The mass of the top quark is measured in 36.3 fb$^{-1}$ of LHC proton-proton collision data collected with the CMS detector at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. The measurement uses a sample of top quark pair candidate events containing one isolated electron or muon and at least four jets in the final state. For each event, the mass is reconstructed from a kinematic fit of the decay products to a top quark pair hypothesis. A profile likelihood method is applied using up to four observables to extract the top quark mass. The top quark mass is measured to be 171.77 $\pm$ 0.37 GeV. This approach significantly improves the precision over previous measurements.
A search for diphoton resonances in the mass range between 10 and 70 GeV with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is presented. The analysis is based on $pp$ collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded from 2015 to 2018. Previous searches for diphoton resonances at the LHC have explored masses down to 65 GeV, finding no evidence of new particles. This search exploits the particular kinematics of events with pairs of closely spaced photons reconstructed in the detector, allowing examination of invariant masses down to 10 GeV. The presented strategy covers a region previously unexplored at hadron colliders because of the experimental challenges of recording low-energy photons and estimating the backgrounds. No significant excess is observed and the reported limits provide the strongest bound on promptly decaying axion-like particles coupling to gluons and photons for masses between 10 and 70 GeV.
Measurements of the differential production cross-sections of prompt and non-prompt $J/\psi$ and $\psi(2$S$)$ mesons with transverse momenta between 8 and 360 GeV and rapidity in the range $|y|<2$ are reported. Furthermore, measurements of the non-prompt fractions of $J/\psi$ and $\psi(2$S$)$, and the prompt and non-prompt $\psi(2$S$)$-to-$J/\psi$ production ratios, are presented. The analysis is performed using 140 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV $pp$ collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC during the years 2015-2018.
According to first-principle lattice QCD calculations, the transition from quark-gluon plasma to hadronic matter is a smooth crossover in the region μB ≤ T c. In this range the ratio, C6=C2, of net-baryon distributions are predicted to be negative. In this Letter, we report the first measurement of the midrapidity net-proton C6=C2 from 27, 54.4, and 200 GeV Au þ Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The dependence on collision centrality and kinematic acceptance in (p T , y) are analyzed. While for 27 and 54.4 GeV collisions the C6=C2 values are close to zero within uncertainties, it is observed that for 200 GeV collisions, the C6=C2 ratio becomes progressively negative from peripheral to central collisions. Transport model calculations without critical dynamics predict mostly positive values except for the most central collisions within uncertainties. These observations seem to favor a smooth crossover in the high-energy nuclear collisions at top RHIC energy.
We present STAR measurements of azimuthal anisotropy by means of the two- and four-particle cumulants $v_2$ ($v_2\{2\}$ and $v_2\{4\}$) for Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at center of mass energies $\sqrt{s_{_{\mathrm{NN}}}} = 62.4$ and 200 GeV. The difference between $v_2\{2\}^2$ and $v_2\{4\}^2$ is related to $v_{2}$ fluctuations ($\sigma_{v_2}$) and nonflow $(\delta_{2})$. We present an upper limit to $\sigma_{v_2}/v_{2}$. Following the assumption that eccentricity fluctuations $\sigma_{\epsilon}$ dominate $v_2$ fluctuations $\frac{\sigma_{v_2}}{v_2} \approx \frac{\sigma_{\epsilon}}{\epsilon}$ we deduce the nonflow implied for several models of eccentricity fluctuations that would be required for consistency with $v_2\{2\}$ and $v_2\{4\}$. We also present results on the ratio of $v_2$ to eccentricity.
A search for a new massive charged gauge boson, $W'$, is performed with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The dataset used in this analysis was collected from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} =13$ TeV, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. The reconstructed $tb$ invariant mass is used to search for a $W'$ boson decaying into a top quark and a bottom quark. The result is interpreted in terms of a $W'$ boson with purely right-handed or left-handed chirality in a mass range of 0.5-6 TeV. Different values for the coupling of the $W'$ boson to the top and bottom quarks are considered, taking into account interference with single-top-quark production in the $s$-channel. No significant deviation from the background prediction is observed. The results are expressed as upper limits on the $W' \rightarrow tb$ production cross-section times branching ratio as a function of the $W'$-boson mass and in the plane of the coupling vs the $W'$-boson mass.
A search for a long-lived, heavy neutral lepton ($\mathcal{N}$) in 139 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV $pp$ collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is reported. The $\mathcal{N}$ is produced via $W \rightarrow \mathcal{N} \mu$ or $W \rightarrow \mathcal{N} e$ and decays into two charged leptons and a neutrino, forming a displaced vertex. The $\mathcal{N}$ mass is used to discriminate between signal and background. No signal is observed, and limits are set on the squared mixing parameters of the $\mathcal{N}$ with the left-handed neutrino states for the $\mathcal{N}$ mass range $3$ GeV $< m_{\mathcal{N}} < 15$ GeV. For the first time, limits are given for both single-flavor and multiflavor mixing scenarios motivated by neutrino flavor oscillation results for both the normal and inverted neutrino-mass hierarchies.
