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ATLAS Collaboration

Publications and source records attributed to ATLAS Collaboration.

At least 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Fluctuations of anisotropic flow in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

Multi-particle azimuthal cumulants are measured as a function of centrality and transverse momentum using 470 $μ$b$^{-1}$ of Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. These cumulants provide information on the event-by-event fluctuations of harmonic flow coefficients $v_n$ and correlated fluctuations between two harmonics $v_n$ and $v_m$. For the first time, a non-zero four-particle cumulant is observed for dipolar flow, $v_1$. The four-particle cumulants for elliptic flow, $v_2$, and triangular flow, $v_3$, exhibit a strong centrality dependence and change sign in ultra-central collisions. This sign change is consistent with significant non-Gaussian fluctuations in $v_2$ and $v_3$. The four-particle cumulant for quadrangular flow, $v_4$, is found to change sign in mid-central collisions. Correlations between two harmonics are studied with three- and four-particle mixed-harmonic cumulants, which indicate an anti-correlation between $v_2$ and $v_3$, and a positive correlation between $v_2$ and $v_4$. These correlations decrease in strength towards central collisions and either approach zero or change sign in ultra-central collisions. To investigate the possible flow fluctuations arising from intrinsic centrality or volume fluctuations, the results are compared between two different event classes used for centrality definitions. In peripheral and mid-central collisions where the cumulant signals are large, only small differences are observed. In ultra-central collisions, the differences are much larger and transverse momentum dependent. These results provide new information to disentangle flow fluctuations from the initial and final states, as well as new insights on the influence of centrality fluctuations.

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arXiv2020

ATLAS data quality operations and performance for 2015-2018 data-taking

The ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider reads out particle collision data from over 100 million electronic channels at a rate of approximately $100$ kHz, with a recording rate for physics events of approximately 1 kHz. Before being certified for physics analysis at computer centres worldwide, the data must be scrutinised to ensure they are clean from any hardware or software related issues that may compromise their integrity. Prompt identification of these issues permits fast action to investigate, correct and potentially prevent future such problems that could render the data unusable. This is achieved through the monitoring of detector-level quantities and reconstructed collision event characteristics at key stages of the data processing chain. This paper presents the monitoring and assessment procedures in place at ATLAS during 2015-2018 data-taking. Through the continuous improvement of operational procedures, ATLAS achieved a high data quality efficiency, with 95.6% of the recorded proton-proton collision data collected at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV certified for physics analysis.

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arXiv2020

Search for the Higgs boson decays $H \to ee$ and $H \to eμ$ in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

Searches for the Higgs boson decays $H \to ee$ and $H \to e μ$ are performed using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the ATLAS detector in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV at the LHC. No significant signals are observed, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation. For a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV, the observed (expected) upper limit at the 95% confidence level on the branching fraction $\mathcal{B}(H \to ee)$ is $3.6 \times 10^{-4}$ ($3.5 \times 10^{-4} $) and on $\mathcal{B}(H \to e μ)$ is $6.1\times 10^{-5} $ ($5.8\times 10^{-5}$). These results represent improvements by factors of about five and six on the previous best limits on $\mathcal{B}(H \to ee)$ and $\mathcal{B}(H \to e μ)$ respectively.

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arXiv2020

Combination of searches for Higgs boson pairs in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = $13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This letter presents a combination of searches for Higgs boson pair production using up to 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The combination is performed using six analyses searching for Higgs boson pairs decaying into the bbbb, bbWW, bb$ττ$, WWWW, bb$γγ$ and WW$γγ$ final states. Results are presented for non-resonant and resonant Higgs boson pair production modes. No statistically significant excess in data above the Standard Model predictions is found. The combined observed (expected) limit at 95% confidence level on the non-resonant Higgs boson pair production cross-section is 6.9 (10) times the predicted Standard Model cross-section. Limits are also set on the ratio ($ κ_λ $) of the Higgs boson self-coupling to its Standard Model value. This ratio is constrained at 95% confidence level in observation (expectation) to $ -5.0 < κ_λ <12.0 $ ($ -5.8 < κ_λ <12.0 $). In addition, limits are set on the production of narrow scalar resonances and spin-2 Kaluza-Klein Randall-Sundrum gravitons. Exclusion regions are also provided in the parameter space of the habemus Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model and the Electroweak Singlet Model.

