12 Search Results

The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider explores the use of modern neural networks for a multi-dimensional calibration of its calorimeter signal defined by clusters of topologically connected cells (topo-clusters). The Bayesian neural network (BNN) approach not only yields a continuous and smooth calibration function that improves performance relative to the standard calibration but also provides uncertainties on the calibrated energies for each topo-cluster. The results obtained by using a trained BNN are compared to the standard local hadronic calibration and to a calibration provided by training a deep neural network. The uncertainties predicted by the BNN are interpretedmore » in the context of a fractional contribution to the systematic uncertainties of the trained calibration. They are also compared to uncertainty predictions obtained from an alternative estimator employing repulsive ensembles.« less

The CODEX-β apparatus is a demonstrator for the proposed future CODEX-b experiment, a long-lived-particle detector foreseen for operation at IP8 during HL-LHC data-taking. The demonstrator project, intended to collect data in 2025, is described, with a particular focus on the design, construction, and installation of the new apparatus.

Abstract The existence of nonzero neutrino masses points to the likely existence of multiple Standard Model neutral fermions. When such states are heavy enough that they cannot be produced in oscillations, they are referred to as heavy neutral leptons (HNLs). In this white paper, we discuss the present experimental status of HNLs including colliders, beta decay, accelerators, as well as astrophysical and cosmological impacts. We discuss the importance of continuing to search for HNLs, and its potential impact on our understanding of key fundamental questions, and additionally we outline the future prospects for next-generation future experiments or upcoming accelerator runmore » scenarios.« less

Abstract The long-term prospect of building a hadron collider around the circumference of a great circle of the Moon is sketched. A circular collider on the Moon (CCM) of ∼11 000 km in circumference could reach a proton–proton center-of-mass collision energy of 14 PeV—a thousand times higher than the Large Hadron Collider at CERN—optimistically assuming a dipole magnetic field of 20 T. Several aspects of such a project are presented, including siting, construction, availability of necessary materials on the Moon, and powering, as well as a discussion of future studies and further information needed to determine the more concrete feasibility of each.more » Machine parameters and vacuum requirements are explored, and an injection scheme is delineated. Other unknowns are set down. Due to the strong interest from multiple organizations in establishing a permanent Moon presence, a CCM could be the (next-to-) next-to-next-generation discovery machine for high-energy particle physics and a natural successor to next-generation machines, such as the proposed future circular collider at CERN or a super proton–proton collider in China, and other future machines, such as a collider in the Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico. A CCM would serve as an important stepping stone toward a Planck-scale collider sited in our Solar System.« less

This paper presents updated Monte Carlo configurations used to model the production of single electroweak vector bosons (W, Z/γ$$^{∗}$$) in association with jets in proton-proton collisions for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Improvements pertaining to the electroweak input scheme, parton-shower splitting kernels and scale-setting scheme are shown for multi-jet merged configurations accurate to next-to-leading order in the strong and electroweak couplings. The computational resources required for these set-ups are assessed, and approximations are introduced resulting in a factor three reduction of the per-event CPU time without affecting the physics modelling performance. Continuous statistical enhancement techniques are introducedmore » by ATLAS in order to populate low cross-section regions of phase space and are shown to match or exceed the generated effective luminosity. This, together with the lower per-event CPU time, results in a 50% reduction in the required computing resources compared to a legacy set-up previously used by the ATLAS collaboration. The set-ups described in this paper will be used for future ATLAS analyses and lay the foundation for the next generation of Monte Carlo predictions for single vector-boson plus jets production.[graphic not available: see fulltext]« less

The semiconductor tracker (SCT) is one of the tracking systems for charged particles in the ATLAS detector. It consists of 4088 silicon strip sensor modules. During Run 2 (2015–2018) the Large Hadron Collider delivered an integrated luminosity of 156 fb^₋1 to the ATLAS experiment at a centre-of-mass proton-proton collision energy of 13 TeV. The instantaneous luminosity and pile-up conditions were far in excess of those assumed in the original design of the SCT detector. Due to improvements to the data acquisition system, the SCT operated stably throughout Run 2. It was available for 99.9% of the integrated luminosity and achievedmore » a data-quality efficiency of 99.85%. Detailed studies have been made of the leakage current in SCT modules and the evolution of the full depletion voltage, which are used to study the impact of radiation damage to the modules.« less

