A search for heavy charged long-lived particles is performed using a data sample of 31.6 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The search is based on observables related to ionization energy loss and time of flight, which are sensitive to the velocity of heavy charged particles traveling significantly slower than the speed of light. Multiple search strategies for a wide range of lifetimes, corresponding to path lengths of a few meters, are defined as model-independently as possible, by referencing several representative physics cases that yield long-lived particles within supersymmetric models, such as gluinos/squarks ($R$-hadrons), charginos and staus. No significant deviations from the expected Standard Model background are observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are provided on the production cross sections of long-lived $R$-hadrons as well as directly pair-produced staus and charginos. These results translate into lower limits on the masses of long-lived gluino, sbottom and stop $R$-hadrons, as well as staus and charginos of 2000 GeV, 1250 GeV, 1340 GeV, 430 GeV and 1090 GeV, respectively.
Lower mass requirement for signal regions.
Lower mass requirement for signal regions.
Expected and observed events in the 16 discovery regions along with the according control regions.
A search is performed for localised excesses in dijet mass distributions of low-dijet-mass events produced in association with a high transverse energy photon. The search uses up to 79.8 fb$^{-1}$ of LHC proton-proton collisions collected by the ATLAS experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV during 2015-2017. Two variants are presented: one which makes no jet flavour requirements and one which requires both jets to be tagged as $b$-jets. The observed mass distributions are consistent with multi-jet processes in the Standard Model. The data are used to set upper limits on the production cross-section for a benchmark $Z^\prime$ model and, separately, on generic Gaussian-shape contributions to the mass distributions, extending the current ATLAS constraints on dijet resonances to the mass range between 225 and 1100 GeV.
Dijet mass distribution for the flavour inclusive category. Data, estimated background and uncertainties are shown. Events are collected using the single-photon trigger and contain a $E_T^{\gamma} > 150$ GeV photon and two $p_T^{jet} > 25$ GeV jets.
Dijet mass distribution for the flavour inclusive category. Data, estimated background and uncertainties are shown. Events are collected using the combined trigger and contain a $E_T^{\gamma} > 95$ GeV photon and two $p_T^{jet} > 65$ GeV jets.
Dijet mass distribution for the b-tagged category. Data, estimated background and uncertainties are shown. Events are collected using the single-photon trigger and contain a $E_T^{\gamma} > 150$ GeV photon and two $p_T^{jet} > 25$ GeV jets.
A search for heavy long-lived multi-charged particles is performed using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Data with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ collected in 2015 and 2016 from proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV are examined. Particles producing anomalously high ionization, consistent with long-lived massive particles with electric charges from |q|=2e to |q|=7e, are searched for. No events are observed, and 95% confidence level cross-section upper limits are interpreted as lower mass limits for a Drell-Yan production model. Multi-charged particles with masses between 50 GeV and 980-1220 GeV are excluded.
The signal efficiency values versus mass values for different charges.
Expected cross-section upper limits on the production cross-section of MCPs as a function of simulated particle mass for different charges.
Observed cross-section upper limits on the production cross-section of MCPs as a function of simulated particle mass for different charges.
This paper presents measurements of $t\bar{t}$ production in association with additional $b$-jets in $pp$ collisions at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data were recorded with the ATLAS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$. Fiducial cross-section measurements are performed in the dilepton and lepton-plus-jets $t\bar{t}$ decay channels. Results are presented at particle level in the form of inclusive cross-sections of $t\bar{t}$ final states with three and four $b$-jets as well as differential cross-sections as a function of global event properties and properties of $b$-jet pairs. The measured inclusive fiducial cross-sections generally exceed the $t\bar{t}b\bar{b}$ predictions from various next-to-leading-order matrix element calculations matched to a parton shower but are compatible within the total uncertainties. The experimental uncertainties are smaller than the uncertainties in the predictions. Comparisons of state-of-the-art theoretical predictions with the differential measurements are shown and good agreement with data is found for most of them.
Relative differential cross section as a function of the b-jet multiplicity in emu channel
Relative differential cross section as a function of H_T in emu channel
Relative differential cross section as a function of H_T in emu channel
A search for the decay of neutral, weakly interacting, long-lived particles using data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC is presented. The analysis in this paper uses 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV recorded in 2015-2016. The search employs techniques for reconstructing vertices of long-lived particles decaying into jets in the muon spectrometer exploiting a two vertex strategy and a novel technique that requires only one vertex in association with additional activity in the detector that improves the sensitivity for longer lifetimes. The observed numbers of events are consistent with the expected background and limits for several benchmark signals are determined.