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arXiv2020

Combination of searches for invisible Higgs boson decays with the ATLAS experiment

Dark matter particles, if sufficiently light, may be produced in decays of the Higgs boson. This Letter presents a statistical combination of searches for $H\to\textrm{invisible}$ decays where $H$ is produced according to the Standard Model via vector boson fusion, $Z(\ell\ell)H$, and $W\!/\!Z(\textrm{had})H$, all performed with the ATLAS detector using 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt s = 13$ TeV at the LHC. In combination with the results at $\sqrt s = 7$ and 8 TeV, an exclusion limit on the $H\to\textrm{invisible}$ branching ratio of $0.26 (0.17^{+0.07}_{-0.05})$ at 95% confidence level is observed (expected).

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arXiv2020

A measurement of soft-drop jet observables in $pp$ collisions with the ATLAS detector at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV

Jet substructure quantities are measured using jets groomed with the soft-drop grooming procedure in dijet events from 32.9 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions collected with the ATLAS detector at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV. These observables are sensitive to a wide range of QCD phenomena. Some observables, such as the jet mass and opening angle between the two subjets which pass the soft-drop condition, can be described by a high-order (resummed) series in the strong coupling constant $α_S$. Other observables, such as the momentum sharing between the two subjets, are nearly independent of $α_S$. These observables can be constructed using all interacting particles or using only charged particles reconstructed in the inner tracking detectors. Track-based versions of these observables are not collinear safe, but are measured more precisely, and universal non-perturbative functions can absorb the collinear singularities. The unfolded data are directly compared with QCD calculations and hadron-level Monte Carlo simulations. The measurements are performed in different pseudorapidity regions, which are then used to extract quark and gluon jet shapes using the predicted quark and gluon fractions in each region. All of the parton shower and analytical calculations provide an excellent description of the data in most regions of phase space.

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arXiv2020

Search for direct stau production in events with two hadronic $τ$-leptons in $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV $pp$ collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of the supersymmetric partners of $τ$-leptons (staus) in final states with two hadronically decaying $τ$-leptons is presented. The analysis uses a dataset of $pp$ collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $139$ fb$^{-1}$, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No significant deviation from the expected Standard Model background is observed. Limits are derived in scenarios of direct production of stau pairs with each stau decaying into the stable lightest neutralino and one $τ$-lepton in simplified models where the two stau mass eigenstates are degenerate. Stau masses from 120 GeV to 390 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level for a massless lightest neutralino.

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arXiv2020

Measurement of the $Z(\rightarrow\ell^+\ell^-)γ$ production cross-section in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} =13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

The production of a prompt photon in association with a $Z$ boson is studied in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV. The analysis uses a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC from 2015 to 2018. The production cross-section for the process $pp \rightarrow \ell^+\ell^-γ+X$ ($\ell = e, μ$) is measured within a fiducial phase-space region defined by kinematic requirements on the photon and the leptons, and by isolation requirements on the photon. An experimental precision of 2.9% is achieved for the fiducial cross-section. Differential cross-sections are measured as a function of each of six kinematic variables characterising the $\ell^+\ell^-γ$ system. The data are compared with theoretical predictions based on next-to-leading-order and next-to-next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations. The impact of next-to-leading-order electroweak corrections is also considered.

