The differential production cross section of electrons from semileptonic heavy-flavour hadron decays has been measured at mid-rapidity ($|y| < 0.5$) in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV with ALICE at the LHC. Electrons were measured in the transverse momentum range 0.5 $<p_{\rm T}<$ 8 GeV/$c$. Predictions from a fixed order perturbative QCD calculation with next-to-leading-log resummation agree with the data within the theoretical and experimental uncertainties.
Double differential cross section for heavy-flavour electron production as a function of transverse momentum. The systematic error does not include the error on the Luminosity (3.5%).
Searches are performed for resonant and non-resonant Higgs boson pair production in the $\gamma\gamma b\bar{b}$ final state using 20 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. A 95% confidence level upper limit on the cross section times branching ratio of non-resonant production is set at 2.2 pb, while the expected limit is 1.0 pb. The difference derives from a modest excess of events, corresponding to 2.4 standard deviations from the background-only hypothesis. The limit observed in the search for a narrow $X \to hh$ resonance ranges between 0.7 and 3.5 pb as a function of the resonance mass.
The observed and expected limit on non-resonant Higgs boson pair production, measured in the GAMMA GAMMA B BBAR final state.
A 95% CL upper limit on the cross section times branching ratio of a narrow resonance decaying to pairs of Higgs bosons as a function of MX (see text for more details). The measurement is made in the GAMMA GAMMA B BBAR final state.
A search has been performed, using the full 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ data sample of 8 TeV proton--proton collisions collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, for photons originating from a displaced vertex due to the decay of a neutral long-lived particle into a photon and an invisible particle. The analysis investigates the diphoton plus missing transverse momentum final state, and is therefore most sensitive to pair-production of long-lived particles. The analysis technique exploits the capabilities of the ATLAS electromagnetic calorimeter to make precise measurements of the flight direction, as well as the time of flight, of photons. No excess is observed over the Standard Model predictions for background. Exclusion limits are set within the context of Gauge Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking models, with the lightest neutralino being the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle and decaying into a photon and gravitino with a lifetime in the range from 250 ps to about 100 ns.
Observed CLs contour in the GMSB (LAMBDA, TAU(NEUTRALINO) ) signal space.
Observed CLs contour with minus 1-sigma in the GMSB (LAMBDA, TAU(NEUTRALINO) ) signal space.
Observed CLs contour with plus 1-sigma in the GMSB (LAMBDA, TAU(NEUTRALINO) ) signal space.
A search for scalar particles decaying via narrow resonances into two photons in the mass range $65-600$ GeV is performed using 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV $pp$ collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The recently discovered Higgs boson is treated as a background. No significant evidence for an additional signal is observed. The results are presented as limits at the 95 % confidence level on the production cross-section of a scalar boson times branching ratio into two photons, in a fiducial volume where the reconstruction efficiency is approximately independent of the event topology. The upper limits set extend over a considerably wider mass range than previous searches.
The measured fiducial cross section limit.
The results of a search for direct pair production of the scalar partner to the top quark using an integrated luminosity of $20.1 \rm{fb}^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC are reported. The top squark is assumed to decay via $\tilde{t} \rightarrow t \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ or $\tilde{t}\rightarrow b\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm} \rightarrow b W^{\left(\ast\right)} \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$, where $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ ($\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$) denotes the lightest neutralino (chargino) in supersymmetric models. The search targets a fully-hadronic final state in events with four or more jets and large missing transverse momentum. No significant excess over the Standard Model background prediction is observed, and exclusion limits are reported in terms of the top squark and neutralino masses and as a function of the branching fraction of $\tilde{t} \rightarrow t \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$. For a branching fraction of 100%, top squark masses in the range 270-645 GeV are excluded for $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ masses below 30 GeV. For a branching fraction of 50% to either $\tilde{t} \rightarrow t \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ or $\tilde{t}\rightarrow b\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$, and assuming the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$ mass to be twice the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ mass, top squark masses in the range 250-550 GeV are excluded for $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ masses below 60 GeV.
