A search for pair production of the supersymmetric partners of the Higgs boson (higgsinos $\tilde{H}$) in gauge-mediated scenarios is reported. Each higgsino is assumed to decay to a Higgs boson and a gravitino. Two complementary analyses, targeting high- and low-mass signals, are performed to maximize sensitivity. The two analyses utilize LHC $pp$ collision data at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV, the former with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ and the latter with 24.3 fb$^{-1}$, collected with the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016. The search is performed in events containing missing transverse momentum and several energetic jets, at least three of which must be identified as $b$-quark jets. No significant excess is found above the predicted background. Limits on the cross-section are set as a function of the mass of the $\tilde{H}$ in simplified models assuming production via mass-degenerate higgsinos decaying to a Higgs boson and a gravitino. Higgsinos with masses between 130 and 230 GeV and between 290 and 880 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level. Interpretations of the limits in terms of the branching ratio of the higgsino to a $Z$ boson or a Higgs boson are also presented, and a 45% branching ratio to a Higgs boson is excluded for $m_{\tilde{H}} \approx 400$ GeV.

A search for neutral heavy resonances is performed in the $WW\to e\nu\mu\nu$ decay channel using $pp$ collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$, collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No evidence of such heavy resonances is found. In the search for production via the quark--antiquark annihilation or gluon--gluon fusion process, upper limits on $\sigma_X \times B(X \to WW)$ as a function of the resonance mass are obtained in the mass range between 200 GeV and up to 5 TeV for various benchmark models: a Higgs-like scalar in different width scenarios, a two-Higgs-doublet model, a heavy vector triplet model, and a warped extra dimensions model. In the vector-boson fusion process, constraints are also obtained on these resonances, as well as on a Higgs boson in the Georgi--Machacek model and a heavy tensor particle coupling only to gauge bosons.

Measurements of $ZZ$ production in the $\ell^{+}\ell^{-}\ell^{\prime +}\ell^{\prime -}$ channel in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV center-of-mass energy at the Large Hadron Collider are presented. The data correspond to 36.1 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ of collisions collected by the ATLAS experiment in 2015 and 2016. Here $\ell$ and $\ell'$ stand for electrons or muons. Integrated and differential $ZZ \to \ell^{+}\ell^{-}\ell^{\prime +}\ell^{\prime -}$ cross sections with $Z \to \ell^+\ell^-$ candidate masses in the range of 66 GeV to 116 GeV are measured in a fiducial phase space corresponding to the detector acceptance and corrected for detector effects. The differential cross sections are presented in bins of twenty observables, including several that describe the jet activity. The integrated cross section is also extrapolated to a total phase space and to all Standard-Model decays of $Z$ bosons with mass between 66 GeV and 116 GeV, resulting in a value of $17.3 \pm 0.9$ [$\pm 0.6$ (stat.) $\pm 0.5$ (syst.) $\pm 0.6$ (lumi.)] pb. The measurements are found to be in good agreement with the Standard-Model predictions. A search for neutral triple gauge couplings is performed using the transverse momentum distribution of the leading $Z$-boson candidate. No evidence for such couplings is found and exclusion limits are set on their parameters.

A search for new physics in events with a Z boson produced in association with large missing transverse momentum at the LHC is presented. The search is based on the 2016 data sample of proton-proton collisions recorded with the CMS experiment at $\sqrt{s} = $ 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The results of this search are interpreted in terms of a simplified model of dark matter production via spin-0 or spin-1 mediators, a scenario with a standard-model-like Higgs boson produced in association with the Z boson and decaying invisibly, a model of unparticle production, and a model with large extra spatial dimensions. No significant deviations from the background expectations are found, and limits are set on relevant model parameters, significantly extending the results previously achieved in this channel.

A search for physics beyond the standard model in final states with at least one photon, large transverse momentum imbalance, and large total transverse event activity is presented. Such topologies can be produced in gauge-mediated supersymmetry models in which pair-produced gluinos or squarks decay to photons and gravitinos via short-lived neutralinos. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 13 TeV recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2016. No significant excess of events above the expected standard model background is observed. The data are interpreted in simplified models of gluino and squark pair production, in which gluinos or squarks decay via neutralinos to photons. Gluino masses of up to 1.50-2.00 TeV and squark masses up to 1.30-1.65 TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level, depending on the neutralino mass and branching fraction.