A search for a charged Higgs boson H$^\pm$ decaying into a heavy neutral Higgs boson H and a W boson is presented. The analysis targets the H decay into a pair of tau leptons with at least one of them decaying hadronically and with an additional electron or muon present in the event. The search is based on proton-proton collision data recorded by the CMS experiment during 2016-2018 at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The data are consistent with standard model background expectations. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the product of the cross section and branching fraction for an H$^\pm$ in the mass range of 300-700 GeV, assuming an H with a mass of 200 GeV. The observed limits range from 0.085 pb for an H$^\pm$ mass of 300 GeV to 0.019 pb for a mass of 700 GeV. These are the first limits on H$^\pm$ production in the H$^\pm$ $\to$ HW$^\pm$ decay channel at the LHC.
A search is described for the production of a pair of bottom-type vector-like quarks (B VLQs) with mass greater than 1000 GeV. Each B VLQ decays into a b quark and a Higgs boson, a b quark and a Z boson, or a t quark and a W boson. This analysis considers both fully hadronic final states and those containing a charged lepton pair from a Z boson decay. The products of the H $to$ bb boson decay and of the hadronic Z or W boson decays can be resolved as two distinct jets or merged into a single jet, so the final states are classified by the number of reconstructed jets. The analysis uses data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ collected in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC from 2016 to 2018. No excess over the expected background is observed. Lower limits are set on the B VLQ mass at 95% confidence level. These depend on the B VLQ branching fractions and are 1570 and 1540 GeV for 100% B $\to$ bH and 100% B $\to$ bZ, respectively. In most cases, the mass limits obtained exceed previous limits by at least 100 GeV.
Differential cross sections for top quark pair ($\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$) production are measured in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV using a sample of events containing two oppositely charged leptons. The data were recorded with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The differential cross sections are measured as functions of kinematic observables of the $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ system, the top quark and antiquark and their decay products, as well as of the number of additional jets in the event. The results are presented as functions of up to three variables and are corrected to the parton and particle levels. When compared to standard model predictions based on quantum chromodynamics at different levels of accuracy, it is found that the calculations do not always describe the observed data. The deviations are found to be largest for the multi-differential cross sections.
A search is presented for new Higgs bosons in proton-proton (pp) collision events in which a same-sign top quark pair is produced in association with a jet, via the pp $\to$ tH/A $\to$ t$\mathrm{\bar{t}}$c and pp $\to$ tH/A $\to$ t$\mathrm{\bar{t}}$u processes. Here, H and A represent the extra scalar and pseudoscalar boson, respectively, of the second Higgs doublet in the generalized two-Higgs-doublet model (g2HDM). The search is based on pp collision data collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Final states with a same-sign lepton pair in association with jets and missing transverse momentum are considered. New Higgs bosons in the 200-1000 GeV mass range and new Yukawa couplings between 0.1 and 1.0 are targeted in the search, for scenarios in which either H or A appear alone, or in which they coexist and interfere. No significant excess above the standard model prediction is observed. Exclusion limits are derived in the context of the g2HDM.
The results of a search for Higgs boson pair (HH) production in the WW*WW*, WW*$\tau\tau$, and $\tau\tau\tau\tau$ decay modes are presented. The search uses 138 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV from 2016 to 2018. Analyzed events contain two, three, or four reconstructed leptons, including electrons, muons, and hadronically decaying tau leptons. No evidence for a signal is found in the data. Upper limits are set on the cross section for nonresonant HH production, as well as resonant production in which a new heavy particle decays to a pair of Higgs bosons. For nonresonant production, the observed (expected) upper limit on the cross section at 95% confidence level (CL) is 21.3 (19.4) times the standard model (SM) prediction. The observed (expected) ratio of the trilinear Higgs boson self-coupling to its value in the SM is constrained to be within the interval $-$6.9 to 11.1 ($-$6.9 to 11.7) at 95% CL, and limits are set on a variety of new-physics models using an effective field theory approach. The observed (expected) limits on the cross section for resonant HH production range from 0.18 to 0.90 (0.08 to 1.06) pb at 95% CL for new heavy-particle masses in the range 250-1000 GeV.
A search for an exotic decay of the Higgs boson to a Z boson and a light pseudoscalar particle (a), decaying to a pair of leptons and a pair of photons, respectively, is presented. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, collected with the CMS detector and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The analysis probes pseudoscalar masses $m_\mathrm{a}$ between 1 and 30 GeV, leading to two pairs of well-isolated leptons and photons. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the Higgs boson production cross section times its branching fraction to two leptons and two photons. The observed (expected) limits are in the range of 1.1-17.8 (1.7-17.9) fb within the probed $m_\mathrm{a}$ interval. An excess of data above the expected standard model background with a local (global) significance of 2.6 (1.3) standard deviations is observed for a mass hypothesis of $m_\mathrm{a}$ = 3 GeV. Limits on models involving axion-like particles, formulated as an effective field theory, are also reported.