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arXiv2020

Searches for electroweak production of supersymmetric particles with compressed mass spectra in $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV $pp$ collisions with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents results of searches for electroweak production of supersymmetric particles in models with compressed mass spectra. The searches use 139 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Events with missing transverse momentum and two same-flavor, oppositely charged, low transverse momentum leptons are selected, and are further categorized by the presence of hadronic activity from initial-state radiation or a topology compatible with vector-boson fusion processes. The data are found to be consistent with predictions from the Standard Model. The results are interpreted using simplified models of $R$-parity-conserving supersymmetry in which the lightest supersymmetric partner is a neutralino with a mass similar to the lightest chargino, the second-to-lightest neutralino or the slepton. Lower limits on the masses of charginos in different simplified models range from 193 GeV to 240 GeV for moderate mass splittings, and extend down to mass splittings of 1.5 GeV to 2.4 GeV at the LEP chargino bounds (92.4 GeV). Similar lower limits on degenerate light-flavor sleptons extend up to masses of 251 GeV and down to mass splittings of 550 MeV. Constraints on vector-boson fusion production of electroweak SUSY states are also presented.

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arXiv2020

Transverse momentum and process dependent azimuthal anisotropies in $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=8.16$ TeV $p$+Pb collisions with the ATLAS detector

The azimuthal anisotropy of charged particles produced in $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=8.16$ TeV $p$+Pb collisions is measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of $165$ $\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$ that was collected in 2016. Azimuthal anisotropy coefficients, elliptic $v_2$ and triangular $v_3$, extracted using two-particle correlations with a non-flow template fit procedure, are presented as a function of particle transverse momentum ($p_\mathrm{T}$) between $0.5$ and $50$ GeV. The $v_2$ results are also reported as a function of centrality in three different particle $p_\mathrm{T}$ intervals. The results are reported from minimum-bias events and jet-triggered events, where two jet $p_\mathrm{T}$ thresholds are used. The anisotropies for particles with $p_\mathrm{T}$ less than about $2$ GeV are consistent with hydrodynamic flow expectations, while the significant non-zero anisotropies for $p_\mathrm{T}$ in the range $9$-$50$ GeV are not explained within current theoretical frameworks. In the $p_\mathrm{T}$ range $2$-$9$ GeV, the anisotropies are larger in minimum-bias than in jet-triggered events. Possible origins of these effects, such as the changing admixture of particles from hard scattering and the underlying event, are discussed.

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arXiv2020

Measurement of azimuthal anisotropy of muons from charm and bottom hadrons in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

The elliptic flow of muons from the decay of charm and bottom hadrons is measured in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV using a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 150 pb$^{-1}$ recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The muons from heavy-flavor decay are separated from light-hadron decay muons using momentum imbalance between the tracking and muon spectrometers. The heavy-flavor decay muons are further separated into those from charm decay and those from bottom decay using the distance-of-closest-approach to the collision vertex. The measurement is performed for muons in the transverse momentum range 4-7 GeV and pseudorapidity range $|η|<2.4$. A significant non-zero elliptic anisotropy coefficient $v_{2}$ is observed for muons from charm decays, while the $v_{2}$ value for muons from bottom decays is consistent with zero within uncertainties.

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arXiv2020

Measurement of $W^{\pm}$-boson and $Z$-boson production cross-sections in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=2.76$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

