bar{t}q)=221^{+13}_{-13}\,\mathrm{pb}$ and the cross-section ratio is $R_{t}=\sigma(tq)/\sigma(\bar{t}q)=1.636^{+0.036}_{-0.034}$. The predictions at next-to-next-to-leading-order in quantum chromodynamics are in good agreement with these measurements. The predicted value of $R_{t}$ using different sets of parton distribution functions is compared with the measured value, demonstrating the potential to further constrain the functions when using this result in global fits. The measured cross-sections are interpreted in an effective field theory approach, setting limits at the 95% confidence level on the strength of a four-quark operator and an operator coupling the third quark generation to the Higgs boson doublet: $-0.37 < C_{Qq}^{3,1}/\Lambda^2 < 0.06$ and $-0.87 < C_{\phi Q}^{3}/\Lambda^2 < 1.42$. The constraint $|V_{tb}|>0.95$ at the 95% confidence level is derived from the measured value of $\sigma(tq+\bar{t}q)$. In a more general approach, pairs of CKM matrix elements involving top quarks are simultaneously constrained, leading to confidence contours in the corresponding two-dimensional parameter spaces.
The 17 variables used for the training of the NN ordered by their discriminating power. The jet that is not \(b\)-tagged is referred to as the untagged jet. The charged lepton is denoted \(\ell\). The sphericity tensor \(S^{\alpha\beta}\) used to define the sphericity \(S\) is formed with the three-momenta \(\vec{p}_i\) of the reconstructed objects, namely the jets, the charged lepton and the reconstructed neutrino. The tensor is given by \(S^{\alpha\beta}=\frac{\sum_i p_i^\alpha p_i^\beta}{\sum_i |\vec{p}_i|^2}\) where \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) correspond to the spatial components $x$, $y$ and $z$.
The impact of different groups of systematic uncertainties on the \(\sigma(tq)\) , \(\sigma(\bar t q)\), \(\sigma(tq + \bar t q)\) and \(R_t\), given in %.
The impact of the eight most important systematic uncertainties on the \(\sigma(tq)\) , \(\sigma(\bar t q)\) and \(\sigma(tq + \bar t q)\), given in %. The sequence of the uncertainties is given by the impact on \(\sigma(tq + \bar t q)\)
A search for a heavy CP-odd Higgs boson, $A$, decaying into a $Z$ boson and a heavy CP-even Higgs boson, $H$, is presented. It uses the full LHC Run 2 dataset of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected with the ATLAS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $140$ fb$^{-1}$. The search for $A\to ZH$ is performed in the $\ell^+\ell^- t\bar{t}$ and $\nu\bar{\nu}b\bar{b}$ final states and surpasses the reach of previous searches in different final states in the region with $m_H>350$ GeV and $m_A>800$ GeV. No significant deviation from the Standard Model expectation is found. Upper limits are placed on the production cross-section times the decay branching ratios. Limits with less model dependence are also presented as functions of the reconstructed $m(t\bar{t})$ and $m(b\bar{b})$ distributions in the $\ell^+\ell^- t\bar{t}$ and $\nu\bar{\nu}b\bar{b}$ channels, respectively. In addition, the results are interpreted in the context of two-Higgs-doublet models.
<b><u>Overview of HEPData Record</u></b><br> <b>Upper limits on cross-sections:</b> <ul> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20lltt,%20ggF,%20tanbeta=0.5">95% CL upper limit on ggF A->ZH(tt) production for tanb=0.5</a> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20lltt,%20ggF,%20tanbeta=1">95% CL upper limit on ggF A->ZH(tt) production for tanb=1</a> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20lltt,%20ggF,%20tanbeta=5">95% CL upper limit on ggF A->ZH(tt) production for tanb=5</a> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20lltt,%20bbA,%20tanbeta=1">95% CL upper limit on bbA A->ZH(tt) production for tanb=1</a> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20lltt,%20bbA,%20tanbeta=5">95% CL upper limit on bbA A->ZH(tt) production for tanb=5</a> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20lltt,%20bbA,%20tanbeta=10">95% CL upper limit on bbA A->ZH(tt) production for tanb=10</a> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20vvbb,%20ggA,%20tanbeta=0.5">95% CL upper limit on ggF A->ZH(bb) production for tanb=0.5</a> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20vvbb,%20ggA,%20tanbeta=1">95% CL upper limit on ggF A->ZH(bb) production for tanb=1</a> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20vvbb,%20ggA,%20tanbeta=5">95% CL upper limit on ggF A->ZH(bb) production for tanb=5</a> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20vvbb,%20bbA,%20tanbeta=1">95% CL upper limit on bbA A->ZH(bb) production for tanb=1</a> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20vvbb,%20bbA,%20tanbeta=5">95% CL upper limit on bbA A->ZH(bb) production for tanb=5</a> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20vvbb,%20bbA,%20tanbeta=10">95% CL upper limit on bbA A->ZH(bb) production for tanb=10</a> <li><a href="?table=Cross-section%20limits%20for%20vvbb,%20bbA,%20tanbeta=20">95% CL upper limit on bbA A->ZH(bb) production for tanb=20</a> </ul> <b>Kinematic distributions:</b> <ul> <li><a href="?table=m(tt),L3hi_Zin,ggF-production">m(tt) distribution