A search for long-lived particles decaying into hadrons is presented. The analysis uses 139 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data collected at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV by the ATLAS detector at the LHC using events that contain multiple energetic jets and a displaced vertex. The search employs dedicated reconstruction techniques that significantly increase the sensitivity to long-lived particles decaying in the ATLAS inner detector. Background estimates for Standard Model processes and instrumental effects are extracted from data. The observed event yields are compatible with those expected from background processes. The results are used to set limits at 95% confidence level on model-independent cross sections for processes beyond the Standard Model, and on scenarios with pair-production of supersymmetric particles with long-lived electroweakinos that decay via a small $R$-parity-violating coupling. The pair-production of electroweakinos with masses below 1.5 TeV is excluded for mean proper lifetimes in the range from 0.03 ns to 1 ns. When produced in the decay of $m(\tilde{g})=2.4$ TeV gluinos, electroweakinos with $m(\tilde\chi^0_1)=1.5$ TeV are excluded with lifetimes in the range of 0.02 ns to 4 ns.
We report the triton ($t$) production in mid-rapidity ($|y| <$ 0.5) Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$= 7.7--200 GeV measured by the STAR experiment from the first phase of the beam energy scan at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The nuclear compound yield ratio ($\mathrm{N}_t \times \mathrm{N}_p/\mathrm{N}_d^2$), which is predicted to be sensitive to the fluctuation of local neutron density, is observed to decrease monotonically with increasing charged-particle multiplicity ($dN_{ch}/d\eta$) and follows a scaling behavior. The $dN_{ch}/d\eta$ dependence of the yield ratio is compared to calculations from coalescence and thermal models. Enhancements in the yield ratios relative to the coalescence baseline are observed in the 0%-10% most central collisions at 19.6 and 27 GeV, with a significance of 2.3$\sigma$ and 3.4$\sigma$, respectively, giving a combined significance of 4.1$\sigma$. The enhancements are not observed in peripheral collisions or model calculations without critical fluctuation, and decreases with a smaller $p_{T}$ acceptance. The physics implications of these results on the QCD phase structure and the production mechanism of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions are discussed.
A search for squarks and gluinos in events containing jets, missing transverse momentum and no electrons or muons is presented. The data were recorded in 2011 by the ATLAS experiment in sqrt(s) = 7 TeV proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. No excess above the Standard Model background expectation is observed in 1.04 fb^-1 of data. Gluino and squark masses below 700 GeV and 875 GeV respectively are excluded at the 95% confidence level in simplified models containing only squarks of the first two generations, a gluino octet and a massless neutralino. The exclusion limit increases to 1075 GeV for squarks and gluinos of equal mass. In MSUGRA/CMSSM models with tan(beta)=10, A_0=0 and mu> 0, squarks and gluinos of equal mass are excluded for masses below 950 GeV. These limits extend the region of supersymmetric parameter space excluded by previous measurements.
We present first measurements of charged and neutral particle-flow correlations in pp collisions using the ATLAS calorimeters. Data were collected in 2009 and 2010 at centre-of-mass energies of 900 GeV and 7 TeV. Events were selected using a minimum-bias trigger which required a charged particle in scintillation counters on either side of the interaction point. Particle flows, sensitive to the underlying event, are measured using clusters of energy in the ATLAS calorimeters, taking advantage of their fine granularity. No Monte Carlo generator used in this analysis can accurately describe the measurements. The results are independent of those based on charged particles measured by the ATLAS tracking systems and can be used to constrain the parameters of Monte Carlo generators.
A search for squarks and gluinos in final states containing jets, missing transverse momentum and no electrons or muons is presented. The data were recorded by the ATLAS experiment in sqrt(s) = 7 TeV proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. No excess above the Standard Model background expectation was observed in 35 inverse picobarns of analysed data. Gluino masses below 500 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level in simplified models containing only squarks of the first two generations, a gluino octet and a massless neutralino. The exclusion increases to 870 GeV for equal mass squarks and gluinos. In MSUGRA/CMSSM models with tan(beta)= 3, A_0=0 and mu>0, squarks and gluinos of equal mass are excluded below 775 GeV. These are the most stringent limits to date.
Results are presented of a search for any particle(s) decaying to six or more jets in association with missing transverse momentum. The search is performed using 1.34 fb^-1 of sqrt(s)=7 TeV proton-proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector during 2011. Data-driven techniques are used to determine the backgrounds in kinematic regions that require at least six, seven or eight jets, well beyond the multiplicities required in previous analyses. No evidence is found for physics beyond the Standard Model. The results are interpreted in the context of a supersymmetry model (MSUGRA/CMSSM) where they extend previous constraints.
Measurements of the inclusive and differential fiducial cross sections for the Higgs boson production in the H → ZZ → 4ℓ (ℓ = e, μ) decay channel are presented. The results are obtained from the analysis of proton-proton collision data recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{−1}$. The measured inclusive fiducial cross section is 2.73 ± 0.26 fb, in agreement with the standard model expectation of 2.86 ± 0.1 fb. Differential cross sections are measured as a function of several kinematic observables sensitive to the Higgs boson production and decay to four leptons. A set of double-differential measurements is also performed, yielding a comprehensive characterization of the four leptons final state. Constraints on the Higgs boson trilinear coupling and on the bottom and charm quark coupling modifiers are derived from its transverse momentum distribution. All results are consistent with theoretical predictions from the standard model.