This paper presents single lepton and dilepton kinematic distributions measured in dileptonic $t\bar{t}$ events produced in 20.2 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV $pp$ collisions recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Both absolute and normalised differential cross-sections are measured, using events with an opposite-charge $e\mu$ pair and one or two $b$-tagged jets. The cross-sections are measured in a fiducial region corresponding to the detector acceptance for leptons, and are compared to the predictions from a variety of Monte Carlo event generators, as well as fixed-order QCD calculations, exploring the sensitivity of the cross-sections to the gluon parton distribution function. Some of the distributions are also sensitive to the top quark pole mass; a combined fit of NLO fixed-order predictions to all the measured distributions yields a top quark mass value of $m_t^{\rm pole}=173.2\pm 0.9\pm0.8\pm1.2$ GeV, where the three uncertainties arise from data statistics, experimental systematics, and theoretical sources.

A search for supersymmetry involving the pair production of gluinos decaying via third-generation squarks into the lightest neutralino ($\displaystyle\tilde\chi^0_1$) is reported. It uses LHC proton--proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016. The search is performed in events containing large missing transverse momentum and several energetic jets, at least three of which must be identified as originating from $b$-quarks. To increase the sensitivity, the sample is divided into subsamples based on the presence or absence of electrons or muons. No excess is found above the predicted background. For $\displaystyle\tilde\chi^0_1$ masses below approximately 300 GeV, gluino masses of less than 1.97 (1.92) TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level in simplified models involving the pair production of gluinos that decay via top (bottom) squarks. An interpretation of the limits in terms of the branching ratios of the gluinos into third-generation squarks is also provided. These results improve upon the exclusion limits obtained with the 3.2 fb$^{-1}$ of data collected in 2015.

A measurement of total production cross sections of the Higgs boson in proton--proton collisions is presented in the $H\rightarrow\tau\tau$ decay channel. The analysis is performed using $36.1\,\rm{fb}^{-1}$ of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13\,\rm{TeV}$. All combinations of leptonic ($\tau \rightarrow \ell \nu \bar{\nu}$ with $\ell = e, \mu$) and hadronic ($\tau \to \rm{hadrons}~ \nu$) tau decays are considered. The $H\rightarrow\tau\tau$ signal over the expected background from other Standard Model processes is established with an observed (expected) significance of 4.4 (4.1) standard deviations. Combined with results using data taken at 7 and 8 TeV centre-of-mass energies, the observed (expected) significance amounts to 6.4 (5.4) standard deviations and constitutes an observation of $H\rightarrow\tau\tau$ decays by the ATLAS experiment. Using the data taken at $\sqrt{s}=13\,\rm{TeV}$, the total cross section in the $H\rightarrow\tau\tau$ decay channel is measured to be $3.71\pm 0.59\,\text{(stat.)}\,^{+0.87}_{-0.74}\,\text{(syst.)}\,\rm{pb}$, for a Higgs boson of mass 125 GeV. Total cross sections in the $H\rightarrow\tau\tau$ decay channel are measured separately for vector boson fusion production and gluon--gluon fusion production to be $0.28 \pm 0.09\,\text{(stat.)}\,^{+0.11}_{-0.09}\,\text{(syst.)}\,\rm{pb}$ and $3.0 \pm 1.0\,\text{(stat.)}\,^{+1.6}_{-1.2}\,\text{(syst.)}\,\rm{pb}$, respectively. All measurements are in agreement with Standard Model expectations.

A search is presented for a singly produced third-generation scalar leptoquark decaying to a $\tau$ lepton and a bottom quark. Associated production of a leptoquark and a $\tau$ lepton is considered, leading to a final state with a bottom quark and two $\tau$ leptons. The search uses proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded with the CMS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. Upper limits are set at 95% confidence level on the production cross section of the third-generation scalar leptoquarks as a function of their mass. From a comparison of the results with the theoretical predictions, a third-generation scalar leptoquark decaying to a $\tau$ lepton and a bottom quark, assuming unit Yukawa coupling ($\lambda$), is excluded for masses below 740 GeV. Limits are also set on $\lambda$ of the hypothesized leptoquark as a function of its mass. Above $\lambda =$ 1.4, this result provides the best upper limit on the mass of a third-generation scalar leptoquark decaying to a $\tau$ lepton and a bottom quark.

A search for charged Higgs bosons (H$^\pm$) decaying into a top and a bottom quark in the all-jet final states is presented. The analysis uses LHC proton-proton collision data recorded with the CMS detector in 2016 at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. No significant excess is observed above the expected background. Model-independent upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the product of the H$^\pm$ production cross section and branching fraction in two scenarios. For production in association with a top quark, limits of 21.3 to 0.007 pb are obtained for H$^\pm$ masses in the range of 0.2 to 3 TeV. Combining this with data from a search in leptonic final states results in improved limits of 9.25 to 0.005 pb. The complementary $s$-channel production of an H$^\pm$ is investigated in the mass range of 0.8 to 3 TeV and the corresponding upper limits are 4.5 to 0.023 pb. These results are interpreted using different minimal supersymmetric extensions of the standard model.