A search is presented for a third-generation leptoquark (LQ) coupled exclusively to a $\tau$ lepton and a b quark. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded with the CMS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Events with $\tau$ leptons and a varying number of jets originating from b quarks are considered, targeting the single and pair production of LQs, as well as nonresonant $t$-channel LQ exchange. An excess is observed in the data with respect to the background expectation in the combined analysis of all search regions. For a benchmark LQ mass of 2 TeV and an LQ-b-$\tau$ coupling strength of 2.5, the excess reaches a local significance of up to 2.8 standard deviations. Upper limits at the 95% confidence level are placed on the LQ production cross section in the LQ mass range 0.5-2.3 TeV, and up to 3 TeV for $t$-channel LQ exchange. Leptoquarks are excluded below masses of 1.22-1.88 TeV for different LQ models and varying coupling strengths up to 2.5. The study of nonresonant $\tau\tau$ production through $t$-channel LQ exchange allows lower limits on the LQ mass of up to 2.3 TeV to be obtained.
Product of acceptance and efficiency of a vector LQ signal as a function of LQ mass under the assumption of exclusive LQ couplings to b quarks and $\tau$ leptons. The acceptances and efficiencies are restricted to the sensitive region of $S_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{MET} > 800\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and are computed with respect to all possible decay modes of two $\tau$ leptons.
Product of acceptance and efficiency of a vector LQ signal as a function of LQ mass under the assumption of exclusive LQ couplings to b quarks and $\tau$ leptons. The acceptances and efficiencies are restricted to the sensitive region of $\chi < 4$ and are computed with respect to all possible decay modes of two $\tau$ leptons.
Postfit distributions of $S_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{MET}$ in the $\mathrm{e}\mu$ channel of the 0b category for the combined 2016-2018 data set after a simultaneous fit of the background and vector LQ signal to the data. The number of events in each bin are divided by the respective bin width. The last bin includes the overflow.
We present a search for magnetic monopoles and high-electric-charge objects using LHC Run 2 $\sqrt{s} =$13 TeV proton$-$proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector. A total integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ was collected by a specialized trigger. No highly ionizing particle candidate was observed. Considering the Drell-Yan and photon-fusion pair production mechanisms as benchmark models, cross-section upper limits are presented for spin-0 and spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ magnetic monopoles of magnetic charge $1g_\textrm{D}$ and $2g_\textrm{D}$ and for high-electric-charge objects of electric charge $20 \leq |z| \leq 100$, for masses between 200 GeV and 4000 GeV. The search improves by approximately a factor of three the previous cross-section limits on the Drell-Yan production of magnetic monopoles and high-electric charge objects. Also, the first ATLAS limits on the photon-fusion pair production mechanism of magnetic monopoles and high-electric-charge objects have been obtained.
Observed 95% CL upper limits on the cross section for all masses and charges of Drell-Yan spin-0 monopoles production as a function of mass for magnetic charges $|g|=1g_D$ and $|g|=2g_D$.
Observed 95% CL upper limits on the cross section for all masses and charges of Drell-Yan spin-1/2 monopoles production as a function of mass for magnetic charges $|g|=1g_D$ and $|g|=2g_D$.
Observed 95% CL upper limits on the cross section for all masses and charges of photon-fusion pair-produced spin-0 monopoles as a function of mass for magnetic charges $|g|=1g_D$ and $|g|=2g_D$.
A search for supersymmetry targeting the direct production of winos and higgsinos is conducted in final states with either two leptons ($e$ or $\mu$) with the same electric charge, or three leptons. The analysis uses 139 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess over the Standard Model expectation is observed. Simplified and complete models with and without $R$-parity conservation are considered. In topologies with intermediate states including either $Wh$ or $WZ$ pairs, wino masses up to 525 GeV and 250 GeV are excluded, respectively, for a bino of vanishing mass. Higgsino masses smaller than 440 GeV are excluded in a natural $R$-parity-violating model with bilinear terms. Upper limits on the production cross section of generic events beyond the Standard Model as low as 40 ab are obtained in signal regions optimised for these models and also for an $R$-parity-violating scenario with baryon-number-violating higgsino decays into top quarks and jets. The analysis significantly improves sensitivity to supersymmetric models and other processes beyond the Standard Model that may contribute to the considered final states.
