A bstract A search for the exclusive decays of the Higgs and Z bosons to a ϕ or ρ meson and a photon is performed with a pp collision data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 35 . 6 fb −1 collected at $$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$ s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. These decays have been suggested as a probe of the Higgs boson couplings to light quarks. No significant excess of events is observed above the background, as expected from the Standard Model. Upper limits at 95% confidence level were obtained on the branching fractions of the Higgs boson decays to ϕ γ and ρ γ of 4 . 8 × 10 −4 and 8 . 8 × 10 −4 , respectively. The corresponding 95% confidence level upper limits for the Z boson decays are 0 . 9 × 10 −6 and 25 × 10 −6 for ϕ γ and ρ γ, respectively.

The first measurement of longitudinal decorrelations of harmonic flow amplitudes v_{n} for n=2-4 in Xe+Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.44  TeV is obtained using 3  μb^{-1} of data with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The decorrelation signal for v_{3} and v_{4} is found to be nearly independent of collision centrality and transverse momentum (p_{T}) requirements on final-state particles, but for v_{2} a strong centrality and p_{T} dependence is seen. When compared with the results from Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, the longitudinal decorrelation signal in midcentral Xe+Xe collisions is found to be larger for v_{2}, but smaller for v_{3}. Current hydrodynamic models reproduce the ratios of the v_{n} measured in Xe+Xe collisions to those in Pb+Pb collisions but fail to describe the magnitudes and trends of the ratios of longitudinal flow decorrelations between Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb. The results on the system-size dependence provide new insights and an important lever arm to separate effects of the longitudinal structure of the initial state from other early and late time effects in heavy-ion collisions.

This change does not have any impact on the measured helicity fractions, but it changes the obtained limits on the anomalous couplings.

This paper reports searches for heavy resonances decaying into ZZ or ZW using data from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √(s)=13 TeV. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb −1 , were recorded with the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016 at the Large Hadron Collider. The searches are performed in final states in which one Z boson decays into either a pair of light charged leptons (electrons and muons) or a pair of neutrinos, and the associated W boson or the other Z boson decays hadronically. No evidence of the production of heavy resonances is observed. Upper bounds on the production cross sections of heavy resonances times their decay branching ratios to ZZ or ZW are derived in the mass range 300-5000GeV within the context of Standard Model extensions with additional Higgs bosons, a heavy vector triplet or warped extra dimensions. Production through gluon-gluon fusion, Drell-Yan or vector-boson fusion are considered, depending on the assumed model.

Abstract A search for supersymmetry involving the pair production of gluinos decaying via third-generation squarks into the lightest neutralino $$ \left({\tilde{\chi}}_1^0\right) $$ χ ˜ 1 0 is reported. It uses LHC proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy $$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$ s = 13 TeV with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb−1 collected with the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016. The search is performed in events containing large missing transverse momentum and several energetic jets, at least three of which must be identified as originating from b-quarks. To increase the sensitivity, the sample is divided into subsamples based on the presence or absence of electrons or muons. No excess is found above the predicted background. For $$ {\tilde{\chi}}_1^0 $$ χ ˜ 1 0 masses below approximately 300 GeV, gluino masses of less than 1.97 (1.92) TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level in simplified models involving the pair production of gluinos that decay via top (bottom) squarks. An interpretation of the limits in terms of the branching ratios of the gluinos into third-generation squarks is also provided. These results improve upon the exclusion limits obtained with the 3.2 fb−1 of data collected in 2015.

This paper presents a search for direct electroweak gaugino or gluino pair production with a chargino nearly mass-degenerate with a stable neutralino. It is based on an integrated luminosity of 36.1 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The final state of interest is a disappearing track accompanied by at least one jet with high transverse momentum from initial-state radiation or by four jets from the gluino decay chain. The use of short track segments reconstructed from the innermost tracking layers significantly improves the sensitivity to short chargino lifetimes. The results are found to be consistent with Standard Model predictions. Exclusion limits are set at 95% confidence level on the mass of charginos and gluinos for different chargino lifetimes. For a pure wino with a lifetime of about 0.2 ns, chargino masses up to 460 GeV are excluded. For the strong production channel, gluino masses up to 1.65 TeV are excluded assuming a chargino mass of 460 GeV and lifetime of 0.2 ns.