Barrel Muon RoI Cluster trigger efficiencies (in %) for $m_{\Phi}=100$ GeV scalar benchmark samples. The trigger efficiency is defined as the fraction of LLPs selected by the Muon RoI Cluster trigger as a function of the LLP decay position. The trigger is efficient for hadronic decays of LLPs that occur anywhere from the outer regions of the HCal to the middle station of the MS. These efficiencies are obtained from the subset of events with only a single LLP decay in the muon spectrometer in order to ensure that the result of the trigger is due to a single burst of MS activity. The uncertainties shown are statistical only. The relative differences in efficiencies of the benchmark samples are a result of the different kinematics.
Barrel Muon RoI Cluster trigger efficiencies (in %) for $m_{\Phi}=125$ GeV scalar benchmark samples. The trigger efficiency is defined as the fraction of LLPs selected by the Muon RoI Cluster trigger as a function of the LLP decay position. The trigger is efficient for hadronic decays of LLPs that occur anywhere from the outer regions of the HCal to the middle station of the MS. These efficiencies are obtained from the subset of events with only a single LLP decay in the muon spectrometer in order to ensure that the result of the trigger is due to a single burst of MS activity. The uncertainties shown are statistical only. The relative differences in efficiencies of the benchmark samples are a result of the different kinematics.
Barrel Muon RoI Cluster trigger efficiencies (in %) for $m_{\Phi}=200$ GeV scalar benchmark samples. The trigger efficiency is defined as the fraction of LLPs selected by the Muon RoI Cluster trigger as a function of the LLP decay position. The trigger is efficient for hadronic decays of LLPs that occur anywhere from the outer regions of the HCal to the middle station of the MS. These efficiencies are obtained from the subset of events with only a single LLP decay in the muon spectrometer in order to ensure that the result of the trigger is due to a single burst of MS activity. The uncertainties shown are statistical only. The relative differences in efficiencies of the benchmark samples are a result of the different kinematics.
This Letter presents a search for the production of a long-lived neutral particle decaying within the ATLAS hadronic calorimeter, in association with a Standard Model $Z$ boson produced via an intermediate scalar boson, where $Z \rightarrow l^+ l^-$ ($l=e,\mu$). The data used were collected by the ATLAS detector during 2015 and 2016 $pp$ collisions with a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$. No significant excess of events is observed above the expected background. Limits on the production cross section of the scalar boson times its decay branching fraction into the long-lived neutral particle are derived as a function of the mass of the intermediate scalar boson, the mass of the long-lived neutral particle, and its $c\tau$ from a few centimeters to one hundred meters. In the case that the intermediate scalar boson is the SM Higgs boson, its decay branching fraction to a long-lived neutral particle with a $c\tau$ approximately between 0.1 m and 7 m is excluded with a 95% confidence level up to 10% for $m_{Z_d}$ between 5 and 15 GeV.
The product of acceptance and efficiency for all signal MC samples.
A search for heavy right-handed Majorana or Dirac neutrinos $N_R$ and heavy right-handed gauge bosons $W_R$ is performed in events with a pair of energetic electrons or muons, with the same or opposite electric charge, and two energetic jets. The events are selected from $pp$ collision data with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the ATLAS detector at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. No significant deviations from the Standard Model are observed. The results are interpreted within the theoretical framework of a left-right symmetric model and lower limits are set on masses in the heavy right-handed $W$ boson and neutrino mass plane. The excluded region extends to $m_{W_R}=4.7$ TeV for both Majorana and Dirac $N_R$ neutrinos.
Expected 95% CL exclusion contour in the $m_{W_R}–m_{N_R}$ plane for the Majorana $N_R$ neutrino $ee$ channel.
Observed 95% CL exclusion contour in the $m_{W_R}–m_{N_R}$ plane for the Majorana $N_R$ neutrino $ee$ channel.
Observed and expected 95% CL exclusion, for the tested signal mass hypotheses in the $m_{W_R}–m_{N_R}$ plane, for the Majorana $N_R$ neutrino $ee$ channel.
