Abstract: In several extensions of the Standard Model, the top quark can decay into a bottom quark and a light charged Higgs boson H+, t -> bH(+), in addition to the Standard Model decay t -> bW. Since W bosons decay to the three lepton generations equally, while H+ may predominantly decay into tau nu, charged Higgs bosons can be searched for using the violation of lepton universality in top quark decays. The analysis in this paper is based on 4.6 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data at root s = 7 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Signatures containing leptons (e or mu) and/or a hadronically decaying tau (tau(had)) are used. Event yield ratios between e+ tau(had) and e + mu, as well as between μ+ tau(had) and μ+ e, final states are measured in the data and compared to predictions from simulations. This ratio-based method reduces the impact of systematic uncertainties in the analysis. No significant deviation from the Standard Model predictions is observed. With the assumption that the branching fraction B(H+ -> tau nu) is 100%, upper limits in the range 3.2%-4.4% can be placed on the branching fraction B(t -> bH(+)) for charged Higgs boson masses m(H+) in the range 90-140 GeV. After combination with results from a search for charged Higgs bosons in t (t) over bar decays using the tau(had) + jets final state, upper limits on B(t -> bH(+)) can be set in the range 0.8%-3.4%, for m(H+) in the range 90-160 GeV.

Abstract: In this work, we use an extension of the quantization condition, given in ref. [1], to numerically explore the finite-volume spectrum of three relativistic particles, in the case that two-particle subsets are either resonant or bound. The original form of the relativistic three-particle quantization condition was derived under a technical assumption on the two-particle K matrix that required the absence of two-particle bound states or narrow two-particle resonances. Here we describe how this restriction can be lifted in a simple way using the freedom in the definition of the K-matrix-like quantity that enters the quantization condition. With this in hand, we extend previous numerical studies of the quantization condition to explore the finite-volume signature for a variety of two- and three-particle interactions. We determine the spectrum for parameters such that the system contains both dimers (two-particle bound states) and one or more trimers (in which all three particles are bound), and also for cases where the two-particle subchannel is resonant. We also show how the quantization condition provides a tool for determining infinite-volume dimer-particle scattering amplitudes for energies below the dimer breakup. We illustrate this for a series of examples, including one that parallels physical deuteron-nucleon scattering. All calculations presented here are restricted to the case of three identical scalar particles.

Abstract: Inclusive and differential fiducial cross sections of Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions are measured in the H -> Z Z* -> 4l decay channel. The proton-proton collision data were produced at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb(-1). The inclusive fiducial cross section in the H -> Z Z* -> 4l decay channel is measured to be 3.62 +/- 0.50 (stat) (+0.25)(-0.20) (sys) fb, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 2.91 +/- 0.13 fb. The cross section is also extrapolated to the total phase space including all Standard Model Higgs boson decays. Several differential fiducial cross sections are measured for observables sensitive to the Higgs boson production and decay, including kinematic distributions of jets produced in association with the Higgs boson. Good agreement is found between data and Standard Model predictions. The results are used to put constraints on anomalous Higgs boson interactions with Standard Model particles, using the pseudo-observable extension to the kappa-framework.

Abstract: Inclusive four-jet events produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of mass energy of root 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 PT >= 20 GeV and pseudorapidity vertical bar eta vertical bar <= 4.4, and at least one having pT >= 42.5 GeV, the contribution of hard double-parton scattering is estimated to be fDps = 0.092(-0.011)(+0.0005) (stat.) (+0.03337)(-0.011) (syst.). After combining this measurement with those of the inclusive dijet and four -jet cross -sections in the appropriate phase space regions, the effective cross-section, sigma(eff,) was determined to be sigma(eff) = 14.9(-1.0)(+1.2) (stat.) (+5.1)(-3.8) (syst.) mb. This result is consistent within the quoted uncertainties with previous measurements of sigma(eff), performed at centre-of-mass energies between 63 GeV and 8 TeV using various final states, and it corresponds to 21(-6%)(+7) of the total inelastic cross-section measured at root s = 7 TeV. The distributions of the observables sensitive to the contribution of hard double-parton scattering, corrected for detector effects, are also provided.

Abstract: Inclusive jet production cross-sections are measured in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of root 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.