Etmiss distribution for SRA1 and SRA2 after all selection requirements except those on Etmiss.
Etmiss distribution for SRA3 and SRA4 after all selection requirements except those on Etmiss.
Etmiss distribution for SRB after all selection requirements except those on Etmiss.
Measurements of cross sections of inelastic and diffractive processes in proton--proton collisions at LHC energies were carried out with the ALICE detector. The fractions of diffractive processes in inelastic collisions were determined from a study of gaps in charged particle pseudorapidity distributions: for single diffraction (diffractive mass $M_X < 200$ GeV/$c^2$) $\sigma_{\rm SD}/\sigma_{\rm INEL} = 0.21 \pm 0.03, 0.20^{+0.07}_{-0.08}$, and $0.20^{+0.04}_{-0.07}$, respectively at centre-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s} = 0.9, 2.76$, and 7~TeV; for double diffraction (for a pseudorapidity gap $\Delta\eta > 3$) $\sigma_{\rm DD}/\sigma_{\rm INEL} = 0.11 \pm 0.03, 0.12 \pm 0.05$, and $0.12^{+0.05}_{-0.04}$, respectively at $\sqrt{s} = 0.9, 2.76$, and 7~TeV. To measure the inelastic cross section, beam properties were determined with van der Meer scans, and, using a simulation of diffraction adjusted to data, the following values were obtained: $\sigma_{\rm INEL} = 62.8^{+2.4}_{-4.0} (model) \pm 1.2 (lumi)$ mb at $\sqrt{s} =$ 2.76~TeV and $73.2^{+2.0}_{-4.6} (model) \pm 2.6 (lumi)$ mb at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7~TeV. The single- and double-diffractive cross sections were calculated combining relative rates of diffraction with inelastic cross sections. The results are compared to previous measurements at proton--antiproton and proton--proton colliders at lower energies, to measurements by other experiments at the LHC, and to theoretical models.
Production ratios of SD with $M_{X} < 200 GeV/c^2$ to INEL.
Production ratios of DD with $\Delta\eta >3$ to INEL.
Single diffraction cross-section for $M_{X} < 200 GeV/c^2$.
A low-background inclusive search for new physics in events with same-sign dileptons is presented. The search uses proton-proton collisions corresponding to 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity taken in 2012 at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Pairs of isolated leptons with the same electric charge and large transverse momenta of the type $e^{\pm}e^{\pm}, e^{\pm}\mu^{\pm}$, and $\mu^{\pm}\mu^{\pm}$ are selected and their invariant mass distribution is examined. No excess of events above the expected level of Standard Model background is found. The results are used to set upper limits on the cross-sections for processes beyond the Standard Model. Limits are placed as a function of the dilepton invariant mass within a fiducial region corresponding to the signal event selection criteria. Exclusion limits are also derived for a specific model of doubly charged Higgs boson production.
Expected and observed numbers of isolated same-sign lepton pairs in the $e^{\pm}e^{\pm}, e^{\pm}\mu^{\pm}$ and $\mu^{\pm}\mu^{\pm}$ channel for various cuts on the dilepton invariant mass, m($\ell^{\pm}\ell^{\pm}$). The uncertainties shown are the systematic uncertainties.
Expected and observed numbers of positively or negatively charged lepton pairs for various cuts on the dilepton invariant mass, $m(\ell \ell)$. The uncertainties shown are the systematic uncertainties.
Upper limit at 95% CL on the fiducial cross section for $\ell^{\pm} \ell^{\pm}$ pairs from non-SM signals. The expected limits and their $1 \sigma$ uncertainties are given together with the observed limits derived from the data. Limits are given separately for the $e^{\pm}e^{\pm}, e^{\pm}\mu^{\pm}$ and $\mu^{\pm}\mu^{\pm}$ channel inclusively and separated by charge.