Jets created in association with a photon can be used as a calibrated probe to study energy loss in the medium created in nuclear collisions. Measurements of the transverse momentum balance between isolated photons and inclusive jets are presented using integrated luminosities of 0.49 nb$^{-1}$ of Pb+Pb collision data at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}=5.02$ TeV and 25 pb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Photons with transverse momentum $63.1 < p_\mathrm{T}^{\gamma} < 200$ GeV and $\left|\eta^{\gamma}\right| < 2.37$ are paired inclusively with all jets in the event that have $p_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{jet} > 31.6$ GeV and pseudorapidity $\left|\eta^\mathrm{jet}\right| < 2.8$. The transverse momentum balance given by the jet-to-photon $p_\mathrm{T}$ ratio, $x_\mathrm{J\gamma}$, is measured for pairs with azimuthal opening angle $\Delta\phi > 7\pi/8$. Distributions of the per-photon jet yield as a function of $x_\mathrm{J\gamma}$, $(1/N_\gamma)(\mathrm{d}N/\mathrm{d}x_\mathrm{J\gamma})$, are corrected for detector effects via a two-dimensional unfolding procedure and reported at the particle level. In $pp$ collisions, the distributions are well described by Monte Carlo event generators. In Pb+Pb collisions, the $x_\mathrm{J\gamma}$ distribution is modified from that observed in $pp$ collisions with increasing centrality, consistent with the picture of parton energy loss in the hot nuclear medium. The data are compared with a suite of energy-loss models and calculations.
Photon-jet pT balance distributions (1/Ng)(dN/dxJg) in pp events (blue, reproduced on all panels) and Pb+Pb events (red) with each panel denoting a different centrality selection. These panels show results with pTg = 63.1-79.6 GeV. Total systematic uncertainties are shown as boxes, while statistical uncertainties are shown with vertical bars.
Photon-jet pT balance distributions (1/Ng)(dN/dxJg) in pp events (blue, reproduced on all panels) and Pb+Pb events (red) with each panel denoting a different centrality selection. These panels show results with pTg = 79.6-100 GeV. Total systematic uncertainties are shown as boxes, while statistical uncertainties are shown with vertical bars.
Photon-jet pT balance distributions (1/Ng)(dN/dxJg) in pp events (blue, reproduced on all panels) and Pb+Pb events (red) with each panel denoting a different centrality selection. These panels show results with pTg = 100-158 GeV. Total systematic uncertainties are shown as boxes, while statistical uncertainties are shown with vertical bars.
Results of a search for the pair production of photon-jets---collimated groupings of photons---in the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. Highly collimated photon-jets can arise from the decay of new, highly boosted particles that can decay to multiple photons collimated enough to be identified in the electromagnetic calorimeter as a single, photon-like energy cluster. Data from proton--proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.7 fb$^{-1}$, were collected in 2015 and 2016. Candidate photon-jet pair production events are selected from those containing two reconstructed photons using a set of identification criteria much less stringent than that typically used for the selection of photons, with additional criteria applied to provide improved sensitivity to photon-jets. Narrow excesses in the reconstructed diphoton mass spectra are searched for. The observed mass spectra are consistent with the Standard Model background expectation. The results are interpreted in the context of a model containing a new, high-mass scalar particle with narrow width, $X$, that decays into pairs of photon-jets via new, light particles, $a$. Upper limits are placed on the cross-section times the product of branching ratios $\sigma \times \mathcal{B}(X \rightarrow aa) \times \mathcal {B}(a \rightarrow \gamma \gamma)^{2}$ for 200 GeV $< m_{X} <$ 2 TeV and for ranges of $ m_a $ from a lower mass of 100 MeV up to between 2 GeV and 10 GeV, depending upon $ m_X $. Upper limits are also placed on $\sigma \times \mathcal{B}(X \rightarrow aa) \times \mathcal {B}(a \rightarrow 3\pi^{0})^{2}$ for the same range of $ m_X $ and for ranges of $ m_a $ from a lower mass of 500 MeV up to between 2 GeV and 10 GeV.
Distribution of the reconstructed diphoton mass for data events passing the analysis selection, in the low-$\Delta E$ category. There are no data events above 2700 GeV.
Distribution of the reconstructed diphoton mass for data events passing the analysis selection, in the high-$\Delta E$ category. There are no data events above 2700 GeV.
The observed upper limits on the production cross-section times the product of branching ratios for the benchmark signal scenario involving a scalar particle $X$ with narrow width decaying via $X\rightarrow aa\rightarrow 4\gamma$, $\sigma_X\times B(X\rightarrow aa)\times B(a\rightarrow\gamma\gamma)^2$. The limits for $m_{a}$ = 5 GeV and 10 GeV do not cover as large a range as the other mass points, since the region of interest is limited to $ m_{a} < 0.01 \times m_{X}$.
