We have studied J/psi production in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV at the LHC through its muon pair decay. The polar and azimuthal angle distributions of the decay muons were measured, and results on the J/$\psi$ polarization parameters $\lambda_{\theta}$ and $\lambda_\phi$ were obtained. The study was performed in the kinematic region 2.5<y<4, 2<$p_{\rm T}$<8 GeV/$c$, in the helicity and Collins-Soper reference frames. In both frames, the polarization parameters are compatible with zero, within uncertainties.
We report the first measurement of the net-charge fluctuations in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV, measured with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The dynamical fluctuations per unit entropy are observed to decrease when going from peripheral to central collisions. An additional reduction in the amount of fluctuations is seen in comparison to the results from lower energies. We examine the dependence of fluctuations on the pseudorapidity interval, which may account for the dilution of fluctuations during the evolution of the system. We find that the fluctuations at LHC are smaller compared to the measurements at the Relativistic heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), and as such, closer to what has been theoretically predicted for the formation of Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP).
Density fluctuations near the QCD critical point can be probed via an intermittency analysis in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We report the first measurement of intermittency in Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{_{NN}}}$ = 7.7-200 GeV measured by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The scaled factorial moments of identified charged hadrons are analyzed at mid-rapidity and within the transverse momentum phase space. We observe a power-law behavior of scaled factorial moments in Au$+$Au collisions and a decrease in the extracted scaling exponent ($\nu$) from peripheral to central collisions. The $\nu$ is consistent with a constant for different collisions energies in the mid-central (10-40%) collisions. Moreover, the $\nu$ in the 0-5% most central Au$+$Au collisions exhibits a non-monotonic energy dependence that reaches a possible minimum around $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{_{NN}}}$ = 27 GeV. The physics implications on the QCD phase structure are discussed.
A measurement of the multi-strange $\Xi^-$ and $\Omega^-$ baryons and their antiparticles by the ALICE experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is presented for inelastic proton-proton collisions at centre of mass energy of 7 TeV. The transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) distributions were studied at mid-rapidity (|y| < 0.5) in the range of 0.6 < $p_{\rm T}$ < 8.5 GeV/$c$ for $\Xi^-$ and $\Xi^+$ baryons, and in the range of 0.8 < $p_{\rm T}$ < 5 GeV/$c$ for $\Omega^-$ and $\Omega^+$. Baryons and antibaryons were measured as separate particles and we find that the baryon to antibaryon ratio of both particle species is consistent with unity over the entire range of the measurement. The statistical precision of the current LHC data has allowed us to measure a difference between the mean $p_{\rm T}$ of $\Xi^-$ ($\Xi^+$) and $\Omega^-$ ($\Omega^+$). Particle yields, mean $p_{\rm T}$, and the spectra in the intermediate $p_{\rm T}$ range are not well described by the PYTHIA Perugia 2011 tune Monte Carlo event generator, which has been tuned to reproduce the early LHC data. The discrepancy is largest for $\Omega^-$ ($\Omega^+$). This PYTHIA tune approaches the $p_{\rm T}$ spectra of $\Xi^-$ and $\Xi^+$ baryons below $p_{\rm T}$ < 0.85 GeV/$c$ and describes the $\Xi^-$ and $\Xi^+$ spectra above $p_{\rm T}$ > 6.0 GeV/$c$. We also illustrate the difference between the experimental data and model by comparing the corresponding ratios of ($\Omega^{-}+\Omega^+)/(\Xi^-+\Xi^+)$ as a function of transverse mass.
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.
The $p_{\rm T}$-differential inclusive production cross section of the prompt charm-strange meson $\rm D_s^+$ in the rapidity range $|y|<0.5$ was measured in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV at the LHC using the ALICE detector. The analysis was performed on a data sample of $2.98 \times 10^8$ events collected with a minimum-bias trigger. The corresponding integrated luminosity is $L_{\rm int}=4.8$/nb. Reconstructing the decay ${\rm D_s^{+}\to \phi\pi^+}$, with $\phi\to {\rm K}^-{\rm K}^+$, and its charge conjugate, about 480 ${\rm D_s^{\pm}}$ mesons were counted, after selection cuts, in the transverse momentum range $2<p_{\rm T}<12$ Gev/$c$. The results are compared with predictions from models based on perturbative QCD. The ratios of the cross sections of four D meson species (namely ${\rm D^0}$, ${\rm D^+}$, ${\rm D^{*+}}$ and ${\rm D_s^+}$) were determined both as a function of $p_{\rm T}$ and integrated over $p_{\rm T}$ after extrapolating to full $p_{\rm T}$ range, together with the strangeness suppression factor in charm fragmentation. The obtained values are found to be compatible within uncertainties with those measured by other experiments in $\rm e^+e^-$, ep and pp interactions at various centre-of-mass energies.
The linear and mode-coupled contributions to higher-order anisotropic flow are presented for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$ = 27, 39, 54.4, and 200 GeV and compared to similar measurements for Pb+Pb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The coefficients and the flow harmonics' correlations, which characterize the linear and mode-coupled response to the lower-order anisotropies, indicate a beam energy dependence consistent with an influence from the specific shear viscosity ($\eta/s$). In contrast, the dimensionless coefficients, mode-coupled response coefficients, and normalized symmetric cumulants are approximately beam-energy independent, consistent with a significant role from initial-state effects. These measurements could provide unique supplemental constraints to (i) distinguish between different initial-state models and (ii) delineate the temperature ($T$) and baryon chemical potential ($\mu_{B}$) dependence of the specific shear viscosity $\frac{\eta}{s} (T, \mu_B)$.