The inclusive top quark pair ($t\bar{t}$) production cross-section $\sigma_{t\bar{t}}$ has been measured in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, using $t\bar{t}$ events with an opposite-charge $e\mu$ pair in the final state. The measurement was performed with the 2011 7 TeV dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb$^{-1}$ and the 2012 8 TeV dataset of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$. The cross-section was measured to be: $\sigma_{t\bar{t}}=182.9\pm 3.1\pm 4.2\pm 3.6 \pm 3.3$ pb ($\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV) and $\sigma_{t\bar{t}}=242.9\pm 1.7\pm 5.5\pm 5.1\pm 4.2$ pb ($\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV, updated as described in the Addendum), where the four uncertainties arise from data statistics, experimental and theoretical systematic effects, the knowledge of the integrated luminosity and of the LHC beam energy. The results are consistent with recent theoretical QCD calculations at next-to-next-to-leading order. Fiducial measurements corresponding to the experimental acceptance of the leptons are also reported, together with the ratio of cross-sections measured at the two centre-of-mass energies. The inclusive cross-section results were used to determine the top quark pole mass via the dependence of the theoretically-predicted cross-section on $m_t^{\rm pole}$, giving a result of $m_t^{\rm pole}=172.9^{+2.5}_{-2.6}$ GeV. By looking for an excess of $t\bar{t}$ production with respect to the QCD prediction, the results were also used to place limits on the pair-production of supersymmetric top squarks $\tilde{t}_1$ with masses close to the top quark mass decaying via $\tilde{t}_1\rightarrow t\tilde{\chi}^0_1$ to predominantly right-handed top quarks and a light neutralino $\tilde{\chi}_0^1$, the lightest supersymmetric particle. Top squarks with masses between the top quark mass and 177 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level.
95% CL exclusion limit on signal strength.
95% CL exclusion limit on signal cross section for the 7 TeV dataset.
95% CL exclusion limit on signal cross section for the 8 TeV dataset.
Event-by-event fluctuations of the mean transverse momentum of charged particles produced in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 0.9, 2.76 and 7 TeV, and Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV are studied as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity using the ALICE detector at the LHC. Dynamical fluctuations indicative of correlated particle emission are observed in all systems. The results in pp collisions show little dependence on collision energy. The Monte Carlo event generators PYTHIA and PHOJET are in qualitative agreement with the data. Peripheral Pb-Pb data exhibit a similar multiplicity dependence as that observed in pp. In central Pb-Pb, the results deviate from this trend, featuring a significant reduction of the fluctuation strength. The results in Pb--Pb are in qualitative agreement with previous measurements in Au-Au at lower collision energies and with expectations from models that incorporate collective phenomena.
Relative fluctuation $\sqrt{C_m}/M(p_{\rm T})_m$ as a function of $\langle {\rm d}N_{\rm ch}/{\rm d}\eta \rangle$ in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 0.9 TeV.
Relative fluctuation $\sqrt{C_m}/M(p_{\rm T})_m$ as a function of $\langle {\rm d}N_{\rm ch}/{\rm d}\eta \rangle$ in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 2.76 TeV.
Relative fluctuation $\sqrt{C_m}/M(p_{\rm T})_m$ as a function of $\langle {\rm d}N_{\rm ch}/{\rm d}\eta \rangle$ in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV.
Results of a search for new phenomena in events with an energetic photon and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC are reported. Data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$. The observed data are well described by the expected Standard Model backgrounds. The expected (observed) upper limit on the fiducial cross section for the production of such events is 6.1 (5.3) fb at 95% confidence level. Exclusion limits are presented on models of new phenomena with large extra spatial dimensions, supersymmetric quarks, and direct pair production of dark-matter candidates.
Distribution of ETmiss in the data and for the expected background in the single-muon control region. The total background expectation has been normalized to the observed number of events in this control region. Overflow is included in the final bin.
Distribution of ETmiss in the data and for the expected background in the two-muon control region. The total background expectation is normalized to the observed number of events in this control region. Overflows are included in the final bin.
Distribution of ETmiss in the data and for the expected background in the two-electron control region. The total background expectation is normalized to the observed number of events in this control region. Overflows are included in the final bin.
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