A search for supersymmetry in events with large missing transverse momentum, jets, and at least one hadronically decaying $\tau$-lepton is presented. Two exclusive final states with either exactly one or at least two $\tau$-leptons are considered. The analysis is based on proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded by the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess is observed over the Standard Model expectation. At 95% confidence level, model-independent upper limits on the cross section are set and exclusion limits are provided for two signal scenarios: a simplified model of gluino pair production with $\tau$-rich cascade decays, and a model with gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking (GMSB). In the simplified model, gluino masses up to 2000 GeV are excluded for low values of the mass of the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP), while LSP masses up to 1000 GeV are excluded for gluino masses around 1400 GeV. In the GMSB model, values of the supersymmetry-breaking scale are excluded below 110 TeV for all values of $\tan\beta$ in the range $2 \leq \tan\beta \leq 60$, and below 120 TeV for $\tan\beta>30$.
1$\tau$ Compressed SR eff.
1$\tau$ Compressed SR acceptance.
Cutflow table of the $1\tau$ compressed SR for the four signal benchmark scenarios of low, medium, and high mass-splitting in the simplified model as well as the GMSB model.
This Letter presents a search for heavy charged long-lived particles produced in proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV at the LHC using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the \mbox{ATLAS} experiment in 2015 and 2016. These particles are expected to travel with a velocity significantly below the speed of light, and therefore have a specific ionisation higher than any high-momentum Standard Model particle of unit charge. The pixel subsystem of the \mbox{ATLAS} detector is used in this search to measure the ionisation energy loss of all reconstructed charged particles which traverse the pixel detector. Results are interpreted assuming the pair production of $R$-hadrons as composite colourless states of a long-lived gluino and Standard Model partons. No significant deviation from Standard Model background expectations is observed, and lifetime-dependent upper limits on $R$-hadron production cross-sections and gluino masses are set, assuming the gluino always decays in two quarks and a stable neutralino. $R$-hadrons with lifetimes above 1.0 ns are excluded at the 95% confidence level, with lower limits on the gluino mass ranging between 1290 GeV and 2060 GeV. In the case of stable $R$-hadrons, the lower limit on the gluino mass at the 95% confidence level is 1890 GeV.
The number of events in each CR, VR, and SR for the predicted background, for the expected contribution from the signal model normalised to $36.1$ fb$^{-1}$, and in the observed data. The predicted background includes the statistical and systematic uncertainties, respectively. The uncertainty in the signal yield includes all systematic uncertainties except that in the theoretical cross-section.
The observed and expected 95% CL upper limits on model-independent visible cross-sections, along with the observed $p0$ values, for the stable signal region, as a function of different mass windows, for which the lower bound is shown. The upper boundary on the mass window is 5 TeV for all windows.
Expected number of $R$-hadron signal events at different stages of the selection, normalised to $36.1$ fb$^{-1}$. Shown for three different signal points is the number of events expected and the number of events expected in which the selected track has been matched to a generated $R$-hadron. If the gluino decays, it decays to a 100 GeV $\tilde{\chi}^{0}$ and SM quarks.
Measurements of the azimuthal anisotropy in lead–lead collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_\text {NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV are presented using a data sample corresponding to 0.49 ${\mathrm {nb}}^{-1}$ integrated luminosity collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in 2015. The recorded minimum-bias sample is enhanced by triggers for “ultra-central” collisions, providing an opportunity to perform detailed study of flow harmonics in the regime where the initial state is dominated by fluctuations. The anisotropy of the charged-particle azimuthal angle distributions is characterized by the Fourier coefficients, $v_{2}$ – $v_{7}$ , which are measured using the two-particle correlation, scalar-product and event-plane methods. The goal of the paper is to provide measurements of the differential as well as integrated flow harmonics $v_{n}$ over wide ranges of the transverse momentum, 0.5 $<p_{\mathrm{T}}<$ 60 GeV, the pseudorapidity, $|\eta |<$ 2.5, and the collision centrality 0–80%. Results from different methods are compared and discussed in the context of previous and recent measurements in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_\text {NN}}}$ = 2.76 $\mathrm{TeV}$ and 5.02 $\mathrm{TeV}$ . In particular, the shape of the $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ dependence of elliptic or triangular flow harmonics is observed to be very similar at different centralities after scaling the $v_{n}$ and $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ values by constant factors over the centrality interval 0–60% and the $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ range 0.5 $< p_{\mathrm{T}}<$ 5 GeV.
The V2 harmonic measured with the scalar product method as a funtion of transverse momentum in centrality bin 0-0.1%
The V2 harmonic measured with the scalar product method as a funtion of transverse momentum in centrality bin 0-1%
The V2 harmonic measured with the scalar product method as a funtion of transverse momentum in centrality bin 0-5%