The exclusive production of pion pairs in the process $pp\to pp\pi^+\pi^-$ has been measured at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, using 80 $\mu$b$^{-1}$ of low-luminosity data. The pion pairs were detected in the ATLAS central detector while outgoing protons were measured in the forward ATLAS ALFA detector system. This represents the first use of proton tagging to measure an exclusive hadronic final state at the LHC. A cross-section measurement is performed in two kinematic regions defined by the proton momenta, the pion rapidities and transverse momenta, and the pion-pion invariant mass. Cross section values of $4.8 \pm 1.0 \text{(stat.)} + {}^{+0.3}_{-0.2} \text{(syst.)}\mu$b and $9 \pm 6 \text{(stat.)} + {}^{+2}_{-2}\text{(syst.)}\mu$b are obtained in the two regions; they are compared with theoretical models and provide a demonstration of the feasibility of measurements of this type.
The measured fiducial cross sections. The first systematic uncertainty is the combined systematic uncertainty excluding luminosity, the second is the luminosity
Cross-sections for the production of a $Z$ boson in association with two photons are measured in proton$-$proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the ATLAS experiment during Run 2 of the LHC. The measurements use the electron and muon decay channels of the $Z$ boson, and a fiducial phase-space region where the photons are not radiated from the leptons. The integrated $Z(\rightarrow\ell\ell)\gamma\gamma$ cross-section is measured with a precision of 12% and differential cross-sections are measured as a function of six kinematic variables of the $Z\gamma\gamma$ system. The data are compared with predictions from MC event generators which are accurate to up to next-to-leading order in QCD. The cross-section measurements are used to set limits on the coupling strengths of dimension-8 operators in the framework of an effective field theory.
Measured fiducial-level integrated cross-section. NLO predictions from Sherpa 2.2.10 and MadGraph5_aMC@NLO 2.7.3 are also shown. The uncertainty in the predictions is divided into statistical and theoretical uncertainties (scale and PDF+$\alpha_{s}$).
Measured unfolded differential cross-section as a function of the leading photon transverse energy $E^{\gamma1}_{\mathrm{T}}$. NLO predictions from Sherpa 2.2.10 and MadGraph5_aMC@NLO 2.7.3 are also shown. The uncertainty in the predictions is divided into statistical and theoretical uncertainties (scale and PDF+$\alpha_{s}$).
Measured unfolded differential cross-section as a function of the subleading photon transverse energy $E^{\gamma2}_{\mathrm{T}}$. NLO predictions from Sherpa 2.2.10 and MadGraph5_aMC@NLO 2.7.3 are also shown. The uncertainty in the predictions is divided into statistical and theoretical uncertainties (scale and PDF+$\alpha_{s}$).
The observation of forward proton scattering in association with lepton pairs ($e^+e^-+p$ or $\mu^+\mu^-+p$) produced via photon fusion is presented. The scattered proton is detected by the ATLAS Forward Proton spectrometer while the leptons are reconstructed by the central ATLAS detector. Proton-proton collision data recorded in 2017 at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV are analyzed, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 14.6 fb$^{-1}$. A total of 57 (123) candidates in the $ee+p$ ($\mu\mu+p$) final state are selected, allowing the background-only hypothesis to be rejected with a significance exceeding five standard deviations in each channel. Proton-tagging techniques are introduced for cross-section measurements in the fiducial detector acceptance, corresponding to $\sigma_{ee+p}$ = 11.0 $\pm$ 2.6 (stat.) $\pm$ 1.2 (syst.) $\pm$ 0.3 (lumi.) fb and $\sigma_{\mu\mu+p}$ = 7.2 $\pm$ 1.6 (stat.) $\pm$ 0.9 (syst.) $\pm$ 0.2 (lumi.) fb in the dielectron and dimuon channel, respectively.
The measured fiducial cross sections. The first systematic uncertainty is the combined systematic uncertainty excluding luminosity, the second is the luminosity
A measurement of four-top-quark production using proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ is presented. Events are selected if they contain a single lepton (electron or muon) or an opposite-sign lepton pair, in association with multiple jets. The events are categorised according to the number of jets and how likely these are to contain $b$-hadrons. A multivariate technique is then used to discriminate between signal and background events. The measured four-top-quark production cross section is found to be 26$^{+17}_{-15}$ fb, with a corresponding observed (expected) significance of 1.9 (1.0) standard deviations over the background-only hypothesis. The result is combined with the previous measurement performed by the ATLAS Collaboration in the multilepton final state. The combined four-top-quark production cross section is measured to be 24$^{+7}_{-6}$ fb, with a corresponding observed (expected) signal significance of 4.7 (2.6) standard deviations over the background-only predictions. It is consistent within 2.0 standard deviations with the Standard Model expectation of 12.0$\pm$2.4 fb.
The results of the fitted signal strength $\mu$ in the 1L/2LOS channel
The results of fitted inclusive ${t\bar{t}t\bar{t}}$ cross-section in the 1L/2LOS channel
Ranking of the nuisance parameters included in the fit according to their impact on the signal strength $\mu$. The impact of each nuisance parameter, $\Delta\mu$, is computed by comparing the nominal best-fit value of $\mu$ with the result of the fit when fixing the nuisance parameter to its best-fit value, $\hat{\theta}$, shifted by its pre-fit (post-fit) uncertainties $\pm \Delta\theta$ ($\pm \Delta\hat{\theta}$).
