The results of a search for vector-like top quarks using events with exactly one lepton, at least four jets, and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search is optimised for pair production of vector-like top quarks in the $Z(\rightarrow \! \! \nu \nu) \, t + X$ decay channel. LHC pp collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016 are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. No significant excess over the Standard Model expectation is seen and upper limits on the production cross-section of a vector-like $T$ quark pair as a function of the $T$ quark mass are derived. The observed (expected) 95% CL lower limits on the $T$ mass are 870 GeV (890 GeV) for the weak-isospin singlet model, 1.05 TeV (1.06 TeV) for the weak-isospin doublet model and 1.16 TeV (1.17 TeV) for the pure $Zt$ decay mode. Limits are also set on the mass as a function of the decay branching ratios, excluding large parts of the parameter space for masses below 1 TeV.
Expected and observed 95% CL upper limit on the cross-section times branching ratio for VLQ $T$ pair production as a function of the $T$ mass for BR($T \rightarrow Zt$) = 100%.
Expected and observed 95% CL upper limit on the cross-section times branching ratio for VLQ $T$ pair production as a function of the $T$ mass for branching ratios according to the singlet model.
Expected and observed 95% CL upper limit on the cross-section times branching ratio for VLQ $T$ pair production as a function of the $T$ mass for branching ratios according to the doublet model. Contributions from the $X$ or $B$ quark in the $(X^{5/3}, T)$ or $(T, B)$ doublet models are neglected, leading to very conservative limits.
A search is made for a vector-like $T$ quark decaying into a Higgs boson and a top quark in 13 TeV proton-proton collisions using the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider with a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The Higgs-boson and top-quark candidates are identified in the all-hadronic decay mode, where $H\to b\bar{b}$ and $t\to b W \to b q \bar{q}^\prime$ are reconstructed as large-radius jets. The candidate Higgs boson, top quark, and associated B-hadrons are identified using tagging algorithms. No significant excess is observed above the background, so limits are set on the production cross-section of a singlet $T$ quark at 95% confidence level, depending on the mass, $m_T$, and coupling, $\kappa_T$, of the vector-like $T$ quark to Standard Model particles. In the considered mass range between 1.0 and 2.3 TeV, the upper limit on the allowed coupling values increases with $m_T$ from a minimum value of 0.35 for 1.07 < $m_T$ < 1.4 TeV to 1.6 for $m_T$ = 2.3 TeV.
Dijet invariant mass distribution for the $SR$ showing the results of the model when fitted to the data. A $T$-quark hypothesis with $m_{T} = 1.6$ TeV and $\kappa_{T} = 0.5$ is used in the fit.
Dijet invariant mass distribution for the $ttNR$ showing the results of the model when fitted to the data. A $T$-quark hypothesis with $m_{T} = 1.6$ TeV and $\kappa_{T} = 0.5$ is used in the fit.
Observed and expected 95% CL upper limits on the single $T$-quark coupling $\kappa_{T}$ as a function of $m_{T}$ are shown.
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