Several models of physics beyond the Standard Model predict the existence of dark photons, light neutral particles decaying into collimated leptons or light hadrons. This paper presents a search for long-lived dark photons produced from the decay of a Higgs boson or a heavy scalar boson and decaying into displaced collimated Standard Model fermions. The search uses data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ collected in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV recorded in 2015-2016 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The observed number of events is consistent with the expected background, and limits on the production cross section times branching fraction as a function of the proper decay length of the dark photon are reported. A cross section times branching fraction above 4 pb is excluded for a Higgs boson decaying into two dark photons for dark-photon decay lengths between 1.5 mm and 307 mm.
Upper limits at 95% CL on the cross section times branching fraction for the process $H \to 2\gamma_d + X$ with $m_H$ = 125 GeV in the muon-muon final state.
Upper limits at 95% CL on the cross section times branching fraction for the process $H \to 4\gamma_d + X$ with $m_H$ = 125 GeV in the muon-muon final state.
Upper limits at 95% CL on the cross section times branching fraction for the process $H \to 2\gamma_d + X$ with $m_H$ = 800 GeV in the muon-muon final state.
A search for flavour-changing neutral current (FCNC) $tqH$ interactions involving a top quark, another up-type quark ($q=u$, $c$), and a Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson decaying into a $\tau$-lepton pair ($H\rightarrow \tau^+\tau^-$) is presented. The search is based on a dataset of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV that corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Two processes are considered: single top quark FCNC production in association with a Higgs boson ($pp\rightarrow tH$), and top quark pair production in which one of the top quarks decays into $Wb$ and the other decays into $qH$ through the FCNC interactions. The search selects events with two hadronically decaying $\tau$-lepton candidates ($\tau_{\text{had}}$) or at least one $\tau_{\text{had}}$ with an additional lepton ($e$, $\mu$), as well as multiple jets. Event kinematics is used to separate signal from the background through a multivariate discriminant. A slight excess of data is observed with a significance of 2.3$\sigma$ above the expected SM background, and 95% CL upper limits on the $t\to qH$ branching ratios are derived. The observed (expected) 95% CL upper limits set on the $t\to cH$ and $t\to uH$ branching ratios are $9.4 \times 10^{-4}$ $(4.8^{+2.2}_{-1.4}\times 10^{-4})$ and $6.9\times 10^{-4}$ $(3.5^{+1.5}_{-1.0}\times 10^{-4})$, respectively. The corresponding combined observed (expected) upper limits on the dimension-6 operator Wilson coefficients in the effective $tqH$ couplings are $C_{c\phi} <1.35$ $(0.97)$ and $C_{u\phi} <1.16$ $(0.82)$.
Leading tau Pt distributions obtained before the fit to data (Pre-Fit) showing the expected background and tuH signals after applying fake factors in the $t_{\ell}\tau_{had}\tau_{had}$ region. Other MC includes single top, V+jets, and other small backgrounds. The tuH signals with nominal branching ratio of 0.1% are scaled using normalization factors of 2 to 50. Statistical and systematic uncertainties are included in the "Total background".
Leading tau Pt distributions obtained before the fit to data (Pre-Fit) showing the expected background and tuH signals after applying fake factors in the $t_{\ell}\tau_{had}$-1j region. Other MC includes single top, V+jets, and other small backgrounds. The tuH signals with nominal branching ratio of 0.1% are scaled using normalization factors of 2 to 50. Statistical and systematic uncertainties are included in the "Total background".
Leading tau Pt distributions obtained before the fit to data (Pre-Fit) showing the expected background and tuH signals after applying fake factors in the $t_{\ell}\tau_{had}$-2j region. Other MC includes single top, V+jets, and other small backgrounds. The tuH signals with nominal branching ratio of 0.1% are scaled using normalization factors of 2 to 50. Statistical and systematic uncertainties are included in the "Total background".
