Search for Quantum Black Hole Production in High-Invariant-Mass Lepton plus Jet Final States Using pp Collisions at root s=8 TeV and the ATLAS Detector

This Letter presents a search for quantum black-hole production using 20.3 fb(-1) of data collected with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at the LHC at root s = 8 TeV. The quantum black holes are assumed to decay into a final state characterized by a lepton (electron or muon) and a jet. In either channel, no event with a lepton-jet invariant mass of 3.5 TeV or more is observed, consistent with the expected background. Limits are set on the product of cross sections and branching fractions for the lepton + jet final states of quantum black holes produced in a search region for invariant masses above 1 TeV. The combined 95% confidence level upper limit on this product for quantum black holes with threshold mass above 3.5 TeV is 0.18 fb. This limit constrains the threshold quantum black-hole mass to be above 5.3 TeV in the model considered.

Search for direct pair production of the top squark in all-hadronic final states in proton-proton collisions at √s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for direct pair production of the scalar partner to the top quark using an integrated luminosity of 20.1fb−1 of proton-proton collision data at s√=8 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC are reported. The top squark is assumed to decay via t~→tχ~01 or t~→bχ~±1→bW(∗)χ~01, where χ~01 (χ~±1) denotes the lightest neutralino (chargino) in supersymmetric models. The search targets a fully-hadronic final state in events with four or more jets and large missing transverse momentum. No significant excess over the Standard Model background prediction is observed, and exclusion limits are reported in terms of the top squark and neutralino masses and as a function of the branching fraction of t~→tχ~01. For a branching fraction of 100%, top squark masses in the range 270-645 GeV are excluded for χ~01 masses below 30 GeV. For a branching fraction of 50% to either t~→tχ~01 or t~→bχ~±1, and assuming the χ~±1 mass to be twice the χ~01 mass, top squark masses in the range 250-550 GeV are excluded for χ~01 masses below 60 GeV.

Detection of back-to-back proton pairs in charged-current neutrino interactions with the ArgoNeuT detector in the NuMI low energy beam line

Short range nucleon-nucleon correlations in nuclei (NN SRC) carry important information on nuclear structure and dynamics. NN SRC have been extensively probed through two-nucleon knock- out reactions in both pion and electron scattering experiments. We report here on the detection of two-nucleon knock-out events from neutrino interactions and discuss their topological features as possibly involving NN SRC content in the target argon nuclei. The ArgoNeuT detector in the Main Injector neutrino beam at Fermilab has recorded a sample of 30 fully reconstructed charged current events where the leading muon is accompanied by a pair of protons at the interaction vertex, 19 of which have both protons above the Fermi momentum of the Ar nucleus. Out of these 19 events, four are found with the two protons in a strictly back-to-back high momenta configuration directly observed in the final state and can be associated to nucleon Resonance pionless mechanisms involving a pre-existing short range correlated np pair in the nucleus. Another fraction (four events) of the remaining 15 events have a reconstructed back-to-back configuration of a np pair in the initial state, a signature compatible with one-body Quasi Elastic interaction on a neutron in a SRC pair. The detection of these two subsamples of the collected (mu- + 2p) events suggests that mechanisms directly involving nucleon-nucleon SRC pairs in the nucleus are active and can be efficiently explored in neutrino-argon interactions with the LAr TPC technology.

Search for a heavy particle decaying into an electron and a muon with the ATLAS detector in sqrt[s] = 7 TeV pp collisions at the LHC

This Letter presents the first search for a heavy particle decaying into an e ± μ(-/+) final state in sqrt[s] = 7 TeV pp collisions at the LHC. The data were recorded by the ATLAS detector during 2010 and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 35 pb(-1). No excess above the standard model background expectation is observed. Exclusions at 95% confidence level are placed on two representative models. In an R-parity violating supersymmetric model, tau sneutrinos with a mass below 0.75 TeV are excluded, assuming all R-parity violating couplings are zero except λ(311)' = 0.11 and λ312 = 0.07. In a lepton flavor violating model, a Z'-like vector boson with masses of 0.70-1.00 TeV and corresponding cross sections times branching ratios of 0.175-0.183 pb is excluded. These results extend to higher mass R-parity violating sneutrinos and lepton flavor violating Z's than previous constraints from the Tevatron.

Fragmentation with a Cut on Thrust: Predictions for B-factories

When high-energy single-hadron production takes place inside an identified jet, there are important correlations between the fragmentation and phase-space cuts. For example, when one-hadron yields are measured in on-resonance B-factory data, a cut on the thrust event shape T is required to remove the large b-quark contribution. This leads to a dijet final-state restriction for the light-quark fragmentation process. Here, we complete our analysis of unpolarized fragmentation of (light) quarks and gluons to a light hadron h with energy fraction z in e+e−→dijet+h at the center-of-mass energy Q=10.58  GeV. In addition to the next-to-next-to-leading order resummation of the logarithms of 1−T, we include the next-to-leading order nonsingular

Search for a heavy narrow resonance decaying to eμ, eτ, or μτ with the ATLAS detector in View the MathML sourcepp collisions at the LHC

This Letter presents the results of a search for a heavy particle decaying into an e(+/-)mu(+/-), e(+/-)tau(+/-), or mu(+/-)tau(+/-) final state in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV. The data were recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2011 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb(-1). No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed, and exclusions at 95% confidence level are placed on the cross section times branching ratio for the production of an R-parity-violating supersymmetric tau sneutrino. For a sneutrino mass of 500 (2000) GeV, the observed limits on the production cross section times branching ratio are 3.2 (1.4) fb, 42 (17) fb, and 40 (18) fb for the e mu, e tau, and mu tau modes, respectively. These results considerably extend constraints from Tevatron experiments.

