Abstract: This paper describes a strategy for a general search used by the ATLAS Collaboration to find potential indications of new physics. Events are classified according to their final state into many event classes. For each event class an automated search algorithm tests whether the data are compatible with the Monte Carlo simulated expectation in several distributions sensitive to the effects of new physics. The significance of a deviation is quantified using pseudo-experiments. A data selection with a significant deviation defines a signal region for a dedicated follow-up analysis with an improved background expectation. The analysis of the data-derived signal regions on a new dataset allows a statistical interpretation without the large look-elsewhere effect. The sensitivity of the approach is discussed using Standard Model processes and benchmark signals of new physics. As an example, results are shown for 3.2fb-1 of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2015, in which more than 700 event classes and more than 105 regions have been analysed. No significant deviations are found and consequently no data-derived signal regions for a follow-up analysis have been defined.

Abstract: Measurements of fiducial integrated and differential cross sections for inclusive W +, W -and Z boson production are reported. They are based on 25.0 +/- 0.5 pb -1 of pp collision data at v s = 5.02 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Electron and muon decay channels are analysed, and the combined W +, W -and Z integrated cross sections are found to be sW+ = 2266 +/- 9 (stat) +/- 29 (syst) +/- 43 (lumi) pb, sW-= 1401 +/- 7 (stat) +/- 18 (syst) +/- 27 (lumi) pb, and sZ = 374.5 +/- 3.4 (stat)+/- 3.6 (syst)+/- 7.0 (lumi) pb, in good agreement with next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD crosssection calculations. Thesemeasurements serve as references for Pb+ Pb interactions at the LHC at v sNN = 5.02 TeV.

Abstract: The efficiency of the photon identification criteria in the ATLAS detector is measured using 36.1 fb1 to 36.7 fb1 of pp collision data at v s = 13 TeV collected in 2015 and 2016. The efficiencies are measured separately for converted and unconverted isolated photons, in four different pseudorapidity regions, for transverse momenta between 10 GeV and 1.5 TeV. The results from the combination of three data-driven techniques are compared with the predictions from simulation after correcting the variables describing the shape of electromagnetic showers in simulation for the average differences observed relative to data. Data-tosimulation efficiency ratios are determined to account for the small residual efficiency differences. These factors are measured with uncertainties between 0.5% and 5% depending on the photon transverse momentum and pseudorapidity. The impact of the isolation criteria on the photon identification efficiency, and that of additional soft pp interactions, are also discussed. The probability of reconstructing an electron as a photon candidate ismeasured in data, and compared with the predictions from simulation. The efficiency of the reconstruction of photon conversions is measured using a sample of photon candidates from Z. μmu. events, exploiting the properties of the ratio of the energies deposited in the first and second longitudinal layers of the ATLAS electromagnetic calorimeter.