The production cross section of electrons from semileptonic decays of beauty hadrons was measured at mid-rapidity (|y| < 0.8) in the transverse momentum range $1 < p_{\rm T} < 8$ Gev/$c$ with the ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC in pp collisions at a center of mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV using an integrated luminosity of 2.2 nb$^{-1}$. Electrons from beauty hadron decays were selected based on the displacement of the decay vertex from the collision vertex. A perturbative QCD calculation agrees with the measurement within uncertainties. The data were extrapolated to the full phase space to determine the total cross section for the production of beauty quark-antiquark pairs.
Light-by-light scattering ($\gamma\gamma\rightarrow\gamma\gamma$) is a quantum-mechanical process that is forbidden in the classical theory of electrodynamics. This reaction is accessible at the Large Hadron Collider thanks to the large electromagnetic field strengths generated by ultra-relativistic colliding lead (Pb) ions. Using 480 $\mu$b$^{-1}$ of Pb+Pb collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV by the ATLAS detector, the ATLAS Collaboration reports evidence for the $\gamma\gamma\rightarrow\gamma\gamma$ reaction. A total of 13 candidate events are observed with an expected background of 2.6$\pm$0.7 events. After background subtraction and analysis corrections, the fiducial cross section of the process $\textrm{Pb+Pb}\,(\gamma\gamma)\rightarrow \textrm{Pb}^{(\ast)}\textrm{+}\textrm{Pb}^{(\ast)}\,\gamma\gamma$, for photon transverse energy $E_{\mathrm{T}}>$3 GeV, photon absolute pseudorapidity $|\eta|<$2.4, diphoton invariant mass greater than 6 GeV, diphoton transverse momentum lower than 2 GeV and diphoton acoplanarity below 0.01, is measured to be 70 $\pm$ 24 (stat.) $\pm$ 17 (syst.) nb, which is in agreement with Standard Model predictions.
Jets created in association with a photon can be used as a calibrated probe to study energy loss in the medium created in nuclear collisions. Measurements of the transverse momentum balance between isolated photons and inclusive jets are presented using integrated luminosities of 0.49 nb$^{-1}$ of Pb+Pb collision data at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}=5.02$ TeV and 25 pb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Photons with transverse momentum $63.1 < p_\mathrm{T}^{\gamma} < 200$ GeV and $\left|\eta^{\gamma}\right| < 2.37$ are paired inclusively with all jets in the event that have $p_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{jet} > 31.6$ GeV and pseudorapidity $\left|\eta^\mathrm{jet}\right| < 2.8$. The transverse momentum balance given by the jet-to-photon $p_\mathrm{T}$ ratio, $x_\mathrm{J\gamma}$, is measured for pairs with azimuthal opening angle $\Delta\phi > 7\pi/8$. Distributions of the per-photon jet yield as a function of $x_\mathrm{J\gamma}$, $(1/N_\gamma)(\mathrm{d}N/\mathrm{d}x_\mathrm{J\gamma})$, are corrected for detector effects via a two-dimensional unfolding procedure and reported at the particle level. In $pp$ collisions, the distributions are well described by Monte Carlo event generators. In Pb+Pb collisions, the $x_\mathrm{J\gamma}$ distribution is modified from that observed in $pp$ collisions with increasing centrality, consistent with the picture of parton energy loss in the hot nuclear medium. The data are compared with a suite of energy-loss models and calculations.
The inclusive production rates of isolated, prompt photons in $p$+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 8.16$ TeV are studied with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider using a dataset with an integrated luminosity of 165 nb$^{-1}$ recorded in 2016. The cross-section and nuclear modification factor $R_{p\mathrm{Pb}}$ are measured as a function of photon transverse energy from 20 GeV to 550 GeV and in three nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass pseudorapidity regions, (-2.83,-2.02), (-1.84,0.91), and (1.09,1.90). The cross-section and $R_{p\mathrm{Pb}}$ values are compared with the results of a next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculation, with and without nuclear parton distribution function modifications, and with expectations based on a model of the energy loss of partons prior to the hard scattering. The data disfavour a large amount of energy loss and provide new constraints on the parton densities in nuclei.
The ALICE experiment has measured the inclusive J/$\psi$ production in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}} } = 2.76$ TeV down to zero transverse momentum in the rapidity range $2.5 < y < 4$. A suppression of the inclusive J/$\psi$ yield in Pb-Pb is observed with respect to the one measured in pp collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions. The nuclear modification factor, integrated over the 0-80% most central collisions, is $0.545 \pm 0.032 \rm{(stat.)} \pm 0.083 \rm{(syst.)}$ and does not exhibit a significant dependence on the collision centrality. These features appear significantly different from measurements at lower collision energies. Models including J/$\psi$ production from charm quarks in a deconfined partonic phase can describe our data.
The $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross sections of the prompt (B feed-down subtracted) charmed mesons D$^0$, D$^+$, and D$^{*+}$ in the rapidity range $|y|<0.5$, and for transverse momentum $1< p_{\rm T} <12$ GeV/$c$, were measured in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis exploited the hadronic decays D$^0 \rightarrow $K$\pi$, D$^+ \rightarrow $K$\pi\pi$, D$^{*+} \rightarrow $D$^0\pi$, and their charge conjugates, and was performed on a $L_{\rm int} = 1.1$ nb$^{-1}$ event sample collected in 2011 with a minimum-bias trigger. The total charm production cross section at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV and at 7 TeV was evaluated by extrapolating to the full phase space the $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross sections at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV and our previous measurements at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV. The results were compared to existing measurements and to perturbative-QCD calculations. The fraction of cdbar D mesons produced in a vector state was also determined.
