The production of a W boson in association with a single charm quark is studied using 4.6 fb^-1 of pp collision data at sqrt(s)=7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. In events in which a W boson decays to an electron or muon, the charm quark is tagged either by its semileptonic decay to a muon or by the presence of a charmed meson. The integrated and differential cross sections as a function of the pseudorapidity of the lepton from the W-boson decay are measured. Results are compared to the predictions of next-to-leading-order QCD calculations obtained from various parton distribution function parameterisations. The ratio of the strange-to-down sea-quark distributions is determined to be 0.96 +0.26 -0.30 at Q^2=1.9 GeV^2, which supports the hypothesis of an SU(3)-symmetric composition of the light-quark sea. Additionally, the cross-section ratio sigma(W^+ + bar{c})/sigma(W^- + c) is compared to the predictions obtained using parton distribution function parameterisations with different assumptions about the s-bar{s} quark asymmetry.
The prompt and non-prompt production cross-sections for $\psi(2S)$ mesons are measured using 2.1 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The measurement exploits the $\psi(2S)\to J/\psi(\to\mu^+\mu^-)\pi^+\pi^-$ decay mode, and probes $\psi(2S)$ mesons with transverse momenta in the range $10\leq p_T<100$ GeV and rapidity $|y|<2.0$. The results are compared to other measurements of $\psi(2S)$ production at the LHC and to various theoretical models for prompt and non-prompt quarkonium production.
Various differential cross-sections are measured in top-quark pair ($t\bar{t}$) events produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV at the LHC with the ATLAS detector. These differential cross-sections are presented in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $4.6$ fb$^{-1}$. The differential cross-sections are presented in terms of kinematic variables, such as momentum, rapidity and invariant mass, of a top-quark proxyreferred to as the pseudo-top-quark as well as the pseudo-top-quark pair system. The dependence of the measurement on theoretical models is minimal. The measurements are performed on $t\bar{t}$ events in the lepton+jets channel, requiring exactly one charged lepton and at least four jets with at least two of them tagged as originating from a $b$-quark. The hadronic and leptonic pseudo-top-quarks are defined via the leptonic or hadronic decay mode of the $W$ boson produced by the top-quark decay in events with a single charged lepton. Differential cross-section measurements of the pseudo-top-quark variables are compared with several Monte Carlo models that implement next-to-leading order or leading-order multi-leg matrix-element calculations.
The process pp--> W + J/psi provides a powerful probe of the production mechanism of charmonium in hadronic collisions, and is also sensitive to multiple parton interactions in the colliding protons. Using the 2011 ATLAS dataset of 4.5 fb-1 of sqrt{s} = 7 TeV pp collisions at the LHC, the first observation is made of the production of W + prompt J/psi events in hadronic collisions, using W-->mu+nu and J/psi-->mu+mu. A yield of 27.4+7.5-6.5 W + prompt J/psi events is observed, with a statistical significance of 5.1 sigma. The production rate as a ratio to the inclusive W boson production rate is measured, and the double parton scattering contribution to the cross section is estimated.
The $t\bar{t}$ production cross-section dependence on jet multiplicity and jet transverse momentum is reported for proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV in the single-lepton channel. The data were collected with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and comprise the full 2011 data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb$^{-1}$. Differential cross-sections are presented as a function of the jet multiplicity for up to eight jets using jet transverse momentum thresholds of 25, 40, 60, and 80 GeV, and as a function of jet transverse momentum up to the fifth jet. The results are shown after background subtraction and corrections for all detector effects, within a kinematic range closely matched to the experimental acceptance. Several QCD-based Monte Carlo models are compared with the results. Sensitivity to the parton shower modelling is found at the higher jet multiplicities, at high transverse momentum of the leading jet and in the transverse momentum spectrum of the fifth leading jet. The MC@NLO+HERWIG MC is found to predict too few events at higher jet multiplicities.
Measurements of fiducial cross sections for the electroweak production of two jets in association with a Z-boson are presented. The measurements are performed using 20.3 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collision data collected at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s)=8 TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The electroweak component is extracted by a fit to the dijet invariant mass distribution in a fiducial region chosen to enhance the electroweak contribution over the dominant background in which the jets are produced via the strong interaction. The electroweak cross sections measured in two fiducial regions are in good agreement with the Standard Model expectations and the background-only hypothesis is rejected with significance above the 5 sigma level. The electroweak process includes the vector boson fusion production of a Z-boson and the data are used to place limits on anomalous triple gauge boson couplings. In addition, measurements of cross sections and differential distributions for inclusive Z-boson-plus-dijet production are performed in five fiducial regions, each with different sensitivity to the electroweak contribution. The results are corrected for detector effects and compared to predictions from the SHERPA and POWHEG event generators.
The production of two high-p_T jets in the interactions of quasi-real photons in e+e- collisions at sqrt{s_ee} from 189 GeV to 209 GeV is studied with data corresponding to an integrated e+e- luminosity of 550 pb^{-1}. The jets reconstructed by the k_T cluster algorithm are defined within the pseudo-rapidity range -1 < eta < 1 and with jet transverse momentum, p_T, above 3 GeV/c. The differential di-jet cross-section is measured as a function of the mean transverse momentum ptmean of the jets and is compared to perturbative QCD calculations.
Inclusive jet production, e+e- -> e+e- \ee$ jet X, is studied using 560/pb of data collected at LEP with the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 209 GeV. The inclusive differential cross section is measured using a k_t jet algorithm as a function of the jet transverse momentum, pt, in the range 3<pt<50 GeV for a pseudorapidity, eta, in the range -1<eta<1. This cross section is well represented by a power law. For high pt, the measured cross section is significantly higher than the NLO QCD predictions, as already observed for inclusive charged and neutral pion production.
The reactions e^+e^- -> e^+e^- Lambda X and e^+e^- -> e^+e^- Lambda X are studied using data collected at LEP with the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 209 GeV. Inclusive differential cross sections are measured as a function of the lambda transverse momentum, p_t, and pseudo-rapidity, eta, in the ranges 0.4 GeV < p_t < 2.5 GeV and |\eta| < 1.2. The data are compared to Monte Carlo predictions. The differential cross section as a function of p_t is well described by an exponential of the form A exp (- p_t / <p_t>)$.
Inclusive D^{*+-} production in two-photon collisions is studied with the L3 detector at LEP, using 683 pb^{-1} of data collected at centre-of-mass energies from 183 to 208 GeV. Differential cross sections are determined as functions of the transverse momentum and pseudorapidity of the D^{*+-} mesons in the kinematic region 1 GeV < P_T < 12 GeV and |eta| < 1.4. The cross sections sigma(e^+e^- -> e^+e^-D^{*+-}X) in this kinematical region is measured and the sigma(e^+e^- -> e^+e^- cc{bar}X) cross section is derived. The measurements are compared with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations.
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