Recent measurements of charm-baryon production in hadronic collisions have questioned the universality of charm-quark fragmentation across different collision systems. In this work the fragmentation of charm quarks into charm baryons is probed, by presenting the first measurement of the longitudinal jet momentum fraction carried by $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}$ baryons, $z^{\mathrm{ch}}_\mathrm{||}$, in hadronic collisions. The results are obtained in proton-proton (pp) collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV at the LHC, with $\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}$ baryons and charged (track-based) jets reconstructed in the transverse momentum intervals of $3 \leq p_{\rm T}^{\Lambda_{\rm c}^{+}} < 15$ GeV/$c$ and $7 \leq p_{\rm T}^{\rm jet\;ch} < 15$ GeV/$c$, respectively. The $z^{\mathrm{ch}}_\mathrm{||}$ distribution is compared to a measurement of ${\rm D}^0$-tagged charged jets in pp collisions as well as to PYTHIA 8 simulations. The data hints that the fragmentation of charm quarks into charm baryons is softer with respect to charm mesons, in the measured kinematic interval, as predicted by hadronisation models which include colour correlations beyond leading-colour in the string formation.
A search for ZZ and ZH production in the $\mathrm{b\bar{b}b\bar{b}}$ final state is presented, where H is the standard model (SM) Higgs boson. The search uses an event sample of proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 133 fb$^{-1}$ collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The analysis introduces several novel techniques for deriving and validating a multi-dimensional background model based on control samples in data. A multiclass multivariate classifier customized for the $\mathrm{b\bar{b}b\bar{b}}$ final state is developed to derive the background model and extract the signal. The data are found to be consistent, within uncertainties, with the SM predictions. The observed (expected) upper limits at 95% confidence level are found to be 3.8 (3.8) and 5.0 (2.9) times the SM prediction for the ZZ and ZH production cross sections, respectively.
Azimuthal anisotropies of muons from charm and bottom hadron decays are measured in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}= 5.02$ TeV. The data were collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015 and 2018 with integrated luminosities of $0.5~\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$ and $1.4~\mathrm{nb^{-1}}$, respectively. The kinematic selection for heavy-flavor muons requires transverse momentum $4 < p_\mathrm{T} < 30$ GeV and pseudorapidity $|\eta|<2.0$. The dominant sources of muons in this $p_\mathrm{T}$ range are semi-leptonic decays of charm and bottom hadrons. These heavy-flavor muons are separated from light-hadron decay muons and punch-through hadrons using the momentum imbalance between the measurements in the tracking detector and in the muon spectrometers. Azimuthal anisotropies, quantified by flow coefficients, are measured via the event-plane method for inclusive heavy-flavor muons as a function of the muon $p_\mathrm{T}$ and in intervals of Pb+Pb collision centrality. Heavy-flavor muons are separated into contributions from charm and bottom hadron decays using the muon transverse impact parameter with respect to the event primary vertex. Non-zero elliptic ($v_{2}$) and triangular ($v_{3}$) flow coefficients are extracted for charm and bottom muons, with the charm muon coefficients larger than those for bottom muons for all Pb+Pb collision centralities. The results indicate substantial modification to the charm and bottom quark angular distributions through interactions in the quark-gluon plasma produced in these Pb+Pb collisions, with smaller modifications for the bottom quarks as expected theoretically due to their larger mass.
Measurements of the midrapidity transverse energy distribution, $d\Et/d\eta$, are presented for $p$$+$$p$, $d$$+$Au, and Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV and additionally for Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=62.4$ and 130 GeV. The $d\Et/d\eta$ distributions are first compared with the number of nucleon participants $N_{\rm part}$, number of binary collisions $N_{\rm coll}$, and number of constituent-quark participants $N_{qp}$ calculated from a Glauber model based on the nuclear geometry. For Au$+$Au, $\mean{d\Et/d\eta}/N_{\rm part}$ increases with $N_{\rm part}$, while $\mean{d\Et/d\eta}/N_{qp}$ is approximately constant for all three energies. This indicates that the two component ansatz, $dE_{T}/d\eta \propto (1-x) N_{\rm part}/2 + x N_{\rm coll}$, which has been used to represent $E_T$ distributions, is simply a proxy for $N_{qp}$, and that the $N_{\rm coll}$ term does not represent a hard-scattering component in $E_T$ distributions. The $dE_{T}/d\eta$ distributions of Au$+$Au and $d$$+$Au are then calculated from the measured $p$$+$$p$ $E_T$ distribution using two models that both reproduce the Au$+$Au data. However, while the number-of-constituent-quark-participant model agrees well with the $d$$+$Au data, the additive-quark model does not.