In this Letter we report the first results on $\pi^\pm$, K$^\pm$, p and $\mathrm {p\overline{p}}$ production at mid-rapidity ($\left|y\right|<0.5$) in central Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV, measured by the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The $p_{\rm T}$ distributions and yields are compared to previous results at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 200 GeV and expectations from hydrodynamic and thermal models. The spectral shapes indicate a strong increase of the radial flow velocity with $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$, which in hydrodynamic models is expected as a consequence of the increasing particle density. While the ${\rm K}/\pi$ ratio is in line with predictions from the thermal model, the ${\rm p}/\pi$ ratio is found to be lower by a factor of about 1.5. This deviation from thermal model expectations is still to be understood.
The production of K$^{*}$(892)$^{0}$ and $\phi$(1020) in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV was measured by the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The yields and the transverse momentum spectra d$^{2}$N/d$y$d$p_{\rm T}$ at midrapidity $|y|<0.5$ in the range $0<p_{\rm T}<6$ GeV/$c$ for K$^{*}$(892)$^{0}$ and $0.4<p_{\rm T}<6$ GeV/$c$ for $\phi$(1020) are reported and compared to model predictions. Using the yield of pions, kaons, and Omega baryons measured previously by ALICE at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV, the ratios K$^{*}$/K$^{-}$, $\phi$/K$^{*}$, $\phi$/K$^{-}$, $\phi/\pi^{-}$, and ($\Omega$ + $\overline{\Omega}$)/$\phi$ are presented. The values of the K$^{*}$/K$^{-}$, $\phi$/K$^{*}$ and $\phi$/K$^{-}$ ratios are similar to those found at lower centre-of-mass energies. In contrast, the $\phi/\pi^{-}$ ratio, which has been observed to increase with energy, seems to saturate above 200 GeV. The ($\Omega$ + $\overline{\Omega}$)/$\phi$ ratio in the $p_{\rm T}$ range $1$-$5$ GeV/$c$ is found to be in good agreement with the prediction of the HIJING/BB v2.0 model with a strong colour field.
A measurement of the four-lepton invariant mass spectrum is made with the ATLAS detector, using an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV delivered by the Large Hadron Collider. The differential cross-section is measured for events containing two same-flavour opposite-sign lepton pairs. It exhibits a rich structure, with different mass regions dominated in the Standard Model by single $Z$ boson production, Higgs boson production, and $Z$ boson pair production, and non-negligible interference effects at high invariant masses. The measurement is compared with state-of-the-art Standard Model calculations, which are found to be consistent with the data. These calculations are used to interpret the data in terms of $gg\rightarrow ZZ \rightarrow 4\ell$ and $Z \rightarrow 4\ell$ subprocesses, and to place constraints on a possible contribution from physics beyond the Standard Model.
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.
Measurements of charge dependent azimuthal correlations with the ALICE detector at the LHC are reported for Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV. Two- and three-particle charge-dependent azimuthal correlations in the pseudo-rapidity range $|\eta| < 0.8$ are presented as a function of the collision centrality, particle separation in pseudo-rapidity, and transverse momentum. A clear signal compatible with a charge-dependent separation relative to the reaction plane is observed, which shows little or no collision energy dependence when compared to measurements at RHIC energies. This provides a new insight for understanding the nature of the charge dependent azimuthal correlations observed at RHIC and LHC energies.
The production of muons from heavy flavour decays is measured at forward rapidity in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV collected with the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The analysis is carried out on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity $L_{\rm int} = 16.5$ nb$^{-1}$. The transverse momentum and rapidity differential production cross sections of muons from heavy flavour decays are measured in the rapidity range 2.5 < y < 4, over the transverse momentum range 2 < $p_{\rm T}$ < 12 GeV/$c$. The results are compared to predictions based on perturbative QCD calculations.
The result of a search for pair production of the supersymmetric partner of the Standard Model bottom quark ($\tilde{b}_1$) is reported. The search uses 3.2 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=$13 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015. Bottom squarks are searched for in events containing large missing transverse momentum and exactly two jets identified as originating from $b$-quarks. No excess above the expected Standard Model background yield is observed. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level on the mass of the bottom squark are derived in phenomenological supersymmetric $R$-parity-conserving models in which the $\tilde{b}_1$ is the lightest squark and is assumed to decay exclusively via $\tilde{b}_1 \rightarrow b \tilde{\chi}_1^0$, where $\tilde{\chi}_1^0$ is the lightest neutralino. The limits significantly extend previous results; bottom squark masses up to 800 (840) GeV are excluded for the $\tilde{\chi}_1^0$ mass below 360 (100) GeV whilst differences in mass above 100 GeV between the $\tilde{b}_1$ and the $\tilde{\chi}_1^0$ are excluded up to a $\tilde{b}_1$ mass of 500 GeV.
Results from a search for supersymmetry in events with four or more charged leptons (electrons, muons and taus) are presented. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Four-lepton signal regions with up to two hadronically decaying taus are designed to target a range of supersymmetric scenarios that can be either enriched in or depleted of events involving the production and decay of a $Z$ boson. Data yields are consistent with Standard Model expectations and results are used to set upper limits on the event yields from processes beyond the Standard Model. Exclusion limits are set at the 95% confidence level in simplified models of General Gauge Mediated supersymmetry, where higgsino masses are excluded up to 295 GeV. In $R$-parity-violating simplified models with decays of the lightest supersymmetric particle to charged leptons, lower limits of 1.46 TeV, 1.06 TeV, and 2.25 TeV are placed on wino, slepton and gluino masses, respectively.
