Manuel Alvarez Estevez

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 $H \to \gamma\gamma$, $ZZ^\ast$, $WW^\ast$, $\tau\tau$, $b\bar{b}$, $\mu\mu$, 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 $\mu = 1.11^{+0.09}_{-0.08}$. The combined measurement yields an observed (expected) significance for the vector-boson fusion production process of $6.5\sigma$ ($5.3\sigma$). 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.

A search for high-mass dielectron and dimuon resonances in the mass range of 250 GeV to 6 TeV is presented. The data were recorded by the ATLAS experiment in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. A functional form is fitted to the dilepton invariant-mass distribution to model the contribution from background processes, and a generic signal shape is used to determine the significance of observed deviations from this background estimate. No significant deviation is observed and upper limits are placed at the 95% confidence level on the fiducial cross-section times branching ratio for various resonance width hypotheses. The derived limits are shown to be applicable to spin-0, spin-1 and spin-2 signal hypotheses. For a set of benchmark models, the limits are converted into lower limits on the resonance mass and reach 4.5 TeV for the E6-motivated Zψ′ boson. Also presented are limits on Heavy Vector Triplet model couplings.

This paper presents the electron and photon energy calibration achieved with the ATLAS detector using about 25 fb$^{-1}$ of LHC proton--proton collision data taken at centre-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 and 8 TeV. The reconstruction of electron and photon energies is optimised using multivariate algorithms. The response of the calorimeter layers is equalised in data and simulation, and the longitudinal profile of the electromagnetic showers is exploited to estimate the passive material in front of the calorimeter and reoptimise the detector simulation. After all corrections, the $Z$ resonance is used to set the absolute energy scale. For electrons from $Z$ decays, the achieved calibration is typically accurate to 0.05% in most of the detector acceptance, rising to 0.2% in regions with large amounts of passive material. The remaining inaccuracy is less than 0.2-1% for electrons with a transverse energy of 10 GeV, and is on average 0.3% for photons. The detector resolution is determined with a relative inaccuracy of less than 10% for electrons and photons up to 60 GeV transverse energy, rising to 40% for transverse energies above 500 GeV.

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.

Abstract The algorithms used by the ATLAS Collaboration during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider to identify jets containing b -hadrons are presented. The performance of the algorithms is evaluated in the simulation and the efficiency with which these algorithms identify jets containing b -hadrons is measured in collision data. The measurement uses a likelihood-based method in a sample highly enriched in $$t{\bar{t}}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>t</mml:mi><mml:mover><mml:mrow><mml:mi>t</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>¯</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math> events. The topology of the $$t \rightarrow W b$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>t</mml:mi><mml:mo>→</mml:mo><mml:mi>W</mml:mi><mml:mi>b</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:math> decays is exploited to simultaneously measure both the jet flavour composition of the sample and the efficiency in a transverse momentum range from 20 to 600 GeV. The efficiency measurement is subsequently compared with that predicted by the simulation. The data used in this measurement, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 80.5 $$\hbox {fb}^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msup><mml:mtext>fb</mml:mtext><mml:mrow><mml:mo>-</mml:mo><mml:mn>1</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msup></mml:math> , were collected in proton–proton collisions during the years 2015–2017 at a centre-of-mass energy $$\sqrt{s}=$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msqrt><mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msqrt><mml:mo>=</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:math> 13 TeV. By simultaneously extracting both the efficiency and jet flavour composition, this measurement significantly improves the precision compared to previous results, with uncertainties ranging from 1 to 8% depending on the jet transverse momentum.

This paper describes the reconstruction of electrons and photons with the ATLAS detector, as employed for measurements and searches exploiting the complete LHC Run 2 dataset. An improved energy clustering algorithm is introduced, and its implications for the measurement and identification of electrons and photons are discussed in detail. Corrections and calibrations that affect performance, including energy calibration, identification and isolation efficiencies, and the measurement of the charge of reconstructed electron candidates are determined using up to 81 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data collected at $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV between 2015 and 2017.

A search for heavy neutral Higgs bosons is performed using the LHC Run 2 data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. The search for heavy resonances is performed over the mass range 0.2-2.5 TeV for the τ^{+}τ^{-} decay with at least one τ-lepton decaying into final states with hadrons. The data are in good agreement with the background prediction of the standard model. In the M_{h}^{125} scenario of the minimal supersymmetric standard model, values of tanβ>8 and tanβ>21 are excluded at the 95% confidence level for neutral Higgs boson masses of 1.0 and 1.5 TeV, respectively, where tanβ is the ratio of the vacuum expectation values of the two Higgs doublets.

This paper presents results of searches for the electroweak production of supersymmetric particles in models with compressed mass spectra. The searches use $139\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ of $\sqrt{s}=13\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$ 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 to 240 GeV for moderate mass splittings, and extend down to mass splittings of 1.5 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.

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.

This article documents the muon reconstruction and identification efficiency obtained by the ATLAS experiment for 139 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected between 2015 and 2018 during Run 2 of the LHC. The increased instantaneous luminosity delivered by the LHC over this period required a reoptimisation of the criteria for the identification of prompt muons. Improved and newly developed algorithms were deployed to preserve high muon identification efficiency with a low misidentification rate and good momentum resolution. The availability of large samples of $Z\to\mu\mu$ and $J/\psi\to\mu\mu$ decays, and the minimisation of systematic uncertainties, allows the efficiencies of criteria for muon identification, primary vertex association, and isolation to be measured with an accuracy at the per-mille level in the bulk of the phase space, and up to the percent level in complex kinematic configurations. Excellent performance is achieved over a range of transverse momenta from 3 GeV to several hundred GeV, and across the full muon detector acceptance of $|\eta|<2.7$.

A search for the dimuon decay of the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson is performed using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1 collected with the ATLAS detector in Run 2 pp collisions at s=13 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider. The observed (expected) significance over the background-only hypothesis for a Higgs boson with a mass of 125.09 GeV is 2.0σ (1.7σ). The observed upper limit on the cross section times branching ratio for pp→H→μμ is 2.2 times the SM prediction at 95% confidence level, while the expected limit on a H→μμ signal assuming the absence (presence) of a SM signal is 1.1 (2.0). The best-fit value of the signal strength parameter, defined as the ratio of the observed signal yield to the one expected in the SM, is μ=1.2±0.6.

Results of a search for new physics in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected in the period 2015-2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Compared to previous publications, in addition to an increase of almost a factor of four in the data size, the analysis implements a number of improvements in the signal selection and the background determination leading to enhanced sensitivity. Events are required to have at least one jet with transverse momentum above 150 GeV and no reconstructed leptons ($e$, $\mu$ or $\tau$) or photons. Several signal regions are considered with increasing requirements on the missing transverse momentum starting at 200 GeV. Overall agreement is observed between the number of events in data and the Standard Model predictions. Model-independent 95 % confidence-level limits on visible cross sections for new processes are obtained in the range between 736 fb and 0.3 fb with increasing missing transverse momentum. Results are also translated into improved exclusion limits in models with pair-produced weakly interacting dark-matter candidates, large extra spatial dimensions, supersymmetric particles in several compressed scenarios, axion-like particles, and new scalar particles in dark-energy-inspired models. In addition, the data are translated into bounds on the invisible branching ratio of the Higgs boson.

Jet energy scale and resolution measurements with their associated uncertainties are reported for jets using 36-81 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data with a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Jets are reconstructed using two different input types: topo-clusters formed from energy deposits in calorimeter cells, as well as an algorithmic combination of charged-particle tracks with those topo-clusters, referred to as the ATLAS particle-flow reconstruction method. The anti-$k_t$ jet algorithm with radius parameter $R=0.4$ is the primary jet definition used for both jet types. Jets are initially calibrated using a sequence of simulation-based corrections. Next, several $\textit{in situ}$ techniques are employed to correct for differences between data and simulation and to measure the resolution of jets. The systematic uncertainties in the jet energy scale for central jets ($|\eta|<1.2$) vary from 1% for a wide range of high-$p_{\text{T}}$ jets ($250<p_{\text{T}}<2000$ GeV), to 5% at very low $p_{\text{T}}$ (20 GeV) and 3.5% at very high $p_{\text{T}}$ ($>2.5$ TeV). The relative jet energy resolution is measured and ranges from ($24 \pm 1.5$)% at 20 GeV to ($6 \pm 0.5$)% at 300 GeV.

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).

This letter describes the observation of the light-by-light scattering process, $\gamma\gamma\rightarrow\gamma\gamma$, in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV. The analysis is conducted using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.73 nb$^{-1}$, collected in November 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Light-by-light scattering candidates are selected in events with two photons produced exclusively, each with transverse energy $E_{\textrm{T}}^{\gamma} > 3$ GeV and pseudorapidity $|\eta_{\gamma}| < 2.37$, diphoton invariant mass above 6 GeV, and small diphoton transverse momentum and acoplanarity. After applying all selection criteria, 59 candidate events are observed for a background expectation of 12 $\pm$ 3 events. The observed excess of events over the expected background has a significance of 8.2 standard deviations. The measured fiducial cross section is 78 $\pm$ 13 (stat.) $\pm$ 7 (syst.) $\pm$ 3 (lumi.) nb.

A bstract A search for new resonances decaying into a pair of jets is reported using the dataset of proton-proton collisions recorded at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb − 1 . The distribution of the invariant mass of the two leading jets is examined for local excesses above a data-derived estimate of the Standard Model background. In addition to an inclusive dijet search, events with jets identified as containing b -hadrons are examined specifically. No significant excess of events above the smoothly falling background spectra is observed. The results are used to set cross-section upper limits at 95% confidence level on a range of new physics scenarios. Model-independent limits on Gaussian-shaped signals are also reported. The analysis looking at jets containing b -hadrons benefits from improvements in the jet flavour identification at high transverse momentum, which increases its sensitivity relative to the previous analysis beyond that expected from the higher integrated luminosity.

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 √s=13 TeV certified for physics analysis.

The performance of the ATLAS muon trigger system is evaluated with proton-proton ($pp$) and heavy-ion (HI) collision data collected in Run 2 during 2015-2018 at the Large Hadron Collider. It is primarily evaluated using events containing a pair of muons from the decay of $Z$ bosons to cover the intermediate momentum range between 25 GeV and 100 GeV. Overall, the efficiency of the single-muon triggers is about 68 % in the barrel region and 85% in the endcap region. The $p_{\text{T}}$ range for efficiency determination is extended by using muons from decays of $J/\psi$ mesons, $W$ bosons, and top quarks. The performance in HI collision data is measured and shows good agreement with the results obtained in $pp$ collisions. The muon trigger shows uniform and stable performance in good agreement with the prediction of a detailed simulation. Dedicated multi-muon triggers with kinematic selections provide the backbone to beauty, quarkonia, and low-mass physics studies. The design, evolution and performance of these triggers are discussed in detail.

