Abstract: This Letter presents a search for singly produced vector-like quarks, Q, coupling to light quarks, q. The search is sensitive to both charged current (CC) and neutral current (NC) processes, pp -> Qq -> Wqq' and pp -> Qq -> Zqq' with a leptonic decay of the vector gauge boson. In 1.04 fb(-1) of data taken in 2011 by the ATLAS experiment at a center-of-mass energy root s = 7 TeV, no evidence of such heavy vector-like quarks is observed above the expected Standard Model background. Limits on the heavy vector-like quark production cross section times branching ratio as a function of mass m(Q) are obtained. For a coupling K-qQ = v/m(Q), where v is the Higgs vacuum expectation value, 95% C.L. lower limits on the mass of a vector-like quark are set at 900 GeV and 760 GeV from CC and NC processes, respectively.

Abstract: This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W -> e nu and W -> μnu decays, using data from pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb(-1). Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse momentum, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f(0), f(L) and f(R) over two ranges of W transverse momentum (p(T)(W)) : 35 < p(T)(W) < 50 GeV and p(T)(W) > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For p(T)(W) > 50 GeV, the values of f(0) and f(L) – f(R), averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be: f(0) = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and f(L) – f(R) = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.

Abstract: Recent studies have highlighted the potential of jet substructure techniques to identify the hadronic decays of boosted heavy particles. These studies all rely upon the assumption that the internal substructure of jets generated by QCD radiation is well understood. In this article, this assumption is tested on an inclusive sample of jets recorded with the ATLAS detector in 2010, which corresponds to 35 pb(-1) of pp collisions delivered by the LHC at root s = 7 TeV. In a subsample of events with single pp collisions, measurements corrected for detector efficiency and resolution are presented with full systematic uncertainties. Jet invariant mass, k(t) splitting scales and N-subjettiness variables are presented for anti-k(t) R = 1.0 jets and Cambridge-Aachen R = 1.2 jets. Jet invariant-mass spectra for Cambridge-Aachen R = 1.2 jets after a splitting and filtering procedure are also presented. Leading-order parton-shower Monte Carlo predictions for these variables are found to be broadly in agreement with data. The dependence of mean jet mass on additional pp interactions is also explored.

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: A search for the production of single top-quarks via flavour-changing neutral-currents is presented. Data collected with the ATLAS detector at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.05 fb(-1), are used. Candidate events with a semileptonic top-quark decay signature are classified as signal- or background-like events by using several kinematic variables as input to a neural network. No signal is observed in the neural network output distribution and a Bayesian upper limit is placed on the production cross-section. The observed upper limit at 95% confidence level on the cross-section multiplied by the t -> Wb branching fraction is measured to be sigma(qg -> t) x B(t -> Wb) < 3.9 pb. This upper limit is converted using a model-independent approach into upper limits on the coupling strengths kappa(ugt)/Lambda < 6.9.10(-3) TeV-1 and kappa(cgt)/Lambda < 1.6.10(-2) TeV-1, where A is the new physics scale, and on the branching fractions B(t -> ug) < 5.7.10(-5) and B(t -> cg) < 2.7.10(-4).