Abstract: This Letter presents measurements of the differential cross-sections for inclusive electron and muon production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV, using data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The muon cross-section is measured as a function of p(T) in the range 4 < p(T) < 100 GeV and within pseudorapidity vertical bar eta vertical bar < 2.5. In addition the electron and muon cross-sections are measured in the range 7 < p(T) < 26 GeV and within vertical bar eta vertical bar < 2.0, excluding 1.37 < vertical bar eta vertical bar < 1.52. Integrated luminosities of 1.3 pb(-1) and 1.4 pb(-1) are used for the electron and muon measurements, respectively. After subtraction of the W/Z/gamma* contribution, the differential cross-sections are found to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions for heavy-flavour production obtained from Fixed Order NLO calculations with NLL high-p(T) resummation, and to be sensitive to the effects of NLL resummation.

Abstract: A measurement of the production cross section of top quark pairs (t (t) over bar) in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is reported. Candidate events are selected in the dilepton topology with large missing transverse energy and at least two jets. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35 pb(-1), a t (t) over bar production cross section sigma(t (t) over bar) = 177 +/- 20(stat.) +/- 14(syst.) +/- 7(lum.) pb is measured for an assumed top quark mass of m(t) = 172.5 GeV. A second measurement requiring at least one jet identified as coming from a b quark yields a comparable result, demonstrating that the dilepton final states are consistent with being accompanied by b-quark jets. These measurements are in good agreement with Standard Model predictions.

Abstract: The ATLAS inner detector is used to reconstruct secondary vertices due to hadronic interactions of primary collision products, so probing the location and amount of material in the inner region of ATLAS. Data collected in 7 TeV pp collisions at the LHC, with a minimum bias trigger, are used for comparisons with simulated events. The reconstructed secondary vertices have spatial resolutions ranging from similar to 200 μm to 1 mm. The overall material description in the simulation is validated to within an experimental uncertainty of about 7%. This will lead to a better understanding of the reconstruction of various objects such as tracks, leptons, jets, and missing transverse momentum.

Abstract: This paper discusses various observations on beam-induced and cosmic-ray backgrounds in the ATLAS detector during the LHC 2012 proton-proton run. Building on published results based on 2011 data, the correlations between background and residual pressure of the beam vacuum are revisited. Ghost charge evolution over 2012 and its role for backgrounds are evaluated. New methods to monitor ghost charge with beam-gas rates are presented and observations of LHC abort gap population by ghost charge are discussed in detail. Fake jets from colliding bunches and from ghost charge are analysed with improved methods, showing that ghost charge in individual radio-frequency buckets of the LHC can be resolved. Some results of two short periods of dedicated cosmic-ray background data-taking are shown; in particular cosmic-ray muon induced fake jet rates are compared to Monte Carlo simulations and to the fake jet rates from beam background. A thorough analysis of a particular LHC fill, where abnormally high background was observed, is presented. Correlations between backgrounds and beam intensity losses in special fills with very high beta* are studied.

Abstract: This Letter presents a search for high mass e(+)e(-) or mu(+)mu(-) resonances in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV at the LHC. The data were recorded by the ATLAS experiment during 2010 and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of similar to 40 pb(-1). No statistically significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed in the search region of dilepton invariant mass above 110 GeV. Upper limits at the 95% confidence level are set on the cross section times branching ratio of Z' resonances decaying to dielectrons and dimuons as a function of the resonance mass. A lower mass limit of 1.048 TeV on the Sequential Standard Model Z' boson is derived, as well as mass limits on Z* and E(6)-motivated Z' models.