Observed exclusion limits at 95% CL for the WZ-mediated simplified model of wino $\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_{1}/\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{2}$ production from Fig 13(b) and Fig 8(aux).
positive one $\sigma$ observed exclusion limits at 95% CL for the WZ-mediated simplified model of wino $\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_{1}/\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{2}$ production from Fig 13(b) and Fig 8(aux).
negative $\sigma$ variation of observed exclusion limits at 95% CL for the WZ-mediated simplified model of wino $\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_{1}/\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{2}$ production from Fig 13(b) and Fig 8(aux).
A search for forward proton scattering in association with light-by-light scattering mediated by an axion-like particle is presented, using the ATLAS Forward Proton spectrometer to detect scattered protons and the central ATLAS detector to detect pairs of outgoing photons. Proton-proton collision data recorded in 2017 at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV were analysed, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 14.6 fb$^{-1}$. A total of 441 candidate signal events were selected. A search was made for a narrow resonance in the diphoton mass distribution, corresponding to an axion-like particle (ALP) with mass in the range 150-1600 GeV. No excess is observed above a smooth background. Upper limits on the production cross section of a narrow resonance are set as a function of the mass, and are interpreted as upper limits on the ALP production coupling constant, assuming 100% decay branching ratio into a photon pair. The inferred upper limit on the coupling constant is in the range 0.04-0.09 TeV$^{-1}$ at 95%confidence level.
Signal selection efficiency as a function of ALP mass $m_{\textrm{X}}$ for the exclusive (EL), single-dissociative (SD), and double-dissociative (DD) processes. The ratio of the number of selected events to the number of generated MC events is given (black points) and is parameterised by an analytic function (red solid line). The linear (black dashed line) and cubic (blue chain line) interpolations of the black points are used to derive the envelopes (cyan filled region) which are regarded as systematic uncertainties.
The diphoton mass distribution of the mixed-data sample (black points).
The $(\xi_{\gamma\gamma}^{+},\xi_{\gamma\gamma}^{-})$ distribution of the selected data candidates after the full event selection in $m_{\gamma\gamma}$ in [150,1600] GeV with $m_{\gamma\gamma}$ contours (blue) and $y_{\gamma\gamma}$ contours (black). The range of $\xi_{\gamma\gamma}$ in which forward-proton matching is possible, $[0.035-\xi_{\textrm{th}}, 0.08+\xi_{\textrm{th}} ]$, for events that pass the matching requirement to the A or C side as indicated. No event passed the matching requirement for both the A-side and C-side.
A search for diphoton resonances in the mass range between 10 and 70 GeV with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is presented. The analysis is based on $pp$ collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded from 2015 to 2018. Previous searches for diphoton resonances at the LHC have explored masses down to 65 GeV, finding no evidence of new particles. This search exploits the particular kinematics of events with pairs of closely spaced photons reconstructed in the detector, allowing examination of invariant masses down to 10 GeV. The presented strategy covers a region previously unexplored at hadron colliders because of the experimental challenges of recording low-energy photons and estimating the backgrounds. No significant excess is observed and the reported limits provide the strongest bound on promptly decaying axion-like particles coupling to gluons and photons for masses between 10 and 70 GeV.
The expected and observed upper limits at 95\% CL on the fiducial cross-section times branching ratio to two photons of a narrow-width ($\Gamma_{X}$ = 4 MeV) scalar resonance as a function of its mass $m_{X}$.
Diphoton invariant mass in the signal region using a 0.1 GeV binning.
Parametrization of the $C_{X}$ factor, defined as the ratio between the number of reconstructed signal events passing the analysis cuts and the number of signal events at the particle level generated within the fiducial volume, as function of $m_{X}$ obtained from the narrow width simulated signal samples produced in gluon fusion.