The production cross-sections for $W^{\pm}$ and $Z$ bosons are measured using ATLAS data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.0 pb$^{-1}$ collected at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=2.76$ TeV. The decay channels $W \rightarrow \ell ν$ and $Z \rightarrow \ell \ell $ are used, where $\ell$ can be an electron or a muon. The cross-sections are presented for a fiducial region defined by the detector acceptance and are also extrapolated to the full phase space for the total inclusive production cross-section. The combined (average) total inclusive cross-sections for the electron and muon channels are: \begin{eqnarray} σ^{\text{tot}}_{W^{+}\rightarrow \ell ν}& = & 2312 \pm 26\ (\text{stat.})\ \pm 27\ (\text{syst.}) \pm 72\ (\text{lumi.}) \pm 30\ (\text{extr.})\text{pb} \nonumber, \\ σ^{\text{tot}}_{W^{-}\rightarrow \ell ν}& = & 1399 \pm 21\ (\text{stat.})\ \pm 17\ (\text{syst.}) \pm 43\ (\text{lumi.}) \pm 21\ (\text{extr.})\text{pb} \nonumber, \\ σ^{\text{tot}}_{Z \rightarrow \ell \ell}& = & 323.4 \pm 9.8\ (\text{stat.}) \pm 5.0\ (\text{syst.}) \pm 10.0\ (\text{lumi.}) \pm 5.5 (\text{extr.}) \text{pb} \nonumber. \end{eqnarray} Measured ratios and asymmetries constructed using these cross-sections are also presented. These observables benefit from full or partial cancellation of many systematic uncertainties that are correlated between the different measurements.

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arXiv2020

Search for electroweak production of charginos and sleptons decaying into final states with two leptons and missing transverse momentum in $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV $pp$ collisions using the ATLAS detector

A search for the electroweak production of charginos and sleptons decaying into final states with two electrons or muons is presented. The analysis is based on 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV. Three $R$-parity-conserving scenarios where the lightest neutralino is the lightest supersymmetric particle are considered: the production of chargino pairs with decays via either $W$ bosons or sleptons, and the direct production of slepton pairs. The analysis is optimised for the first of these scenarios, but the results are also interpreted in the others. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectations are observed and limits at 95 % confidence level are set on the masses of relevant supersymmetric particles in each of the scenarios. For a massless lightest neutralino, masses up to 420 GeV are excluded for the production of the lightest-chargino pairs assuming $W$-boson-mediated decays and up to 1 TeV for slepton-mediated decays, whereas for slepton-pair production masses up to 700 GeV are excluded assuming three generations of mass-degenerate sleptons.

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arXiv2020

Search for displaced vertices of oppositely charged leptons from decays of long-lived particles in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for long-lived particles decaying into an oppositely charged lepton pair, $μμ$, $ee$, or $eμ$, is presented using 32.8 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data collected at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Candidate leptons are required to form a vertex, within the inner tracking volume of ATLAS, displaced from the primary $pp$ interaction region. No lepton pairs with an invariant mass greater than 12 GeV are observed, consistent with the background expectations derived from data. The detection efficiencies for generic resonances with lifetimes ($cτ$) of 100-1000 mm decaying into a dilepton pair with masses between 0.1-1.0 TeV are presented as a function of $p_T$ and decay radius of the resonances to allow the extraction of upper limits on the cross sections for theoretical models. The result is also interpreted in a supersymmetric model in which the lightest neutralino, produced via squark-antisquark production, decays into $\ell^{+}\ell^{'-}ν$ ($\ell, \ell^{'} = e$, $μ$) with a finite lifetime due to the presence of R-parity violating couplings. Cross-section limits are presented for specific squark and neutralino masses. For a 700 GeV squark, neutralinos with masses of 50-500 GeV and mean proper lifetimes corresponding to $cτ$ values between 1 mm to 6 m are excluded. For a 1.6 TeV squark, $cτ$ values between 3 mm to 1 m are excluded for 1.3 TeV neutralinos.

