An inclusive search for a new-physics signature of lepton-jet resonances has been performed by the ATLAS experiment. Scalar leptoquarks, pair-produced in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider, have been considered. An integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb$^{-1}$, corresponding to the full 2015 dataset was used. First (second) generation leptoquarks were sought in events with two electrons (muons) and two or more jets. The observed event yield in each channel is consistent with Standard Model background expectations. The observed (expected) lower limits on the leptoquark mass at 95% confidence level are 1100 GeV and 1050 GeV (1160 GeV and 1040 GeV) for first and second generation leptoquarks, respectively, assuming a branching ratio into a charged lepton and a quark of 100%. Upper limits on the aforementioned branching ratio are also given as a function of leptoquark mass. Compared with the results of earlier ATLAS searches, the sensitivity is increased for leptoquark masses above 860 GeV, and the observed exclusion limits confirm and extend the published results.
Normalisation factors for the main backgrounds obtained from the combined fit in each of the channels. The total uncertainty is given.
Search for the first generation leptoquarks (LQs). Event yields in the Z control region (CR), ttbar CR and in the signal region (SR). Each CR is treated as one bin in the profile likelihood fit. The SR is split to 7 bins according to $m_{\text{LQ}}^{\text{min}}$ for the fit. The table below shows the total number of events in each CR. For the SR, it shows the number of events per 100 GeV as a function of $m_{\text{LQ}}^{\text{min}}$. The background expectations are scaled by a scale factor extracted from the fit. However, the uncertainties shown are the pre-fit ones. The data event yield uncertainty is statistical (gaussian). The background uncertainty consists of all the experimental and theoretical components summed in quadrature. The uncertainty of the fit-extracted background scale factor is also added in quadrature.
Search for the second generation leptoquarks (LQs). Event yields in the Z control region (CR), ttbar CR and in the signal region (SR). Each CR is treated as one bin in the profile likelihood fit. The SR is split to 7 bins according to $m_{\text{LQ}}^{\text{min}}$ for the fit. The table below shows the total number of events in each CR. For the SR, it shows the number of events per 100 GeV as a function of $m_{\text{LQ}}^{\text{min}}$. The background expectations are scaled by a scale factor extracted from the fit. However, the uncertainties shown are the pre-fit ones. The data event yield uncertainty is statistical (gaussian). The background uncertainty consists of all the experimental and theoretical components summed in quadrature. The uncertainty of the fit-extracted background scale factor is also added in quadrature.
A search is presented for a third-generation leptoquark (LQ) coupled exclusively to a $\tau$ lepton and a b quark. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded with the CMS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Events with $\tau$ leptons and a varying number of jets originating from b quarks are considered, targeting the single and pair production of LQs, as well as nonresonant $t$-channel LQ exchange. An excess is observed in the data with respect to the background expectation in the combined analysis of all search regions. For a benchmark LQ mass of 2 TeV and an LQ-b-$\tau$ coupling strength of 2.5, the excess reaches a local significance of up to 2.8 standard deviations. Upper limits at the 95% confidence level are placed on the LQ production cross section in the LQ mass range 0.5-2.3 TeV, and up to 3 TeV for $t$-channel LQ exchange. Leptoquarks are excluded below masses of 1.22-1.88 TeV for different LQ models and varying coupling strengths up to 2.5. The study of nonresonant $\tau\tau$ production through $t$-channel LQ exchange allows lower limits on the LQ mass of up to 2.3 TeV to be obtained.
Product of acceptance and efficiency of a vector LQ signal as a function of LQ mass under the assumption of exclusive LQ couplings to b quarks and $\tau$ leptons. The acceptances and efficiencies are restricted to the sensitive region of $S_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{MET} > 800\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and are computed with respect to all possible decay modes of two $\tau$ leptons.
Product of acceptance and efficiency of a vector LQ signal as a function of LQ mass under the assumption of exclusive LQ couplings to b quarks and $\tau$ leptons. The acceptances and efficiencies are restricted to the sensitive region of $\chi < 4$ and are computed with respect to all possible decay modes of two $\tau$ leptons.
Postfit distributions of $S_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{MET}$ in the $\mathrm{e}\mu$ channel of the 0b category for the combined 2016-2018 data set after a simultaneous fit of the background and vector LQ signal to the data. The number of events in each bin are divided by the respective bin width. The last bin includes the overflow.
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