The modification of the production of $J/\psi$, $\psi(\mathrm{2S})$, and $\mit{\Upsilon}(n\mathrm{S})$ ($n = 1, 2, 3$) in $p$+Pb collisions with respect to their production in $pp$ collisions has been studied. The $p$+Pb and $pp$ datasets used in this paper correspond to integrated luminosities of $28$ $\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$ and $25$ $\mathrm{pb}^{-1}$ respectively, collected in 2013 and 2015 by the ATLAS detector at the LHC, both at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV. The quarkonium states are reconstructed in the dimuon decay channel. The yields of $J/\psi$ and $\psi(\mathrm{2S})$ are separated into prompt and non-prompt sources. The measured quarkonium differential cross sections are presented as a function of rapidity and transverse momentum, as is the nuclear modification factor, $R_{p\mathrm{Pb}}$ for $J/\psi$ and $\mit{\Upsilon}(\mathrm{1S})$. No significant modification of the $J/\psi$ production is observed while $\mit{\Upsilon}(\mathrm{1S})$ production is found to be suppressed at low transverse momentum in $p$+Pb collisions relative to $pp$ collisions. The production of excited charmonium and bottomonium states is found to be suppressed relative to that of the ground states in central $p$+Pb collisions.
Two-particle pseudorapidity correlations are measured in $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}$ = 2.76 TeV Pb+Pb, $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV $p$+Pb, and $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV $pp$ collisions at the LHC, with total integrated luminosities of approximately 7 $\mu\mathrm{b}^{-1}$, 28 $\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$, and 65 $\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$, respectively. The correlation function $C_{\rm N}(\eta_1,\eta_2)$ is measured as a function of event multiplicity using charged particles in the pseudorapidity range $|\eta|<2.4$. The correlation function contains a significant short-range component, which is estimated and subtracted. After removal of the short-range component, the shape of the correlation function is described approximately by $1+\langle{a_1^2}\rangle \eta_1\eta_2$ in all collision systems over the full multiplicity range. The values of $\sqrt{\langle{a_1^2}\rangle}$ are consistent between the opposite-charge pairs and same-charge pairs, and for the three collision systems at similar multiplicity. The values of $\sqrt{\langle{a_1^2}\rangle}$ and the magnitude of the short-range component both follow a power-law dependence on the event multiplicity. The $\eta$ distribution of the short-range component, after symmetrizing the proton and lead directions in $p$+Pb collisions, is found to be smaller than that in $pp$ collisions with comparable multiplicity.
The production of the prompt charm mesons $D^0$, $D^+$, $D^{*+}$, and their antiparticles, was measured with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC, at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=2.76$ TeV per nucleon--nucleon collision. The $p_{\rm T}$-differential production yields in the range $2<p_{\rm T}<16$ GeV/c at central rapidity, $|y|<0.5$, were used to calculate the nuclear modification factor $R_{AA}$ with respect to a proton-proton reference obtained from the cross section measured at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and scaled to $\sqrt{s}=2.76$ TeV. For the three meson species, $R_{AA}$ shows a suppression by a factor 3-4, for transverse momenta larger than 5 GeV/c in the 20% most central collisions. The suppression is reduced for peripheral collisions.
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.
We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants ($C_{5}$, $C_{6}$) and factorial cumulants ($\kappa_{5}$, $\kappa_{6}$) of net-proton and proton distributions, from $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 3 - 200$ GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. The net-proton cumulant ratios generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3 GeV. $C_{6}/C_{2}$ for 0-40% centrality collisions is increasingly negative with decreasing $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$, while it is positive for the lowest $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (at baryon chemical potential, $\mu_{B} \leq$ 110 MeV) that include a crossover quark-hadron transition. In addition, for $\sqrt{s_{NN}} \geq$ 11.5 GeV, the measured proton $\kappa_{n}$, within uncertainties, does not support the two-component shape of proton distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyper-order proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, $\mu_{B}\sim 750$ MeV ($\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3 GeV) is starkly different from those at vanishing $\mu_{B}\sim 20$MeV ($\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV and higher).
Inclusive jet production cross-sections are measured in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=$8 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. The total integrated luminosity of the analysed data set amounts to $20.2$ fb$^{-1}$. Double-differential cross-sections are measured for jets defined by the anti-$k_{t}$ jet clustering algorithm with radius parameters of $R=0.4$ and $R=0.6$ and are presented as a function of the jet transverse momentum, in the range between 70 GeV and 2.5 TeV and in six bins of the absolute jet rapidity, between 0 and 3.0. The measured cross-sections are compared to predictions of quantum chromodynamics, calculated at next-to-leading order in perturbation theory, and corrected for non-perturbative and electroweak effects. The level of agreement with predictions, using a selection of different parton distribution functions for the proton, is quantified. Tensions between the data and the theory predictions are observed.
A search for direct pair production of top squarks in final states with two tau leptons, $b$-jets, and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015 and 2016. Two exclusive channels with either two hadronically decaying tau leptons or one hadronically and one leptonically decaying tau lepton are considered. No significant deviation from the Standard Model predictions is observed in the data. The analysis results are interpreted in terms of model-independent limits and used to derive exclusion limits on the masses of the top squark $\tilde t_1$ and the tau slepton $\tilde \tau_1$ in a simplified model of supersymmetry with a nearly massless gravitino. In this model, masses up to $m(\tilde t_1) = 1.16$ TeV and $m(\tilde \tau_1) = 1.00$ TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level.