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arXiv2020

Measurement of the azimuthal anisotropy of charged-particle production in Xe+Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.44$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper describes the measurements of flow harmonics $v_2$-$v_6$ in 3 $μ\mathrm{b}^{-1}$ of Xe+Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.44$ TeV performed using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Measurements of the centrality, multiplicity and $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ dependence of the $v_n$ obtained using two-particle correlations and the scalar product technique are presented. The measurements are also performed using a template-fit procedure, which was developed to remove non-flow correlations in small collision systems. This non-flow removal is shown to have a significant influence on the measured $v_n$ at high $p_{\mathrm{T}}$, especially in peripheral events. Comparisons of the measured $v_n$ with measurements in Pb+Pb collisions and $p$+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV are also presented. The $v_n$ values in Xe+Xe collisions are observed to be larger than those in Pb+Pb collisions for $n=2$, 3 and 4 in the most central events. However, with decreasing centrality or increasing harmonic order $n$, the $v_n$ values in Xe+Xe collisions become smaller than those in Pb+Pb collisions. The $v_n$ in Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb collisions are also compared as a function of the mean number of participating nucleons, $\langle N_\text{part} \rangle$, and the measured charged-particle multiplicity in the detector. The $v_3$ values in Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb collisions are observed to be similar at the same $\langle N_\text{part}\rangle$ or multiplicity, but the other harmonics are significantly different. Comparisons of the $v_n$ measurements with theoretical calculations are also made.

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arXiv2020

Combined measurements of Higgs boson production and decay using up to $80$ fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV collected with the ATLAS experiment

Combined measurements of Higgs boson production cross sections and branching fractions are presented. The combination is based on the analyses of the Higgs boson decay modes $H \to γγ$, $ZZ^\ast$, $WW^\ast$, $ττ$, $b\bar{b}$, $μμ$, searches for decays into invisible final states, and on measurements of off-shell Higgs boson production. Up to $79.8$ fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data collected at $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector are used. Results are presented for the gluon-gluon fusion and vector-boson fusion processes, and for associated production with vector bosons or top-quarks. The global signal strength is determined to be $μ= 1.11^{+0.09}_{-0.08}$. The combined measurement yields an observed (expected) significance for the vector-boson fusion production process of $6.5σ$ ($5.3σ$). Measurements in kinematic regions defined within the simplified template cross section framework are also shown. The results are interpreted in terms of modifiers applied to the Standard Model couplings of the Higgs boson to other particles, and are used to set exclusion limits on parameters in two-Higgs-doublet models and in the simplified Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. No significant deviations from Standard Model predictions are observed.

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arXiv2020

Performance of electron and photon triggers in ATLAS during LHC Run 2

Electron and photon triggers covering transverse energies from 5 GeV to several TeV are essential for the ATLAS experiment to record signals for a wide variety of physics: from Standard Model processes to searches for new phenomena in both proton-proton and heavy-ion collisions. To cope with a fourfold increase of peak LHC luminosity from 2015 to 2018 (Run 2), to 2.1$\times$10$^{34}$cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$, and a similar increase in the number of interactions per beam-crossing to about 60, trigger algorithms and selections were optimised to control the rates while retaining a high efficiency for physics analyses. For proton-proton collisions, the single-electron trigger efficiency relative to a single-electron offline selection is at least 75% for an offline electron of 31 GeV, and rises to 96% at 60 GeV; the trigger efficiency of a 25 GeV leg of the primary diphoton trigger relative to a tight offline photon selection is more than 96% for an offline photon of 30 GeV. For heavy-ion collisions, the primary electron and photon trigger efficiencies relative to the corresponding standard offline selections are at least 84% and 95%, respectively, at 5 GeV above the corresponding trigger threshold.

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arXiv2020

Search for magnetic monopoles and stable high-electric-charge objects in 13 TeV proton-proton collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for magnetic monopoles and high-electric-charge objects is presented using 34.4 fb$^{-1}$ of 13 TeV $pp$ collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2015 and 2016. The considered signature is based upon high ionization in the transition radiation tracker of the inner detector associated with a pencil-shape energy deposit in the electromagnetic calorimeter. The data were collected by a dedicated trigger based on the tracker high-threshold hit capability. The results are interpreted in models of Drell-Yan pair production of stable particles with two spin hypotheses (0 and 1/2) and masses ranging from 200 GeV to 4000 GeV. The search improves by approximately a factor of five the constraints on the direct production of magnetic monopoles carrying one or two Dirac magnetic charges and stable objects with electric charge in the range $20\le|z|\le60$ and extends the charge range to $60<|z|\le100$.

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