in the L3hi_Zin region of the lltt channel</a> <li><a href="?table=m(bb),2tag,0L,ggF-production">m(bb) distribution in the 2 b-tag 0L region of the vvbb channel</a> <li><a href="?table=m(bb),3ptag,0L,bbA-production">m(bb) distribution in the 3p b-tag 0L region of the vvbb channel</a> <li><a href="?table=m(lltt)-m(tt),L3hi_Zin_Hin450,bbA-production">Fit discriminant m(lltt)-m(tt) in the signal region of the lltt channel for the mH=450 GeV hypothesis with the bbA signal shown</a> <li><a href="?table=m(tt),L3hi_Zin,bbA-production">m(tt) distribution in the L3hi_Zin region of the lltt channel with the bbA signal shown</a> <li><a href="?table=m(lltt)-m(tt),L3hi_Zin_Hin350,ggF-production">Fit discriminant m(lltt)-m(tt) in the signal region of the lltt channel for the mH=350 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=m(lltt)-m(tt),L3hi_Zin_Hin400,ggF-production">Fit discriminant m(lltt)-m(tt) in the signal region of the lltt channel for the mH=400 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=m(lltt)-m(tt),L3hi_Zin_Hin450,ggF-production">Fit discriminant m(lltt)-m(tt) in the signal region of the lltt channel for the mH=450 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=m(lltt)-m(tt),L3hi_Zin_Hin500,ggF-production">Fit discriminant m(lltt)-m(tt) in the signal region of the lltt channel for the mH=500 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=m(lltt)-m(tt),L3hi_Zin_Hin550,ggF-production">Fit discriminant m(lltt)-m(tt) in the signal region of the lltt channel for the mH=550 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=m(lltt)-m(tt),L3hi_Zin_Hin600,ggF-production">Fit discriminant m(lltt)-m(tt) in the signal region of the lltt channel for the mH=600 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=m(lltt)-m(tt),L3hi_Zin_Hin700,ggF-production">Fit discriminant m(lltt)-m(tt) in the signal region of the lltt channel for the mH=700 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=m(lltt)-m(tt),L3hi_Zin_Hin800,ggF-production">Fit discriminant m(lltt)-m(tt) in the signal region of the lltt channel for the mH=800 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,0L_Hin130,ggF-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=130 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,0L_Hin150,ggF-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=150 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,0L_Hin200,ggF-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=200 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,0L_Hin250,ggF-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=250 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,0L_Hin300,ggF-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=300 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,0L_Hin350,ggF-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=350 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,0L_Hin400,ggF-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=400 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,0L_Hin450,ggF-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=450 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,0L_Hin500,ggF-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=500 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,0L_Hin600,ggF-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=600 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,0L_Hin700,ggF-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=700 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,0L_Hin800,ggF-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=800 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,0L_Hin130,bbA-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=130 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,0L_Hin150,bbA-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=150 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,0L_Hin200,bbA-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=200 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,0L_Hin250,bbA-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=250 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,0L_Hin300,bbA-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=300 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,0L_Hin350,bbA-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=350 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,0L_Hin400,bbA-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=400 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,0L_Hin450,bbA-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=450 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,0L_Hin500,bbA-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=500 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,0L_Hin600,bbA-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=600 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,0L_Hin700,bbA-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=700 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,0L_Hin800,bbA-production">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=800 GeV hypothesis</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,2L">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2L