Multi-particle cumulants and corresponding Fourier harmonics are measured for azimuthal angle distributions of charged particles in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 5.02 and 13 TeV and in $p$+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV, and compared to the results obtained for low-multiplicity Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV. These measurements aim to assess the collective nature of particle production. The measurements of multi-particle cumulants confirm the evidence for collective phenomena in $p$+Pb and low-multiplicity Pb+Pb collisions. On the other hand, the $pp$ results for four-particle cumulants do not demonstrate collective behaviour, indicating that they may be biased by contributions from non-flow correlations. A comparison of multi-particle cumulants and derived Fourier harmonics across different collision systems is presented as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity. For a given multiplicity, the measured Fourier harmonics are largest in Pb+Pb, smaller in $p$+Pb and smallest in $pp$ collisions. The $pp$ results show no dependence on the collision energy, nor on the multiplicity.
This paper presents a measurement of jet fragmentation functions in 0.49 nb$^{-1}$ of Pb+Pb collisions and 25 pb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV collected in 2015 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. These measurements provide insight into the jet quenching process in the quark-gluon plasma created in the aftermath of ultra-relativistic collisions between two nuclei. The modifications to the jet fragmentation functions are quantified by dividing the measurements in Pb+Pb collisions by baseline measurements in $pp$ collisions. This ratio is studied as a function of the transverse momentum of the jet, the jet rapidity, and the centrality of the collision. In both collision systems, the jet fragmentation functions are measured for jets with transverse momentum between 126 GeV and 398 GeV and with an absolute value of jet rapidity less than 2.1. An enhancement of particles carrying a small fraction of the jet momentum is observed, which increases with centrality and with increasing jet transverse momentum. Yields of particles carrying a very large fraction of the jet momentum are also observed to be enhanced. Between these two enhancements of the fragmentation functions a suppression of particles carrying an intermediate fraction of the jet momentum is observed in Pb+Pb collisions. A small dependence of the modifications on jet rapidity is observed.
Results of a search for the pair production of photon-jets$-$collimated groupings of photons$-$in the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. Highly collimated photon-jets can arise from the decay of new, highly boosted particles that can decay to multiple photons collimated enough to be identified in the electromagnetic calorimeter as a single, photonlike energy cluster. Data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.7 fb$^{-1}$, were collected in 2015 and 2016. Candidate photon-jet pair production events are selected from those containing two reconstructed photons using a set of identification criteria much less stringent than that typically used for the selection of photons, with additional criteria applied to provide improved sensitivity to photon-jets. Narrow excesses in the reconstructed diphoton mass spectra are searched for. The observed mass spectra are consistent with the Standard Model background expectation. The results are interpreted in the context of a model containing a new, high-mass scalar particle with narrow width, $X$, that decays into pairs of photon-jets via new, light particles, $a$. Upper limits are placed on the cross section times the product of branching ratios $\sigma \times \mathcal{B}(X \rightarrow aa) \times \mathcal {B}(a \rightarrow \gamma \gamma)^{2}$ for 200 GeV $< m_{X} <$ 2 TeV and for ranges of $ m_a $ from a lower mass of 100 MeV up to between 2 and 10 GeV, depending upon $ m_X $. Upper limits are also placed on $\sigma \times \mathcal{B}(X \rightarrow aa) \times \mathcal {B}(a \rightarrow 3\pi^{0})^{2}$ for the same range of $ m_X $ and for ranges of $ m_a $ from a lower mass of 500 MeV up to between 2 and 10 GeV.
A measurement of the total $pp$ cross section at the LHC at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV is presented. An integrated luminosity of $500$ $\mu$b$^{-1}$ was accumulated in a special run with high-$\beta^{\star}$ beam optics to measure the differential elastic cross section as a function of the Mandelstam momentum transfer variable $t$. The measurement is performed with the ALFA sub-detector of ATLAS. Using a fit to the differential elastic cross section in the $-t$ range from $0.014$ GeV$^2$ to $0.1$ GeV$^2$ to extrapolate $t\rightarrow 0$, the total cross section, $\sigma_{\mathrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X)$, is measured via the optical theorem to be: $\sigma_{\mathrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X) = {96.07} \; \pm 0.18 \; ({{stat.}}) \pm 0.85 \; ({{exp.}}) \pm 0.31 \; ({extr.}) \; {mb} \;,$ where the first error is statistical, the second accounts for all experimental systematic uncertainties and the last is related to uncertainties in the extrapolation $t\rightarrow 0$. In addition, the slope of the exponential function describing the elastic cross section at small $t$ is determined to be $B = 19.74 \pm 0.05 \; ({{stat.}}) \pm 0.23 \; ({{syst.}}) \; {GeV}^{-2}$.
The dijet production cross section for jets containing a $b$-hadron ($b$-jets) has been measured in proton-proton collisions with a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.2 fb$^{-1}$. The cross section is measured for events with two identified $b$-jets with a transverse momentum $p_T > 20$ GeV and a minimum separation in the $\eta$-$\phi$ plane of $\Delta R = 0.4$. At least one of the jets in the event is required to have $p_T > 270$ GeV. The cross section is measured differentially as a function of dijet invariant mass, dijet transverse momentum, boost of the dijet system, and the rapidity difference, azimuthal angle and angular distance between the $b$-jets. The results are compared to different predictions of leading order and next-to-leading order perturbative quantum chromodynamics matrix elements supplemented with models for parton-showers and hadronization.
