The ATLAS Student Event Challenge

The ASEC (ATLAS Student Event Challenge) is an educational project which allows the students to learn about the elementary particles by studying "events", the products of beam collisions at the LHC. The events are collected by the ATLAS detector and displayed graphically using the ATLANTIS package. The students are given the means to select and analyse the events on-line, and subsequently present the results and draw conclusions

Extended Modified Observable Technique for a Multi-Parametric Trilinear Gauge Coupling Estimation at LEP II

This paper describes the extension of the Modified Observables technique in estimating simultaneously more than one Trilinear Gauge Couplings. The optimal properties, unbiasedness and consistent error estimation of this method are demonstrated by Monte Carlo experimentation using $\ell \nu jj$ four-fermion final state topologies. Emphasis is given in the determination of the expected sensitivities in estimating the $\lambda_{\gamma} - \Delta g_{1}^{z}$ and $\Delta k_{\gamma} - \Delta g_{1}^{z}$ pair of couplings with data from the 183 GeV LEPII run.Comment: (17 pages, 8 figures

Muon Energy Loss Upsteam of the Muon Spectrometer

A method for the estimation of the muon energy loss downstream of the Muons Spectrometer is presented. The method provides an improved and updated parametrization of the muon energy loss in ATLAS, along with an estimation based on the actual energy deposition in the calorimeters. The latter aims to account, on an event-by-event basis, for the statistical fluctuations of the energy loss. The final implementation of the presented method combines both the energy loss parametrization and the calorimeter information. This hybrid method provides on average a 5% improvement on the muon stand-alone momentum resolution, reaching 10% for , and reduces the non-gaussian tails. The method is implemented inside the ATHENA framework, in the MuidCaloEnergyTools package

Accurate Estimation of the Trilinear Gauge Couplings Using Optimal Observables Including Detector Effects

This paper describes the definition of maximum likelihood equivalent estimators of the Trilinear Gauge Couplings which include detector effects. The asymptotic properties of these estimators as well as their unbiasedness and efficiency when dealing with finite statistical samples are demonstrated by Monte Carlo experimentation, using simulated events corresponding to the production of q qbar lepton neutrino in e+ e- collisions at 172 GeV. Emphasis is given to the determination of the expected efficiencies in extracting the aWphi, aW and aBphi couplings from LEPII data, which in this particular case found to be close to the maximum possible.Comment: 32 pages, 12 figures, Late

Multidimensional Binning Techniques for a Two Parameter Trilinear Gauge Coupling Estimation at LEP II

This paper describes two generalization schemes of the Optimal Variables technique in estimating simultaneously two Trilinear Gauge Couplings. The first is an iterative procedure to perform a 2-dimensional fit using the linear terms of the expansion of the probability density function with respect to the corresponding couplings, whilst the second is a clustering method of probability distribution representation in five dimensions. The pair production of W's at 183 GeV center of mass energy, where one W decays leptonically and the other hadronically, was used to demonstrate the optimal properties of the proposed estimation techniques.Comment: (25 pages, 11 figures

A Method to include Detector Effects in Estimators sensitive to the Trilinear Gauge Couplings

This paper describes the use of weighted Monte Carlo events to accurately approximate integrals of functions of the experimentally measured kinematical vectors and their dependence on physical parameters. This technique is demonstrated in estimating the evolution of cross sections, efficiencies, measured kinematical distributions and mean values as functions of the Trilinear Gauge Couplings.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, Late

The Estimation of the Effective Centre of Mass Energy in q-qbar-gamma Events from DELPHI

The photon radiation in the initial state lowers the energy available for the e$^+$e$^-$ collisions; this effect is particularly important at LEP2 energies (above the mass of the Z boson). Being aligned to the beam direction, such initial state radiation is mostly undetected. This article describes the procedure used by the DELPHI experiment at LEP to estimate the effective centre-of-mass energy in hadronic events collected at energies above the Z peak. Typical resolutions ranging from 2 to 3 GeV on the effective center-of-mass energy are achieved, depending on the event topology.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

A PMT-Block test bench

The front-end electronics of the ATLAS hadronic calorimeter (Tile Cal) is housed in a unit, called {\it PMT-Block}. The PMT-Block is a compact instrument comprising a light mixer, a PMT together with its divider and a {\it 3-in-1} card, which provides shaping, amplification and integration for the signals. This instrument needs to be qualified before being assembled on the detector. A PMT-Block test bench has been developed for this purpose. This test bench is a system which allows fast, albeit accurate enough, measurements of the main properties of a complete PMT-Block. The system, both hardware and software, and the protocol used for the PMT-Blocks characterisation are described in detail in this report. The results obtained in the test of about 10000 PMT-Blocks needed for the instrumentation of the ATLAS (LHC-CERN) hadronic Tile Calorimeter are also reported.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figure

CP asymmetry in B→ϕKSB \to \phi K_S in a general two-Higgs-doublet model with fourth-generation quarks

We discuss the time-dependent CP asymmetry of decay $B \to \phi K_S$ in an extension of the Standard Model with both two Higgs doublets and additional fourth-generation quarks. We show that although the Standard Model with two-Higgs-doublet and the Standard model with fourth generation quarks alone are not likely to largely change the effective $\sin 2 \beta$ from the decay of $B \to \phi K_S$, the model with both additional Higgs doublet and fourth-generation quarks can easily account for the possible large negative value of $\sin 2 \beta$ without conflicting with other experimental constraints. In this model, additional large CP violating effects may arise from the flavor changing Yukawa interactions between neutral Higgs bosons and the heavy fourth generation down type quark, which can modify the QCD penguin contributions. With the constraints obtained from $b \to s \bar{s} s$ processes such as $B \to X_s \gamma$ and $\Delta m_{B_s^0}$, this model can lead to the effective $\sin 2 \beta$ to be as large as $- 0.4$ in the CP asymmetry of $B \to \phi K_S$.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, references added, to appear in Eur.Phys.J.

Measurement of the top quark-pair production cross section with ATLAS in pp collisions at \sqrt{s}=7\TeV

A measurement of the production cross-section for top quark pairs(\ttbar) in $pp$ collisions at \sqrt{s}=7 \TeV is presented using data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events are selected in two different topologies: single lepton (electron $e$ or muon $\mu$) with large missing transverse energy and at least four jets, and dilepton ($ee$, $\mu\mu$ or $e\mu$) with large missing transverse energy and at least two jets. In a data sample of 2.9 pb-1, 37 candidate events are observed in the single-lepton topology and 9 events in the dilepton topology. The corresponding expected backgrounds from non-\ttbar Standard Model processes are estimated using data-driven methods and determined to be $12.2 \pm 3.9$ events and $2.5 \pm 0.6$ events, respectively. The kinematic properties of the selected events are consistent with SM \ttbar production. The inclusive top quark pair production cross-section is measured to be \sigmattbar=145 \pm 31 ^{+42}_{-27} pb where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The measurement agrees with perturbative QCD calculations.Comment: 30 pages plus author list (50 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, CERN-PH number and final journal adde