Searches for the exclusive decays of the Higgs and Z bosons into a J/ψ, ψ(2S), or ϒ(nS) (n=1,2,3) meson and a photon are performed with a pp collision data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1fb−1 collected at s=13TeV with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess of events is observed above the expected backgrounds, and 95% confidence-level upper limits on the branching fractions of the Higgs boson decays to J/ψγ, ψ(2S)γ, and ϒ(nS)γ of 3.5×10−4, 2.0×10−3, and (4.9,5.9,5.7)×10−4, respectively, are obtained assuming Standard Model production. The corresponding 95% confidence-level upper limits for the branching fractions of the Z boson decays are 2.3×10−6, 4.5×10−6 and (2.8,1.7,4.8)×10−6, respectively.

Abstract Inclusive jet and dijet cross-sections are measured in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The measurement uses a dataset with an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb−1 recorded in 2015 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Jets are identified using the anti-k t algorithm with a radius parameter value of R = 0.4. The inclusive jet cross-sections are measured double-differentially as a function of the jet transverse momentum, covering the range from 100 GeV to 3.5 TeV, and the absolute jet rapidity up to |y| = 3. The double-differential dijet production cross-sections are presented as a function of the dijet mass, covering the range from 300 GeV to 9 TeV, and the half absolute rapidity separation between the two leading jets within |y| < 3, y ∗, up to y ∗ = 3. Next-to-leading-order, and next-to-next-to-leading-order for the inclusive jet measurement, perturbative QCD calculations corrected for non-perturbative and electroweak effects are compared to the measured cross-sections.

AbstractAn angular analysis of the decayBd0 → K∗μ+μ−is presented, based on proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The study is using 20.3 fb−1of integrated luminosity collected during 2012 at centre-of-mass energy of$$ \sqrt{s}=8 $$s=8TeV. Measurements of theK*longitudinal polarisation fraction and a set of angular parameters obtained for this decay are presented. The results are compatible with the Standard Model predictions.

Abstract Charged Higgs bosons produced either in top-quark decays or in association with a top-quark, subsequently decaying via H ± → τ ± ν τ , are searched for in 36.1 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data at $$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$ s = 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. Depending on whether the top-quark produced together with H ± decays hadronically or leptonically, the search targets τ+jets and τ+lepton final states, in both cases with a hadronically decaying τ-lepton. No evidence of a charged Higgs boson is found. For the mass range of $$ {m}_{H^{\pm }} $$ m H ± = 90–2000 GeV, upper limits at the 95% confidence level are set on the production cross-section of the charged Higgs boson times the branching fraction $$ \mathrm{\mathcal{B}}\left({H}^{\pm}\to {\tau}^{\pm }{\nu}_{\tau}\right) $$ ℬ H ± → τ ± ν τ in the range 4.2–0.0025 pb. In the mass range 90–160 GeV, assuming the Standard Model cross-section for $$ t\overline{t} $$ t t ¯ production, this corresponds to upper limits between 0.25% and 0.031% for the branching fraction $$ \mathrm{\mathcal{B}}\left(t\to b{H}^{\pm}\right)\times \mathrm{\mathcal{B}}\left({H}^{\pm}\to {\tau}^{\pm }{\nu}_{\tau}\right) $$ ℬ t → b H ± × ℬ H ± → τ ± ν τ .

A bstract A measurement of b -hadron pair production is presented, based on a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 11.4 fb −1 of proton-proton collisions recorded at $$ \sqrt{s}=8 $$ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are selected in which a b -hadron is reconstructed in a decay channel containing J/ψ → μμ , and a second b -hadron is reconstructed in a decay channel containing a muon. Results are presented in a fiducial volume defined by kinematic requirements on three muons based on those used in the analysis. The fiducial cross section is measured to be 17.7 ± 0.1(stat.) ± 2.0(syst.) nb. A number of normalised differential cross sections are also measured, and compared to predictions from the P ythia 8, H erwig ++, M ad G raph 5_ a MC@NLO+P ythia 8 and S herpa event generators, providing new constraints on heavy flavour production.