The results of a search for direct pair production of the scalar partner to the top quark using an integrated luminosity of $20.1 \rm{fb}^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC are reported. The top squark is assumed to decay via $\tilde{t} \rightarrow t \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ or $\tilde{t}\rightarrow b\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm} \rightarrow b W^{\left(\ast\right)} \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$, where $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ ($\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$) denotes the lightest neutralino (chargino) in supersymmetric models. The search targets a fully-hadronic final state in events with four or more jets and large missing transverse momentum. No significant excess over the Standard Model background prediction is observed, and exclusion limits are reported in terms of the top squark and neutralino masses and as a function of the branching fraction of $\tilde{t} \rightarrow t \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$. For a branching fraction of 100%, top squark masses in the range 270-645 GeV are excluded for $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ masses below 30 GeV. For a branching fraction of 50% to either $\tilde{t} \rightarrow t \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ or $\tilde{t}\rightarrow b\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$, and assuming the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$ mass to be twice the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ mass, top squark masses in the range 250-550 GeV are excluded for $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ masses below 60 GeV.
Measurements of $W\gamma$ and $Z\gamma$ production in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV are used to extract limits on anomalous triple gauge couplings. The results are based on data recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC that correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 inverse femtobarns. The cross sections are measured for photon transverse momenta $p_T^{\gamma} \gt$ 15 GeV, and for separations between photons and final-state charged leptons in the pseudorapidity-azimuthal plane of $\Delta R(l, \gamma) \gt$ 0.7 in $l \nu \gamma$ and $ll \gamma$ final states, where l refers either to an electron or a muon. A dilepton invariant mass requirement of $m_{ll} \gt$ 50 GeV is imposed for the Z$\gamma$ process. No deviations are observed relative to predictions from the standard model, and limits are set on anomalous WW$\gamma$, ZZ$\gamma$, and Z$\gamma\gamma$ triple gauge couplings.
This Letter presents a measurement of WZ production in 1.02 fb^-1 of pp collision data at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment in 2011. Doubly leptonic decay events are selected with electrons, muons and missing transverse momentum in the final state. In total 71 candidates are observed, with a background expectation of 12.1 +/- 1.4(stat.) +4.1/-2.0(syst) events. The total cross section for WZ production for Z gamma^* masses within the range 66 GeV to 116 GeV is determined to be sigma_WZ^tot = 20.5 +3.1/-2.8(stat.) +1.4/-1.3(syst.) +0.9/-0.8(lumi.)pb, which is consistent with the Standard Model expectation of 17.3 +1.3/-0.8 pb. Limits on anomalous triple gauge boson couplings are extracted.
We present the first measurement of the production cross section of a W boson with a single charm quark (c) in p-pbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV, using soft muon tagging of c jets. In a data sample of ~1.8 fb-1, recorded with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron, we select events with W+1 or 2 jets. We use the charge correlation between the W and the muon from the semileptonic decay of a charm hadron to extract the Wc signal. We measure sigma_{Wc}(p_{Tc}>20 GeV/c, |\eta_c|<1.5)\times BR(W->\ell\nu) = 9.8+/-3.2 pb, in agreement with theoretical expectations.
An analysis is presented of events containing jets including at least one $b$-tagged jet, sizeable missing transverse momentum, and at least two leptons including a pair of the same electric charge, with the scalar sum of the jet and lepton transverse momenta being large. A data sample with an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is used. Standard Model processes rarely produce these final states, but there are several models of physics beyond the Standard Model that predict an enhanced rate of production of such events; the ones considered here are production of vector-like quarks, enhanced four-top-quark production, pair production of chiral $b^\prime$-quarks, and production of two positively charged top quarks. Eleven signal regions are defined; subsets of these regions are combined when searching for each class of models. In the three signal regions primarily sensitive to positively charged top quark pair production, the data yield is consistent with the background expectation. There are more data events than expected from background in the set of eight signal regions defined for searching for vector-like quarks and chiral $b^\prime$-quarks, but the significance of the discrepancy is less than two standard deviations. The discrepancy reaches 2.5 standard deviations in the set of five signal regions defined for searching for four-top-quark production. The results are used to set 95% CL limits on various models.
The b-hadron production cross section is measured with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using 3.3 pb^-1 of integrated luminosity, collected during the 2010 LHC run. The b-hadrons are selected by partially reconstructing D*muX final states. Differential cross sections are measured as functions of the transverse momentum and pseudorapidity. The measured production cross section for a b-hadron with pT>9 GeV and |eta|<2.5 is 32.7 pm 0.8 (stat) ^{+4.5}_{-6.8} (syst) ub, higher than the next-to-leading-order QCD predictions but consistent within the experimental and theoretical uncertainties.
Stringent limits are set on the long-lived lepton-like sector of the phenomenological minimal supersymmetric standard model (pMSSM) and the anomaly-mediated supersymmetry breaking (AMSB) model. The limits are derived from the results presented in a recent search for long-lived charged particles in proton-proton collisions, based on data collected by the CMS detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider. In the pMSSM parameter sub-space considered, 95.9% of the points predicting charginos with a lifetime of at least 10 ns are excluded. These constraints on the pMSSM are the first obtained at the LHC. Charginos with a lifetime greater than 100 ns and masses up to about 800 GeV in the AMSB model are also excluded. The method described can also be used to set constraints on other models.