This paper presents measurements of $W^{\pm}Z$ production cross sections in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data were collected in 2015 and 2016 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$. The $W^{\pm}Z$ candidate events are reconstructed using leptonic decay modes of the gauge bosons into electrons and muons. The measured inclusive cross section in the detector fiducial region for a single leptonic decay mode is $\sigma_{W^\pm Z \rightarrow \ell^{'} \nu \ell \ell}^{\textrm{fid.}} = 63.7 \pm 1.0$ (stat.) $\pm 2.3$ (syst.) $\pm 1.4$ (lumi.) fb, reproduced by the next-to-next-to-leading-order Standard Model prediction of $61.5^{+1.4}_{-1.3}$ fb. Cross sections for $W^+Z$ and $W^-Z$ production and their ratio are presented as well as differential cross sections for several kinematic observables. An analysis of angular distributions of leptons from decays of $W$ and $Z$ bosons is performed for the first time in pair-produced events in hadronic collisions, and integrated helicity fractions in the detector fiducial region are measured for the $W$ and $Z$ bosons separately. Of particular interest, the longitudinal helicity fraction of pair-produced vector bosons is also measured.
The measured $W^{\pm}Z$ fiducial cross section in the four channels and their combination. The first systematic uncertainty is the combined systematic uncertainty excluding luminosity uncertainty, the second is the modelling uncertainty, the third is luminosity uncertainty.
The measured $W^{+}Z$ fiducial cross section in the four channels and their combination. The first systematic uncertainty is the combined systematic uncertainty excluding luminosity uncertainty, the second is the modelling uncertainty, the third is luminosity uncertainty.
The measured $W^{-}Z$ fiducial cross section in the four channels and their combination. The first systematic uncertainty is the combined systematic uncertainty excluding luminosity uncertainty, the second is the modelling uncertainty, the third is luminosity uncertainty.
A search for nonresonant Higgs boson pair production in the $b\bar{b}\gamma\gamma$ final state is performed using 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. This analysis supersedes and expands upon the previous nonresonant ATLAS results in this final state based on the same data sample. The analysis strategy is optimised to probe anomalous values not only of the Higgs ($H$) boson self-coupling modifier $\kappa_\lambda$ but also of the quartic $HHVV$ ($V=W,Z$) coupling modifier $\kappa_{2V}$. No significant excess above the expected background from Standard Model processes is observed. An observed upper limit $\mu_{HH}<4.0$ is set at 95% confidence level on the Higgs boson pair production cross-section normalised to its Standard Model prediction. The 95% confidence intervals for the coupling modifiers are $-1.4<\kappa_\lambda<6.9$ and $-0.5<\kappa_{2V}<2.7$, assuming all other Higgs boson couplings except the one under study are fixed to the Standard Model predictions. The results are interpreted in the Standard Model effective field theory and Higgs effective field theory frameworks in terms of constraints on the couplings of anomalous Higgs boson (self-)interactions.
Observed (solid line) value of $-2\ln\Lambda$ as a function of $\kappa_{\lambda}$, when all other coupling modifiers are fixed to their SM predictions.
Expected (dashed line) value of $-2\ln\Lambda$ as a function of $\kappa_{\lambda}$, when all other coupling modifiers are fixed to their SM predictions.
Observed (solid line) value of $-2\ln\Lambda$ as a function of $\kappa_{2V}$, when all other coupling modifiers are fixed to their SM predictions.
Inclusive and differential fiducial cross sections of the Higgs boson are measured in the $H \to ZZ^{*} \to 4\ell$ ($\ell = e,\mu$) decay channel. The results are based on proton$-$proton collision data produced at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector from 2015 to 2018, equivalent to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The inclusive fiducial cross section for the $H \to ZZ^{*} \to 4\ell$ process is measured to be $\sigma_\mathrm{fid} = 3.28 \pm 0.32$ fb, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction of $\sigma_\mathrm{fid, SM} = 3.41 \pm 0.18 $ fb. Differential fiducial cross sections are measured for a variety of observables which are sensitive to the production and decay of the Higgs boson. All measurements are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions. The results are used to constrain anomalous Higgs boson interactions with Standard Model particles.
