259 Search Results

Measurements of $$t\bar{t}\ell ^{+}\ell ^{-}$$ production in the region of high dilepton invariant mass with effective field theory (EFT) interpretations are presented. They are performed using final states with three isolated leptons (electrons or muons) and are based on $$\sqrt{s} = 13$$ TeV proton–proton collision data with an integrated luminosity of $$140\,\textrm{fb}^{-1}$$, recorded from 2015 to 2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Measurements of the $$t\bar{t}\ell ^{+}\ell ^{-}$$ signal strength and cross-section upper-limits are performed inclusively in lepton flavour and separately for electrons and muons. The study also aims to probe anomalous four-fermion interactions including tomore » test for possible lepton flavor universality violation. No significant deviations from the Standard Model predictions are observed and the measurements are interpreted through the EFT formalism to provide new constraints on the relevant operators.« less

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

A search for single production of a vector-like quark Q, which could be either a singlet T, with charge $$\frac{2}{3}$$, or a Y from a (T, B, Y) triplet, with charge $$-\frac{4}{3}$$, is performed using data from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data correspond to the full integrated luminosity of 140 fb⁻¹ recorded with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis targets Q → Wb decays where the W boson decays leptonically. The data are found to be consistent with the expected Standard Model background, so upper limits aremore » set on the cross-section times branching ratio, and on the coupling of the Q to the Standard Model sector for these two benchmark models. Effects of interference with the Standard Model background are taken into account. For the singlet T, the 95% confidence level limit on the coupling strength κ ranges between 0.22 and 0.52 for masses from 1150 to 2300 GeV. For the (T, B, Y) triplet, the limits on κ vary from 0.14 to 0.46 for masses from 1150 to 2600 GeV.« less

A search for pair-production of vector-like leptons is presented, considering their decays into a third-generation Standard Model (SM) quark and a vector leptoquark (U₁) as predicted by an ultraviolet-complete extension of the SM, referred to as the ‘4321’ model. Given the assumed decay of U₁ into third-generation SM fermions, the final state can contain multiple τ-leptons and b-quarks. This search is based on a dataset of pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s}=13$$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to $$140~\textrm{fb}^{-1}$$. No significant excess above the SM backgroundmore » prediction is observed, and 95% confidence level limits on the cross-section times branching ratio are derived as a function of the vector-like lepton mass. A lower observed (expected) limit of 910 GeV (970 GeV) is set on the vector-like lepton mass. Additionally, the results are interpreted for a supersymmetric model with an R-parity violating coupling to the third-generation quarks and leptons. Lower observed (expected) limits are obtained on the higgsino mass at 880 GeV (940 GeV) and on the wino mass at 1170 GeV (1170 GeV).« less

A calibration of the ATLAS flavour-tagging algorithms using a new calibration procedure based on optimal transportation maps is presented. Simultaneous, continuous corrections to the b-jet, c-jet, and light-flavour jet classification probabilities from jet-tagging algorithms in simulation are derived for b-jets using $$t\bar{t} \rightarrow e\mu \nu \nu bb$$ data. After application of the derived calibration maps, closure between simulation and observation is achieved for jet flavour observables used in ATLAS analyses of Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Run 2 proton-proton collision data. This continuous calibration opens up new possibilities for the future use of jet flavour information in LHC analyses and alsomore » serves as a guide for deriving high-dimensional corrections to simulation via transportation maps, an important development for a broad range of inference tasks.« less

A search for events with one displaced vertex from long-lived particles using data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is presented, using 140 fb⁻¹ of proton-proton collision data at $$\sqrt{𝑠}$$ =13 TeV recorded in 2015–2018. The search employs techniques for reconstructing vertices of long-lived particles decaying into hadronic jets in the muon spectrometer displaced between 3 m and 14 m from the primary interaction vertex. The observed number of events is consistent with the expected background and limits for several benchmark signals are determined. A scalar-portal model and a Higgs-boson-portal baryogenesis model are considered. A dedicatedmore » analysis channel is employed to target Z-boson associated long-lived particle production, including an axionlike particle and a dark photon model. For the Higgs boson model, branching fractions above 1% are excluded at 95% confidence level for long-lived particle proper decay lengths ranging from 5 cm to 40 m. For the photophobic axionlike particle model considered, this search produces the strongest limits to date for proper decay lengths greater than 𝒪⁡(10) cm.« less

