Measurement of J/ψ production in association with a W ± boson with pp data at 8 TeV

A measurement of the production of a prompt J/ψ meson in association with a W± boson with W± → μν and J/ψ → μ+μ− is presented for J/ψ transverse momenta in the range 8.5–150 GeV and rapidity |yJ/ψ| < 2.1 using ATLAS data recorded in 2012 at the LHC. The data were taken at a proton-proton centre-of-mass energy of s = 8 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb−1. The ratio of the prompt J/ψ plus W± cross-section to the inclusive W± cross-section is presented as a differential measurement as a function of J/ψ transverse momenta and compared with theoretical predictions using different double-parton-scattering cross-sections. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Measurement of the kt splitting scales in Z → `` events in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the splitting scales occuring in the k t jet-clustering algorithm is presented for final states containing a Z boson. The measurement is done using 20.2 fb −1 of proton-proton collision data collected at a centre-of-mass energy of s=8 TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in 2012. The measurement is based on chargedparticle track information, which is measured with excellent precision in the p T region relevant for the transition between the perturbative and the non-perturbative regimes. The data distributions are corrected for detector effects, and are found to deviate from state-of-the-art predictions in various regions of the observables.[Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Measurement of the production cross-section of a single top quark in association with a Z boson in proton–proton collisions at 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The production of a top quark in association with a Z boson is investigated. The proton–proton collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in 2015 and 2016 at a centre-of-mass energy of s=13TeV are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1fb −1 . Events containing three identified leptons (electrons and/or muons) and two jets, one of which is identified as a b-quark jet are selected. The major backgrounds are diboson, tt¯ and Z+jets production. A neural network is used to improve the background rejection and extract the signal. The resulting significance is 4.2σ in the data and the expected significance is 5.4σ. The measured cross-section for tZq production is 600±170(stat.)±140(syst.)fb

Measurements of top-quark pair differential cross-sections in the eμ channel in pp collisions at √s=13 TeV using the ATLAS detector

This article presents measurements of tt¯ differential cross-sections in a fiducial phase-space region, using an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb- 1 of proton–proton data at a centre-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in 2015. Differential cross-sections are measured as a function of the transverse momentum and absolute rapidity of the top quark, and of the transverse momentum, absolute rapidity and invariant mass of the tt¯ system. The tt¯ events are selected by requiring one electron and one muon of opposite electric charge, and at least two jets, one of which must be tagged as containing a b-hadron. The measured differential cross-sections are compared to predictions of next-to-leading order generators matched to parton showers and the measurements are found to be consistent with all models within the experimental uncertainties with the exception of the Powheg-Box+ Herwig++ predictions, which differ significantly from the data in both the transverse momentum of the top quark and the mass of the tt¯ system

Search for direct top squark pair production in events with a Higgs or Z boson, and missing transverse momentum in s√=13s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for direct top squark pair production resulting in events with either a same-flavour opposite-sign dilepton pair with invariant mass compatible with a Z boson or a pair of jets compatible with a Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson (h) is presented. Requirements on the missing transverse momentum, together with additional selections on leptons, jets, jets identified as originating from b-quarks are imposed to target the other decay products of the top squark pair. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collision data at s=13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2015–2016, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb −1 . No excess is observed in the data with respect to the SM predictions. The results are interpreted in two sets of models. In the first set, direct production of pairs of lighter top squarks (t˜ 1 ) with long decay chains involving Z or Higgs bosons is considered. The second set includes direct pair production of the heavier top squark pairs (t˜ 2 ) decaying via t˜ 2 → Zt˜ 1 or t˜ 2 → ht˜ 1 . The results exclude at 95% confidence level t˜ 2 and t˜ 1 masses up to about 800 GeV, extending the exclusion region of supersymmetric parameter space covered by previous LHC searches.[Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Search for lepton-flavour-violating decays of the Higgs and Z bosons with the ATLAS detector

Direct searches for lepton flavour violation in decays of the Higgs and Z bosons with the ATLAS detector at the LHC are presented. The following three decays are considered: H→eτH→eτ , H→μτH→μτ , and Z→μτZ→μτ . The searches are based on the data sample of proton–proton collisions collected by the ATLAS detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb−1fb−1 at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=8s=8 TeV. No significant excess is observed, and upper limits on the lepton-flavour-violating branching ratios are set at the 95 % confidence level: Br (H→eτ)<1.04%(H→eτ)<1.04% , Br (H→μτ)<1.43%(H→μτ)<1.43% , and Br (Z→μτ)<1.69×10−5(Z→μτ)<1.69×10−5

Search for long-lived, massive particles in events with displaced vertices and missing transverse momentum in s =13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for long-lived, massive particles predicted by many theories beyond the Standard Model is presented. The search targets final states with large missing transverse momentum and at least one high-mass displaced vertex with five or more tracks, and uses 32.8 fb-1 of s=13 TeV pp collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The observed yield is consistent with the expected background. The results are used to extract 95% C.L. exclusion limits on the production of long-lived gluinos with masses up to 2.37 TeV and lifetimes of O(10-2)-O(10) ns in a simplified model inspired by split supersymmetry

Evidence for the H → bb decay with the ATLAS detector

A search for the decay of the Standard Model Higgs boson into a $b\bar{b}$ pair when produced in association with a $W$ or $Z$ boson is performed with the ATLAS detector. The analysed data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$, were collected in proton-proton collisions in Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. Final states containing zero, one and two charged leptons (electrons or muons) are considered, targeting the decays $Z\to\nu\nu$, $W\to\ell\nu$ and $Z\to\ell\ell$. For a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV, an excess of events over the expected background from other Standard Model processes is found with an observed significance of 3.5 standard deviations, compared to an expectation of 3.0 standard deviations. This excess provides evidence for the Higgs boson decay into $b$-quarks and for its production in association with a vector boson. The combination of this result with that of the Run 1 analysis yields a ratio of the measured signal events to the Standard Model expectation equal to $0.90 \pm 0.18 \rm{(stat.)} ^{+0.21}_{-0.19} \rm{(syst.)}$. Assuming the Standard Model production cross-section, the results are consistent with the value of the Yukawa coupling to $b$-quarks in the Standard Model

Search for heavy ZZ resonances in the +−+− and +−νν¯ final states using proton–proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for heavy resonances decaying into a pair of Z bosons leading to +−+− and +−νν¯ final states, where stands for either an electron or a muon, is presented. The search uses proton–proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb−1 collected with the ATLAS detector during 2015 and 2016 at the Large Hadron Collider. Different mass ranges for the hypothetical resonances are considered, depending on the final state and model. The different ranges span between 200 and 2000 GeV. The results are interpreted as upper limits on the production cross section of a spin-0 or spin-2 resonance. The upper limits for the spin-0 resonance are translated to exclusion contours in the context of Type-I and Type-II two-Higgs-doublet models, while those for the spin-2 resonance are used to constrain the Randall–Sundrum model with an extra dimension giving rise to spin-2 graviton excitations