A bstract The problems of neutrino masses, matter-antimatter asymmetry, and dark matter could be successfully addressed by postulating right-handed neutrinos with Majorana masses below the electroweak scale. In this work, leptonic decays of W bosons extracted from 32.9 fb − 1 to 36.1 fb − 1 of 13 TeV proton–proton collisions at the LHC are used to search for heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) that are produced through mixing with muon or electron neutrinos. The search is conducted using the ATLAS detector in both prompt and displaced leptonic decay signatures. The prompt signature requires three leptons produced at the interaction point (either μμe or eeμ ) with a veto on same-flavour opposite-charge topologies. The displaced signature comprises a prompt muon from the W boson decay and the requirement of a dilepton vertex (either μμ or μe ) displaced in the transverse plane by 4–300 mm from the interaction point. The search sets constraints on the HNL mixing to muon and electron neutrinos for HNL masses in the range 4.5–50 GeV.

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$\tau\tau$, WWWW, bb$\gamma \gamma$ and WW$\gamma\gamma$ 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 ($ \kappa_{\lambda} $) 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 < \kappa_{\lambda} <12.0 $ ($ -5.8 < \kappa_{\lambda} <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.

This Letter describes a search for narrowly resonant new physics using a machine-learning anomaly detection procedure that does not rely on signal simulations for developing the analysis selection. Weakly supervised learning is used to train classifiers directly on data to enhance potential signals. The targeted topology is dijet events and the features used for machine learning are the masses of the two jets. The resulting analysis is essentially a three-dimensional search A→BC, for m_{A}∼O(TeV), m_{B},m_{C}∼O(100 GeV) and B, C are reconstructed as large-radius jets, without paying a penalty associated with a large trials factor in the scan of the masses of the two jets. The full run 2 sqrt[s]=13 TeV pp collision dataset of 139 fb^{-1} recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is used for the search. There is no significant evidence of a localized excess in the dijet invariant mass spectrum between 1.8 and 8.2 TeV. Cross-section limits for narrow-width A, B, and C particles vary with m_{A}, m_{B}, and m_{C}. For example, when m_{A}=3 TeV and m_{B}≳200 GeV, a production cross section between 1 and 5 fb is excluded at 95% confidence level, depending on m_{C}. For certain masses, these limits are up to 10 times more sensitive than those obtained by the inclusive dijet search. These results are complementary to the dedicated searches for the case that B and C are standard model bosons.

A bstract Constraints on selected mediator-based dark matter models and a scalar dark energy model using up to 37 fb −1 $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msqrt><mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msqrt></mml:math> = 13 TeV pp collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2015-2016 are summarised in this paper. The results of experimental searches in a variety of final states are interpreted in terms of a set of spin-1 and spin-0 single-mediator dark matter simplified models and a second set of models involving an extended Higgs sector plus an additional vector or pseudo-scalar mediator. The searches considered in this paper constrain spin-1 leptophobic and leptophilic mediators, spin-0 colour-neutral and colour-charged mediators and vector or pseudo-scalar mediators embedded in extended Higgs sector models. In this case, also $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msqrt><mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msqrt></mml:math> = 8 TeV pp collision data are used for the interpretation of the results. The results are also interpreted for the first time in terms of light scalar particles that could contribute to the accelerating expansion of the universe (dark energy).

Abstract Higgs boson properties are studied in the four-lepton decay channel (where lepton = e , $$\mu $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>μ</mml:mi> </mml:math> ) using 139 $$\hbox {fb}^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mtext>fb</mml:mtext> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> of proton–proton collision data recorded at $$\sqrt{s}=$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> 13 TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The inclusive cross-section times branching ratio for $$H\rightarrow ZZ^*$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:mi>Z</mml:mi> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>Z</mml:mi> <mml:mo>∗</mml:mo> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> decay is measured to be $$1.34 \pm 0.12$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>1.34</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.12</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> pb for a Higgs boson with absolute rapidity below 2.5, in good agreement with the Standard Model prediction of $$1.33 \pm 0.08$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>1.33</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.08</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> pb. Cross-sections times branching ratio are measured for the main Higgs boson production modes in several exclusive phase-space regions. The measurements are interpreted in terms of coupling modifiers and of the tensor structure of Higgs boson interactions using an effective field theory approach. Exclusion limits are set on the CP-even and CP-odd ‘beyond the Standard Model’ couplings of the Higgs boson to vector bosons, gluons and top quarks.

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.Received 18 November 2019Accepted 16 January 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.101.032009Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.© 2020 CERN, for the ATLAS CollaborationPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasHypothetical particle physics modelsSupersymmetric modelsParticles & Fields

A bstract A search for charged Higgs bosons decaying into a top quark and a bottom quark is presented. The data analysed correspond to 139 fb − 1 of proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The production of a heavy charged Higgs boson in association with a top quark and a bottom quark, pp → tbH + → tbtb , is explored in the H + mass range from 200 to 2000 GeV using final states with jets and one electron or muon. Events are categorised according to the multiplicity of jets and b -tagged jets, and multivariate analysis techniques are used to discriminate between signal and background events. No significant excess above the background-only hypothesis is observed and exclusion limits are derived for the production cross-section times branching ratio of a charged Higgs boson as a function of its mass; they range from 3.6 pb at 200 GeV to 0.036 pb at 2000 GeV at 95% confidence level. The results are interpreted in the hMSSM and $$ {M}_h^{125} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> <mml:mi>h</mml:mi> <mml:mn>125</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> scenarios.

Abstract Measurements of the Standard Model Higgs boson decaying into a $$b\bar{b}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> pair and produced in association with a W or Z boson decaying into leptons, using proton–proton collision data collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS detector, are presented. The measurements use collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of $$\sqrt{s} = 13\,\text {Te}\text {V}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>13</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtext>Te</mml:mtext> <mml:mspace /> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $$139\,\mathrm {fb}^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>139</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>fb</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> . The production of a Higgs boson in association with a W or Z boson is established with observed (expected) significances of 4.0 (4.1) and 5.3 (5.1) standard deviations, respectively. Cross-sections of associated production of a Higgs boson decaying into bottom quark pairs with an electroweak gauge boson, W or Z , decaying into leptons are measured as a function of the gauge boson transverse momentum in kinematic fiducial volumes. The cross-section measurements are all consistent with the Standard Model expectations, and the total uncertainties vary from 30% in the high gauge boson transverse momentum regions to 85% in the low regions. Limits are subsequently set on the parameters of an effective Lagrangian sensitive to modifications of the WH and ZH processes as well as the Higgs boson decay into $$b\bar{b}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> .

A bstract A search for the supersymmetric partners of quarks and gluons (squarks and gluinos) in final states containing jets and missing transverse momentum, but no electrons or muons, is presented. The data used in this search were recorded by the ATLAS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb − 1 . The results are interpreted in the context of various R -parity-conserving models where squarks and gluinos are produced in pairs or in association and a neutralino is the lightest supersymmetric particle. An exclusion limit at the 95% confidence level on the mass of the gluino is set at 2.30 TeV for a simplified model containing only a gluino and the lightest neutralino, assuming the latter is massless. For a simplified model involving the strong production of mass-degenerate first- and second-generation squarks, squark masses below 1.85 TeV are excluded if the lightest neutralino is massless. These limits extend substantially beyond the region of supersymmetric parameter space excluded previously by similar searches with the ATLAS detector.

A search for heavy resonances decaying into a pair of $Z$ bosons leading to $\ell^+\ell^-\ell'^+\ell'^-$ and $\ell^+\ell^-\nu\bar\nu$ final states, where $\ell$ 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 collected from 2015 to 2018 that corresponds to the full integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. Different mass ranges spanning 200 GeV to 2000 GeV for the hypothetical resonances are considered, depending on the final state and model. In the absence of a significant observed excess, 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, and the limits for the spin-2 resonance are used to constrain the Randall--Sundrum model with an extra dimension giving rise to spin-2 graviton excitations.

Abstract The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider has a broad physics programme ranging from precision measurements to direct searches for new particles and new interactions, requiring ever larger and ever more accurate datasets of simulated Monte Carlo events. Detector simulation with Geant4 is accurate but requires significant CPU resources. Over the past decade, ATLAS has developed and utilized tools that replace the most CPU-intensive component of the simulation—the calorimeter shower simulation—with faster simulation methods. Here, AtlFast3, the next generation of high-accuracy fast simulation in ATLAS, is introduced. AtlFast3 combines parameterized approaches with machine-learning techniques and is deployed to meet current and future computing challenges, and simulation needs of the ATLAS experiment. With highly accurate performance and significantly improved modelling of substructure within jets, AtlFast3 can simulate large numbers of events for a wide range of physics processes.

A direct search for Higgs bosons produced via vector-boson fusion and subsequently decaying into invisible particles is reported. The analysis uses 139 $\text{fb}^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$=13 $\text{TeV}$ recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The observed numbers of events are found to be in agreement with the background expectation from Standard Model processes. For a scalar Higgs boson with a mass of 125 $\text{GeV}$ and a Standard Model production cross section, an observed upper limit of $0.145$ is placed on the branching fraction of its decay into invisible particles at 95% confidence level, with an expected limit of $0.103$. These results are interpreted in the context of models where the Higgs boson acts as a portal to dark matter, and limits are set on the scattering cross section of weakly interacting massive particles and nucleons. Invisible decays of additional scalar bosons with masses from 50 $\text{GeV}$ to 2 $\text{TeV}$ are also studied, and the derived upper limits on the cross section times branching fraction decrease with increasing mass from 1.0 $\text{pb}$ for a scalar boson mass of 50 $\text{GeV}$ to 0.1 $\text{pb}$ at a mass of 2 $\text{TeV}$.

Many extensions of the Standard Model predict the production of dark matter particles at the LHC. Sufficiently light dark matter particles may be produced in decays of the Higgs boson that would appear invisible to the detector. This Letter presents a statistical combination of searches for H $\rightarrow$ invisible decays where multiple production modes of the Standard Model Higgs boson are considered. These searches are performed with the ATLAS detector using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} =13$ TeV at the LHC. In combination with the results at $\sqrt{s} =7$ TeV and 8 TeV, an upper limit on the H $\rightarrow$ invisible branching ratio of 0.107 (0.077) at the 95% confidence level is observed (expected). These results are also interpreted in the context of models where the 125 GeV Higgs boson acts as a portal to dark matter, and limits are set on the scattering cross-section of weakly interacting massive particles and nucleons.

