Abstract: A search is presented for a heavy resonance Y decaying into a Standard Model Higgs boson H and a new particle X in a fully hadronic final state. The full Large Hadron Collider run 2 dataset of proton-proton collisions at root s =13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector from 2015 to 2018 is used and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1). The search targets the high Y-mass region, where the H and X have a significant Lorentz boost in the laboratory frame. A novel application of anomaly detection is used to define a general signal region, where events are selected solely because of their incompatibility with a learned background-only model. It is constructed using a jet-level tagger for signal-model-independent selection of the boosted X particle, representing the first application of fully unsupervised machine learning to an ATLAS analysis. Two additional signal regions are implemented to target a benchmark X decay into two quarks, covering topologies where the X is reconstructed as either a single large-radius jet or two small-radius jets. The analysis selects Higgs boson decays into bb, and a dedicated neural-network-based tagger provides sensitivity to the boosted heavy-flavor topology. No significant excess of data over the expected background is observed, and the results are presented as upper limits on the production cross section sigma(pp -> Y -> XH -> qqbb) for signals with m(Y) between 1.5 and 6 TeV and m(X) between 65 and 3000 GeV.

Abstract: Measurements of joint-polarisation states of Wand Zgauge bosons in W +/- Z production are presented. The data set used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The W +/- Z candidate events are reconstructed using leptonic decay modes of the gauge bosons into electrons and muons. The simultaneous pair-production of longitudinally polarised vector bosons is measured for the first time with a significance of 7.1 standard deviations. The measured joint helicity fractions integrated over the fiducial region are f(00)= 0.067 +/- 0.010, f(0T) = 0.110 +/- 0.029, f(T0) = 0.179 +/- 0.023 and f(TT) = 0.644 +/- 0.032, in agreement with the next-to-leading-order Standard Model predictions. Individual helicity fractions of the Wand Zbosons are also measured and found to be consistent with joint helicity fractions within the expected amounts of correlation. Both the joint and individual helicity fractions are also measured separately in W+Z and W-Z events. Inclusive and differential cross sections for several kinematic observables sensitive to polarisation are presented.

Abstract: The exclusive production of pion pairs in the process pp -> pp pi(+)pi(-) has been measured at root s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, using 80 μb(-1) of low-luminosity data. The pion pairs were detected in the ATLAS central detector while outgoing protons were measured in the forwardATLASALFAdetector system. This represents the first use of proton tagging to measure an exclusive hadronic final state at the LHC. Across-sectionmeasurement is performed in two kinematic regions defined by the proton momenta, the pion rapidities and transverse momenta, and the pion-pion invariant mass. Cross-section values of 4.8 +/- 1.0 (stat)(-0.2) (+0.3)(syst) μb and 9 +/- 6 (stat)(-2)(+2) (syst) μb are obtained in the two regions; they are compared with theoretical models and provide a demonstration of the feasibility of measurements of this type.

Abstract: This Letter reports the observation of tau-lepton-pair production in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions Pb + Pb -> Pb(gamma gamma -> tau tau)Pb and constraints on the tau-lepton anomalous magnetic moment a(tau). The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.44 nb(-1) of LHC Pb + Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-s = 5.02 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment in 2018. Selected events contain one muon from a t-lepton decay, an electron or charged-particle track(s) from the other tau-lepton decay, little additional central-detector activity, and no forward neutrons. The gamma gamma -> tau tau process is observed in Pb + Pb collisions with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations and a signal strength of mu(tau tau) = 1.03(-0.05)(+0.06) assuming the standard model value for a(tau). To measure a(tau), a template fit to the muon transverse-momentum distribution from tau-lepton candidates is performed, using a dimuon (gamma gamma -> μmu) control sample to constrain systematic uncertainties. The observed 95% confidence-level interval for a(tau) is -0.057 < a(tau) < 0.024.

Abstract: A search for flavor-changing neutral-current couplings between a top quark, an up or charm quark, and a Z boson is presented, using proton-proton collision data at root s = 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analyzed data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1). The search targets both single-top- quark events produced as gq -> tZ (with q = u, c) and top-quark-pair events, with one top quark decaying through the t -> Zq channel. The analysis considers events with three leptons (electrons or muons), a b-tagged jet, possible additional jets, and missing transverse momentum. The data are found to be consistent with the background-only hypothesis and 95% confidence-level limits on the t -> Zq branching ratios, assuming only tensor operators of the Standard Model effective field theory framework contribute to the tZq vertices. These are 6.2 x 10(-5) (13 x 10(-5)) for t -> Zu (t -> Zc) for a left-handed tZq coupling, and 6.6 x 10(-5) (12 x 10(-5)) in the case of a right-handed coupling. These results are interpreted as 95% CL upper limits on the strength of the corresponding couplings, yielding limits for |C-uW((13))*| and |C-uB((13))*| (|C-uW((31))| and |C-uB((31))|) of 0.15 (0.16), and limits for |C-uW((23))*| and |C-uB((23))*| (|C-uW((32))| and |C-uB((32))|) of 0.22 (0.21), assuming a new-physics energy scale Lambda(NP) of 1 TeV.