A measurement of novel event shapes quantifying the isotropy of collider events is performed in 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions with $\sqrt s=13$ TeV centre-of-mass energy recorded with the ATLAS detector at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. These event shapes are defined as the Wasserstein distance between collider events and isotropic reference geometries. This distance is evaluated by solving optimal transport problems, using the 'Energy-Mover's Distance'. Isotropic references with cylindrical and circular symmetries are studied, to probe the symmetries of interest at hadron colliders. The novel event-shape observables defined in this way are infrared- and collinear-safe, have improved dynamic range and have greater sensitivity to isotropic radiation patterns than other event shapes. The measured event-shape variables are corrected for detector effects, and presented in inclusive bins of jet multiplicity and the scalar sum of the two leading jets' transverse momenta. The measured distributions are provided as inputs to future Monte Carlo tuning campaigns and other studies probing fundamental properties of QCD and the production of hadronic final states up to the TeV-scale.
IRing2 for HT2>=500 GeV, NJets>=2
IRing2 for HT2>=500 GeV, NJets>=3
IRing2 for HT2>=500 GeV, NJets>=4
We present an angular analysis of the $B^{+}\rightarrow K^{\ast+}(\rightarrow K_{S}^{0}\pi^{+})\mu^{+}\mu^{-}$ decay using 9$\,\mbox{fb}^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data collected with the LHCb experiment. For the first time, the full set of CP-averaged angular observables is measured in intervals of the dimuon invariant mass squared. Local deviations from Standard Model predictions are observed, similar to those in previous LHCb analyses of the isospin-partner $B^{0}\rightarrow K^{\ast0}\mu^{+}\mu^{-}$ decay. The global tension is dependent on which effective couplings are considered and on the choice of theory nuisance parameters.
Results for the CP-averaged observables Fl, Afb and S3–S9. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic.
Results for the optimised observables FL and P1–P'8. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic.
The CP-averaged observable Fl versus q2. The first (second) error bars represent the statistical (total) uncertainties.
$Z$ boson events at the Large Hadron Collider can be selected with high purity and are sensitive to a diverse range of QCD phenomena. As a result, these events are often used to probe the nature of the strong force, improve Monte Carlo event generators, and search for deviations from Standard Model predictions. All previous measurements of $Z$ boson production characterize the event properties using a small number of observables and present the results as differential cross sections in predetermined bins. In this analysis, a machine learning method called OmniFold is used to produce a simultaneous measurement of twenty-four $Z$+jets observables using $139$ fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected with the ATLAS detector. Unlike any previous fiducial differential cross-section measurement, this result is presented unbinned as a dataset of particle-level events, allowing for flexible re-use in a variety of contexts and for new observables to be constructed from the twenty-four measured observables.
Differential cross-section in bins of dimuon $p_\text{T}$. The actual measurement is unbinned and available with examples at <a href="https://gitlab.cern.ch/atlas-physics/public/sm-z-jets-omnifold-2024">gitlab.cern.ch/atlas-physics/public/sm-z-jets-omnifold-2024</a>
Differential cross-section in bins of dimuon rapidity. The actual measurement is unbinned and available with examples at <a href="https://gitlab.cern.ch/atlas-physics/public/sm-z-jets-omnifold-2024">gitlab.cern.ch/atlas-physics/public/sm-z-jets-omnifold-2024</a>
Differential cross-section in bins of leading muon $p_\mathrm{T]$. The actual measurement is unbinned and available with examples at <a href="https://gitlab.cern.ch/atlas-physics/public/sm-z-jets-omnifold-2024">gitlab.cern.ch/atlas-physics/public/sm-z-jets-omnifold-2024</a>
Jet substructure quantities are measured using jets groomed with the soft-drop grooming procedure in dijet events from 32.9 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions collected with the ATLAS detector at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV. These observables are sensitive to a wide range of QCD phenomena. Some observables, such as the jet mass and opening angle between the two subjets which pass the soft-drop condition, can be described by a high-order (resummed) series in the strong coupling constant $\alpha_S$. Other observables, such as the momentum sharing between the two subjets, are nearly independent of $\alpha_S$. These observables can be constructed using all interacting particles or using only charged particles reconstructed in the inner tracking detectors. Track-based versions of these observables are not collinear safe, but are measured more precisely, and universal non-perturbative functions can absorb the collinear singularities. The unfolded data are directly compared with QCD calculations and hadron-level Monte Carlo simulations. The measurements are performed in different pseudorapidity regions, which are then used to extract quark and gluon jet shapes using the predicted quark and gluon fractions in each region. All of the parton shower and analytical calculations provide an excellent description of the data in most regions of phase space.