The top-quark mass is measured in the all-hadronic top-antitop quark decay channel using proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √(s)=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The data set used in the analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 20 . 2 fb −1 . The large multi-jet background is modelled using a data-driven method. The top-quark mass is obtained from template fits to the ratio of the three-jet to the dijet mass. The three-jet mass is obtained from the three jets assigned to the top quark decay. From these three jets the dijet mass is obtained using the two jets assigned to the W boson decay. The top-quark mass is measured to be 173 . 72 ± 0 . 55 (stat . ) ± 1 . 01 (syst . ) GeV.

bstract To probe the W tb vertex structure, top-quark and W -boson polarisation observables are measured from t -channel single-top-quark events produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 20.2 fb −1 , recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Selected events contain one isolated electron or muon, large missing transverse momentum and exactly two jets, with one of them identified as likely to contain a b -hadron. Stringent selection requirements are applied to discriminate t -channel single-top-quark events from background. The polarisation observables are extracted from asymmetries in angular distributions measured with respect to spin quantisation axes appropriately chosen for the top quark and the W boson. The asymmetry measurements are performed at parton level by correcting the observed angular distributions for detector effects and hadronisation after subtracting the background contributions. The measured top-quark and W -boson polarisation values are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions. Limits on the imaginary part of the anomalous coupling g R are also set from model-independent measurements.

bstract We present charged-particle distributions sensitive to the underlying event, measured by the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, in low-luminosity Large Hadron Collider fills corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.6 nb −1 . The distributions were constructed using charged particles with absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.5 and with transverse momentum greater than 500 MeV, in events with at least one such charged particle with transverse momentum above 1 GeV. These distributions characterise the angular distribution of energy and particle flows with respect to the charged particle with highest transverse momentum, as a function of both that momentum and of charged-particle multiplicity. The results have been corrected for detector effects and are compared to the predictions of various Monte Carlo event generators, experimentally establishing the level of underlying-event activity at LHC Run 2 energies and providing inputs for the development of event generator modelling. The current models in use for UE modelling typically describe this data to 5% accuracy, compared with data uncertainties of less than 1%.

A search for pair production of a scalar partner of the top quark in events with four or more jets plus missing transverse momentum is presented. An analysis of 36.1 fb −1 of √(s)=13 TeV proton-proton collisions collected using the ATLAS detector at the LHC yields no significant excess over the expected Standard Model background. To interpret the results a simplified supersymmetric model is used where the top squark is assumed to decay via t̃_1→t^(∗)_1^0 and t̃_1→ b_1^±→ bW^(∗)_1^0 , where χ 1 0 (χ 1 ± ) denotes the lightest neutralino (chargino). Exclusion limits are placed in terms of the top-squark and neutralino masses. Assuming a branching ratio of 100

The W boson angular distribution in events with high transverse momentum jets is measured using data collected by the ATLAS experiment from proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy √ s = 8 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 . 3 fb − 1 . The focus is on the contributions to W + jets processes from real W emission, which is achieved by studying events where a muon is observed close to a high transverse momentum jet. At small angular separations, these contributions are expected to be large. Various theoretical models of this process are compared to the data in terms of the absolute cross-section and the angular distributions of the muon from the leptonic W decay.

This paper presents a study of the production of WW or WZ boson pairs, with one W boson decaying to or and one W or Z boson decaying hadronically. The analysis uses of pp collision data, collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Cross-sections for WW  / WZ production are measured in high- fiducial regions defined close to the experimental event selection. The cross-section is measured for the case where the hadronically decaying boson is reconstructed as two resolved jets, and the case where it is reconstructed as a single jet. The transverse momentum distribution of the hadronically decaying boson is used to search for new physics. Observations are consistent with the Standard Model predictions, and 95% confidence intervals are calculated for parameters describing anomalous triple gauge-boson couplings.

The dynamics of isolated-photon plus one-, two- and three-jet production in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV are studied with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using a data set with an integrated luminosity of 20.2 fb$^{-1}$. Measurements of isolated-photon plus jets cross sections are presented as functions of the photon and jet transverse momenta. The cross sections as functions of the azimuthal angle between the photon and the jets, the azimuthal angle between the jets, the photon--jet invariant mass and the scattering angle in the photon--jet centre-of-mass system are presented. The pattern of QCD radiation around the photon and the leading jet is investigated by measuring jet production in an annular region centred on each object; enhancements are observed around the leading jet with respect to the photon in the directions towards the beams. The experimental measurements are compared to several different theoretical calculations, and overall a good description of the data is found