A search is made for potential ccc¯c¯ tetraquarks decaying into a pair of charmonium states in the four muon final state using proton-proton collision data at s=13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb−1 recorded by the ATLAS experiment at LHC. Two decay channels, J/ψ+J/ψ→4μ and J/ψ+ψ(2S)→4μ, are studied. Backgrounds are estimated based on a hybrid approach involving Monte Carlo simulations and data-driven methods. Statistically significant excesses with respect to backgrounds dominated by the single parton scattering are seen in the di-J/ψ channel consistent with a narrow resonance at 6.9 GeV and a broader structure at lower mass. A statistically significant excess is also seen in the J/ψ+ψ(2S) channel. The fitted masses and decay widths of the structures are reported.Received 19 April 2023Revised 31 May 2023Accepted 11 August 2023DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.151902Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.© 2023 CERN, for the ATLAS CollaborationPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasMultiquark bound statesQuark modelParticles & Fields

In a special run of the LHC with $\beta^\star = 2.5~$km, proton-proton elastic-scattering events were recorded at $\sqrt{s} = 13~$TeV with an integrated luminosity of $340~\mu \textrm{b}^{-1}$ using the ALFA subdetector of ATLAS in 2016. The elastic cross section was measured differentially in the Mandelstam $t$ variable in the range from $-t = 2.5 \cdot 10^{-4}~$GeV$^{2}$ to $-t = 0.46~$GeV$^{2}$ using 6.9 million elastic-scattering candidates. This paper presents measurements of the total cross section $\sigma_{\textrm{tot}}$, parameters of the nuclear slope, and the $\rho$-parameter defined as the ratio of the real part to the imaginary part of the elastic-scattering amplitude in the limit $t \rightarrow 0$. These parameters are determined from a fit to the differential elastic cross section using the optical theorem and different parameterizations of the $t$-dependence. The results for $\sigma_{\textrm{tot}}$ and $\rho$ are \begin{equation*} \sigma_{\textrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X) = \mbox{104.7} \pm 1.1 \; \mbox{mb} , \; \; \; \rho = \mbox{0.098} \pm 0.011 . \end{equation*} The uncertainty in $\sigma_{\textrm{tot}}$ is dominated by the luminosity measurement, and in $\rho$ by imperfect knowledge of the detector alignment and by modelling of the nuclear amplitude.

A search for the pair-production of vector-like quarks optimized for decays into a Z boson and a third-generation Standard Model quark is presented, using the full Run 2 dataset corresponding to 139fb−1 of pp collisions at s=13TeV, collected in 2015–2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The targeted final state is characterized by the presence of a Z boson with high transverse momentum, reconstructed from a pair of same-flavour leptons with opposite-sign charges, as well as by the presence of b-tagged jets and high-transverse-momentum large-radius jets reconstructed from calibrated smaller-radius jets. Events with exactly two or at least three leptons are used, which are further categorized by the presence of boosted W, Z, and Higgs bosons and top quarks. The categorization is performed using a neural-network-based boosted object tagger to enhance the sensitivity to signal relative to the background. No significant excess above the background expectation is observed and exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are set on the masses of the vector-like partners T and B of the top and bottom quarks, respectively. The limits depend on the branching ratio configurations and, in the case of 100% branching ratio for T→Zt and 100% branching ratio for B→Zb, this search sets the most stringent limits to date, allowing mT>1.60TeV and mB>1.42TeV, respectively.

Abstract The luminosity determination for the ATLAS detector at the LHC during Run 2 is presented, with pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $$\sqrt{s}=13$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>13</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> TeV. The absolute luminosity scale is determined using van der Meer beam separation scans during dedicated running periods in each year, and extrapolated to the physics data-taking regime using complementary measurements from several luminosity-sensitive detectors. The total uncertainties in the integrated luminosity for each individual year of data-taking range from 0.9% to 1.1%, and are partially correlated between years. After standard data-quality selections, the full Run 2 pp data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of $$140.1\pm 1.2$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>140.1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1.2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> $$\hbox {fb}^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mtext>fb</mml:mtext> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> , i.e. an uncertainty of 0.83%. A dedicated sample of low-pileup data recorded in 2017–2018 for precision Standard Model physics measurements is analysed separately, and has an integrated luminosity of $$338.1\pm 3.1$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>338.1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>3.1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> $$\hbox {pb}^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mtext>pb</mml:mtext> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> .

The first evidence for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon is presented, with a statistical significance of 3.4 standard deviations. The result is derived from a combined analysis of the searches performed by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations with proton-proton collision datasets collected at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) from 2015 to 2018. These correspond to integrated luminosities of around 140 fb^{-1} for each experiment, at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The measured signal yield is 2.2±0.7 times the standard model prediction, and agrees with the theoretical expectation within 1.9 standard deviations.

Searches for new resonances are performed using an unsupervised anomaly-detection technique. Events with at least one electron or muon are selected from 140 fb−1 of pp collisions at s=13 TeV recorded by ATLAS at the Large Hadron Collider. The approach involves training an autoencoder on data, and subsequently defining anomalous regions based on the reconstruction loss of the decoder. Studies focus on nine invariant mass spectra that contain pairs of objects consisting of one light jet or b jet and either one lepton (e,μ), photon, or second light jet or b jet in the anomalous regions. No significant deviations from the background hypotheses are observed. Limits on contributions from generic Gaussian signals with various widths of the resonance mass are obtained for nine invariant masses in the anomalous regions.Received 10 July 2023Accepted 13 December 2023DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.081801Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.© 2024 CERN, for the ATLAS CollaborationPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Physical SystemsHypothetical particlesTechniquesHadron collidersMachine learningParticle data analysisParticles & Fields

Charged particle reconstruction in the presence of many simultaneous proton-proton ($pp$) collisions in the LHC is a challenging task for the ATLAS experiment's reconstruction software due to the combinatorial complexity. This paper describes the major changes made to adapt the software to reconstruct high-activity collisions with an average of 50 or more simultaneous $pp$ interactions per bunch crossing (pile-up) promptly using the available computing resources. The performance of the key components of the track reconstruction chain and its dependence on pile-up are evaluated, and the improvement achieved compared to the previous software version is quantified. For events with an average of 60 $pp$ collisions per bunch crossing, the updated track reconstruction is twice as fast as the previous version, without significant reduction in reconstruction efficiency and while reducing the rate of combinatorial fake tracks by more than a factor two.

This letter reports the observation of W(ℓν)γγ production in proton-proton collisions. This measurement uses the full Run 2 sample of events recorded at a center-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb−1. Events with a leptonically-decaying W boson and at least two photons are considered. The background-only hypothesis is rejected with an observed and expected significance of 5.6 standard deviations. The inclusive fiducial production cross section of W(eν)γγ and W(μν)γγ events is measured to be σfid=13.8±1.1(stat)+2.1−2.0(syst)±0.1(lumi) fb, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction.

This Letter reports the observation of WZγ production and a measurement of its cross section using 140.1±1.2 fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The WZγ production cross section, with both the W and Z bosons decaying leptonically, pp→WZγ→ℓ^{'}^{±}νℓ^{+}ℓ^{-}γ (ℓ^{(^{'})}=e, μ), is measured in a fiducial phase-space region defined such that the leptons and the photon have high transverse momentum and the photon is isolated. The cross section is found to be 2.01±0.30(stat)±0.16(syst) fb. The corresponding standard model predicted cross section calculated at next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics and at leading order in the electroweak coupling constant is 1.50±0.06 fb. The observed significance of the WZγ signal is 6.3σ, compared with an expected significance of 5.0σ.

A search for a heavy charged-boson resonance decaying into a charged lepton (electron or muon) and a neutrino is reported. A data sample of 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2015-2018 is used in the search. The observed transverse mass distribution computed from the lepton and missing transverse momenta is consistent with the distribution expected from the Standard Model, and upper limits on the cross section for $pp \to W^\prime \to \ell\nu$ are extracted ($\ell = e$ or $\mu$). These vary between 1.3 pb and 0.05 fb depending on the resonance mass in the range between 0.15 and 7.0 TeV at 95% confidence level for the electron and muon channels combined. Gauge bosons with a mass below 6.0 TeV and 5.1 TeV are excluded in the electron and muon channels, respectively, in a model with a resonance that has couplings to fermions identical to those of the Standard Model $W$ boson. Cross-section limits are also provided for resonances with several fixed $\Gamma / m$ values in the range between 1% and 15%. Model-independent limits are derived in single-bin signal regions defined by a varying minimum transverse mass threshold. The resulting visible cross-section upper limits range between 4.6 (15) pb and 22 (22) ab as the threshold increases from 130 (110) GeV to 5.1 (5.1) TeV in the electron (muon) channel.

A search for new-physics resonances decaying into a lepton and a jet performed by the ATLAS experiment is presented. Scalar leptoquarks pair-produced in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider are considered using an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$, corresponding to the full Run 2 dataset. They are searched for in events with two electrons or two muons and two or more jets, including jets identified as arising from the fragmentation of $c$- or $b$-quarks. The observed yield in each channel is consistent with the Standard Model background expectation. Leptoquarks with masses below 1.8 TeV and 1.7 TeV are excluded in the electron and muon channels, respectively, assuming a branching ratio into a charged lepton and a quark of 100%, with minimal dependence on the quark flavour. Upper limits on the aforementioned branching ratio are also given as a function of the leptoquark mass.

Single- and double-differential cross-section measurements are presented for the production of top-quark pairs, in the lepton + jets channel at particle and parton level. Two topologies, resolved and boosted, are considered and the results are presented as a function of several kinematic variables characterising the top and $t\bar{t}$ system and jet multiplicities. The study was performed using data from $pp$ collisions at centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected in 2015 and 2016 by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $36~\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. Due to the large $t\bar{t}$ cross-section at the LHC, such measurements allow a detailed study of the properties of top-quark production and decay, enabling precision tests of several Monte Carlo generators and fixed-order Standard Model predictions. Overall, there is good agreement between the theoretical predictions and the data.

A search for supersymmetry through the pair production of electroweakinos with mass splittings near the electroweak scale and decaying via on-shell $W$ and $Z$ bosons is presented for a three-lepton final state. The analyzed proton-proton collision data taken at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV were collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. A search, emulating the recursive jigsaw reconstruction technique with easily reproducible laboratory-frame variables, is performed. The two excesses observed in the 2015-2016 data recursive jigsaw analysis in the low-mass three-lepton phase space are reproduced. Results with the full dataset are in agreement with the Standard Model expectations. They are interpreted to set exclusion limits at 95% confidence level on simplified models of chargino-neutralino pair production for masses up to 345 GeV.

A study of the charge conjugation and parity (CP) properties of the interaction between the Higgs boson and top quarks is presented. Higgs bosons are identified via the diphoton decay channel (H→γγ), and their production in association with a top quark pair (tt[over ¯]H) or single top quark (tH) is studied. The analysis uses 139 fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Assuming a CP-even coupling, the tt[over ¯]H process is observed with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. The measured cross section times H→γγ branching ratio is 1.64_{-0.36}^{+0.38}(stat)_{-0.14}^{+0.17}(sys) fb, and the measured rate for tt[over ¯]H is 1.43_{-0.31}^{+0.33}(stat)_{-0.15}^{+0.21}(sys) times the Standard Model expectation. The tH production process is not observed and an upper limit on its rate of 12 times the Standard Model expectation is set. A CP-mixing angle greater (less) than 43 (-43)° is excluded at 95% confidence level.