A search is performed for the rare decay W$^\pm\to\pi^\pm\gamma$ in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV. Data corresponding to an on W integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$ were collected during 2016 to 2018 with the CMS detector. This analysis exploits a novel search strategy based on W boson production in top quark pair events. An inclusive search for the W$^\pm\to\pi^\pm\gamma$ decay is not optimal at the LHC because of the high trigger thresholds. Instead, a trigger selection is exploited in which the W boson originating from one of the top quarks is used to tag the event in a leptonic decay. The W boson emerging from the other top quark is used to search for the W$^\pm\to\pi^\pm\gamma$ signature. Such decays are characterized by an isolated track pointing to a large energy deposit, and by an isolated photon of large transverse momentum. The presence of b quark jets reduces the background from the hadronization of light-flavor quarks and gluons. The W$^\pm\to\pi^\pm\gamma$ decay is not observed. An upper exclusion limit is set to this branching fraction, corresponding to 1.50 $\times$ 10$^{-5}$ at 95% confidence level, whereas the expected upper limit exclusion limit is 0.85 $^{+0.52}_{-0.29}$ $\times$ 10$^{-5}$.
The product of signal efficiency and acceptance per year and per lepton channel (muon or electron).
Expected and observed upper exclusion limits on the branching fraction of the decay of a W boson into a pion and a photon, using 2016 to 2018 data.
A search for supersymmetric partners of gluons and quarks is presented, involving signatures with jets and either two isolated leptons (electrons or muons) with the same electric charge, or at least three isolated leptons. A data sample of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$, is used for the search. No significant excess over the Standard Model expectation is observed. The results are interpreted in simplified supersymmetric models featuring both R-parity conservation and R-parity violation, raising the exclusion limits beyond those of previous ATLAS searches to 1600 GeV for gluino masses and 750 GeV for bottom and top squark masses in these scenarios.
Observed 95% CL exclusion contours in signal region Rpc2L0b on the gluino and lightest neutralino masses in a SUSY scenario where gluinos are produced in pairs and decay into the lightest neutralino via a two-steps cascade, $\tilde g \to q \bar{q}^{'} \tilde{\chi}_1^\pm$ followed by $\tilde{\chi}_1^\pm \to W^\pm \tilde{\chi}_2^0$ and $ \tilde{\chi}_2^0 \to Z \tilde{\chi}_1^0$.
Observed 95% CL exclusion contours in signal region Rpc2L0b on the gluino and lightest neutralino masses in a SUSY scenario where gluinos are produced in pairs and decay into the lightest neutralino via a two-steps cascade, $\tilde g \to q \bar{q}^{'} \tilde{\chi}_1^\pm$ followed by $\tilde{\chi}_1^\pm \to W^\pm \tilde{\chi}_2^0$ and $ \tilde{\chi}_2^0 \to Z \tilde{\chi}_1^0$.
Observed 95% CL exclusion contours in signal region Rpc2L0b on the gluino and lightest neutralino masses in a SUSY scenario where gluinos are produced in pairs and decay into the lightest neutralino via a two-steps cascade, $\tilde g \to q \bar{q}^{'} \tilde{\chi}_1^\pm$ followed by $\tilde{\chi}_1^\pm \to W^\pm \tilde{\chi}_2^0$ and $ \tilde{\chi}_2^0 \to Z \tilde{\chi}_1^0$.
A search for magnetic monopoles and high-electric-charge objects is presented using 34.4 fb$^{-1}$ of 13 TeV $pp$ collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2015 and 2016. The considered signature is based upon high ionization in the transition radiation tracker of the inner detector associated with a pencil-shape energy deposit in the electromagnetic calorimeter. The data were collected by a dedicated trigger based on the tracker high-threshold hit capability. The results are interpreted in models of Drell-Yan pair production of stable particles with two spin hypotheses (0 and 1/2) and masses ranging from 200 GeV to 4000 GeV. The search improves by approximately a factor of five the constraints on the direct production of magnetic monopoles carrying one or two Dirac magnetic charges and stable objects with electric charge in the range $20\le|z|\le60$ and extends the charge range to $60<|z|\le100$.