Data from Fig 6a. The unfolded all-particle $log_{10}(\rho^2)$ distribution for anti-kt R=0.8 jets with $p_T$ > 300 GeV, after the soft drop algorithm is applied for $\beta$ = 0, in data. All uncertainties described in the text are shown on the data. The distributions are normalized to the integrated cross section, $\sigma$(resum), measured in the resummation region, $-3.7 < log_{10}(\rho^2) < -1.7$.
Data from Fig 6b. The unfolded charged-particle $log_{10}(\rho^2)$ distribution for anti-kt R=0.8 jets with $p_T$ > 300 GeV, after the soft drop algorithm is applied for $\beta$ = 0, in data. All uncertainties described in the text are shown on the data. The distributions are normalized to the integrated cross section, $\sigma$(resum), measured in the resummation region, $-3.7 < log_{10}(\rho^2) < -1.7$.
Data from Fig 6c. The unfolded all-particle $log_{10}(\rho^2)$ distribution for anti-kt R=0.8 jets with $p_T$ > 300 GeV, after the soft drop algorithm is applied for $\beta$ = 1, in data. All uncertainties described in the text are shown on the data. The distributions are normalized to the integrated cross section, $\sigma$(resum), measured in the resummation region, $-3.7 < log_{10}(\rho^2) < -1.7$.
An angular analysis of the $B^{0}\rightarrow K^{*0}(\rightarrow K^{+}\pi^{-})\mu^{+}\mu^{-}$ decay is presented. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of $3.0\,{\mbox{fb}^{-1}}$ of $pp$ collision data collected at the LHCb experiment. The complete angular information from the decay is used to determine $C\!P$-averaged observables and $C\!P$ asymmetries, taking account of possible contamination from decays with the $K^{+}\pi^{-}$ system in an S-wave configuration. The angular observables and their correlations are reported in bins of $q^2$, the invariant mass squared of the dimuon system. The observables are determined both from an unbinned maximum likelihood fit and by using the principal moments of the angular distribution. In addition, by fitting for $q^2$-dependent decay amplitudes in the region $1.1<q^{2}<6.0\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V}^{2}/c^{4}$, the zero-crossing points of several angular observables are computed. A global fit is performed to the complete set of $C\!P$-averaged observables obtained from the maximum likelihood fit. This fit indicates differences with predictions based on the Standard Model at the level of 3.4 standard deviations. These differences could be explained by contributions from physics beyond the Standard Model, or by an unexpectedly large hadronic effect that is not accounted for in the Standard Model predictions.
CP-averaged angular observables evaluated by the unbinned maximum likelihood fit.
CP-averaged angular observables evaluated by the unbinned maximum likelihood fit. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic.
CP-asymmetric angular observables evaluated by the unbinned maximum likelihood fit. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic.
A search for heavy neutral lepton ($N$) production in $K^+\to e^+N$ decays using the data sample collected by the NA62 experiment at CERN in 2017--2018 is reported. Upper limits of the extended neutrino mixing matrix element $|U_{e4}|^2$ are established at the level of $10^{-9}$ over most of the accessible heavy neutral lepton mass range 144--462 MeV/$c^2$, with the assumption that the lifetime exceeds 50 ns. These limits improve significantly upon those of previous production and decay searches. The $|U_{e4}|^2$ range favoured by Big Bang Nucleosynthesis is excluded up to a mass of about 340 MeV/$c^2$.
See caption of Fig 6.