A search for a right-handed gauge boson WR, decaying into a boosted right-handed heavy neutrino NR, in the framework of Left-Right Symmetric Models is presented. It is based on data from proton–proton collisions with a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider during the years 2015, 2016 and 2017, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 80 fb−1. The search is performed separately for electrons and muons in the final state. A distinguishing feature of the search is the use of large-radius jets containing electrons. Selections based on the signal topology result in smaller background compared to the expected signal. No significant deviation from the Standard Model prediction is observed and lower limits are set in the WR and NR mass plane. Mass values of the WR smaller than 3.8–5 TeV are excluded for NR in the mass range 0.1–1.8 TeV.

To assess the properties of the quark-gluon plasma formed in heavy-ion collisions, the ATLAS experiment at the LHC measures a correlation between the mean transverse momentum and the magnitudes of the flow harmonics. The analysis uses data samples of lead-lead and proton-lead collisions obtained at the centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV, corresponding to total integrated luminosities of $22 ~\mu b^{-1}$ and $28~nb^{-1}$, respectively. The measurement is performed using a modified Pearson correlation coefficient with the charged-particle tracks on an event-by-event basis. The modified Pearson correlation coefficients for the $2^{nd}$-, 3$^{rd}$-, and 4$^{th}$-order harmonics are measured as a function of event centrality quantified as the number of charged particles or the number of nucleons participating in the collision. The measurements are performed for several intervals of the charged-particle transverse momentum. The correlation coefficients for all studied harmonics exhibit a strong centrality evolution in the lead-lead collisions, which only weakly depends on the charged-particle momentum range. In the proton-lead collisions, the modified Pearson correlation coefficient measured for the second harmonics shows only weak centrality dependence. The data is qualitatively described by the predictions based on the hydrodynamical model.

Abstract A search for direct pair production of scalar partners of the top quark (top squarks or scalar third-generation up-type leptoquarks) in the all-hadronic $$t{\bar{t}}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>t</mml:mi><mml:mover><mml:mrow><mml:mi>t</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>¯</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math> plus missing transverse momentum final state is presented. The analysis of 139 $$\hbox {fb}^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msup><mml:mtext>fb</mml:mtext><mml:mrow><mml:mo>-</mml:mo><mml:mn>1</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msup></mml:math> of $${\sqrt{s}=13}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msqrt><mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msqrt><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>13</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math> TeV proton–proton collision data collected using the ATLAS detector at the LHC yields no significant excess over the Standard Model background expectation. To interpret the results, a supersymmetric model is used where the top squark decays via $${\tilde{t}} \rightarrow t^{(*)} {\tilde{\chi }}^0_1$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover><mml:mi>t</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mo>→</mml:mo><mml:msup><mml:mi>t</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mrow /><mml:mo>∗</mml:mo><mml:mo>)</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:msup><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math> , with $$t^{(*)}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msup><mml:mi>t</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mrow /><mml:mo>∗</mml:mo><mml:mo>)</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:msup></mml:math> denoting an on-shell (off-shell) top quark and $${\tilde{\chi }}^0_1$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:math> the lightest neutralino. Three specific event selections are optimised for the following scenarios. In the scenario where $$m_{{\tilde{t}}}&gt; m_t+m_{{\tilde{\chi }}^0_1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:mover><mml:mi>t</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:msub><mml:mo>&gt;</mml:mo><mml:msub><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:mi>t</mml:mi></mml:msub><mml:mo>+</mml:mo><mml:msub><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:msub></mml:mrow></mml:math> , top squark masses are excluded in the range 400–1250 GeV for $${\tilde{\chi }}^0_1$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:math> masses below 200 GeV at 95% confidence level. In the situation where $$m_{{\tilde{t}}}\sim m_t+m_{{\tilde{\chi }}^0_1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:mover><mml:mi>t</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:msub><mml:mo>∼</mml:mo><mml:msub><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:mi>t</mml:mi></mml:msub><mml:mo>+</mml:mo><mml:msub><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:msub></mml:mrow></mml:math> , top squark masses in the range 300–630 GeV are excluded, while in the case where $$m_{{\tilde{t}}}&lt; m_W+m_b+m_{{\tilde{\chi }}^0_1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:mover><mml:mi>t</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:msub><mml:mo>&lt;</mml:mo><mml:msub><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:mi>W</mml:mi></mml:msub><mml:mo>+</mml:mo><mml:msub><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:mi>b</mml:mi></mml:msub><mml:mo>+</mml:mo><mml:msub><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:msub></mml:mrow></mml:math> (with $$m_{{\tilde{t}}}-m_{{\tilde{\chi }}^0_1}\ge 5$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:mover><mml:mi>t</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:msub><mml:mo>-</mml:mo><mml:msub><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:msub><mml:mo>≥</mml:mo><mml:mn>5</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math> GeV), considered for the first time in an ATLAS all-hadronic search, top squark masses in the range 300–660 GeV are excluded. Limits are also set for scalar third-generation up-type leptoquarks, excluding leptoquarks with masses below 1240 GeV when considering only leptoquark decays into a top quark and a neutrino.

Abstract The results of a search for electroweakino pair production $$pp \rightarrow \tilde{\chi }^\pm _1 \tilde{\chi }^0_2$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>p</mml:mi><mml:mi>p</mml:mi><mml:mo>→</mml:mo><mml:msubsup><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mo>±</mml:mo></mml:msubsup><mml:msubsup><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mn>2</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math> in which the chargino ( $$\tilde{\chi }^\pm _1$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mo>±</mml:mo></mml:msubsup></mml:math> ) decays into a W boson and the lightest neutralino ( $$\tilde{\chi }^0_1$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:math> ), while the heavier neutralino ( $$\tilde{\chi }^0_2$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mn>2</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:math> ) decays into the Standard Model 125 GeV Higgs boson and a second $$\tilde{\chi }^0_1$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:math> are presented. The signal selection requires a pair of b -tagged jets consistent with those from a Higgs boson decay, and either an electron or a muon from the W boson decay, together with missing transverse momentum from the corresponding neutrino and the stable neutralinos. The analysis is based on data corresponding to 139 $$\mathrm {fb}^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msup><mml:mrow><mml:mi>fb</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>-</mml:mo><mml:mn>1</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msup></mml:math> of $$\sqrt{s}=13$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msqrt><mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msqrt><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>13</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math> TeV pp collisions provided by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded by the ATLAS detector. No statistically significant evidence of an excess of events above the Standard Model expectation is found. Limits are set on the direct production of the electroweakinos in simplified models, assuming pure wino cross-sections. Masses of $$\tilde{\chi }^{\pm }_{1}/\tilde{\chi }^{0}_{2}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mo>±</mml:mo></mml:msubsup><mml:mo>/</mml:mo><mml:msubsup><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mn>2</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math> up to 740 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level for a massless $$\tilde{\chi }^{0}_{1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mover><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi><mml:mo>~</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:math> .

Abstract Inclusive and differential fiducial cross sections of the Higgs boson are measured in the $$H \rightarrow ZZ^{*} \rightarrow 4\ell $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:mi>Z</mml:mi> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>Z</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow /> <mml:mo>∗</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:mn>4</mml:mn> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> ( $$\ell = e,\mu $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mi>e</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mi>μ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> ) decay channel. The results are based on proton-proton collision data produced at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector from 2015 to 2018, equivalent to an integrated luminosity of 139 $$\hbox {fb}^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mtext>fb</mml:mtext> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> . The inclusive fiducial cross section for the $$H \rightarrow ZZ^{*} \rightarrow 4\ell $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:mi>Z</mml:mi> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>Z</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow /> <mml:mo>∗</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:mn>4</mml:mn> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> process is measured to be $$\sigma _\mathrm {fid} = 3.28 \,{\pm }\, 0.32$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>σ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>fid</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>3.28</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mn>0.32</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> fb, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction of $$\sigma _\mathrm {fid, SM} = 3.41 \pm 0.18 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>σ</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>fid</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mi>SM</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>3.41</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.18</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> fb. Differential fiducial cross sections are measured for a variety of observables which are sensitive to the production and decay of the Higgs boson. All measurements are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions. The results are used to constrain anomalous Higgs boson interactions with Standard Model particles.

Abstract This paper describes precision measurements of the transverse momentum $$p_\mathrm {T}^{\ell \ell }$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mi>p</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mi>T</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi><mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:math> ( $$\ell =e,\mu $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mi>e</mml:mi><mml:mo>,</mml:mo><mml:mi>μ</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:math> ) and of the angular variable $$\phi ^{*}_{\eta }$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mi>ϕ</mml:mi><mml:mi>η</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mrow /><mml:mo>∗</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:math> distributions of Drell–Yan lepton pairs in a mass range of 66–116 GeV. The analysis uses data from 36.1 fb $$^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msup><mml:mrow /><mml:mrow><mml:mo>-</mml:mo><mml:mn>1</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msup></mml:math> of proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $$\sqrt{s}=13\,$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msqrt><mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msqrt><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>13</mml:mn><mml:mspace /></mml:mrow></mml:math> TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in 2015 and 2016. Measurements in electron-pair and muon-pair final states are performed in the same fiducial volumes, corrected for detector effects, and combined. Compared to previous measurements in proton–proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s}=7$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msqrt><mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msqrt><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>7</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math> and $$8\,$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mn>8</mml:mn><mml:mspace /></mml:mrow></mml:math> TeV, these new measurements probe perturbative QCD at a higher centre-of-mass energy with a different composition of initial states. They reach a precision of 0.2 $$\%$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mo>%</mml:mo></mml:math> for the normalized spectra at low values of $$p_\mathrm {T}^{\ell \ell }$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msubsup><mml:mi>p</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mi>T</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi><mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:math> . The data are compared with different QCD predictions, where it is found that predictions based on resummation approaches can describe the full spectrum within uncertainties.

A search is presented for four-top-quark production using an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are selected if they contain a same-sign lepton pair or at least three leptons (electrons or muons). Jet multiplicity, jet flavour and event kinematics are used to separate signal from the background through a multivariate discriminant, and dedicated control regions are used to constrain the dominant backgrounds. The four-top-quark production cross section is measured to be 24$^{+7}_{-6}$ fb. This corresponds to an observed (expected) significance with respect to the background-only hypothesis of 4.3 (2.4) standard deviations and provides evidence for this process.

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 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 αS. Other observables, such as the momentum sharing between the two subjets, are nearly independent of αS. 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 nonperturbative 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.10 MoreReceived 20 December 2019Accepted 10 February 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.101.052007Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.© 2020 CERN, for the ATLAS CollaborationPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasPerturbative QCDQuark & gluon jetsParticles & Fields

Abstract A search for chargino–neutralino pair production in three-lepton final states with missing transverse momentum is presented. The study is based on a dataset of $$\sqrt{s} = 13$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>13</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> TeV pp collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 $$\hbox {fb}^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mtext>fb</mml:mtext> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> . No significant excess relative to the Standard Model predictions is found in data. The results are interpreted in simplified models of supersymmetry, and statistically combined with results from a previous ATLAS search for compressed spectra in two-lepton final states. Various scenarios for the production and decay of charginos ( $${\tilde{\chi }}^\pm _1$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> ) and neutralinos ( $${\tilde{\chi }}^0_2$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> ) are considered. For pure higgsino $${\tilde{\chi }}^\pm _1{\tilde{\chi }}^0_2$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> pair-production scenarios, exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are set on $${\tilde{\chi }}^0_2$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> masses up to 210 GeV. Limits are also set for pure wino $${\tilde{\chi }}^\pm _1{\tilde{\chi }}^0_2$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> pair production, on $${\tilde{\chi }}^0_2$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> masses up to 640 GeV for decays via on-shell W and Z bosons, up to 300 GeV for decays via off-shell W and Z bosons, and up to 190 GeV for decays via W and Standard Model Higgs bosons.

