Abstract: A search is performed for top-quark pairs (t (t) over bar) produced together with a photon (gamma) with transverse energy greater than 20 GeV using a sample of t (t) over bar candidate events in final states with jets, missing transverse momentum, and one isolated electron or muon. The data set used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.59 fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. In total, 140 and 222 t (t) over bar gamma candidate events are observed in the electron and muon channels, to be compared to the expectation of 79 +/- 26 and 120 +/- 39 non-t (t) over bar gamma background events, respectively. The production of t (t) over bar gamma events is observed with a significance of 5.3 standard deviations away from the null hypothesis. The t (t) over bar gamma production cross section times the branching ratio (BR) of the single-lepton decay channel is measured in a fiducial kinematic region within the ATLAS acceptance. The measured value is sigma(fid)(t (t) over bar gamma) x BR = 63 +/- 8(stat)(-13)(+17) (syst) +/- 1(lumi) fb per lepton flavor, in good agreement with the leading-order theoretical calculation normalized to the next-to-leading-order theoretical prediction of 48 +/- 10 fb.

Abstract: This Letter reports the observation of WZ gamma production and a measurement of its cross section using 140.1 +/- 1.2 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the bosons decaying leptonically, pp -> WZ gamma -> l'(perpendicular to)nu l(+) l(-)gamma (l(')(+) = e, mu), is measured in a fiducial phasespace region defined such that the leptons and the photon have high transverse momentum and the photon is isolated. The cross section is found to be 2.01 +/- 0.30(stat) +/- 0.16(syst) fb. The corresponding standard model predicted cross section calculated at next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics and at leading order in the electroweak coupling constant is 1.50 +/- 0.06 fb. The observed significance of the WZ gamma signal is 6.3 sigma, compared with an expected significance of 5.0 sigma.

Abstract: The semiconductor tracker is a silicon microstrip detector forming part of the inner tracking system of the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The operation and performance of the semiconductor tracker during the first years of LHC running are described. More than 99% of the detector modules were operational during this period, with an average intrinsic hit efficiency of (99.74 +/- 0.04)%. The evolution of the noise occupancy is discussed, and measurements of the Lorentz angle, delta-ray production and energy loss presented. The alignment of the detector is found to be stable at the few-micron level over long periods of time. Radiation damage measurements, which include the evolution of detector leakage currents, are found to be consistent with predictions and are used in the verification of radiation background simulations.

Abstract: The Tile Calorimeter is the hadron calorimeter covering the central region of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Approximately 10,000 photomultipliers collect light from scintillating tiles acting as the active material sandwiched between slabs of steel absorber. This paper gives an overview of the calorimeter's performance during the years 2008-2012 using cosmic-ray muon events and proton-proton collision data at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV with a total integrated luminosity of nearly 30 fb(-1). The signal reconstruction methods, calibration systems as well as the detector operation status are presented. The energy and time calibration methods performed excellently, resulting in good stability of the calorimeter response under varying conditions during the LHC Run 1. Finally, the Tile Calorimeter response to isolated muons and hadrons as well as to jets from proton-proton collisions is presented. The results demonstrate excellent performance in accord with specifications mentioned in the Technical Design Report.

Abstract: Jet substructure has provided new opportunities for searches and measurements at the LHC, and has seen continuous development since the optimization of the large-radius jet definition used by ATLAS was performed during Run 1. A range of new inputs to jet reconstruction, pile-up mitigation techniques and jet grooming algorithms motivate an optimisation of large-radius jet reconstruction for ATLAS. In this paper, this optimisation procedure is presented, and the performance of a wide range of large-radius jet definitions is compared. The relative performance of these jet definitions is assessed using metrics such as their pileup stability, ability to identify hadronically decaying W bosons and top quarks with large transverse momenta. A new type of jet input object, called a 'unified flow object' is introduced which combines calorimeter- and inner-detector-based signals in order to achieve optimal performance across a wide kinematic range. Large-radius jet definitions are identified which significantly improve on the current ATLAS baseline definition, and their modelling is studied using pp collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at TeV during 2017.