Abstract: We report a measurement of the cross section of single top-quark production in the t-channel using 1.04 fb(-1) of pp collision data at root s = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Selected events feature one electron or muon, missing transverse momentum, and two or three jets, exactly one of them identified as originating from a b quark. The cross section is measured by fitting the distribution of a multivariate discriminant constructed with a neural network, yielding sigma(t) = 83 +/- 4 (stat.)(-19)(+20) (syst.) pb, which is in good agreement with the prediction of the Standard Model. Using the ratio of the measured to the theoretically predicted cross section and assuming that the top-quark-related CKM matrix elements obey the relation vertical bar V-tb vertical bar >> vertical bar V-ts vertical bar, vertical bar V-td vertical bar, the coupling strength at the W-t-b vertex is determined to be vertical bar V-tb vertical bar = 1.13(-0.13)(+0.14). If it is assumed that vertical bar V-tb vertical bar <= 1 a lower limit of vertical bar V-tb vertical bar > 0.75 is obtained at the 95% confidence level.

Abstract: The results of a search for charged Higgs bosons are presented. The analysis is based on 4.6 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data at root s = 7TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, using top quark pair events with a tau lepton in the final state. The data are consistent with the expected background from Standard Model processes. Assuming that the branching ratio of the charged Higgs boson to a tau lepton and a neutrino is 100%, this leads to upper limits on the branching ratio of top quark decays to a b quark and a charged Higgs boson between 5% and 1% for charged Higgs boson masses ranging from 90GeV to 160GeV, respectively. In the context of the m(h)(max) scenario of the MSSM, tan beta above 12-26, as well as between 1 and 2-6, can be excluded for charged Higgs boson masses between 90GeV and 150GeV.

Abstract: A measurement of spin correlation in t (t) over bar production is reported using data collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.1 fb(-1). Candidate events are selected in the dilepton topology with large missing transverse energy and at least two jets. The difference in azimuthal angle between the two charged leptons in the laboratory frame is used to extract the correlation between the top and antitop quark spins. In the helicity basis the measured degree of correlation corresponds to A(helicity) = 0.40(-0.08)(+0.09), in agreement with the next-to-leading-order standard model prediction. The hypothesis of zero spin correlation is excluded at 5.1 standard deviations.

Abstract: This Letter reports a measurement of the W W production cross section in root s = 7 TeV pp collisions using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.02 fb(-1) collected with the ATLAS detector. Using leptonic decays of oppositely charged W bosons, the total measured cross section is sigma (pp -> W W) = 54.4 +/- 4.0 (stat.) +/- 3.9 (syst.) +/- 2.0 (lumi.) pb, consistent with the Standard Model prediction of sigma (pp -> W W)= 44.4 +/- 2.8 pb. Limits on anomalous electroweak triple-gauge couplings are extracted from a fit to the transverse-momentum distribution of the leading charged lepton in the event.

Abstract: Differential measurements of charged particle azimuthal anisotropy are presented for lead-lead collisions at root sNN = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, based on an integrated luminosity of approximately 8 μb(-1). This anisotropy is characterized via a Fourier expansion of the distribution of charged particles in azimuthal angle relative to the reaction plane, with the coefficients v(n) denoting the magnitude of the anisotropy. Significant v(2)-v(6) values are obtained as a function of transverse momentum (0.5 < p(T) < 20 GeV), pseudorapidity (|eta| < 2.5), and centrality using an event plane method. The v(n) values for n >= 3 are found to vary weakly with both eta and centrality, and their p(T) dependencies are found to follow an approximate scaling relation, v(n)(1/n)(p(T)) proportional to v(2)(1/2)(p(T)), except in the top 5% most central collisions. A Fourier analysis of the charged particle pair distribution in relative azimuthal angle (Delta phi = phi(a)-phi(b)) is performed to extract the coefficients v(n,n) = < cos n Delta phi >. For pairs of charged particles with a large pseudorapidity gap (|Delta eta = eta(a) – eta(b)| > 2) and one particle with p(T) < 3 GeV, the v(2,2)-v(6,6) values are found to factorize as v(n,n)(p(T)(a), p(T)(b)) approximate to v(n) (p(T)(a))v(n)(p(T)(b)) in central and midcentral events. Such factorization suggests that these values of v(2,2)-v(6,6) are primarily attributable to the response of the created matter to the fluctuations in the geometry of the initial state. A detailed study shows that the v(1,1)(p(T)(a), p(T)(b)) data are consistent with the combined contributions from a rapidity-even v(1) and global momentum conservation. A two-component fit is used to extract the v(1) contribution. The extracted v(1) isobserved to cross zero at pT approximate to 1.0 GeV, reaches a maximum at 4-5 GeV with a value comparable to that for v(3), and decreases at higher p(T).