Abstract: A measurement of single top-quark production in the s-channel is performed in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13TeV with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1). The analysis is performed on events with an electron or muon, missing transverse momentum and exactly two b-tagged jets in the final state. A discriminant based on matrix element calculations is used to separate single-top-quark s-channel events from the main background contributions, which are top-quark pair production and W-boson production in association with jets. The observed (expected) signal significance over the background-only hypothesis is 3.3 (3.9) standard deviations, and the measured cross-section is sigma = 8.2(-2.9)(+3.5) pb, consistent with the Standard Model prediction of sigma(SM) = 10.32(-0.36)(+0.40) pb.

Abstract: A search for the leptonic charge asymmetry (A(c)(l)) of top-quark-antiquark pair production in association with a W boson (t (t) over barW) is presented. The search is performed using final states with exactly three charged light leptons (electrons or muons) and is based on root s = 13TeV proton-proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN during the years 2015-2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1). A profile-likelihood fit to the event yields in multiple regions corresponding to positive and negative differences between the pseudorapidities of the charged leptons from top-quark and top-antiquark decays is used to extract the charge asymmetry. At reconstruction level, the asymmetry is found to be -0.12 +/- 0.14 (stat.) +/- 0.05 (syst.). An unfolding procedure is applied to convert the result at reconstruction level into a charge-asymmetry value in a fiducial volume at particle level with the result of -0.11 +/- 0.17 (stat.) +/- 0.05 (syst.). The Standard Model expectations for these two observables are calculated using Monte Carlo simulations with next-to-leading-order plus parton shower precision in quantum chromodynamics and including next-to-leading-order electroweak corrections. They are -0.084(-0.003)(+0.005) (scale) +/- 0.006 (MC stat.) and -0.063(-0.004)(+0.007) (scale) +/- 0.004 (MC stat.) respectively, and in agreement with the measurements.

Abstract: Inclusive and differential measurements of the top-antitop ( t (t) over bar) charge asymmetry A(C)(t (t) over bar) and the leptonic asymmetry A(C)(l (l) over bar) are presented in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement uses the complete Run 2 dataset, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1), combines data in the single-lepton and dilepton channels, and employs reconstruction techniques adapted to both the resolved and boosted topologies. A Bayesian unfolding procedure is performed to correct for detector resolution and acceptance effects. The combined inclusive t (t) over bar charge asymmetry is measured to be A(C)(t (t) over bar) = 0.0068 +/- 0.0015, which differs from zero by 4.7 standard deviations. Differential measurements are performed as a function of the invariant mass, transverse momentum and longitudinal boost of the t (t) over bar system. Both the inclusive and differential measurements are found to be compatible with the Standard Model predictions, at next-to-next-to-leading order in quantum chromodynamics perturbation theory with next-to-leading-order electroweak corrections. The measurements are interpreted in the framework of the Standard Model effective field theory, placing competitive bounds on several Wilson coefficients.

Abstract: This paper presents measurements of charged-hadron spectra obtained in pp, p+Pb, and Pb+Pb collisions at root s or root s(NN) = 5.02TeV, and in Xe+Xe collisions at root s(NN) = 5.44TeV. The data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC have total integrated luminosities of 25 pb(-1), 28 nb(-1), 0.50 nb(-1), and 3 μb(-1), respectively. The nuclear modification factors RpPb and R-AA are obtained by comparing the spectra in heavy-ion and pp collisions in a wide range of charged-particle transverse momenta and pseudorapidity. The nuclear modification factor RpPb shows a moderate enhancement above unity with a maximum at p(T) approximate to 3 GeV; the enhancement is stronger in the Pb-going direction. The nuclear modification factors in both Pb+Pb and Xe+Xe collisions feature a significant, centrality-dependent suppression. They show a similar distinct p(T)-dependence with a local maximum at p(T) approximate to 2 GeV and a local minimum at p(T) approximate to 7 GeV. This dependence is more distinguishable in more central collisions. No significant eta |-dependence is found. A comprehensive comparison with several theoretical predictions is also provided. They typically describe RAA better in central collisions and in the pT range from about 10 to 100 GeV.

Abstract: The ATLAS experiment relies on real-time hadronic jet reconstruction and b-tagging to record fully hadronic events containing b-jets. These algorithms require track reconstruction, which is computationally expensive and could overwhelm the high-level-trigger farm, even at the reduced event rate that passes the ATLAS first stage hardware-based trigger. In LHC Run 3, ATLAS has mitigated these computational demands by introducing a fast neural-network-based b-tagger, which acts as a low-precision filter using input from hadronic jets and tracks. It runs after a hardware trigger and before the remaining high-level-trigger reconstruction. This design relies on the negligible cost of neural-network inference as compared to track reconstruction, and the cost reduction from limiting tracking to specific regions of the detector. In the case of Standard Model HH -> b (b) over barb (b) over bar, a key signature relying on b-jet triggers, the filter lowers the input rate to the remaining high-level trigger by a factor of five at the small cost of reducing the overall signal efficiency by roughly 2%.