A bstract A search for pair production of third-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying into a top quark and a τ -lepton is presented. The search is based on a dataset of pp collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb − 1 . Events are selected if they have one light lepton (electron or muon) and at least one hadronically decaying τ -lepton, or at least two light leptons. In addition, two or more jets, at least one of which must be identified as containing b -hadrons, are required. Six final states, defined by the multiplicity and flavour of lepton candidates, are considered in the analysis. Each of them is split into multiple event categories to simultaneously search for the signal and constrain several leading backgrounds. The signal-rich event categories require at least one hadronically decaying τ -lepton candidate and exploit the presence of energetic final-state objects, which is characteristic of signal events. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed in any of the considered event categories, and 95% CL upper limits are set on the production cross section as a function of the leptoquark mass, for different assumptions about the branching fractions into tτ and bν . Scalar leptoquarks decaying exclusively into tτ are excluded up to masses of 1 . 43 TeV while, for a branching fraction of 50% into tτ , the lower mass limit is 1 . 22 TeV.

A search for charginos and neutralinos at the Large Hadron Collider using fully hadronic final states and missing transverse momentum is reported. Pair-produced charginos or neutralinos are explored, each decaying into a high-pT Standard Model weak boson. Fully hadronic final states are studied to exploit the advantage of the large branching ratio, and the efficient rejection of backgrounds by identifying the high-pT bosons using large-radius jets and jet substructure information. An integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV is used. No significant excess is found beyond the Standard Model expectation. Exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level are set on wino or higgsino production with various assumptions about the decay branching ratios and the type of lightest supersymmetric particle. A wino (higgsino) mass up to 1060 (900) GeV is excluded when the lightest supersymmetry particle mass is below 400 (240) GeV and the mass splitting is larger than 400 (450) GeV. The sensitivity to high-mass winos and higgsinos is significantly extended relative to previous LHC searches using other final states.10 MoreReceived 18 August 2021Accepted 20 September 2021DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.104.112010Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.© 2021 CERN, for the ATLAS CollaborationPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasExtensions of Higgs sectorExtensions of gauge sectorSupersymmetric modelsPhysical SystemsHiggs bosonsHypothetical gauge bosonsW & Z bosonsPropertiesSupersymmetryTechniquesHadron collidersMulti-purpose particle detectorsParticles & Fields

This paper presents a search for decays of the Higgs boson with a mass of 125 GeV into a pair of new pseudoscalar particles, $H\rightarrow aa$, where one $a$-boson decays into a $b$-quark pair and the other into a muon pair. The search uses 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV recorded between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. A narrow dimuon resonance is searched for in the invariant mass spectrum between 16 GeV and 62 GeV. The largest excess of events above the Standard Model backgrounds is observed at a dimuon invariant mass of 52 GeV and corresponds to a local (global) significance of $3.3 \sigma$ ($1.7 \sigma$). Upper limits at 95% confidence level are placed on the branching ratio of the Higgs boson to the $bb\mu\mu$ final state, $\mathcal{B}(H\rightarrow aa\rightarrow bb\mu\mu)$, and are in the range $\text{(0.2-4.0)} \times 10^{-4}$, depending on the signal mass hypothesis.

Searches are performed for nonresonant and resonant di-Higgs boson production in the b¯bγγ final state. The dataset used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1 of proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. No excess above the expected background is found and upper limits on the di-Higgs boson production cross sections are set. A 95% confidence-level upper limit of 4.2 times the cross section predicted by the Standard Model is set on pp→HH nonresonant production, where the expected limit is 5.7 times the Standard Model predicted value. The expected constraints are obtained for a background hypothesis excluding pp→HH production. The observed (expected) constraints on the Higgs boson trilinear coupling modifier κλ are determined to be [−1.5,6.7] ([−2.4,7.7]) at 95% confidence level, where the expected constraints on κλ are obtained excluding pp→HH production from the background hypothesis. For resonant production of a new hypothetical scalar particle X (X→HH→b¯bγγ), limits on the cross section for pp→X→HH are presented in the narrow-width approximation as a function of mX in the range 251 GeV≤mX≤1000 GeV. The observed (expected) limits on the cross section for pp→X→HH range from 640 fb to 44 fb (391 fb to 46 fb) over the considered mass range.8 MoreReceived 23 December 2021Accepted 1 August 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.106.052001Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.© 2022 CERN, for the ATLAS CollaborationPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasExtensions of Higgs sectorHadron-hadron interactionsPhysical SystemsHiggs bosonsParticles & Fields

A bstract A search for the electroweak production of pairs of charged sleptons or charginos decaying into two-lepton final states with missing transverse momentum is presented. Two simplified models of R -parity-conserving supersymmetry are considered: direct pair-production of sleptons $$ \left(\overset{\sim }{\ell}\overset{\sim }{\ell}\right) $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mrow> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:mfenced> </mml:math> , with each decaying into a charged lepton and a $$ {\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> neutralino, and direct pair-production of the lightest charginos $$ \left({\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^{\pm }{\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^{\mp}\right) $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mrow> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>∓</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:mfenced> </mml:math> , with each decaying into a W -boson and a $$ {\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> . The lightest neutralino $$ \left({\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0\right) $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mfenced> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mfenced> </mml:math> is assumed to be the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP). The analyses target the experimentally challenging mass regions where $$ m\left(\overset{\sim }{\ell}\right)-m\left({\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0\right) $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mfenced> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mfenced> </mml:math> and $$ m\left({\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^{\pm}\right)-m\left({\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0\right) $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mfenced> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mfenced> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mfenced> </mml:math> are close to the W -boson mass (‘moderately compressed’ regions). The search uses 139 fb − 1 of $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV proton-proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excesses over the expected background are observed. Exclusion limits on the simplified models under study are reported in the $$ \left(\overset{\sim }{\ell },{\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0\right) $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mfenced> </mml:math> and $$ \left({\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^{\pm }{\overset{\sim }{\chi}}_1^0\right) $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mrow> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>~</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:mfenced> </mml:math> mass planes at 95% confidence level (CL). Sleptons with masses up to 150 GeV are excluded at 95% CL for the case of a mass-splitting between sleptons and the LSP of 50 GeV. Chargino masses up to 140 GeV are excluded at 95% CL for the case of a mass-splitting between the chargino and the LSP down to about 100 GeV.

Measurements of Higgs boson production cross-sections are carried out in the diphoton decay channel using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The analysis is based on the definition of 101 distinct signal regions using machine-learning techniques. The inclusive Higgs boson signal strength in the diphoton channel is measured to be $1.04^{+0.10}_{-0.09}$. Cross-sections for gluon-gluon fusion, vector-boson fusion, associated production with a $W$ or $Z$ boson, and top associated production processes are reported. An upper limit of 10 times the Standard Model prediction is set for the associated production process of a Higgs boson with a single top quark, which has a unique sensitivity to the sign of the top quark Yukawa coupling. Higgs boson production is further characterized through measurements of Simplified Template Cross-Sections (STXS). In total, cross-sections of 28 STXS regions are measured. The measured STXS cross-sections are compatible with their Standard Model predictions, with a $p$-value of $93\%$. The measurements are also used to set constraints on Higgs boson coupling strengths, as well as on new interactions beyond the Standard Model in an effective field theory approach. No significant deviations from the Standard Model predictions are observed in these measurements, which provide significant sensitivity improvements compared to the previous ATLAS results.

Abstract A search for pair production of doubly charged Higgs bosons ( $$H^{\pm \pm }$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> ), each decaying into a pair of prompt, isolated, and highly energetic leptons with the same electric charge, is presented. The search uses a proton–proton collision data sample at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb $$^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow /> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> recorded by the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This analysis focuses on same-charge leptonic decays, $$H^{\pm \pm } \!\rightarrow \ell ^{\pm } \ell ^{\prime \pm }$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>′</mml:mo> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> where $$\ell , \ell ^\prime \!=\!e, \mu , \tau $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>ℓ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>′</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mi>e</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mi>μ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mi>τ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , in two-, three-, and four-lepton channels, but only considers final states which include electrons or muons. No evidence of a signal is observed. Corresponding upper limits on the production cross-section of a doubly charged Higgs boson are derived, as a function of its mass $$m(H^{\pm \pm })$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , at 95% confidence level. Assuming that the branching ratios to each of the possible leptonic final states are equal, $$\mathcal {B}(H^{\pm \pm } \rightarrow e^\pm e^\pm ) = \mathcal {B}(H^{\pm \pm } \rightarrow e^\pm \mu ^\pm ) = \mathcal {B}(H^{\pm \pm } \rightarrow \mu ^\pm \mu ^\pm ) = \mathcal {B}(H^{\pm \pm } \rightarrow e^\pm \tau ^\pm ) = \mathcal {B}(H^{\pm \pm } \rightarrow \mu ^\pm \tau ^\pm ) = \mathcal {B}(H^{\pm \pm } \rightarrow \tau ^\pm \tau ^\pm ) = 1/6$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>e</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>e</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>e</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>μ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>μ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>μ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>e</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>τ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>μ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>τ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>τ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>τ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:mn>6</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , the observed (expected) lower limit on the mass of a doubly charged Higgs boson is 1080 GeV (1065 GeV) within the left-right symmetric type-II seesaw model, which is the strongest limit to date produced by the ATLAS Collaboration. Additionally, this paper provides the first direct test of the Zee–Babu neutrino mass model at the LHC, yielding an observed (expected) lower limit of $$m(H^{\pm \pm })$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> = 900 GeV (880 GeV).

A search for a long-lived, heavy neutral lepton (N) in 139 fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13 TeV pp collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is reported. The N is produced via W→Nμ or W→Ne and decays into two charged leptons and a neutrino, forming a displaced vertex. The N mass is used to discriminate between signal and background. No signal is observed, and limits are set on the squared mixing parameters of the N with the left-handed neutrino states for the N mass range 3 GeV<m_{N}<15 GeV. For the first time, limits are given for both single-flavor and multiflavor mixing scenarios motivated by neutrino flavor oscillation results for both the normal and inverted neutrino-mass hierarchies.

