Abstract: A search for a high-mass Higgs boson H is performed in the H -> WW -> l nu l nu and H -> WW -> l nu qq decay channels using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb(-1) collected at root s = 8TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No evidence of a high-mass Higgs boson is found. Limits on sigma(H) x BR(H -> WW) as a function of the Higgs boson mass m(H) are determined in three different scenarios: one in which the heavy Higgs boson has a narrow width compared to the experimental resolution, one for a width increasing with the boson mass and modeled by the complex-pole scheme following the same behavior as in the Standard Model, and one for intermediate widths. The upper range of the search is m(H) = 1500 GeV for the narrow-width scenario and m(H) = 1000 GeV for the other two scenarios. The lower edge of the search range is 200{300 GeV and depends on the analysis channel and search scenario. For each signal interpretation, individual and combined limits from the two WW decay channels are presented. At m(H) = 1500 GeV, the highest-mass point tested, sigma(H) x BR(H -> WW) for a narrow-width Higgs boson is constrained to be less than 22 fb and 6.6 fb at 95% CL for the gluon fusion and vector-boson fusion production modes, respectively.

Abstract: Fiducial cross-sections for t (t) over bar production with one or two additional b-jets are reported, using an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider, collected with the ATLAS detector. The cross-section times branching ratio for t (t) over bar events with at least one additional b-jet is measured to be 950 +/- 70 (stat.)(-190)(+240) (syst.) fb in the lepton-plus-jets channel and 50 +/- 10 (stat.)(-10)(+15) (syst.) fb in the e μchannel. The cross-section times branching ratio for events with at least two additional b-jets is measured to be 19.3 +/- 3.5 (stat.) +/- 5.7 (syst.) fb in the dilepton channel (e mu, μmu, and ee) using a method based on tight selection criteria, and 13.5 +/- 3.3 (stat.) +/- 3.6 (syst.) fb using a looser selection that allows the background normalisation to be extracted from data. The latter method also measures a value of 1.30 +/- 0.33 (stat.) +/- 0.28 (syst.)% for the ratio of t (t) over bar production with two additional b-jets to t (t) over bar production with any two additional jets. All measurements are in good agreement with recent theory predictions.

Abstract: Searches for pair-produced scalar leptoquarks are performed using 20 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data provided by the LHC and recorded by the ATLAS detector at root s = 8 TeV. Events with two electrons (muons) and two or more jets in the final state are used to search for first (second)-generation leptoquarks. The results from two previously published ATLAS analyses are interpreted in terms of third-generation leptoquarks decaying to b nu(tau)(b) over bar(nu) over bar (tau) and t nu(tau)(t) over bar(nu) over bar (tau) final states. No statistically significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed in any channel and scalar leptoquarks are excluded at 95 % CL with masses up to m(LQ1) < 1050 GeV for first-generation leptoquarks, m(LQ2) < 1000 GeV for second-generation leptoquarks, m(LQ3) 625 GeV for third-generation leptoquarks in the b nu(tau)<(b) over bar(nu) over bar (tau) channel, and 200 < m(LQ3) < 640 GeV in the t nu(tau)(t) over bar(nu) over bar (tau) channel.

Abstract: The decays B-c(+) -> J/psi D-s(+) and B-c(+) -> J/psi D-s*(+) are studied with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using a dataset corresponding to integrated luminosities of 4.9 and 20.6 fb(-1) of pp collisions collected at centre-of-mass energies root s = 7 TeV and 8 TeV, respectively. Signal candidates are identified through J/psi -> mu(+)mu(-) and D-s(()*()+) -> phi pi(+)(gamma/pi(0)) decays. With a two-dimensional likelihood fit involving the B-c(+) reconstructed invariant mass and an angle between the mu(+) and D-s(+) candidate momenta in the muon pair rest frame, the yields of B-c(+) -> J/psi D-s(+) and B-c(+) -> J/psi D-s*(+), and the transverse polarisation fraction in B-c(+) -> J/psi D-s*(+) decay are measured. The transverse polarisation fraction is determined to be Gamma +/-+/-(B-c(+) -> J/psi D-s*(+))/Gamma(B-c(+) -> J/psi D-s*(+)) = 0.38 +/- 0.23 +/- 0.07, and the derived ratio of the branching fractions of the two modes is B-Bc+ -> J/psi D-s*+/B-Bc+ -> J/psi D-s(+) = 2.8(-0.8)(+1.2) +/- 0.3, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic. Finally, a sample of B-c(+) -> J/psi pi(+) decays is used to derive the ratios of branching fractions B-Bc+ -> J/psi D-s*+/B-Bc+ -> J/psi pi(+) = 3.8 +/- 1.1 +/- 0.4 +/- 0.2 and B-Bc+ -> J/psi D-s*+/B-Bc+ -> J/psi pi(+) = 10.4 +/- 3.1 +/- 1.5 +/- 0.6, where the third error corresponds to the uncertainty of the branching fraction of D-s(+) -> phi(K+ K-)pi(+) decay. The available theoretical predictions are generally consistent with the measurement.

Abstract: The ZZ production cross section in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV center-of-mass energy is measured using 3.2 fb(-1) of data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The considered Z boson candidates decay to an electron or muon pair of mass 66-116 GeV. The cross section is measured in a fiducial phase space reflecting the detector acceptance. It is also extrapolated to a total phase space for Z bosons in the same mass range and of all decay modes, giving 16.7(-2.0)(+2.2) (stat)(-0.7)(+0.9) (syst)(-0.7)(+1.0) (lumi) pb. The results agree with standard model predictions.