Fractional uncertainties for the inclusive fiducial and total cross sections, and range of systematic uncertainties for the differential measurements. The columns e/$\mu$ and jets represent the experimental uncertainties in lepton and jet reconstruction and identification, respectively. The Z + jets, $t\bar{t}$, tXX (Other Bkg.) column includes uncertainties related to the estimation of these background sources. The $ZZ^{*}$ theory ($ZZ^{*}$ th.) uncertainties include the PDF and scale variations. Signal theory (Sig th.) uncertainties include PDF choice, QCD scale, and shower modelling of the signal. Finally, the column labelled Comp. contains uncertainties related to production mode composition and unfolding bias which affect the response matrices. The uncertainties have been rounded to the nearest 0.5%, except for the luminosity uncertainty which has been measured to be 1.7%.
Expected (pre-fit) and observed number of events in the four decay final states after the event selection, in the mass range 115< $m_{4l}$ < 130 GeV. The sum of the expected number of SM Higgs boson events and the estimated background yields is compared to the data. Combined statistical and systematic uncertainties are included for the predictions.
The fiducial and total cross sections of Higgs boson production measured in the 4l final state. The fiducial cross sections are given separately for each decay final state, and for same- and different-flavour decays. The inclusive fiducial cross section is measured as the sum of all final states ($\sigma_{sum}$), as well as by combining the per-final state measurements assuming SM $ZZ^{*} \to 4l$ relative branching ratios ($\sigma_{comb}$). For the total cross section ($\sigma_{tot}$), the Higgs boson branching ratio at $m_{H}$= 125 GeV is assumed. The total SM prediction is accurate to N3LO in QCD and NLO EW for the ggF process. The cross sections for all other Higgs boson production modes XH are added. For the fiducial cross section predictions, the SM cross sections are multiplied by the acceptances determined using the NNLOPS sample for ggF. The p-values indicating the compatibility of the measurement and the SM prediction are shown as well. They do not include the systematic uncertainty in the theoretical predictions.
This paper presents a study of $Z \to ll\gamma~$decays with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis uses a proton-proton data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.2 fb$^{-1}$ collected at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV. Integrated fiducial cross-sections together with normalised differential fiducial cross-sections, sensitive to the kinematics of final-state QED radiation, are obtained. The results are found to be in agreement with state-of-the-art predictions for final-state QED radiation. First measurements of $Z \to ll\gamma\gamma$ decays are also reported.
Unfolded $M(l^{+}\gamma)$ distribution for $Z \to ee\gamma$ process with dressed leptons and bkg subtraction. $M_{ll}>20$ GeV. Nexp.un f. = 63717.4 $\pm$ 252.4, NPowHeg truth =338714.
Unfolded $M(l^{-}\gamma)$ distribution for $Z \to ee\gamma$ process with dressed leptons and bkg subtraction. $M_{ll}>20$ GeV. Nexp.un f. = 63855.8 $\pm$ 252.7 , NPowHeg truth =338708.
Unfolded $M(l^{+}\gamma)$ distribution for $Z \to \mu\mu\gamma$ process with dressed leptons and bkg subtraction. $M_{ll}>20$ GeV. Nexp.un f. = 64809.8 $\pm$ 254.6, NPowHeg truth =634285.
The first evidence for the Higgs boson decay to a $Z$ boson and a photon is presented, with a statistical significance of 3.4 standard deviations. The result is derived from a combined analysis of the searches performed by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations with proton-proton collision data sets collected at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) from 2015 to 2018. These correspond to integrated luminosities of around 140 fb$^{-1}$ for each experiment, at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The measured signal yield is $2.2\pm0.7$ times the Standard Model prediction, and agrees with the theoretical expectation within 1.9 standard deviations.