Constraints on the Higgs boson self-coupling are set by combining double-Higgs boson analyses in the bb¯bb¯, bb¯τ+τ− and bb¯γγ decay channels with single-Higgs boson analyses targeting the γγ, ZZ⁎, WW⁎, τ+τ− and bb¯ decay channels. The data used in these analyses were recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton–proton collisions at s=13 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 126–139 fb−1. The combination of the double-Higgs analyses sets an upper limit of μHH<2.4 at 95% confidence level on the double-Higgs production cross-section normalised to its Standard Model prediction. Combining the single-Higgs and double-Higgs analyses, with the assumption that new physics affects only the Higgs boson self-coupling (λHHH), values outside the interval −0.4<κλ=(λHHH/λHHHSM)<6.3 are excluded at 95% confidence level. The combined single-Higgs and double-Higgs analyses provide results with fewer assumptions, by adding in the fit more coupling modifiers introduced to account for the Higgs boson interactions with the other Standard Model particles. In this relaxed scenario, the constraint becomes −1.4<κλ<6.1 at 95% CL.

Higgs boson production via gluon-gluon fusion and vector-boson fusion in proton-proton collisions is measured in the H→WW∗→eνμν decay channel. The Large Hadron Collider delivered proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV between 2015 and 2018, which were recorded by the ATLAS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. The total cross sections for Higgs boson production by gluon-gluon fusion and vector-boson fusion times the H→WW∗ branching ratio are measured to be 12.0±1.4 and 0.75 +0.19−0.16 pb, respectively, in agreement with the Standard Model predictions of 10.4±0.6 and 0.81±0.02 pb. Higgs boson production is further characterized through measurements of Simplified Template Cross Sections in a total of 11 kinematic fiducial regions.9 MoreReceived 5 July 2022Accepted 25 April 2023DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.108.032005Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.© 2023 CERN, for the ATLAS CollaborationPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Physical SystemsHiggs bosonsTechniquesDeep learningHadron collidersPrecision measurementsParticles & Fields

The ATLAS and CMS experiments have separately measured photon-induced \ensuremath{\tau}-lepton pair production in Pb+Pb collisions, providing a novel probe of the \ensuremath{\tau} anomalous magnetic moment.

A bstract Limits are set on the pair production of scalar leptoquarks, where all possible decays of the leptoquark into a quark ( t , b ) and a lepton ( τ , ν ) of the third generation are considered. The limits are presented as a function of the leptoquark mass and the branching ratio into charged leptons for up-type (LQ 3 u → tν / bτ ) and down-type (LQ 3 d → bν / tτ ) leptoquarks. Many results are reinterpretations of previously published ATLAS searches. In all cases, LHC proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016 are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb −1 . Masses below 800 GeV are excluded for both LQ 3 u and LQ 3 d independently of the branching ratio, with masses below about 1 TeV being excluded for the limiting cases of branching ratios equal to zero or unity.

A bstract A determination of the top-quark mass is presented using 20.2 fb − 1 of 8 TeV proton-proton collision data produced by the Large Hadron Collider and collected by the ATLAS experiment. The normalised differential cross section of top-quark pair production in association with an energetic jet is measured in the lepton+jets final state and unfolded to parton and particle levels. The unfolded distribution at parton level can be described using next-to-leading-order QCD predictions in terms of either the top-quark pole mass or the running mass as defined in the (modified) minimal subtraction scheme. A comparison between the experimental distribution and the theoretical prediction allows the top-quark mass to be extracted in the two schemes. The value obtained for the pole-mass scheme is: $$ {m}_t^{\mathrm{pole}}=171.1\pm 0.4\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)\pm 0.9{\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)}_{-0.3}^{+0.7}\left(\mathrm{theo}\right)\;\mathrm{GeV} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mtext>pole</mml:mtext> </mml:msubsup> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>171.1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.4</mml:mn> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mtext>stat</mml:mtext> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.9</mml:mn> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mtext>syst</mml:mtext> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.3</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.7</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mtext>theo</mml:mtext> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mi>GeV</mml:mi> </mml:math> The extracted value in the running-mass scheme is: $$ {m}_t\left({m}_t\right)=162.9\pm 0.5\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)\pm 1.0{\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)}_{-1.2}^{+2.1}\left(\mathrm{theo}\right)\kern0.33em \mathrm{GeV}. $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mfenced> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>162.9</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.5</mml:mn> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mtext>stat</mml:mtext> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1.0</mml:mn> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mtext>syst</mml:mtext> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1.2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>2.1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mtext>theo</mml:mtext> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mi>GeV</mml:mi> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> </mml:math> The results for the top-quark mass using the two schemes are consistent, when translated from one scheme to the other.

This paper describes a search for pairs of neutral, long-lived particles decaying in the ATLAS calorimeter. Long-lived particles occur in many extensions to the Standard Model and may elude searches for new promptly decaying particles. The analysis considers neutral, long-lived scalars with masses between 5 and 400 GeV, produced from decays of heavy bosons with masses between $$125$$ and $$1000$$ GeV, where the long-lived scalars decay into Standard Model fermions. The analysis uses either $$10.8~{\hbox {fb}}^{-1}$$ or $$33.0~{\hbox {fb}}^{-1}$$ of data (depending on the trigger) recorded in 2016 at the LHC with the ATLAS detector in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No significant excess is observed, and limits are reported on the production cross section times branching ratio as a function of the proper decay length of the long-lived particles.

A search for heavy neutral Higgs bosons produced in association with one or two b-quarks and decaying to b-quark pairs is presented using 27.8 fb -1 of ffiffi ffi s p ¼ 13 TeV proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider during 2015 and 2016.No evidence of a signal is found.Upper limits on the heavy neutral Higgs boson production cross section times its branching ratio to b b are set, ranging from 4.0 to 0.6 pb at 95% confidence level over a Higgs boson mass range of 450 to 1400 GeV.Results are interpreted within the two-Higgs-doublet model and the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model.

Abstract The inclusive top quark pair ( $$t\bar{t}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> ) production cross-section $$\sigma _{t\bar{t}}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>σ</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> has been measured in proton–proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s}=13\,\text {TeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>13</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mtext>TeV</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , using 36.1 fb $$^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow /> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> of data collected in 2015–2016 by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Using events with an opposite-charge $$e\mu $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>e</mml:mi> <mml:mi>μ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> pair and b -tagged jets, the cross-section is measured to be: $$\begin{aligned} \sigma _{t\bar{t}} = 826.4 \pm 3.6\,\mathrm {(stat)}\ \pm 11.5\,\mathrm {(syst)}\ \pm 15.7\,\mathrm {(lumi)}\ \pm 1.9\,\mathrm {(beam)}\,\mathrm {pb}, \end{aligned}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtable> <mml:mtr> <mml:mtd> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>σ</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>826.4</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>3.6</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>stat</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>11.5</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>syst</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>15.7</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>lumi</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1.9</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>beam</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mi>pb</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mtd> </mml:mtr> </mml:mtable> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> where the uncertainties reflect the limited size of the data sample, experimental and theoretical systematic effects, the integrated luminosity, and the LHC beam energy, giving a total uncertainty of 2.4%. The result is consistent with theoretical QCD calculations at next-to-next-to-leading order. It is used to determine the top quark pole mass via the dependence of the predicted cross-section on $$m_t^{\mathrm{pole}}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mi>pole</mml:mi> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> , giving $$m_t^{\mathrm{pole}}=173.1^{+2.0}_{-2.1}\,\text {GeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mi>pole</mml:mi> </mml:msubsup> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>173</mml:mn> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>2.1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>2.0</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mtext>GeV</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> . It is also combined with measurements at $$\sqrt{s}=7\,\text {TeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>7</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mtext>TeV</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> and $$\sqrt{s}=8\,\text {TeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>8</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mtext>TeV</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> to derive ratios and double ratios of $$t\bar{t}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> and Z cross-sections at different energies. The same event sample is used to measure absolute and normalised differential cross-sections as functions of single-lepton and dilepton kinematic variables, and the results are compared with predictions from various Monte Carlo event generators.

This paper describes the measurements of flow harmonics $v_2$-$v_6$ in 3 $\mu\mathrm{b}^{-1}$ 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.

A search for the $Z\gamma$ decay of the Higgs boson, with $Z$ boson decays into pairs of electrons or muons is presented. The analysis uses proton$-$proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The observed data are consistent with the expected background with a $p$-value of 1.3%. An upper limit at 95% confidence level on the production cross-section times the branching ratio for $pp\to H\to Z\gamma$ is set at 3.6 times the Standard Model prediction while 2.6 times is expected in the presence of the Standard Model Higgs boson. The best-fit value for the signal yield normalised to the Standard Model prediction is $2.0^{+1.0}_{-0.9}$ where the statistical component of the uncertainty is dominant.

Searches for the Higgs boson decays H→ee and H→eμ are performed using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139fb−1 collected with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at 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 B(H→ee) is 3.6×10−4 (3.5×10−4) and on B(H→eμ) is 6.2×10−5 (5.9×10−5). These results represent improvements by factors of about five and six on the previous best limits on B(H→ee) and B(H→eμ) respectively.

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 to 4000 GeV. The search improves by approximately a factor of 5 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≤|z|≤60 and extends the charge range to 60<|z|≤100.Received 27 May 2019Revised 26 November 2019DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.031802Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.© 2020 CERN, for the ATLAS CollaborationPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasChargeParticle productionPhysical SystemsMagnetic monopolesTechniquesHadron collidersParticles & Fields

Abstract This paper reports on a search for heavy resonances decaying into WW , ZZ or WZ using proton–proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of $$\sqrt{s}=13$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>13</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> TeV. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 $$\mathrm{fb}^{1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>fb</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:msup> </mml:math> , were recorded with the ATLAS detector from 2015 to 2018 at the Large Hadron Collider. The search is performed for final states in which one W or Z boson decays leptonically, and the other W boson or Z boson decays hadronically. The data are found to be described well by expected backgrounds. Upper bounds on the production cross sections of heavy scalar, vector or tensor resonances are derived in the mass range 300–5000 GeV within the context of Standard Model extensions with warped extra dimensions or including a heavy vector triplet. Production through gluon–gluon fusion, Drell–Yan or vector-boson fusion are considered, depending on the assumed model.

A measurement of fiducial and differential cross-sections for $W^+W^-$ production in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=$13 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $36.1$ fb$^{-1}$ is presented. Events with one electron and one muon are selected, corresponding to the decay of the diboson system as $WW\rightarrow e^{\pm}\nu\mu^{\mp}\nu$. To suppress top-quark background, events containing jets with a transverse momentum exceeding 35 GeV are not included in the measurement phase space. The fiducial cross-section, six differential distributions and the cross-section as a function of the jet-veto transverse momentum threshold are measured and compared with several theoretical predictions. Constraints on anomalous electroweak gauge boson self-interactions are also presented in the framework of a dimension-six effective field theory.

This Letter presents direct searches for lepton flavour violation in Higgs boson decays, $H\rightarrow e\tau$ and $H\rightarrow\mu\tau$, performed with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The searches are based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $36.1\,\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. No significant excess is observed above the expected background from Standard Model processes. The observed (median expected) 95 % confidence-level upper limits on the lepton-flavour-violating branching ratios are $0.47\%$ ($0.34^{+0.13}_{-0.10}\,\%$) and $0.28\%$ ($0.37^{+0.14}_{-0.10}\,\%$) for $H\to e\tau$ and $H\to\mu\tau$, respectively.

