Abstract: Inclusive four-jet events produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of mass energy of root s = 7 TeV are analysed for the presence of hard double-parton scattering using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 37.3 pb(-1), collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The contribution of hard double-parton scattering to the production of four -jet events is extracted using an artificial neural network, assuming that hard double-parton scattering can be approximated by an uncorrelated overlaying of dijet events. For events containing at least four jets with transverse momentum PT >= 20 GeV and pseudorapidity vertical bar eta vertical bar <= 4.4, and at least one having pT >= 42.5 GeV, the contribution of hard double-parton scattering is estimated to be fDps = 0.092(-0.011)(+0.0005) (stat.) (+0.03337)(-0.011) (syst.). After combining this measurement with those of the inclusive dijet and four -jet cross -sections in the appropriate phase space regions, the effective cross-section, sigma(eff,) was determined to be sigma(eff) = 14.9(-1.0)(+1.2) (stat.) (+5.1)(-3.8) (syst.) mb. This result is consistent within the quoted uncertainties with previous measurements of sigma(eff), performed at centre-of-mass energies between 63 GeV and 8 TeV using various final states, and it corresponds to 21(-6%)(+7) of the total inelastic cross-section measured at root s = 7 TeV. The distributions of the observables sensitive to the contribution of hard double-parton scattering, corrected for detector effects, are also provided.

Abstract: The cross section of a top-quark pair produced in association with a photon is measured in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 8 TeV with 20.2 fb(-1) of data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2012. The measurement is performed by selecting events that contain a photon with transverse momentum p(T) > 15 GeV, an isolated lepton with large transverse momentum, large missing transverse momentum, and at least four jets, where at least one is identified as originating from a b-quark. The production cross section is measured in a fiducial region close to the selection requirements. It is found to be 139 +/- 7 (stat.) +/- 17 (syst.) fb, in good agreement with the theoretical prediction at next-to-leading order of 151 +/- 24 fb. In addition, differential cross sections in the fiducial region are measured as a function of the transverse momentum and pseudorapidity of the photon.

Abstract: A search for the supersymmetric partners of the Standard Model bottom and top quarks is presented. The search uses 36.1 fb(-1) of pp collision data at root s = 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Direct production of pairs of bottom and top squarks ((b) over bar (1) and (t) over bar (1)) is searched for in final states with b-tagged jets and missing transverse momentum. Distinctive selections are defined with either no charged leptons (electrons or muons) in the final state, or one charged lepton. The zero-lepton selection targets models in which the (b) over bar (1) is the lightest squark and decays via (b) over bar (1) -> b((chi) over bar1)(0), where (chi) over bar (0)(1) is the lightest neutralino. The one-lepton final state targets models where bottom or top squarks are produced and can decay into multiple channels, (b) over bar (1) -> b((chi) over bar1)(0) and (b) over bar (1) -> b((chi) over bar1)(+/-), or (t) over bar (1) -> t((chi) over bar1)(0) and (t) over bar (1) -> b((chi) over bar1)(+/-), where (X) over bar (+/-)(1) is the lightest chargino and the mass difference m((chi) over bar1)(+/-) – m((chi) over bar1)(0) is set to 1 GeV. No excess above the expected Standard Model background is observed. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level on the mass of third-generation squarks are derived in various supersymmetry-inspired simplified models.