Abstract: A search for pair-produced scalar or vector leptoquarks decaying into a b-quark and a τ-lepton is presented using the full LHC Run 2 (2015-2018) data sample of 139 fb−1 collected with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=13 TeV. Events in which at least one τ-lepton decays hadronically are considered, and multivariate discriminants are used to extract the signals. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectation are observed and 95% confidence-level upper limits on the production cross-section are derived as a function of leptoquark mass and branching ratio B into a τ-lepton and b-quark. For scalar leptoquarks, masses below 1460 GeV are excluded assuming B=100%, while for vector leptoquarks the corresponding limit is 1650 GeV (1910 GeV) in the minimal-coupling (Yang-Mills) scenario.

Abstract: A measurement of the charge asymmetry in top-quark pair (tt¯) production in association with a photon is presented. The measurement is performed in the single-lepton tt¯ decay channel using proton-proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN at a centre-of-mass-energy of 13 TeV during the years 2015-2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. The charge asymmetry is obtained from the distribution of the difference of the absolute rapidities of the top quark and antiquark using a profile likelihood unfolding approach. It is measured to be AC=−0.003±0.029 in agreement with the Standard Model expectation.

Abstract: This Letter presents the measurement of the fiducial and differential cross-sections of the electroweak production of a Zγ pair in association with two jets. The analysis uses 140 fb−1 of LHC proton-proton collision data taken at s√=13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector during the years 2015-2018. Events with a Z boson candidate decaying into either an e+e− or μ+μ− pair, a photon and two jets are selected. The electroweak component is extracted by requiring a large dijet invariant mass and a large rapidity gap between the two jets and is measured with an observed and expected significance well above five standard deviations. The fiducial pp→Zγjj cross-section for the electroweak production is measured to be 3.6 ± 0.5 fb. The total fiducial cross-section that also includes contributions where the jets arise from strong interactions is measured to be 16.8+2.0−1.8 fb. The results are consistent with the Standard Model predictions. Differential cross-sections are also measured using the same events and are compared with parton-shower Monte Carlo simulations. Good agreement is observed between data and predictions.

Abstract: A search for the exotic decay of the Higgs boson (H) into a b (b) over bar resonance plus missing transverse momentum is described. The search is performed with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider using 139 fb(-1) of pp collisions at root s = 13 TeV. The search targets events from ZH production in an NMSSM scenario where H -> chi(similar to 0)(2)chi(similar to 0)(1), with chi(similar to 0)(2) -> a chi(similar to 0)(1), where a is a light pseudoscalar Higgs boson and chi(similar to 0)(1,)(2) are the two lightest neutralinos. The decay of the a boson into a pair of b-quarks results in a peak in the dijet invariant mass distribution. The final-state signature consists of two leptons, two or more jets, at least one of which is identified as originating from a b-quark, and missing transverse momentum. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations and upper limits are set on the product of cross section times branching ratio for a three-dimensional scan of the masses of the chi(similar to 0)(2), chi(similar to 0)(1) and a boson.

Abstract: This paper presents a combined analysis of the potential of a future electron-positron collider to constrain the Higgs, top, and electroweak sectors of the Standard Model effective field theory. The leading contributions of operators involving top quarks arise mostly at one-loop suppressed order and can be captured by the renormalization group mixing with Higgs operators. We perform global fits with an extended basis of 29 parameters, including both Higgs and top operators, to the projections for the Higgs, top, and electroweak precision measurements at the International Linear Collider (ILC). The determination of the Higgs boson couplings in the 250 GeV stage of the ILC is initially severely degraded by the additional top-quark degrees of freedom, but can be nearly completely recovered by the inclusion of precise measurements of top-quark EW couplings at the LHC. The physical Higgs couplings are relatively robust, as the top mass is larger than the energy scale of electroweak processes. The effect of the top operators on the bounds on the Wilson coefficients is much more pronounced and may limit our ability to identify the source of deviations from the Standard Model. Robust global bounds on all Wilson coefficients are only obtained when the 500 GeV stage of the ILC is included.