We report a measurement of the differential cross section, d{\sigma}/d(cos {\theta}t), for top-quark-pair production as a function of the top-quark production angle in proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV. This measurement is performed using data collected with the CDF II detector at the Tevatron, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.4/fb. We employ the Legendre polynomials to characterize the shape of the differential cross section at the parton level. The observed Legendre coefficients are in good agreement with the prediction of the next-to-leading-order standard-model calculation, with the exception of an excess linear-term coefficient, a1 = 0.40 +- 0.12, compared to the standard-model prediction of a1 = 0.15^{+0.07}_{-0.03}.
A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three leptons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 20.3 fb-1 of sqrt(s) = 8 TeV proton--proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with the Standard Model expectations and limits are set in R-parity-conserving phenomenological Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Models and in simplified supersymmetric models, significantly extending previous results. For simplified supersymmetric models of direct chargino ($\tilde\chi^\pm_1$) and next-to-lightest neutralino ($\tilde{\chi}_2^0$) production with decays to lightest neutralino ($\tilde{\chi}_1^0$) via either all three generations of sleptons, staus only, gauge bosons, or Higgs bosons, $\tilde\chi^\pm_1$ and $\tilde{\chi}_2^0$ masses are excluded up to 700 GeV, 380 GeV, 345 GeV, or 148 GeV respectively, for a massless $\tilde{\chi}_1^0$.
We report measurements of the inclusive transverse momentum pT distribution of centrally produced kshort, kstar(892), and phi(1020) mesons up to pT = 10 GeV/c in minimum-bias events, and kshort and lambda particles up to pT = 20 GeV/c in jets with transverse energy between 25 GeV and 160 GeV in pbar p collisions. The data were taken with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV. We find that as pT increases, the pT slopes of the three mesons (kshort, kstar, and phi) are similar, and the ratio of lambda to kshort as a function of pT in minimum-bias events becomes similar to the fairly constant ratio in jets at pT ~ 5 GeV/c. This suggests that the particles with pT >~ 5 GeV/c in minimum-bias events are from soft jets, and that the pT slope of particles in jets is insensitive to light quark flavor (u, d, or s) and to the number of valence quarks. We also find that for pT <~ 4 GeV relatively more lambda baryons are produced in minimum-bias events than in jets.
We accumulated e + e − annihilations into multi-hadrons at CM energies between 54.0 and 61.4 GeV with the VENUS detector at TRISTAN. Measured R -ratios are consistent with the standard model using the Z-boson mass; 91.1 GeV/ c 2 . Using two new observables, we searched for a planar four-jet and other multi-jet events resulting from the decay of a charge — 1 3 e b ' quark. Having observed no positive signals, we excluded b' masses between 19.4 and 28.2 GeV/ c 2 with a 95% confidence level, regardless of branching into charged current and loop-induced flavor-changing neutral current decay, including a possible Higgs decay process. The charge + 2 3 e top quark was excluded below f30.2 GeV/ c 2 .
The inclusive production of D*+- mesons in photon-photon collisions has been measured using the OPAL detector at LEP at e+e- centre-of-mass energies of 183 and 189GeV. The D* mesons are reconstructed in their decay to D0pi+ with the D0 observed in the two decay modes Kpi+ and Kpi+pi-pi+. After background subtraction, 100.4+-12.6(stat) D*+- mesons have been selected in events without observed scattered beam electron ("anti-tagged") and 29.8+-5.9 (stat) D*+- mesons in events where one beam electron is scattered into the detector ("single-tagged"). Direct and single-resolved events are studied separately. Differential cross-sections as functions of the D* transverse momentum p_t and pseudorapidity \eta are presented in the kinematic region 2<p_t<12GeV and \eta<1.5. They are compared to next-to-leading order (NLO) perturbative QCD calculations. The total cross-section for the process (e+e- to e+e-ccbar), where the charm quarks are produced in the collision of two quasi-real photons, is measured to be 842+-97(stat)+-75(syst)+-196(extrapolation)pb. A first measurement of the charm structure function F2 of the photon is performed in the kinematic range 0.0014<x<0.87 and 5<Q^2<100 GeV^2, and the result is compared to a NLO perturbative QCD calculation.
This Letter presents a search for quantum black-hole production using 20.3 inverse fb of data collected with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at the LHC at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV. The quantum black holes are assumed to decay into a lepton (electron or muon) and a jet. In either channel, no event with a lepton-jet invariant mass of 3.5 TeV or more is observed, consistent with the expected background. Limits are set on the product of cross sections and branching fractions for the lepton+jet final states of quantum black holes produced in a search region for invariant masses above 1 TeV. The combined 95% confidence level upper limit on this product for quantum black holes with threshold mass above 3.5 TeV is 0.18 fb. This limit constrains the threshold quantum black-hole mass to be above 5.3 TeV in the model considered.