The NA62 experiment reports the branching ratio measurement BR$(K^+ \rightarrow \pi^+ \nu\bar{\nu}) = (10.6^{+4.0}_{-3.4} |_{\rm stat} \pm 0.9_{\rm syst}) \times 10 ^{-11}$ at 68% CL, based on the observation of 20 signal candidates with an expected background of 7.0 events from the total data sample collected at the CERN SPS during 2016-2018. This provides evidence for the very rare $K^+ \rightarrow \pi^+ \nu\bar{\nu}$ decay, observed with a significance of 3.4$\sigma$. The experiment achieves a single event sensitivity of $(0.839\pm 0.054)\times 10^{-11}$, corresponding to 10.0 events assuming the Standard Model branching ratio of $(8.4\pm1.0)\times10^{-11}$. This measurement is also used to set limits on BR($K^+ \to \pi^+ X$), where $X$ is a scalar or pseudo-scalar particle. Details are given of the analysis of the 2018 data sample, which corresponds to about 80% of the total data sample.
Observed and expected upper limits on branching ratio \(K^{+}\rightarrow\pi^{+}X\) at 90% CL.
Observed upper limits on branching ratio \(K^{+}\rightarrow\pi^{+}X\) at 90% CL as functions of X mass and lifetime.
Exclusion region limits on coupling strength \(sin^{2}\theta\) at 90% CL as a function of X mass, for visible X decays.
The NA62 experiment at CERN reports searches for $K^+\to\mu^+N$ and $K^+\to\mu^+\nu X$ decays, where $N$ and $X$ are massive invisible particles, using the 2016-2018 data set. The $N$ particle is assumed to be a heavy neutral lepton, and the results are expressed as upper limits of ${\cal O}(10^{-8})$ of the neutrino mixing parameter $|U_{\mu4}|^2$ for $N$ masses in the range 200-384 MeV/$c^2$ and lifetime exceeding 50 ns. The $X$ particle is considered a scalar or vector hidden sector mediator decaying to an invisible final state, and upper limits of the decay branching fraction for $X$ masses in the range 10-370 MeV/$c^2$ are reported for the first time, ranging from ${\cal O}(10^{-5})$ to ${\cal O}(10^{-7})$. An improved upper limit of $1.0\times 10^{-6}$ is established at 90% CL on the $K^+\to\mu^+\nu\nu\bar\nu$ branching fraction.
See caption of Fig 5.
The results of a search for $\pi^0$ decays to a photon and an invisible massive dark photon at the NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS are reported. From a total of $4.12\times10^8$ tagged $\pi^0$ mesons, no signal is observed. Assuming a kinetic-mixing interaction, limits are set on the dark photon coupling to the ordinary photon as a function of the dark photon mass, improving on previous searches in the mass range 60--110 MeV/$c^2$. The present results are interpreted in terms of an upper limit of the branching ratio of the electro-weak decay $\pi^0 \to \gamma \nu \overline{\nu}$, improving the current limit by more than three orders of magnitude.
See caption of Fig 6.
See caption of Fig 6.
90% CL expected upper limit refers to absence of signal in the region of squared missing mass above 0.0054 GeV^2.
The NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS reports a study of a sample of $4 \times10^{9}$ tagged $\pi^0$ mesons from $K^+ \to \pi^+ \pi^0 (\gamma)$, searching for the decay of the $\pi^0$ to invisible particles. No signal is observed in excess of the expected background fluctuations. An upper limit of $4.4 \times10^{-9}$ is set on the branching ratio at 90% confidence level, improving on previous results by a factor of 60. This result can also be interpreted as a model-independent upper limit on the branching ratio for the decay $K^+ \to \pi^+ X$, where $X$ is a particle escaping detection with mass in the range 0.110-0.155 GeV$/c^2$ and rest lifetime greater than 100 ps. Model-dependent upper limits are obtained assuming $X$ to be an axion-like particle with dominant fermion couplings or a dark scalar mixing with the Standard Model Higgs boson.
The expected upper limit refers to absence of signal.
See caption of Fig 6.
ALP width dominantly visible, see caption of Fig 7.
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