A measurement of observables sensitive to spin correlations in $t\bar{t}$ production is presented, using 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Differential cross-sections are measured in events with exactly one electron and one muon with opposite-sign electric charge as a function of the azimuthal opening angle and the absolute difference in pseudorapidity between the electron and muon candidates in the laboratory frame. The azimuthal opening angle is also measured as a function of the invariant mass of the $t\bar{t}$ system. The measured differential cross-sections are compared to predictions by several NLO Monte Carlo generators and fixed-order calculations. The observed degree of spin correlation is somewhat higher than predicted by the generators used. The data are consistent with the prediction of one of the fixed-order calculations at NLO, but agree less well with higher-order predictions. Using these leptonic observables, a search is performed for pair production of supersymmetric top squarks decaying into Standard Model top quarks and light neutralinos. Top squark masses between 170 and 230 GeV are largely excluded at the 95% confidence level for kinematically allowed values of the neutralino mass.

Multi-particle azimuthal cumulants are measured as a function of centrality and transverse momentum using 470 μb−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 vn and correlated fluctuations between two harmonics vn and vm. For the first time, a non-zero four-particle cumulant is observed for dipolar flow, v1. The four-particle cumulants for elliptic flow, v2, and triangular flow, v3, exhibit a strong centrality dependence and change sign in ultra-central collisions. This sign change is consistent with significant non-Gaussian fluctuations in v2 and v3. The four-particle cumulant for quadrangular flow, v4, 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 v2 and v3, and a positive correlation between v2 and v4. 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.

A bstract A search for new physics with non-resonant signals in dielectron and dimuon final states in the mass range above 2 TeV is presented. This is the first search for non-resonant signals in dilepton final states at the LHC to use a background estimate from the data. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb − 1 , were recorded by the ATLAS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. The benchmark signal signature is a two-quark and two-lepton contact interaction, which would enhance the dilepton event rate at the TeV mass scale. To model the contribution from background processes a functional form is fit to the dilepton invariant-mass spectra in data in a mass region below the region of interest. It is then extrapolated to a high-mass signal region to obtain the expected background there. No significant deviation from the expected background is observed in the data. Upper limits at 95% CL on the number of events and the visible cross-section times branching fraction for processes involving new physics are provided. Observed (expected) 95% CL lower limits on the contact interaction energy scale reach 35.8 (37.6) TeV.

A bstract A search for Higgs boson pair production via vector-boson fusion (VBF) in the $$ b\overline{b}b\overline{b} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:math> final state is carried out with the ATLAS experiment using 126 fb − 1 of proton- proton collision data delivered at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV by the Large Hadron Collider. This search is sensitive to VBF production of additional heavy bosons that may decay into Higgs boson pairs, and in a non-resonant topology it can constrain the quartic coupling between the Higgs bosons and vector bosons. No significant excess relative to the Standard Model expectation is observed, and limits on the production cross-section are set at the 95% confidence level for a heavy scalar resonance in the context of an extended Higgs sector, and for non-resonant Higgs boson pair production. Interpretation in terms of the coupling between a Higgs boson pair and two vector bosons is also provided: coupling values normalised to the Standard Model expectation of κ 2 V &lt; − 0 . 76 and κ 2 V &gt; 2 . 90 are excluded at the 95% confidence level in data.

This paper describes a measurement of light-by-light scattering based on Pb+Pb collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment during Run 2 of the LHC. The study uses $2.2$ nb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity collected in 2015 and 2018 at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}=5.02$ TeV. Light-by-light scattering candidates are selected in events with two photons produced exclusively, each with transverse energy $E_{\mathrm{T}}^{\gamma} > 2.5$ GeV, pseudorapidity $|\eta_{\gamma}| < 2.37$, diphoton invariant mass $m_{\gamma\gamma} > 5$ GeV, and with small diphoton transverse momentum and diphoton acoplanarity. The integrated and differential fiducial cross sections are measured and compared with theoretical predictions. The diphoton invariant mass distribution is used to set limits on the production of axion-like particles. This result provides the most stringent limits to date on axion-like particle production for masses in the range 6-100 GeV. Cross sections above 2 to 70 nb are excluded at the 95% CL in that mass interval.

The results of a search for direct pair production of top squarks and for dark matter in events with two opposite-charge leptons (electrons or muons), jets and missing transverse momentum are reported, using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity from proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV, collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider during Run 2 (2015-2018). This search considers the pair production of top squarks and is sensitive across a wide range of mass differences between the top squark and the lightest neutralino. Additionally, spin-0 mediator dark-matter models are considered, in which the mediator is produced in association with a pair of top quarks. The mediator subsequently decays to a pair of dark-matter particles. No significant excess of events is observed above the Standard Model background, and limits are set at 95% confidence level. The results exclude top squark masses up to about 1 TeV, and masses of the lightest neutralino up to about 500 GeV. Limits on dark-matter production are set for scalar (pseudoscalar) mediator masses up to about 250 (300) GeV.

A bstract A search for charged Higgs bosons decaying into W ± W ± or W ± Z bosons is performed, involving experimental signatures with two leptons of the same charge, or three or four leptons with a variety of charge combinations, missing transverse momentum and jets. A data sample of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018 is used. The data correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 139 fb − 1 . The search is guided by a type-II seesaw model that extends the scalar sector of the Standard Model with a scalar triplet, leading to a phenomenology that includes doubly and singly charged Higgs bosons. Two scenarios are explored, corresponding to the pair production of doubly charged H ±± bosons, or the associated production of a doubly charged H ±± boson and a singly charged H ± boson. No significant deviations from the Standard Model predictions are observed. H ±± bosons are excluded at 95% confidence level up to 350 GeV and 230 GeV for the pair and associated production modes, respectively.

A search for a heavy neutral Higgs boson, $A$, decaying into a $Z$ boson and another heavy Higgs boson, $H$, is performed using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ from proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The search considers the $Z$ boson decaying into electrons or muons and the $H$ boson into a pair of $b$-quarks or $W$ bosons. The mass range considered is 230-800 GeV for the $A$ boson and 130-700 GeV for the $H$ boson. The data are in good agreement with the background predicted by the Standard Model, and therefore 95% confidence-level upper limits for $\sigma \times B(A\rightarrow ZH) \times B(H\rightarrow bb$ or $H\rightarrow WW)$ are set. The upper limits are in the range 0.0062-0.380 pb for the $H\rightarrow bb$ channel and in the range 0.023-8.9 pb for the $H\rightarrow WW$ channel. An interpretation of the results in the context of two-Higgs-Doublet models is also given.

A bstract The results of a search for new phenomena in final states with b -jets and missing transverse momentum using 139 fb − 1 of proton-proton data collected at a centre-of-mass energy $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the LHC are reported. The analysis targets final states produced by the decay of a pair-produced supersymmetric bottom squark into a bottom quark and a stable neutralino. The analysis also seeks evidence for models of pair production of dark matter particles produced through the decay of a generic scalar or pseudoscalar mediator state in association with a pair of bottom quarks, and models of pair production of scalar third-generation down-type leptoquarks. No significant excess of events over the Standard Model background expectation is observed in any of the signal regions considered by the analysis. Bottom squark masses below 1270 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level if the neutralino is massless. In the case of nearly mass-degenerate bottom squarks and neutralinos, the use of dedicated secondary-vertex identification techniques permits the exclusion of bottom squarks with masses up to 660 GeV for mass splittings between the squark and the neutralino of 10 GeV. These limits extend substantially beyond the regions of parameter space excluded by similar ATLAS searches performed previously.

Abstract A measurement of the $$ B_{s}^{0} \rightarrow J/\psi \phi $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:mi>J</mml:mi> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:mi>ψ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>ϕ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> decay parameters using $$ 80.5\, \mathrm {fb^{-1}} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>80.5</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>fb</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> of integrated luminosity collected with the ATLAS detector from 13 $$\text {Te}\text {V}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtext>Te</mml:mtext> <mml:mspace /> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> proton–proton collisions at the LHC is presented. The measured parameters include the CP -violating phase $$\phi _{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>ϕ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:math> , the width difference $$ \Delta \Gamma _{s}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>Δ</mml:mi> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>Γ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> between the $$B_{s}^{0}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> meson mass eigenstates and the average decay width $$ \Gamma _{s}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>Γ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:math> . The values measured for the physical parameters are combined with those from $$ 19.2\, \mathrm {fb^{-1}} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>19.2</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>fb</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> of 7 and 8 $$\text {Te}\text {V}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtext>Te</mml:mtext> <mml:mspace /> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> data, leading to the following: $$\begin{aligned} \phi _{s}= &amp; {} -0.087 \pm 0.036 ~\mathrm {(stat.)} \pm 0.021 ~\mathrm {(syst.)~rad} \\ \Delta \Gamma _{s}= &amp; {} 0.0657 \pm 0.0043 ~\mathrm {(stat.)}\pm 0.0037 ~\mathrm {(syst.)~ps}^{-1} \\ \Gamma _{s}= &amp; {} 0.6703 \pm 0.0014 ~\mathrm {(stat.)}\pm 0.0018 ~\mathrm {(syst.)~ps}^{-1} \end{aligned}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtable> <mml:mtr> <mml:mtd> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>ϕ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mtd> <mml:mtd> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow /> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.087</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.036</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>stat</mml:mi> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.021</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>syst</mml:mi> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mi>rad</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> </mml:mtd> </mml:mtr> <mml:mtr> <mml:mtd> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow /> <mml:mi>Δ</mml:mi> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>Γ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mtd> <mml:mtd> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow /> <mml:mn>0.0657</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.0043</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>stat</mml:mi> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.0037</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>syst</mml:mi> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mi>ps</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:mtd> </mml:mtr> <mml:mtr> <mml:mtd> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow /> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>Γ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mtd> <mml:mtd> <mml:mrow> <mml:mrow /> <mml:mn>0.6703</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.0014</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>stat</mml:mi> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.0018</mml:mn> <mml:mspace /> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>syst</mml:mi> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> <mml:mspace /> <mml:mi>ps</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:mtd> </mml:mtr> </mml:mtable> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> Results for $$\phi _{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>ϕ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:math> and $$ \Delta \Gamma _{s}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>Δ</mml:mi> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>Γ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> are also presented as 68% confidence level contours in the $$\phi _{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>ϕ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:math> – $$ \Delta \Gamma _{s}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>Δ</mml:mi> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>Γ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> plane. Furthermore the transversity amplitudes and corresponding strong phases are measured. $$\phi _{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>ϕ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:math> and $$ \Delta \Gamma _{s}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>Δ</mml:mi> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>Γ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> measurements are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions.