A search is presented for new particles decaying to large numbers (7 to greater or equal to 10) of jets, missing transverse momentum and no isolated electrons or muons. This analysis uses 20.3/fb of pp collision data at sqrt(s)=8 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The sensitivity of the search is enhanced by considering the number of b-tagged jets and the scalar sum of masses of large-radius jets in an event. No evidence is found for physics beyond the Standard Model. The results are interpreted in the context of various simplified supersymmetry-inspired models where gluinos are pair produced, as well as a mSUGRA/CMSSM model.
The ratio of production cross sections of the W and Z bosons with exactly one associated jet is presented as a function of jet transverse momentum threshold. The measurement has been designed to maximise cancellation of experimental and theoretical uncertainties, and is reported both within a particle-level kinematic range corresponding to the detector acceptance and as a total cross-section ratio. Results are obtained with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV using an integrated luminosity of 33 pb^-1. The results are compared with perturbative leading-order, leading-log, and next-to-leading-order QCD predictions, and are found to agree within experimental and theoretical uncertainties. The ratio is measured for events with a single jet with p_T > 30 GeV to be 8.73 +/- 0.30 (stat) +/- 0.40 (syst) in the electron channel, and $ 8.49 +/- 0.23 (stat) +/- 0.33 (syst) in the muon channel.
The results of a search for pair production of light top squarks are presented, using 4.7 fb^-1 of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV proton-proton collisions collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. This search targets top squarks with masses similar to, or lighter than, the top quark mass. Final states containing exclusively one or two leptons (e, mu), large missing transverse momentum, light-jets and b-jets are used to reconstruct the top squark pair system. Global mass scale variables are used to separate the signal from a large ttbar background. No excess over the Standard Model expectations is found. The results are interpreted in the framework of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, assuming the top squark decays exclusively to a chargino and a b-quark. Light top squarks with masses between 123-167 GeV are excluded for neutralino masses around 55 GeV.
We report on the first measurement of an excess in the yield of J/$\psi$ at very low transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}< 0.3$ GeV/$c$) in peripheral hadronic Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV, performed by ALICE at the CERN LHC. Remarkably, the measured nuclear modification factor of J/$\psi$ in the rapidity range $2.5<y<4$ reaches about 7 (2) in the $p_{\rm T}$ range 0-0.3 GeV/$c$ in the 70-90% (50-70%) centrality class. The J/$\psi$ production cross section associated with the observed excess is obtained under the hypothesis that coherent photoproduction of J/$\psi$ is the underlying physics mechanism. If confirmed, the observation of J/$\psi$ coherent photoproduction in Pb-Pb collisions at impact parameters smaller than twice the nuclear radius opens new theoretical and experimental challenges and opportunities. In particular, coherent photoproduction accompanying hadronic collisions may provide insight into the dynamics of photoproduction and nuclear reactions, as well as become a novel probe of the Quark-Gluon Plasma.
Distributions of transverse momentum $p_T^{ll}$ and the angular variable $\phi^*_\eta$ of Drell--Yan lepton pairs are measured in 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Measurements in electron-pair and muon-pair final states are corrected for detector effects and combined. Compared to previous measurements in proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV, these new measurements benefit from a larger data sample and improved control of systematic uncertainties. Measurements are performed in bins of lepton-pair mass above, around and below the Z-boson mass peak. The data are compared to predictions from perturbative and resummed QCD calculations. For values of $\phi^*_\eta < 1$ the predictions from the Monte Carlo generator ResBos are generally consistent with the data within the theoretical uncertainties. However, at larger values of $\phi^*_\eta$ this is not generally the case. Monte Carlo generators based on the parton-shower approach are unable to describe the data over the full range of $p_T^{ll}$ and the fixed-order prediction of DYNNLO falls below the data at high values of $p_T^{ll}$. ResBos and the parton-shower Monte Carlo generators provide a much better description of the evolution of the $\phi^*_\eta$ and $p_T^{ll}$ distributions as a function of lepton-pair mass and rapidity.
The relationship between jet production in the central region and the underlying-event activity in a pseudorapidity-separated region is studied in 4.0 pb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV $pp$ collision data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The underlying event is characterised through measurements of the average value of the sum of the transverse energy at large pseudorapidity downstream of one of the protons, which are reported here as a function of hard-scattering kinematic variables. The hard scattering is characterised by the average transverse momentum and pseudorapidity of the two highest transverse momentum jets in the event. The dijet kinematics are used to estimate, on an event-by-event basis, the scaled longitudinal momenta of the hard-scattered partons in the target and projectile beam-protons moving toward and away from the region measuring transverse energy, respectively. Transverse energy production at large pseudorapidity is observed to decrease with a linear dependence on the longitudinal momentum fraction in the target proton and to depend only weakly on that in the projectile proton. The results are compared to the predictions of various Monte Carlo event generators, which qualitatively reproduce the trends observed in data but generally underpredict the overall level of transverse energy at forward pseudorapidity.