Observed 95% confidence-level upper limits on the cross section for Drell-Yan spin-0 monopole production as a function of mass for magnetic charges $|g|=1g_D$ and $|g|=2g_D$.
Observed 95% confidence-level upper limits on the cross section for Drell-Yan spin-0 HECO production as a function of mass for various values of electric charge in the range $20\le|z|\le100$.
Observed 95% confidence-level upper limits on the cross section for Drell-Yan spin-1/2 monopole production as a function of mass for magnetic charges $|g|=1g_D$ and $|g|=2g_D$.
A search is conducted for the electroweak pair production of a chargino and a neutralino $pp \rightarrow \tilde\chi^\pm_1 \tilde\chi^0_2$, where the chargino decays into the lightest neutralino and a $W$ boson, $\tilde\chi^\pm_1 \rightarrow \tilde\chi^0_1 W^{\pm}$, while the neutralino decays into the lightest neutralino and a Standard Model-like 125 GeV Higgs boson, $\tilde\chi^0_2 \rightarrow \tilde\chi^0_1 h$. Fully hadronic, semileptonic, diphoton, and multilepton (electrons, muons) final states with missing transverse momentum are considered in this search. Higgs bosons in the final state are identified by either two jets originating from bottom quarks ($h \rightarrow b\bar{b}$), two photons ($h \rightarrow \gamma\gamma$), or leptons from the decay modes $h \rightarrow WW$, $h \rightarrow ZZ$ or $h \rightarrow \tau \tau$. The analysis is based on 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Observations are consistent with the Standard Model expectations, and 95% confidence-level limits of up to 680 GeV in $\tilde\chi^\pm_1/\tilde\chi^0_2$ mass are set in the context of a simplified supersymmetric model.
Data and SM predictions in SRs for the $0lb\bar{b}$ analysis for $E_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{miss}}$ in SRHad-High. All SRs selections but the one on the quantity shown are applied. All uncertainties are included in the uncertainty band. Two example SUSY models are superimposed for illustrative purposes.
Data and SM predictions in SRs for the $0lb\bar{b}$ analysis for $m_{b\bar{b}}$ in SRHad-Low. All SRs selections but the one on the quantity shown are applied. All uncertainties are included in the uncertainty band. Two example SUSY models are superimposed for illustrative purposes.
Data and SM predictions in SRs for the $1lb\bar{b}$ analysis for $m_{CT}$ in SR1Lbb-High. All SRs selections but the one on the quantity shown are applied. All uncertainties are included in the uncertainty band. Example SUSY models are superimposed for illustrative purposes.
A search is performed for new phenomena in events having a photon with high transverse momentum and a jet collected in 36.7 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 invariant mass distribution of the leading photon and jet is examined to look for the resonant production of new particles or the presence of new high-mass states beyond the Standard Model. No significant deviation from the background-only hypothesis is observed and cross-section limits for generic Gaussian-shaped resonances are extracted. Excited quarks hypothesized in quark compositeness models and high-mass states predicted in quantum black hole models with extra dimensions are also examined in the analysis. The observed data exclude, at 95% confidence level, the mass range below 5.3 TeV for excited quarks and 7.1 TeV (4.4 TeV) for quantum black holes in the Arkani-Hamed-Dimopoulos-Dvali (Randall-Sundrum) model with six (one) extra dimensions.
Observed 95% CL upper limits on the production cross section times branching ratio to a photon and a quark or gluon for the excited-quarks model.The limits are placed as a function of m_q* for the excited-quark signal. The calculation is performed using ensemble tests for masses in the search range every 250 GeV up to 5 TeV and then 200 GeV up to 6 TeV.
Observed 95% CL upper limits on the production cross section times branching ratio to a photon and a quark or gluon for the RS1 model. The limits are placed as a function of M_th. The calculation is performed using ensemble tests for masses in the search range every 200 GeV.
Fiducial acceptance and selection efficiency for the excited quark model as a function of the excited-quark mass.
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