Fiducial and differential measurements of $W^+W^-$ production in events with at least one hadronic jet are presented. These cross-section measurements are sensitive to the properties of electroweak-boson self-interactions and provide a test of perturbative quantum chromodynamics and the electroweak theory. The analysis is performed using proton$-$proton collision data collected at $\sqrt{s}=13~$TeV with the ATLAS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139$~$fb$^{-1}$. Events are selected with exactly one oppositely charged electron$-$muon pair and at least one hadronic jet with a transverse momentum of $p_{\mathrm{T}}>30~$GeV and a pseudorapidity of $|\eta|<4.5$. After subtracting the background contributions and correcting for detector effects, the jet-inclusive $W^+W^-+\ge 1~$jet fiducial cross-section and $W^+W^-+$ jets differential cross-sections with respect to several kinematic variables are measured, thus probing a previously unexplored event topology at the LHC. These measurements include leptonic quantities, such as the lepton transverse momenta and the transverse mass of the $W^+W^-$ system, as well as jet-related observables such as the leading jet transverse momentum and the jet multiplicity. Limits on anomalous triple-gauge-boson couplings are obtained in a phase space where interference between the Standard Model amplitude and the anomalous amplitude is enhanced.
Measured fiducial cross section for $pp\rightarrow W^+W^-$+jets production. The second column contains the results obtained with a fiducial particle phase space that includes a veto on $b$-jets. This alternative result is obtained from the nominal result by the application of bin-wise correction that is calculated as the ratio of the predicted differential cross-section in the nominal analysis phase space and the predicted cross-section for a phase space that includes a veto on events with $b$-jets with $p_{\mathrm{T}} > 20$ GeV. Also shown are the Standard Model predictions for $q\bar{q} \rightarrow WW$, obtained from Sherpa 2.2.2, MadGraph 2.3.3 + Pythia 8.212 using FxFx merging, and Powheg MiNLO + Pythia 8.244. These predictions are supplemented by the Sherpa 2.2.2 + OpenLoops simulation of $gg\rightarrow WW$. Finally, the prediction from MATRIX is given, which includes nNLO QCD and NLO EW corrections to $WW$+jet production.
Measured fiducial cross section for $pp\rightarrow W^+W^-$+jets production for the observable $p_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{lead.~lep.}}$. The second column contains the results obtained with a fiducial particle phase space that includes a veto on $b$-jets. This alternative result is obtained from the nominal result by the application of bin-wise correction that is calculated as the ratio of the predicted differential cross-section in the nominal analysis phase space and the predicted cross-section for a phase space that includes a veto on events with $b$-jets with $p_{\mathrm{T}} > 20$ GeV. Also shown are the Standard Model predictions for $q\bar{q} \rightarrow WW$, obtained from Sherpa 2.2.2, MadGraph 2.3.3 + Pythia 8.212 using FxFx merging, and Powheg MiNLO + Pythia 8.244. These predictions are supplemented by the Sherpa 2.2.2 + OpenLoops simulation of $gg\rightarrow WW$. Finally, the prediction from MATRIX is given, which includes nNLO QCD and NLO EW corrections to $WW$+jet production. Overflow events are included in the last bin. The largest observed value is 1168 GeV.
Correlation matrix of the statistical uncertainties in the measured fiducial cross section for the observable $p_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{lead.~lep.}}$
First measurements of the W -> lnu and Z/gamma* -> ll (l = e, mu) production cross sections in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV are presented using data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The results are based on 2250 W -> lnu and 179 Z/gamma* -> ll candidate events selected from a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 320 nb-1. The measured total W and Z/gamma*-boson production cross sections times the respective leptonic branching ratios for the combined electron and muon channels are $\stotW$ * BR(W -> lnu) = 9.96 +- 0.23(stat) +- 0.50(syst) +- 1.10(lumi) nb and $\stotZg$ * BR(Z/gamma* -> ll) = 0.82 +- 0.06(stat) +- 0.05(syst) +- 0.09(lumi) nb (within the invariant mass window 66 < m_ll < 116 GeV). The W/Z cross-section ratio is measured to be 11.7 +- 0.9(stat) +- 0.4(syst). In addition, measurements of the W+ and W- production cross sections and of the lepton charge asymmetry are reported. Theoretical predictions based on NNLO QCD calculations are found to agree with the measurements.
Measured fiducial cross section times leptonic branching ratio for W+ production in the W+ -> e+ nu final state.
Measured fiducial cross section times leptonic branching ratio for W- production in the W- -> e- nubar final state.
Measured fiducial cross section times leptonic branching ratio for W+/- production in the combined W+ -> e+ nu and W- -> e- nubar final state.
A search for new heavy particles manifested as resonances in two-jet final states is presented. The data were produced in 7 TeV proton-proton collisions by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 315 nb^-1 collected by the ATLAS detector. No resonances were observed. Upper limits were set on the product of cross section and signal acceptance for excited-quark (q*) production as a function of q* mass. These exclude at the 95% CL the q* mass interval 0.30 < mq* < 1.26 TeV, extending the reach of previous experiments.
The dijet mass distribution (NUMBER OF EVENTS).
95 PCT CL upper limit of the cross section x acceptance.
Forum