A selection of searches by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC for the electroweak production of SUSY particles are used to study their impact on the constraints on dark matter candidates. The searches use $20\,{\rm fb}^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV. A likelihood-driven scan of a five-dimensional effective model focusing on the gaugino--higgsino and Higgs sector of the phenomenological minimal supersymmetric Standard Model is performed. This scan uses data from direct dark matter detection experiments, the relic dark matter density and precision flavour physics results. Further constraints from the ATLAS Higgs mass measurement and SUSY searches at LEP are also applied. A subset of models selected from this scan are used to assess the impact of the selected ATLAS searches in this five-dimensional parameter space. These ATLAS searches substantially impact those models for which the mass $m(\tilde{\chi}^0_1)$ of the lightest neutralino is less than 65 GeV, excluding 86% of such models. The searches have limited impact on models with larger $m(\tilde{\chi}^0_1)$ due to either heavy electroweakinos or compressed mass spectra where the mass splittings between the produced particles and the lightest supersymmetric particle is small.
The dynamics of isolated-photon plus one-, two- and three-jet production in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV are studied with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using a data set with an integrated luminosity of 20.2 fb$^{-1}$. Measurements of isolated-photon plus jets cross sections are presented as functions of the photon and jet transverse momenta. The cross sections as functions of the azimuthal angle between the photon and the jets, the azimuthal angle between the jets, the photon-jet invariant mass and the scattering angle in the photon-jet centre-of-mass system are presented. The pattern of QCD radiation around the photon and the leading jet is investigated by measuring jet production in an annular region centred on each object; enhancements are observed around the leading jet with respect to the photon in the directions towards the beams. The experimental measurements are compared to several different theoretical calculations, and overall a good description of the data is found.
Correlations of two flow harmonics $v_n$ and $v_m$ via three- and four-particle cumulants are measured in 13 TeV $pp$, 5.02 TeV $p$+Pb, and 2.76 TeV peripheral Pb+Pb collisions with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The goal is to understand the multi-particle nature of the long-range collective phenomenon in these collision systems. The large non-flow background from dijet production present in the standard cumulant method is suppressed using a method of subevent cumulants involving two, three and four subevents separated in pseudorapidity. The results show a negative correlation between $v_2$ and $v_3$ and a positive correlation between $v_2$ and $v_4$ for all collision systems and over the full multiplicity range. However, the magnitudes of the correlations are found to depend strongly on the event multiplicity, the choice of transverse momentum range and collision system. The relative correlation strength, obtained by normalisation of the cumulants with the $\langle v_n^2\rangle$ from a two-particle correlation analysis, is similar in the three collision systems and depends weakly on the event multiplicity and transverse momentum. These results based on the subevent methods provide strong evidence of a similar long-range multi-particle collectivity in $pp$, $p$+Pb and peripheral Pb+Pb collisions.
A search for heavy long-lived multi-charged particles is performed using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Data with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ collected in 2015 and 2016 from proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV are examined. Particles producing anomalously high ionization, consistent with long-lived massive particles with electric charges from |q|=2e to |q|=7e, are searched for. No events are observed, and 95% confidence level cross-section upper limits are interpreted as lower mass limits for a Drell-Yan production model. Multi-charged particles with masses between 50 GeV and 980-1220 GeV (depending on their electric charge) are excluded.
Measurements of the sphericity of primary charged particles in minimum bias proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=0.9$, 2.76 and 7 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC are presented. The observable is linearized to be collinear safe and is measured in the plane perpendicular to the beam direction using primary charged tracks with $p_{\rm T}\geq0.5$ GeV/c in $|\eta|\leq0.8$. The mean sphericity as a function of the charged particle multiplicity at mid-rapidity ($N_{\rm ch}$) is reported for events with different $p_{\rm T}$ scales ("soft" and "hard") defined by the transverse momentum of the leading particle. In addition, the mean charged particle transverse momentum versus multiplicity is presented for the different event classes, and the sphericity distributions in bins of multiplicity are presented. The data are compared with calculations of standard Monte Carlo event generators. The transverse sphericity is found to grow with multiplicity at all collision energies, with a steeper rise at low $N_{\rm ch}$, whereas the event generators show the opposite tendency. The combined study of the sphericity and the mean $p_{\rm T}$ with multiplicity indicates that most of the tested event generators produce events with higher multiplicity by generating more back-to-back jets resulting in decreased sphericity (and isotropy). The PYTHIA6 generator with tune PERUGIA-2011 exhibits a noticeable improvement in describing the data, compared to the other tested generators.
The centrality dependence of the charged-particle multiplicity density at mid-rapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV is presented. The charged-particle density normalized per participating nucleon pair increases by about a factor 2 from peripheral (70-80%) to central (0-5%) collisions. The centrality dependence is found to be similar to that observed at lower collision energies. The data are compared with models based on different mechanisms for particle production in nuclear collisions.
We present measurements of Underlying Event observables in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 0.9 and 7 TeV. The analysis is performed as a function of the highest charged-particle transverse momentum $p_{\rm T, LT}$ in the event. Different regions are defined with respect to the azimuthal direction of the leading (highest transverse momentum) track: Toward, Transverse and Away. The Toward and Away regions collect the fragmentation products of the hardest partonic interaction. The Transverse region is expected to be most sensitive to the Underlying Event activity. The study is performed with charged particles above three different $p_{\rm T}$ thresholds: 0.15, 0.5 and 1.0 GeV/$c$. In the Transverse region we observe an increase in the multiplicity of a factor 2-3 between the lower and higher collision energies, depending on the track $p){\rm T}$ threshold considered. Data are compared to Pythia 6.4, Pythia 8.1 and Phojet. On average, all models considered underestimate the multiplicity and summed $p_{\rm T}$ in the Transverse region by about 10-30%.