An anomaly detection search for narrow-width resonances beyond the Standard Model that decay into a pair of jets is presented. The search is based on 139 fb⁻¹ of proton-proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s}$$ = 13 TeV recorded during 2015–2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis is optimized without a particular signal model and aims to be sensitive to a broad range of new physics. It uses two different machine learning strategies to estimate the background in different signal regions. In each region, a weakly supervised classifier is trained to distinguish this background model from data. Themore » analysis focuses on events with high transverse momentum jets reconstructed as large-radius jets. The mass and substructure of these jets are used as inputs to the classifiers. After a classifier-based selection, the distribution of the invariant mass of the two jets is used to search for potential local excesses. The model-independent results of both the anomaly detection methods show no signs of significant local excesses. In addition to model-independent results, a representative set of signal models is injected into the data, and the sensitivity of the methods to these scenarios is reported.« less

A search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson 𝐻 into new scalar or pseudoscalar particles that subsequently decay into 𝑏-quarks is presented. The search considers 𝑍⁢𝐻 production with several decay scenarios for the Higgs boson; first to a pair of identical scalars, 𝐻 → 2⁢𝑎 → 4⁢𝑏, second to a pair of scalars with different masses (𝑚_𝑎⁢1< 𝑚_𝑎⁢2), either directly, 𝐻 → 𝑎₁⁢𝑎₂ → 4⁢𝑏, or via a longer decay chain, 𝐻 → 𝑎₁⁢𝑎₂ → 3⁢𝑎₁ → 6⁢𝑏. The analysis uses proton-proton collision data at $$\sqrt{𝑠}$$ = 13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider,more » corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb⁻¹. No significant excess above the Standard Model prediction is observed. The search sets upper limits at 95% confidence level on the ratio of the Higgs boson production cross section to the SM prediction times the branching ratio of Higgs bosons decaying into 4⁢𝑏 or 6⁢𝑏, between 4% and 25% for 𝜎⁡(𝑍⁢𝐻)/𝜎_SM⁡(𝑍⁢𝐻) × ℬ⁡(𝐻→ 2⁢𝑎→ 4⁢𝑏), between 24% and 38% for 𝜎⁡(𝑍⁢𝐻)/𝜎_SM⁡(𝑍⁢𝐻) × ℬ⁡(𝐻 → 𝑎₁⁢𝑎₂ → 4⁢𝑏), and between 10% and 20% for 𝜎⁡(𝑍⁢𝐻)/𝜎_SM⁡(𝑍⁢𝐻) × ℬ⁡(𝐻→𝑎_1⁢𝑎₂ → 3⁢𝑎₁ → 6⁢𝑏), depending on the masses of the scalar particles.« less

A search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson into a pair of low-mass scalars that subsequently decay into τ-leptons, H → aa → τ⁺τ^–τ⁺τ^–, is presented. In models with Yukawa-like couplings, the decay to τ-leptons is favoured for light a-bosons, with mass in the range of 2m_τ < m_a < 2m_b. Results are presented in the range of 4 GeV < m_a < 15 GeV using the 140 fb^–1 of proton–proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s}$$ = 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. This search focuses on the scenario where, for both di-τ pairs, one of the τ-leptons decays to hadrons and neutrinos,more » while the other decays to a muon and neutrinos. In this mass range, the a → τ⁺τ^– is Lorentz-boosted and a dedicated muon removal technique is used to reconstruct the di-τ pairs.« less

The jet energy calibration and its uncertainties are derived from measurements of the calorimeter response to single particles in both data and Monte Carlo simulation using proton–proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s} = 13$$ TeV collected with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 at the Large Hadron Collider. The jet calibration uncertainty for anti-$$k_T$$ jets with a jet radius parameter of R$$_\textrm{jet} = 0.4$$ and in the central jet rapidity region is about 2.5% for transverse momenta ($$p_{\text {T}}$$) of 20 $$\text {GeV}$$ , about 0.5% for $$p_{\text {T}} = 300$$ GeV and 0.7% for $$p_{\text {T}} = 4$$ TeV . Excellentmore » agreement is found with earlier determinations obtained from -balance based in situ methods ($$Z/\gamma$$ +jets). The combination of these two independent methods results in the most precise jet energy measurement achieved so far with the ATLAS detector with a relative uncertainty of 0.3% at $$p_\textrm{T} = 300$$ GeV and 0.6% at 4 TeV. The jet energy calibration is also derived with the single-particle calorimeter response measurements separately for quark- and gluon-induced jets and furthermore for jets with R_jet varying from 0.2 to 1.0 retaining the correlations between these measurements. Differences between inclusive jets and jets from boosted top-quark decays, with and without grooming the soft jet constituents, are also studied.« less