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: A measurement of the jet activity in t (t) over bar events produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented, using 2.05 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The t (t) over bar events are selected in the dilepton decay channel with two identified b-jets from the top quark decays. Events are vetoed if they contain an additional jet with transverse momentum above a threshold in a central rapidity interval. The fraction of events surviving the jet veto is presented as a function of this threshold for four different central rapidity interval definitions. An alternate measurement is also performed, in which events are vetoed if the scalar transverse momentum sum of the additional jets in each rapidity interval is above a threshold. In both measurements, the data are corrected for detector effects and compared to the theoretical models implemented in MC@NLO, POWHEG, ALPGEN and SHERPA. The experimental uncertainties are often smaller than the spread of theoretical predictions, allowing deviations between data and theory to be observed in some regions of phase space.

Abstract: In this paper, a measurement of tau polarization in W -> tau nu decays is presented. It is measured from the energies of the decay products in hadronic tau decays with a single final state charged particle. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 24 pb(-1), were collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in 2010. The measured value of the tau polarization is P-tau = -1.06 +/- 0.04 (stat)(-0.07)(+0.05) (syst), in agreement with the Standard Model prediction, and is consistent with a physically allowed 95 % CL interval [-1,-0.91]. Measurements of tau polarization have not previously been made at hadron colliders.

Abstract: This paper presents measurements of the polarization of W bosons in top quark decays, derived from t (t) over bar events with missing transverse momentum, one charged lepton and at least four jets, or two charged leptons and at least two jets. Data from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV were collected with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 1.04 fb(-1). The measured fractions of longitudinally, left-and right-handed polarization are F-0 = 0.67 +/- 0.07, F-L = 0.32 +/- 0.04 and F-R = 0.01 +/- 0.05, in agreement with the Standard Model predictions. As the polarization of the W bosons in top quark decays is sensitive to the Wtb vertex Lorentz structure and couplings, the measurements were used to set limits on anomalous contributions to the Wtb couplings.