The effect of event background fluctuations on charged particle jet reconstruction in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV has been measured with the ALICE experiment. The main sources of non-statistical fluctuations are characterized based purely on experimental data with an unbiased method, as well as by using single high $p_{\rm T}$ particles and simulated jets embedded into real Pb-Pb events and reconstructed with the anti-$k_{\rm T}$ jet finder. The influence of a low transverse momentum cut-off on particles used in the jet reconstruction is quantified by varying the minimum track $p_{\rm T}$ between 0.15 GeV/$c$ and 2 GeV/$c$. For embedded jets reconstructed from charged particles with $p_{\rm T} > 0.15$ GeV/$c$, the uncertainty in the reconstructed jet transverse momentum due to the heavy-ion background is measured to be 11.3 GeV/$c$ (standard deviation) for the 10% most central Pb-Pb collisions, slightly larger than the value of 11.0 GeV/$c$ measured using the unbiased method. For a higher particle transverse momentum threshold of 2 GeV/$c$, which will generate a stronger bias towards hard fragmentation in the jet finding process, the standard deviation of the fluctuations in the reconstructed jet transverse momentum is reduced to 4.8-5.0 GeV/$c$ for the 10% most central events. A non-Gaussian tail of the momentum uncertainty is observed and its impact on the reconstructed jet spectrum is evaluated for varying particle momentum thresholds, by folding the measured fluctuations with steeply falling spectra.
The first measurement of neutron emission in electromagnetic dissociation of $^{208}$Pb nuclei at the LHC is presented. The measurement is performed using the neutron Zero Degree Calorimeters of the ALICE experiment, which detect neutral particles close to beam rapidity. The measured cross sections of single and mutual electromagnetic dissociation of Pb nuclei at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV with neutron emission are $\sigma_{\rm single\ EMD} = 187.4\pm0.2$ (stat.) $^{+13.2} _{-11.2}$ (syst.) b and $\sigma_{\rm mutual\ EMD} = 5.7\pm0.1$ (stat.) $\pm$0.4 (syst.) b, respectively. The experimental results are compared to the predictions from a relativistic electromagnetic dissociation model.
We report on measurements of sequential $\Upsilon$ suppression in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_\mathrm{NN}}}$ = 200 GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) through both the dielectron and dimuon decay channels. In the 0-60% centrality class, the nuclear modification factors ($R_{\mathrm{AA}}$), which quantify the level of yield suppression in heavy-ion collisions compared to $p$+$p$ collisions, for $\Upsilon$(1S) and $\Upsilon$(2S) are $0.40 \pm 0.03~\textrm{(stat.)} \pm 0.03~\textrm{(sys.)} \pm 0.09~\textrm{(norm.)}$ and $0.26 \pm 0.08~\textrm{(stat.)} \pm 0.02~\textrm{(sys.)} \pm 0.06~\textrm{(norm.)}$, respectively, while the upper limit of the $\Upsilon$(3S) $R_{\mathrm{AA}}$ is 0.17 at a 95% confidence level. This provides experimental evidence that the $\Upsilon$(3S) is significantly more suppressed than the $\Upsilon$(1S) at RHIC. The level of suppression for $\Upsilon$(1S) is comparable to that observed at the much higher collision energy at the Large Hadron Collider. These results point to the creation of a medium at RHIC whose temperature is sufficiently high to strongly suppress excited $\Upsilon$ states.
This paper reports a search for triboson $W^{\pm}W^{\pm}W^{\mp}$ production in two decay channels ($W^{\pm}W^{\pm}W^{\mp}\rightarrow \ell^{\pm}\nu\ell^{\pm}\nu\ell^{\mp}\nu$ and $W^{\pm}W^{\pm}W^{\mp}\rightarrow \ell^{\pm}\nu\ell^{\pm}\nu{}jj$ with $\ell=e, \mu$) in proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events with exactly three charged leptons, or two leptons with the same electric charge in association with two jets, are selected. The total number of events observed in data is consistent with the Standard Model (SM) predictions. The observed 95 % confidence level upper limit on the SM $W^{\pm}W^{\pm}W^{\mp}$ production cross section is found to be 730 fb with an expected limit of 560 fb in the absence of SM $W^{\pm}W^{\pm}W^{\mp}$ production. Limits are also set on $WWWW$ anomalous quartic gauge couplings.
The production of two prompt $J/\psi$ mesons, each with transverse momenta $p_{\mathrm{T}}>8.5$ GeV and rapidity $|y| < 2.1$, is studied using a sample of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 11.4 fb$^{-1}$ collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The differential cross-section, assuming unpolarised $J/\psi$ production, is measured as a function of the transverse momentum of the lower-$p_{\mathrm{T}}$ $J/\psi$ meson, di-$J/\psi$ $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ and mass, the difference in rapidity between the two $J/\psi$ mesons, and the azimuthal angle between the two $J/\psi$ mesons. The fraction of prompt pair events due to double parton scattering is determined by studying kinematic correlations between the two $J/\psi$ mesons. The total and double parton scattering cross-sections are compared with predictions. The effective cross-section of double parton scattering is measured to be $\sigma_{\mathrm{eff}} = 6.3 \pm 1.6 \mathrm{(stat)} \pm 1.0 \mathrm{(syst)}$ mb.
