ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo, F. L., Castillo Gimenez, V., et al. (2021). Longitudinal Flow Decorrelations in Xe plus Xe Collisions at root s(NN )=5.44 TeV with the ATLAS Detector. Phys. Rev. Lett., 126(12), 122301–20pp.
Abstract: The first measurement of longitudinal decorrelations of harmonic flow amplitudes v(n) for n = 2-4 in Xe + Xe collisions at root s(NN) = 5.44 TeV is obtained using 3 μb(-1) of data with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The decorrelation signal for v(3) and v(4) is found to be nearly independent of collision centrality and transverse momentum (p(T)) requirements on fmal-state particles, but for v(2) a strong centrality and p(T) dependence is seen. When compared with the results from Pb + Pb collisions at. root s(NN) = 5.02 TcV, the longitudinal decorrelation signal in midcentral Xe + Xe collisions is found to be larger for v(2), but smaller for v(3). Current hydrodynamic models reproduce the ratios of the v(n) measured in Xe + Xe collisions to those in Pb + Pb collisions but fail to describe the magnitudes and trends of the ratios of longitudinal flow decorrelations between Xe + Xe and Pb + Pb. The results on the system-size dependence provide new insights and an important lever arm to separate effects of the longitudinal structure of the initial state from other early and late time effects in heavy-ion collisions.
|
ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Cardillo, F., Castillo, F. L., et al. (2021). Search for new phenomena in final states with b-jets and missing transverse momentum in root s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector. J. High Energy Phys., 05(5), 093–51pp.
Abstract: The results of a search for new phenomena in final states with b-jets and missing transverse momentum using 139 fb(-1) of proton-proton data collected at a centre-of-mass energy root s = 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the LHC are reported. The analysis targets final states produced by the decay of a pair-produced supersymmetric bottom squark into a bottom quark and a stable neutralino. The analysis also seeks evidence for models of pair production of dark matter particles produced through the decay of a generic scalar or pseudoscalar mediator state in association with a pair of bottom quarks, and models of pair production of scalar third-generation down-type leptoquarks. No significant excess of events over the Standard Model background expectation is observed in any of the signal regions considered by the analysis. Bottom squark masses below 1270 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level if the neutralino is massless. In the case of nearly mass-degenerate bottom squarks and neutralinos, the use of dedicated secondary-vertex identification techniques permits the exclusion of bottom squarks with masses up to 660 GeV for mass splittings between the squark and the neutralino of 10 GeV. These limits extend substantially beyond the regions of parameter space excluded by similar ATLAS searches performed previously.
|
ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo, F. L., Castillo Gimenez, V., et al. (2021). Search for trilepton resonances from chargino and neutralino pair production in root s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector. Phys. Rev. D, 103(11), 112003–37pp.
Abstract: A search is performed for the electroweak pair production of charginos and associated production of a chargino and neutralino, each of which decays through an R-parity-violating coupling into a lepton and a W, Z, or Higgs boson. The trilepton invariant-mass spectrum is constructed from events with three or more leptons, targeting chargino decays that include an electron or muon and a leptonically decaying Z boson. The analyzed dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data produced by the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 13 TeV and collected by the ATLAS experiment between 2015 and 2018. The data are found to be consistent with predictions from the Standard Model. The results are interpreted as limits at 95% confidence level on model-independent cross sections for processes beyond the Standard Model. Limits are also set on the production of charginos and neutralinos for a minimal supersymmetric Standard Model with an approximate B – L symmetry. Charginos and neutralinos with masses between 100 and 1100 GeV are excluded depending on the assumed decay branching fractions into a lepton (electron, muon, or tau lepton) plus a boson (W, Z, or Higgs).
|
ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Cardillo, F., Castillo, F. L., et al. (2021). Search for new phenomena in events with an energetic jet and missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector. Phys. Rev. D, 103(11), 112006–40pp.
Abstract: Results of a search for new physics in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1) at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected in the period 2015-2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Compared to previous publications, in addition to an increase of almost a factor of four in the data size, the analysis implements a number of improvements in the signal selection and the background determination leading to enhanced sensitivity. Events are required to have at least one jet with transverse momentum above 150 GeV and no reconstructed leptons (e, μor tau) or photons. Several signal regions are considered with increasing requirements on the missing transverse momentum starting at 200 GeV. Overall agreement is observed between the number of events in data and the Standard Model predictions. Model-independent 95% confidence-level limits on visible cross sections for new processes are obtained in the range between 736 fb and 0.3 fb. Results are also translated into improved exclusion limits in models with pair-produced weakly interacting dark-matter candidates, large extra spatial dimensions, supersymmetric particles in several compressed scenarios, axionlike particles, and new scalar particles in dark- energy-inspired models. In addition, the data are translated into bounds on the invisible branching ratio of the Higgs boson.
|
ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Cardillo, F., Castillo, F. L., et al. (2021). Search for a heavy Higgs boson decaying into a Z boson and another heavy Higgs boson in the llbb and llWW final states in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector. Eur. Phys. J. C, 81(5), 396–36pp.
Abstract: A search for a heavy neutral Higgs boson, A, decaying into a Z boson and another heavy Higgs boson, H, is performed using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1) from proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The search considers the Z boson decaying into electrons or muons and the H boson into a pair of b-quarks or W bosons. The mass range considered is 230-800 GeV for the A boson and 130-700 GeV for the H boson. The data are in good agreement with the background predicted by the Standard Model, and therefore 95% confidence-level upper limits for sigma x B( A -> ZH) x B(H -> bb or H -> WW) are set. The upper limits are in the range 0.0062-0.380 pb for the H. bb channel and in the range 0.023-8.9 pb for the H -> WW channel. An interpretation of the results in the context of two-Higgs-doublet models is also given.
|
ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Cardillo, F., Castillo, F. L., et al. (2021). Search for charged Higgs bosons decaying into a top quark and a bottom quark at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector. J. High Energy Phys., 06(6), 145–47pp.
