Search for flavour-changing neutral currents in processes with one top quark and a photon using 81 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV with the ATLAS experiment

The ATLAS collaboration Aad, Georges ; Abbott, Brad ; Abbott, Dale Charles ; et al.
Phys.Lett.B 800 (2020) 135082, 2020.
Inspire Record 1750600 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.91241

A search for flavour-changing neutral current (FCNC) events via the coupling of a top quark, a photon, and an up or charm quark is presented using 81 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data taken at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events with a photon, an electron or muon, a $b$-tagged jet, and missing transverse momentum are selected. A neural network based on kinematic variables differentiates between events from signal and background processes. The data are consistent with the background-only hypothesis, and limits are set on the strength of the $tq\gamma$ coupling in an effective field theory. These are also interpreted as 95% CL upper limits on the cross section for FCNC $t\gamma$ production via a left-handed (right-handed) $tu\gamma$ coupling of 36 fb (78 fb) and on the branching ratio for $t\rightarrow \gamma u$ of $2.8\times 10^{-5}$ ($6.1\times 10^{-5}$). In addition, they are interpreted as 95% CL upper limits on the cross section for FCNC $t\gamma$ production via a left-handed (right-handed) $tc\gamma$ coupling of 40 fb (33 fb) and on the branching ratio for $t\rightarrow \gamma c$ of $22\times 10^{-5}$ ($18\times 10^{-5}$).

5 data tables match query

Post-fit distributions of a background-only fit to the signal region (SR) and the control regions (CRs) of the NN output in the SR. In addition, the expected signal is overlaid for an effective coupling strength corresponding to the observed limit multiplied by a factor of ten.

Observed (expected) 95 % CL limits on the effective coupling strengths for different vertices and couplings, the production cross section, and the branching ratio. For the former, the energy scale is assumed to be $\Lambda$ = 1 TeV.

Post-fit distributions of a background-only fit to the SR and the CRs of the NN output in the SR for the $tu\gamma$ right-handed coupling. In addition, the expected signal is overlaid for an effective coupling strength corresponding to the observed limit multiplied by a factor of ten.

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