The negative profile log-likelihood test statistic, where $\Lambda$ represents the likelihood ratio, as a function of the signal strength $\mu$ derived from the ATLAS data, the CMS data, and the combined result.
A search is reported for excited $\tau$-leptons and leptoquarks in events with two hadronically decaying $\tau$-leptons and two or more jets. The search uses proton-proton (pp) collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment during the Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider in 2015-2018. The total integrated luminosity is 139 fb$^{-1}$. The excited $\tau$-lepton is assumed to be produced and to decay via a four-fermion contact interaction into an ordinary $\tau$-lepton and a quark-antiquark pair. The leptoquarks are assumed to be produced in pairs via the strong interaction, and each leptoquark is assumed to couple to a charm or lighter quark and a $\tau$-lepton. No excess over the background prediction is observed. Excited $\tau$-leptons with masses below 2.8 TeV are excluded at 95% CL in scenarios with the contact interaction scale $\Lambda$ set to 10 TeV. At the extreme limit of model validity where $\Lambda$ is set equal to the excited $\tau$-lepton mass, excited $\tau$-leptons with masses below 4.6 TeV are excluded. Leptoquarks with masses below 1.3 TeV are excluded at 95% CL if their branching ratio to a charm quark and a $\tau$-lepton equals 1. The analysis does not exploit flavour-tagging in the signal region.
Observed and expected upper 95% CL limit on the $\tau^\ast$ production cross-section as a function of $m_{\tau^\ast}$ for a fixed value of the contact interaction scale, $\Lambda = 10$ TeV.
Observed and expected lower 95% CL limit on the contact interaction scale $\Lambda$ as a function of $m_{\tau^\ast}$.
Observed and expected upper 95% CL limit on the LQ production cross-section as a function of $m_\mathrm{LQ}$. The LQ couples to a tau lepton and a c-quark. The limits are also valid for scenarios in which the LQ couples to lighter quarks.
A search for a new heavy scalar particle $X$ decaying into a Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson and a new singlet scalar particle $S$ is presented. The search uses a proton-proton ($pp$) collision data sample with an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$ recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The most sensitive mass parameter space is explored in $X$ mass ranging from 500 to 1500 GeV, with the corresponding $S$ mass in the range 200-500 GeV. The search selects events with two hadronically decaying $\tau$-lepton candidates from $H\to \tau^+\tau^-$ decays and one or two light leptons ($\ell=e,\,\mu$) from $S\to VV$ ($V = W,\,Z$) decays while the remaining $V$ boson decays hadronically or to neutrinos. A multivariate discriminant based on event kinematics is used to separate the signal from the background. No excess is observed beyond the expected SM background and 95% confidence level upper limits between 72 fb and 542 fb are derived on the cross-section $\sigma(pp\to X\to SH)$ assuming the same SM-Higgs boson-like decay branching ratios for the $S\to VV$ decay. Upper limits on the visible cross-sections $\sigma(pp\to X\to SH \to WW\tau\tau)$ and $\sigma(pp\to X\to SH \to ZZ\tau\tau)$ are also set in the ranges 3-26 fb and 6-33 fb, respectively.
Observed and expected 95% CL upper limits are shown for $\sigma(pp\to X\to SH)$ obtained from $WW1\ell2\tau_{\mathrm{had}}$, $WW2\ell2\tau_{\mathrm{had}}$, $ZZ2\ell2\tau_{\mathrm{had}}$, and their combination, as a function of combined $m_{S}$ and $m_{X}$ masses ($m_{S}$+$m_{X}/25$) in GeV.
Observed and expected 95% CL upper limits are shown for $\sigma(pp\to X\to SH\to WW\tau\tau)$ obtained from the combination of $WW1\ell2\tau_{\mathrm{had}}$ and $WW2\ell2\tau_{\mathrm{had}}$ channels, as a function of combined $m_{S}$ and $m_{X}$ masses ($m_{S}$+$m_{X}/25$) in GeV. The NMSSM scans of the allowed cross-sections for $\sigma(pp\to X\to SH\to WW\tau\tau)$ are also compared.