Particles beyond the Standard Model (SM) can generically have lifetimes that are long compared to SM particles at the weak scale. When produced at experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, these long-lived particles (LLPs) can decay far from the interaction vertex of the primary proton–proton collision. Such LLP signatures are distinct from those of promptly decaying particles that are targeted by the majority of searches for new physics at the LHC, often requiring customized techniques to identify, for example, significantly displaced decay vertices, tracks with atypical properties, and short track segments. Given their non-standard nature, amore » comprehensive overview of LLP signatures at the LHC is beneficial to ensure that possible avenues of the discovery of new physics are not overlooked. Here we report on the joint work of a community of theorists and experimentalists with the ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb experiments—as well as those working on dedicated experiments such as MoEDAL, milliQan, MATHUSLA, CODEX-b, and FASER—to survey the current state of LLP searches at the LHC, and to chart a path for the development of LLP searches into the future, both in the upcoming Run 3 and at the high-luminosity LHC. The work is organized around the current and future potential capabilities of LHC experiments to generally discover new LLPs, and takes a signature-based approach to surveying classes of models that give rise to LLPs rather than emphasizing any particular theory motivation. We develop a set of simplified models; assess the coverage of current searches; document known, often unexpected backgrounds; explore the capabilities of proposed detector upgrades; provide recommendations for the presentation of search results; and look towards the newest frontiers, namely high-multiplicity 'dark showers', highlighting opportunities for expanding the LHC reach for these signals.« less

The combination of measurements of the W boson polarization in top quark decays performed by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations is presented. The measurements are based on proton-proton collision data produced at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 20 fb$$^{−1}$$ for each experiment. The measurements used events containing one lepton and having different jet multiplicities in the final state. The results are quoted as fractions of W bosons with longitudinal (F$$_{0}$$), left-handed (F$$_{L}$$), or right-handed (F$$_{R}$$) polarizations. The resulting combined measurements of the polarization fractions are F$$_{0}$$ = 0.693more » ± 0.014 and F$$_{L}$$ = 0.315 ± 0.011. The fraction F$$_{R}$$ is calculated from the unitarity constraint to be F$$_{R}$$ = −0.008 ± 0.007. These results are in agreement with the standard model predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics and represent an improvement in precision of 25 (29)% for F$$_{0}$$ (F$$_{L}$$) with respect to the most precise single measurement. A limit on anomalous right-handed vector (V$$_{R}$$), and left- and right-handed tensor (g$$_{L}$$, g$$_{R}$$) tWb couplings is set while fixing all others to their standard model values. The allowed regions are [−0.11, 0.16] for V$$_{R}$$, [−0.08, 0.05] for g$$_{L}$$, and [−0.04, 0.02] for g$$_{R}$$, at 95% confidence level. Limits on the corresponding Wilson coefficients are also derived.[graphic not available: see fulltext]« less

This paper presents the combinations of single-top-quark production cross-section measurements by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations, using data from LHC proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 7 and 8 TeV corresponding to integrated luminosities of 1.17 to 5.1 fb$$^{−1}$$ at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 7 TeV and 12.2 to 20.3 fb$$^{−1}$$ at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 8 TeV. These combinations are performed per centre-of-mass energy and for each production mode: t-channel, tW, and s-channel. The combined t-channel cross-sections are 67.5 ± 5.7 pb and 87.7 ± 5.8 pb at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 7 and 8 TeV respectively. Themore » combined tW cross-sections are 16.3 ± 4.1 pb and 23.1 ± 3.6 pb at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 7 and 8 TeV respectively. For the s-channel cross-section, the combination yields 4.9 ± 1.4 pb at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 8 TeV. The square of the magnitude of the CKM matrix element V$$_{tb}$$ multiplied by a form factor f$$_{LV}$$ is determined for each production mode and centre-of-mass energy, using the ratio of the measured cross-section to its theoretical prediction. It is assumed that the top-quark-related CKM matrix elements obey the relation |V$$_{td}$$|, |V$$_{ts}$$| ≪ |V$$_{tb}$$|. All the |f$$_{LV}$$V$$_{tb}$$|$$^{2}$$ determinations, extracted from individual ratios at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 7 and 8 TeV, are combined, resulting in |f$$_{LV}$$V$$_{tb}$$| = 1.02 ± 0.04 (meas.) ± 0.02 (theo.). All combined measurements are consistent with their corresponding Standard Model predictions.« less