region of the vvbb channel</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,2tag,em">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the em region of the vvbb channel</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,2L">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the 2L region of the vvbb channel</a> <li><a href="?table=mTVH,3ptag,em">Fit discriminant mT(VH) in the em region of the vvbb channel</a> <li><a href="?table=lep3pt,L3hi_Zin">pT(lepton,3) distribution in the L3hi_Zin region of the lltt channel</a> <li><a href="?table=etaHrestVH,L3hi_Zin">eta(H,VH rest frame) distribution in the signal region of the lltt channel</a> <li><a href="?table=ETmiss,2tag,0L">ETmiss distribution in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel</a> <li><a href="?table=mtopnear,2tag,0L">m(top,near) distribution in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel</a> <li><a href="?table=ETmiss,3ptag,0L">ETmiss distribution in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel</a> <li><a href="?table=mtopnear,3ptag,0L">m(top,near) distribution in the 3p b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel</a> </ul> <b>Observed local significance:</b> <ul> <li><a href="?table=Local%20significance,%20lltt,%20ggF%20production">ggF A->ZH->lltt signals</a> <li><a href="?table=Local%20significance,%20lltt,%20bbA%20production">bbA A->ZH->lltt signals</a> <li><a href="?table=Local%20significance,%20vvbb,%20ggF%20production">ggF A->ZH->vvbb signals</a> <li><a href="?table=Local%20significance,%20vvbb,%20bbA%20production">bbA A->ZH->vvbb signals</a> </ul> <b>Acceptance and efficiency:</b> <ul> <li><a href="?table=Acceptance*efficiency,%20lltt,%20ggF%20production">ggF A->ZH->lltt signals</a> <li><a href="?table=Acceptance*efficiency,%20lltt,%20bbA%20production">bbA A->ZH->lltt signals</a> <li><a href="?table=Acceptance*efficiency,%20vvbb,%20ggF%20production">ggF A->ZH->vvbb signals</a> <li><a href="?table=Acceptance*efficiency,%20vvbb,%20bbA%20production">bbA A->ZH->vvbb signals</a> </ul>
The distribution of the fit discriminant m(lltt)-m(tt) in the signal region of the lltt channel for the mH=450 GeV hypothesis. <br><br><a href="?table=overview">return to overview</a>
The distribution of the fit discriminant mTVH in the 2 b-tag signal region of the vvbb channel for the mH=300 GeV hypothesis. <br><br><a href="?table=overview">return to overview</a>
A search for flavor-changing neutral-current couplings between a top quark, an up or charm quark and a $Z$ boson is presented, using proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analyzed dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The search targets both single-top-quark events produced as $gq\rightarrow tZ$ (with $q = u, c$) and top-quark-pair events, with one top quark decaying through the $t \rightarrow Zq$ channel. The analysis considers events with three leptons (electrons or muons), a $b$-tagged jet, possible additional jets, and missing transverse momentum. The data are found to be consistent with the background-only hypothesis and 95% confidence-level limits on the $t \rightarrow Zq$ branching ratios are set, assuming only tensor operators of the Standard Model effective field theory framework contribute to the $tZq$ vertices. These are $6.2 \times 10^{-5}$ ($13\times 10^{-5}$) for $t\rightarrow Zu$ ($t\rightarrow Zc$) for a left-handed $tZq$ coupling, and $6.6 \times 10^{-5}$ ($12\times 10^{-5}$) in the case of a right-handed coupling. These results are interpreted as 95% CL upper limits on the strength of corresponding couplings, yielding limits for $|C_{uW}^{(13)*}|$ and $|C_{uB}^{(13)*}|$ ($|C_{uW}^{(31)}|$ and $|C_{uB}^{(31)}|$) of 0.15 (0.16), and limits for $|C_{uW}^{(23)*}|$ and $|C_{uB}^{(23)*}|$ ($|C_{uW}^{(32)}|$ and $|C_{uB}^{(32)}|$) of 0.22 (0.21), assuming a new-physics energy scale $\Lambda_\text{NP}$ of 1 TeV.
Summary of the signal strength $\mu$ parameters obtained from the fits to extract LH and RH results for the FCNC tZu and tZc couplings. For the reference branching ratio, the most stringent limits are used.
Observed and expected 95% CL limits on the FCNC $t\rightarrow Zq$ branching ratios and the effective coupling strengths for different vertices and couplings (top eight rows). For the latter, the energy scale is assumed to be $\Lambda_{NP}$ = 1 TeV. The bottom rows show, for the case of the FCNC $t\rightarrow Zu$ branching ratio, the observed and expected 95% CL limits when only one of the two SRs, either SR1 or SR2, and all CRs are included in the likelihood.
Comparison between data and background prediction before the fit (Pre-Fit) for the mass of the SM top-quark candidate in SR1. The uncertainty band includes both the statistical and systematic uncertainties in the background prediction. The four FCNC LH signals are also shown separately, normalized to five times the cross-section corresponding to the most stringent observed branching ratio limits. The first (last) bin in all distributions includes the underflow (overflow). The lower panels show the ratios of the data (Data) to the background prediction (Bkg.).
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