Abstract: A search for charged Higgs bosons decaying into a top quark and a bottom quark is presented. The data analysed correspond to 139 fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions at root s = 13TeV, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The production of a heavy charged Higgs boson in association with a top quark and a bottom quark, pp -> tbH(+) -> tbtb, is explored in the H+ mass range from 200 to 2000 GeV using final states with jets and one electron or muon. Events are categorised according to the multiplicity of jets and b-tagged jets, and multivariate analysis techniques are used to discriminate between signal and background events. No significant excess above the background-only hypothesis is observed and exclusion limits are derived for the production cross-section times branching ratio of a charged Higgs boson as a function of its mass; they range from 3.6 pb at 200 GeV to 0.036 pb at 2000 GeV at 95% confidence level. The results are interpreted in the hMSSM and M-h(125) scenarios.
|
ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Cardillo, F., Castillo, F. L., et al. (2021). Search for charged-lepton-flavour violation in Z-boson decays with the ATLAS detector. Nat. Phys., 17, 819–825.
Abstract: Leptons with essentially the same properties apart from their mass are grouped into three families (or flavours). The number of leptons of each flavour is conserved in interactions, but this is not imposed by fundamental principles. Since the formulation of the standard model of particle physics, the observation of flavour oscillations among neutrinos has shown that lepton flavour is not conserved in neutrino weak interactions. So far, there has been no experimental evidence that this also occurs in interactions between charged leptons. Such an observation would be a sign of undiscovered particles or a yet unknown type of interaction. Here the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN reports a constraint on lepton-flavour-violating effects in weak interactions, searching for Z-boson decays into a tau lepton and another lepton of different flavour with opposite electric charge. The branching fractions for these decays are measured to be less than 8.1 x 10(-6) (e tau) and 9.5 x 10(-6) (mu tau) at the 95% confidence level using 139 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 13 TeV and 20.3 fb(-1) at root s = 8 TeV. These results supersede the limits from the Large Electron-Positron Collider experiments conducted more than two decades ago.
|
ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Cardillo, F., Castillo, F. L., et al. (2021). Search for doubly and singly charged Higgs bosons decaying into vector bosons in multi-lepton final states with the ATLAS detector using proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV. J. High Energy Phys., 06(6), 146–54pp.
Abstract: A search for charged Higgs bosons decaying into (WW +/-)-W-+/- or W(+/-)Z bosons is performed, involving experimental signatures with two leptons of the same charge, or three or four leptons with a variety of charge combinations, missing transverse momentum and jets. A data sample of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018 is used. The data correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1). The search is guided by a type-II seesaw model that extends the scalar sector of the Standard Model with a scalar triplet, leading to a phenomenology that includes doubly and singly charged Higgs bosons. Two scenarios are explored, corresponding to the pair production of doubly charged H-+/-+/- bosons, or the associated production of a doubly charged H-+/-+/- boson and a singly charged H-+/- boson. No significant deviations from the Standard Model predictions are observed. H-+/-+/- bosons are excluded at 95% confidence level up to 350 GeV and 230 GeV for the pair and associated production modes, respectively.
|
ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Cardillo, F., Castillo, F. L., et al. (2021). Test of the universality of τ and μ lepton couplings in W-boson decays with the ATLAS detector. Nat. Phys., 17, 813–818.
Abstract: The standard model of particle physics encapsulates our best current understanding of physics at the smallest scales. A fundamental axiom of this theory is the universality of the couplings of the different generations of leptons to the electroweak gauge bosons. The measurement of the ratio of the decay rate of W bosons to t leptons and muons, R(tau/mu), constitutes an important test of this axiom. Using 139 fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, we report a measurement of this quantity from di-leptonic tt events where the top quarks decay into a W boson and a bottom quark. We can distinguish muons originating from W bosons and those originating from an intermediate t lepton through the muon transverse impact parameter and differences in the muon transverse momentum spectra. The measured value of R(tau/mu) is 0.992 +/- 0.013 [+/- 0.007(stat) +/- 0.011(syst)] and is in agreement with the hypothesis of universal lepton couplings as postulated in the standard model. This is the only such measurement from the Large Hadron Collider, so far, and obtains twice the precision of previous measurements.
|
ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Cardillo, F., Castillo, F. L., et al. (2021). Search for pair production of third-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying into a top quark and a tau-lepton in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector. J. High Energy Phys., 06(6), 179–62pp.
Abstract: A search for pair production of third-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying into a top quark and a tau-lepton is presented. The search is based on a dataset of pp collisions at root s = 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1). Events are selected if they have one light lepton (electron or muon) and at least one hadronically decaying tau-lepton, or at least two light leptons. In addition, two or more jets, at least one of which must be identified as containing b-hadrons, are required. Six final states, defined by the multiplicity and flavour of lepton candidates, are considered in the analysis. Each of them is split into multiple event categories to simultaneously search for the signal and constrain several leading backgrounds. The signal-rich event categories require at least one hadronically decaying tau-lepton candidate and exploit the presence of energetic final-state objects, which is characteristic of signal events. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed in any of the considered event categories, and 95% CL upper limits are set on the production cross section as a function of the leptoquark mass, for different assumptions about the branching fractions into t tau and b nu. Scalar leptoquarks decaying exclusively into t tau are excluded up to masses of 1.43 TeV while, for a branching fraction of 50% into t tau, the lower mass limit is 1.22 TeV.
|