Measurements of the $W^{\pm} \rightarrow \ell^{\pm} \nu$ and $Z \rightarrow \ell^+ \ell^-$ production cross sections (where $\ell^{\pm}=e^{\pm},\mu^{\pm}$) in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV are presented using data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 81 pb$^{-1}$ The total inclusive $W^{\pm}$-boson production cross sections times the single-lepton-flavour branching ratios are $\sigma_{W^+}^{tot}= 11.83 \pm 0.02 (stat) \pm 0.32 (sys) \pm 0.25 (lumi)$ nb and $\sigma_{W^-}^{tot} = 8.79 \pm 0.02 (stat) \pm 0.24 (sys) \pm 0.18 (lumi)$ nb for $W^+$ and $W^-$, respectively. The total inclusive $Z$-boson production cross section times leptonic branching ratio, within the invariant mass window $66 < m_{\ell\ell} < 116$ GeV, is $\sigma_{Z}^{tot} = 1.981 \pm 0.007 (stat) \pm 0.038 (sys) \pm 0.042 (lumi)$ nb. The $W^+$, $W^-$, and $Z$-boson production cross sections and cross-section ratios within a fiducial region defined by the detector acceptance are also measured. The cross-section ratios benefit from significant cancellation of experimental uncertainties, resulting in $\sigma_{W^+}^{fid}/\sigma_{W^-}^{fid} = 1.295 \pm 0.003 (stat) \pm 0.010 (sys)$ and $\sigma_{W^{\pm}}^{fid}/\sigma_{Z}^{fid} = 10.31 \pm 0.04 (stat) \pm 0.20 (sys)$. Theoretical predictions, based on calculations accurate to next-to-next-to-leading order for quantum chromodynamics and to next-to-leading order for electroweak processes and which employ different parton distribution function sets, are compared to these measurements.
Inclusive four-jet events produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV are analysed for the presence of hard double-parton scattering using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 37.3 pb$^{-1}$, collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The contribution of hard double-parton scattering to the production of four-jet events is extracted using an artificial neural network, assuming that hard double-parton scattering can be approximated by an uncorrelated overlaying of dijet events. For events containing at least four jets with transverse momentum $p_{\mathrm{T}} \geq 20$ GeV and pseudorapidity $\eta \leq 4.4$, and at least one having $p_{\mathrm{T}} \geq 42.5$ GeV, the contribution of hard double-parton scattering is estimated to be $f_{\mathrm{DPS}} = 0.092 ^{+0.005}_{-0.011} (\mathrm{stat.}) ^{+0.033}_{-0.037} (\mathrm{syst.})$. After combining this measurement with those of the inclusive dijet and four-jet cross-sections in the appropriate phase space regions, the effective overlap area between the interacting protons, $\sigma_{\mathrm{eff}}$, was determined to be $\sigma_{\mathrm{eff}} = 14.9 ^{+1.2}_{-1.0} (\mathrm{stat.}) ^{+5.1}_{-3.8} (\mathrm{syst.})$ mb. This result is consistent within the quoted uncertainties with previous measurements of $\sigma_{\mathrm{eff}}$, performed at centre-of-mass energies between 63 GeV and 8 TeV using various final states, and it corresponds to $21^{+7}_{-6}$% of the total inelastic cross-section measured at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV. The distributions of the observables sensitive to the contribution of hard double-parton scattering, corrected for detector effects, are also provided.
A search for supersymmetric partners of top quarks decaying as $\tilde{t}_1\to c\tilde\chi^0_1$ and supersymmetric partners of charm quarks decaying as $\tilde{c}_1\to c\tilde\chi^0_1$, where $\tilde\chi^0_1$ is the lightest neutralino, is presented. The search uses 36.1 ${\rm fb}^{-1}$ $pp$ collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider and is performed in final states with jets identified as containing charm hadrons. Assuming a 100% branching ratio to $c\tilde\chi^0_1$, top and charm squarks with masses up to 850 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level for a massless lightest neutralino. For $m_{\tilde{t}_1,\tilde{c}_1}-m_{\tilde\chi^0_1}
Inclusive isolated-photon production in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV is studied with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using a data set with an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb$^{-1}$. The cross section is measured as a function of the photon transverse energy above 125 GeV in different regions of photon pseudorapidity. Next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD and Monte Carlo event-generator predictions are compared to the cross-section measurements and provide an adequate description of the data.
The inclusive transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) distributions of primary charged particles are measured in the pseudo-rapidity range $|\eta|<0.8$ as a function of event centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}=2.76$ TeV with ALICE at the LHC. The data are presented in the $p_{\rm T}$ range $0.15<p_{\rm T}<50$ GeV/$c$ for nine centrality intervals from 70-80% to 0-5%. The Pb-Pb spectra are presented in terms of the nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm{AA}}$ using a pp reference spectrum measured at the same collision energy. We observe that the suppression of high-$p_{\rm T}$ particles strongly depends on event centrality. In central collisions (0-5%) the yield is most suppressed with $R_{\rm{AA}}\approx0.13$ at $p_{\rm T}=6$-7 GeV/$c$. Above $p_{\rm T}=7$ GeV/$c$, there is a significant rise in the nuclear modification factor, which reaches $R_{\rm{AA}} \approx0.4$ for $p_{\rm T}>30$ GeV/$c$. In peripheral collisions (70-80%), the suppression is weaker with $R_{\rm{AA}} \approx 0.7$ almost independently of $p_{\rm T}$. The measured nuclear modification factors are compared to other measurements and model calculations.