The results of a search for the stop, the supersymmetric partner of the top quark, in final states with one isolated electron or muon, jets, and missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses the 2015 LHC $pp$ collision data at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb${}^{-1}$. The analysis targets two types of signal models: gluino-mediated pair production of stops with a nearly mass-degenerate stop and neutralino; and direct pair production of stops, decaying to the top quark and the lightest neutralino. The experimental signature in both signal scenarios is similar to that of a top quark pair produced in association with large missing transverse momentum. No significant excess over the Standard Model background prediction is observed, and exclusion limits on gluino and stop masses are set at 95% confidence level. The results extend the LHC Run-1 exclusion limit on the gluino mass up to 1460 GeV in the gluino-mediated scenario in the high gluino and low stop mass region, and add an excluded stop mass region from 745 to 780 GeV for the direct stop model with a massless lightest neutralino. The results are also reinterpreted to set exclusion limits in a model of vector-like top quarks.
Single top quark events produced in the t channel are used to set limits on anomalous Wtb couplings and to search for top quark flavour-changing neutral current (FCNC) interactions. The data taken with the CMS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 and 8 TeV correspond to integrated luminosities of 5.0 and 19.7 inverse femtobarns, respectively. The analysis is performed using events with one muon and two or three jets. A Bayesian neural network technique is used to discriminate between the signal and backgrounds, which are observed to be consistent with the standard model prediction. The 95% confidence level (CL) exclusion limits on anomalous right-handed vector, and left- and right-handed tensor Wtb couplings are measured to be |f[V]^R| < 0.16, |f[T]^L| < 0.057, and -0.049 < f[T]^R < 0.048, respectively. For the FCNC couplings kappa[tug] and kappa[tcg], the 95% CL upper limits on coupling strengths are |kappa[tug]|/Lambda < 4.1E-3 TeV-1 and |kappa[tcg]|/Lambda < 1.8E-2 TeV-1, where Lambda is the scale for new physics, and correspond to upper limits on the branching fractions of 2.0E-5 and 4.1E-4 for the decays t to ug and t to cg, respectively.
A measurement of the production processes of the recently discovered Higgs boson is performed in the two-photon final state using 5.4 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions data at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The number of observed Higgs boson decays to diphotons divided by the corresponding Standard Model prediction, called the signal strength, is found to be $\mu = 1.17 \pm 0.27$ at the value of the Higgs boson mass measured by ATLAS, $m_{H}$ = 125.4 GeV. The analysis is optimized to measure the signal strengths for individual Higgs boson production processes at this value of $m_{H}$. They are found to be $\mu_{\mathrm{ggF}} = 1.32 \pm 0.38$, $\mu_{\mathrm{VBF}} = 0.8 \pm 0.7$, $\mu_{{WH}} = 1.0 \pm 1.6 $, $\mu_{{ZH}} = 0.1 ^{+3.7}_{-0.1} $, $\mu_{{t\bar{t}H}} = 1.6 ^{+2.7}_{-1.8} $, for Higgs boson production through gluon fusion, vector-boson fusion, and in association with a $W$ or $Z$ boson or a top-quark pair, respectively. Compared with the previously published ATLAS analysis, the results reported here also benefit from a new energy calibration procedure for photons and the subsequent reduction of the systematic uncertainty on the diphoton mass resolution. No significant deviations from the predictions of the Standard Model are found.
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.
Measurements of the five most significant angular coefficients, A[0] through A[4], for Z bosons produced in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV and decaying to $\mu^+ \mu^-$ are presented as a function of the transverse momentum and rapidity of Z boson. The integrated luminosity of the dataset collected with the CMS detector at the LHC corresponds to 19.7 inverse femtobarns. These measurements provide comprehensive information about Z boson production mechanisms, and are compared to QCD predictions at leading order, next-to-leading order, and next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbation theory.
This Letter presents a search for a heavy neutral particle decaying into an opposite-sign different-flavor dilepton pair, $e^\pm \mu^\mp$, $e^\pm \tau^\mp$, or $\mu^\pm \tau^\mp$ using 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The numbers of observed candidate events are compatible with the Standard Model expectations. Limits are set on the cross section of new phenomena in two scenarios: the production of $\tilde{\nu}_{\tau}$ in $R$-parity-violating supersymmetric models and the production of a lepton-flavor-violating $Z'$ vector boson.
We present measurements of the near-side of triggered di-hadron correlations using neutral strange baryons ($\Lambda$, $\bar{\Lambda}$) and mesons ($K^0_S$) at intermediate transverse momentum (3 $<$ $p_T$ $<$ 6 GeV/$c$) to look for possible flavor and baryon/meson dependence. This study is performed in $d$+Au, Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{{NN}}}$ = 200 GeV measured by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The near-side di-hadron correlation contains two structures, a peak which is narrow in azimuth and pseudorapidity consistent with correlations due to jet fragmentation, and a correlation in azimuth which is broad in pseudorapidity. The particle composition of the jet-like correlation is determined using identified associated particles. The dependence of the conditional yield of the jet-like correlation on the trigger particle momentum, associated particle momentum, and centrality for correlations with unidentified trigger particles are presented. The neutral strange particle composition in jet-like correlations with unidentified charged particle triggers is not well described by PYTHIA. However, the yield of unidentified particles in jet-like correlations with neutral strange particle triggers is described reasonably well by the same model.