Observed and expected 95% CL upper limits are shown for $\sigma(pp\to X\to SH\to ZZ\tau\tau)$ obtained from $ZZ2\ell2\tau_{\mathrm{had}}$ channel, as a function of combined $m_{S}$ and $m_{X}$ masses ($m_{S}$+$m_{X}/25$) in GeV. The NMSSM scans of the allowed cross-sections for $\sigma(pp\to X\to SH\to ZZ\tau\tau)$ are also compared.
Inclusive and differential measurements of the top-antitop ($t\bar{t}$) charge asymmetry $A_\text{C}^{t\bar{t}}$ and the leptonic asymmetry $A_\text{C}^{\ell\bar{\ell}}$ are presented in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement uses the complete Run 2 dataset, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$, combines data in the single-lepton and dilepton channels, and employs reconstruction techniques adapted to both the resolved and boosted topologies. A Bayesian unfolding procedure is performed to correct for detector resolution and acceptance effects. The combined inclusive $t\bar{t}$ charge asymmetry is measured to be $A_\text{C}^{t\bar{t}} = 0.0068 \pm 0.0015$, which differs from zero by 4.7 standard deviations. Differential measurements are performed as a function of the invariant mass, transverse momentum and longitudinal boost of the $t\bar{t}$ system. Both the inclusive and differential measurements are found to be compatible with the Standard Model predictions, at next-to-next-to-leading order in quantum chromodynamics perturbation theory with next-to-leading-order electroweak corrections. The measurements are interpreted in the framework of the Standard Model effective field theory, placing competitive bounds on several Wilson coefficients.
The unfolded inclusive charge asymmetry. The measured values are given with statistical and systematic uncertainties. The SM theory predictions calculated at NNLO in QCD and NLO in EW theory are listed, and the impact of the linear term of the Wilson coefficient on the $A_C^{t\bar{t}}$ prediction is shown for two different values. The scale uncertainty is obtained by varying renormalisation and factorisation scales independently by a factor of 2 or 0.5 around $\mu_0$ to calculate the maximum and minimum value of the asymmetry, respectively. The nominal value $\mu_0$ is chosen as $H_T/4$. The variations in which one scale is multiplied by 2 while the other scale is divided by 2 are excluded. Finally, the scale and MC integration uncertainties are added in quadrature.
The unfolded differential charge asymmetry as a function of the invariant mass of the top pair system. The measured values are given with statistical and systematic uncertainties. The SM theory predictions calculated at NNLO in QCD and NLO in EW theory are listed, and the impact of the linear term of the Wilson coefficient on the $A_C^{t\bar{t}}$ prediction is shown for two different values. The scale uncertainty is obtained by varying renormalisation and factorisation scales independently by a factor of 2 or 0.5 around $\mu_0$ to calculate the maximum and minimum value of the asymmetry, respectively. The nominal value $\mu_0$ is chosen as $H_T/4$. The variations in which one scale is multiplied by 2 while the other scale is divided by 2 are excluded. Finally, the scale and MC integration uncertainties are added in quadrature.
The unfolded differential charge asymmetry as a function of the transverse momentum of the top pair system. The measured values are given with statistical and systematic uncertainties. The SM theory predictions calculated at NNLO in QCD and NLO in EW theory are listed. The scale uncertainty is obtained by varying renormalisation and factorisation scales independently by a factor of 2 or 0.5 around $\mu_0$ to calculate the maximum and minimum value of the asymmetry, respectively. The nominal value $\mu_0$ is chosen as $H_T/4$. The variations in which one scale is multiplied by 2 while the other scale is divided by 2 are excluded. Finally, the scale and MC integration uncertainties are added in quadrature.
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