The associated production of a Higgs boson with a W or Z boson decaying into leptons and where the Higgs boson decays to a bb¯ pair is measured in the high vector-boson transverse momentum regime, above 250 GeV, with the ATLAS detector. The analysed data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1, were collected in proton–proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018 at a centre-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV. The measured signal strength, defined as the ratio of the measured signal yield to that predicted by the Standard Model, is 0.72−0.36+0.39 corresponding to an observed (expected) significance of 2.1 (2.7) standard deviations. Cross-sections of associated production of a Higgs boson decaying into b quark pairs with a W or Z gauge boson, decaying into leptons, are measured in two exclusive vector boson transverse momentum regions, 250–400 GeV and above 400 GeV, and interpreted as constraints on anomalous couplings in the framework of a Standard Model effective field theory.

A search for the pair production of heavy leptons as predicted by the type-III seesaw mechanism is presented. The search uses proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to 139 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity recorded by the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis focuses on the final state with two light leptons (electrons or muons) of different flavour and charge combinations, with at least two jets and large missing transverse momentum. No significant excess over the Standard Model expectation is observed. The results are translated into exclusion limits on heavy-lepton masses, and the observed lower limit on the mass of the type-III seesaw heavy leptons is 790 GeV at 95% confidence level.

Searches for new resonances in the diphoton final state, with spin 0 as predicted by theories with an extended Higgs sector and with spin 2 using a warped extra-dimension benchmark model, are presented using 139 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s} = $ 13 TeV $pp$ collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. No significant deviation from the Standard Model is observed and upper limits are placed on the production cross-section times branching ratio to two photons as a function of the resonance mass.

Abstract This paper presents an analysis at next-to-next-to-leading order in the theory of quantum chromodynamics for the determination of a new set of proton parton distribution functions using diverse measurements in pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s} = 7$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>7</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , 8 and 13 TeV, performed by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, together with deep inelastic scattering data from ep collisions at the HERA collider. The ATLAS data sets considered are differential cross-section measurements of inclusive $$W^{\pm }$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>W</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> </mml:math> and $$Z/\gamma ^*$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>Z</mml:mi> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>γ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>∗</mml:mo> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> boson production, $$W^{\pm }$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>W</mml:mi> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> </mml:msup> </mml:math> and Z boson production in association with jets, $$t\bar{t}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> production, inclusive jet production and direct photon production. In the analysis, particular attention is paid to the correlation of systematic uncertainties within and between the various ATLAS data sets and to the impact of model, theoretical and parameterisation uncertainties. The resulting set of parton distribution functions is called ATLASpdf21.

A technique is presented to measure the efficiency with which $c$-jets are mistagged as b-jets (mistagging efficiency) using $t\bar{t}$ events, where one of the $W$ bosons decays into an electron or muon and a neutrino and the other decays into a quark-antiquark pair. The measurement utilises the relatively large and known $W\to cs$ branching ratio, which allows a measurement to be made in an inclusive $c$-jet sample. The data sample used was collected by the ATLAS detector at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. Events are reconstructed using a kinematic likelihood technique which selects the mapping between jets and $t\bar{t}$ decay products that yields the highest likelihood value. The distribution of the $b$-tagging discriminant for jets from the hadronic $W$ decays in data is compared with that in simulation to extract the mistagging efficiency as a function of jet transverse momentum. The total uncertainties are in the range 3%-17%. The measurements generally agree with those in simulation but there are some differences in the region corresponding to the most stringent $b$-jet tagging requirement.

A search for the Higgs boson decaying into a pair of charm quarks is presented. The analysis uses proton-proton collisions to target the production of a Higgs boson in association with a leptonically decaying $W$ or $Z$ boson. The dataset delivered by the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. Flavour-tagging algorithms are used to identify jets originating from the hadronisation of charm quarks. The analysis method is validated with the simultaneous measurement of $WW,WZ$ and $ZZ$ production, with observed (expected) significances of $2.6$ ($2.2$) standard deviations above the background-only prediction for the $(W/Z)Z(\to c\bar{c})$ process and $3.8$ ($4.6$) standard deviations for the $(W/Z)W(\to cq)$ process. The $(W/Z)H(\to c \bar{c})$ search yields an observed (expected) upper limit of $26$ ($31$) times the predicted Standard Model cross-section times branching fraction for a Higgs boson with a mass of 125 GeV, corresponding to an observed (expected) constraint on the charm Yukawa coupling modifier $|\kappa_c| < 8.5 (12.4)$, at the 95% confidence level. A combination with the ATLAS $(W/Z)H, H\to b\bar{b}$ analysis is performed, allowing the ratio $\kappa_c / \kappa_b$ to be constrained to less than 4.5 at the 95% confidence level, smaller than the ratio of the $b$- and $c$-quark masses, and therefore determines the Higgs-charm coupling to be weaker than the Higgs-bottom coupling at the 95% confidence level.

A search for long-lived charginos produced either directly or in the cascade decay of heavy prompt gluino states is presented. The search is based on proton-proton collision data collected at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV between 2015 and 2018 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 136 fb$^{-1}$. Long-lived charginos are characterised by a distinct signature of a short and then disappearing track, and are reconstructed using at least four measurements in the ATLAS pixel detector, with no subsequent measurements in the silicon-microstrip tracking volume nor any associated energy deposits in the calorimeter. The final state is complemented by a large missing transverse-momentum requirement for triggering purposes and at least one high-transverse-momentum jet. No excess above the expected backgrounds is observed. Exclusion limits are set at 95% confidence level on the masses of the chargino and gluino for different chargino lifetimes. Chargino masses up to 660 (210) GeV are excluded in scenarios where the chargino is a pure wino (higgsino). For charginos produced during the cascade decay of a heavy gluino, gluinos with masses below 2.1 TeV are excluded for a chargino mass of 300 GeV and a lifetime of 0.2 ns.

A bstract Measurements of the production cross-sections of the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson ( H ) decaying into a pair of τ -leptons are presented. The measurements use data collected with the ATLAS detector from pp collisions produced at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of $$ \sqrt{s} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> </mml:math> = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb − 1 . Leptonic ( τ → ℓν ℓ ν τ ) and hadronic ( τ → hadrons ν τ ) decays of the τ -lepton are considered. All measurements account for the branching ratio of H → ττ and are performed with a requirement |y H | &lt; 2 . 5, where y H is the true Higgs boson rapidity. The cross-section of the pp → H → ττ process is measured to be 2 . 94 ± $$ 0.21{\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)}_{-0.32}^{+0.37} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mn>0.21</mml:mn> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mtext>stat</mml:mtext> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.32</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.37</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> (syst) pb, in agreement with the SM prediction of 3 . 17 ± 0 . 09 pb. Inclusive cross-sections are determined separately for the four dominant production modes: 2 . 65 ± $$ 0.41{\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)}_{-0.67}^{+0.91} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mn>0.41</mml:mn> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mtext>stat</mml:mtext> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.67</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.91</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> (syst) pb for gluon-gluon fusion, 0 . 197 ± $$ 0.028{\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)}_{-0.026}^{+0.032} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mn>0.028</mml:mn> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mtext>stat</mml:mtext> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.026</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.032</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> (syst) pb for vector-boson fusion, 0 . 115 ± $$ 0.058{\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)}_{-0.040}^{+0.042} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mn>0.058</mml:mn> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mtext>stat</mml:mtext> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.040</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.042</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> (syst) pb for vector-boson associated production, and 0 . 033 ± $$ 0.031{\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)}_{-0.017}^{+0.022} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mn>0.031</mml:mn> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mtext>stat</mml:mtext> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.017</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.022</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> (syst) pb for top-quark pair associated production. Measurements in exclusive regions of the phase space, using the simplified template cross-section framework, are also performed. All results are in agreement with the SM predictions.

A measurement of the top-quark mass ($m_t$) in the $t\bar{t}\rightarrow~\textrm{lepton}+\textrm{jets}$ channel is presented, with an experimental technique which exploits semileptonic decays of $b$-hadrons produced in the top-quark decay chain. The distribution of the invariant mass $m_{\ell\mu}$ of the lepton, $\ell$ (with $\ell=e,\mu$), from the $W$-boson decay and the muon, $\mu$, originating from the $b$-hadron decay is reconstructed, and a binned-template profile likelihood fit is performed to extract $m_t$. The measurement is based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s} = 13~\textrm{TeV}$ $pp$ collisions provided by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded by the ATLAS detector. The measured value of the top-quark mass is $m_{t} = 174.41\pm0.39~(\textrm{stat.})\pm0.66~(\textrm{syst.})\pm0.25~(\textrm{recoil})~\textrm{GeV}$, where the third uncertainty arises from changing the PYTHIA8 parton shower gluon-recoil scheme, used in top-quark decays, to a recently developed setup.

Abstract This paper presents the observation of four-top-quark ( $$t\bar{t}t\bar{t}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> ) production in proton-proton collisions at the LHC. The analysis is performed using an integrated luminosity of 140 $$\hbox {fb}^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mtext>fb</mml:mtext> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected using the ATLAS detector. Events containing two leptons with the same electric charge or at least three leptons (electrons or muons) are selected. Event kinematics are used to separate signal from background through a multivariate discriminant, and dedicated control regions are used to constrain the dominant backgrounds. The observed (expected) significance of the measured $$t\bar{t}t\bar{t}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> signal with respect to the standard model (SM) background-only hypothesis is 6.1 (4.3) standard deviations. The $$t\bar{t}t\bar{t}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> production cross section is measured to be $$22.5^{+6.6}_{-5.5}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>22</mml:mn> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mn>5</mml:mn> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>5.5</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>6.6</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> fb, consistent with the SM prediction of $$12.0 \pm 2.4$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>12.0</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>2.4</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> fb within 1.8 standard deviations. Data are also used to set limits on the three-top-quark production cross section, being an irreducible background not measured previously, and to constrain the top-Higgs Yukawa coupling and effective field theory operator coefficients that affect $$t\bar{t}t\bar{t}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> production.

The correlations between flow harmonics $v_n$ for $n=2$, 3 and 4 and mean transverse momentum $[p_\mathrm{T}]$ in $^{129}$Xe+$^{129}$Xe and $^{208}$Pb+$^{208}$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.44$ TeV and 5.02 TeV, respectively, are measured using charged particles with the ATLAS detector. The correlations are sensitive to the shape and size of the initial geometry, nuclear deformation, and initial momentum anisotropy. The effects from non-flow and centrality fluctuations are minimized, respectively, via a subevent cumulant method and event activity selection based on particle production in the very forward rapidity. The results show strong dependences on centrality, harmonic number $n$, $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ and pseudorapidity range. Current models describe qualitatively the overall centrality- and system-dependent trends but fail to quantitatively reproduce all the data. In the central collisions, where models generally show good agreement, the $v_2$-$[p_\mathrm{T}]$ correlations are sensitive to the triaxiality of the quadruple deformation. The comparison of model to the Pb+Pb and Xe+Xe data suggests that the $^{129}$Xe nucleus is a highly deformed triaxial ellipsoid that is neither a prolate nor an oblate shape. This provides strong evidence for a triaxial deformation of $^{129}$Xe nucleus using high-energy heavy-ion collision.