Measurement of charged-particle event shape variables in inclusive √(s)=7 TeV proton-proton interactions with the ATLAS detector

The measurement of charged-particle event shape variables is presented in inclusive inelastic pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The observables studied are the transverse thrust, thrust minor, and transverse sphericity, each defined using the final-state charged particles' momentum components perpendicular to the beam direction. Events with at least six charged particles are selected by a minimum-bias trigger. In addition to the differential distributions, the evolution of each event shape variable as a function of the leading charged-particle transverse momentum, charged-particle multiplicity, and summed transverse momentum is presented. Predictions from several Monte Carlo models show significant deviations from data.

A search for prompt lepton-jets in pp collisions at sqrts=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

We present a search for a light (mass < 2 GeV) boson predicted by Hidden Valley supersymmetric models that decays into a final state consisting of collimated muons or electrons, denoted "lepton-jets". The analysis uses 5 fb(-1) of root s = 7 TeV proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider to search for the following signatures: single lepton-jets with at least four muons; pairs of lepton-jets, each with two or more muons; and pairs of lepton-jets with two or more electrons. This study finds no statistically significant deviation from the Standard Model prediction and places 95% confidence-level exclusion limits on the production cross section times branching ratio of light bosons for several parameter sets of a Hidden Valley model.

Search for charged Higgs bosons through the violation of lepton universality in t art events using collision data at sqrts=7 TeV with the AT experiment

In several extensions of the Standard Model, the top quark can decay into a bottom quark and a light charged Higgs boson H+, t -> bH(+), in addition to the Standard Model decay t -> bW. Since W bosons decay to the three lepton generations equally, while H+ may predominantly decay into tau nu, charged Higgs bosons can be searched for using the violation of lepton universality in top quark decays. The analysis in this paper is based on 4.6 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data at root s = 7 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Signatures containing leptons (e or mu) and/or a hadronically decaying tau (tau(had)) are used. Event yield ratios between e+ tau(had) and e + mu, as well as between mu + tau(had) and mu + e, final states are measured in the data and compared to predictions from simulations. This ratio-based method reduces the impact of systematic uncertainties in the analysis. No significant deviation from the Standard Model predictions is observed. With the assumption that the branching fraction B(H+ -> tau nu) is 100%, upper limits in the range 3.2%-4.4% can be placed on the branching fraction B(t -> bH(+)) for charged Higgs boson masses m(H+) in the range 90-140GeV. After combination with results from a search for charged Higgs bosons in t (t) over bar decays using the tau(had) + jets final state, upper limits on B(t -> bH(+)) can be set in the range 0.8%-3.4%, for m(H+) in the range 90-160GeV.

Measurement of the ttbar production cross section in the tau+jets channel using the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the top quark pair production cross section in the final state with a hadronically decaying tau lepton and jets is presented. The analysis is based on proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, with a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.67 fb(-1). The cross section is measured to be sigma(t (t) over bar) = 194 +/- 18 (stat.) +/- 46 (syst.) pb and is in agreement with other measurements and with the Standard Model prediction.

Measurement of isolated-photon pair production in pp collisions at sqrts=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The ATLAS experiment at the LHC has measured the production cross section of events with two isolated photons in the final state, in proton-proton collisions at root s = 7 TeV. The full data set collected in 2011, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.9 fb(-1), is used. The amount of background, from hadronic jets and isolated electrons, is estimated with data-driven techniques and subtracted. The total cross section, for two isolated photons with transverse energies above 25 GeV and 22 GeV respectively, in the acceptance of the electromagnetic calorimeter (vertical bar eta vertical bar < 1.37 and 1.52 < vertical bar eta vertical bar 2.37) and with an angular separation Delta R > 0.4, is 44.0(-4.2)(+3.2) pb. The differential cross sections as a function of the di-photon invariant mass, transverse momentum, azimuthal separation, and cosine of the polar angle of the largest transverse energy photon in the Collins-Soper di-photon rest frame are also measured. The results are compared to the prediction of leading-order parton-shower and next-to-leading-order and next-to-next-to-leading-order parton-level generators.

Search for supersymmetry in events with photons, bottom quarks, and missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search has been performed for the experimental signature of an isolated photon with high transverse momentum, at least one jet identified as originating from a bottom quark, and high missing transverse momentum. Such a final state may originate from supersymmetric models with gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking in events in which one of a pair of higgsino-like neutralinos decays into a photon and a gravitino while the other decays into a Higgs boson and a gravitino. The search is performed using the full dataset of 7 TeV proton-proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2011, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb(-1). A total of 7 candidate events are observed while 7.5 +/- 2.2 events are expected from the Standard Model background. The results of the search are interpreted in the context of general gauge mediation to exclude certain regions of a benchmark plane for higgsino-like neutralino production.

Search for resonant diboson production in the lvjj decay channels with the ATLAS detector at 7 TeV

A search for resonant diboson production using a data sample corresponding to 4.7 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV is presented. The search for a narrow resonance in the WW or WZ mass distribution is conducted in a final state with an electron or a muon, missing transverse momentum, and at least two jets. No significant excess is observed and limits are set using three benchmark models: WW resonance masses below 940 and 710 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level for spin-2 Randall-Sundrum and bulk Randall-Sundrum gravitons, respectively; WZ resonance masses below 950 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level for a spin-1 extended gauge model W' boson.

Measurement with the ATLAS detector of multi-particle azimuthal correlations in p+Pb collisions at sqrtsNN=5.02 TeV

In order to study further the long-range correlations ("ridge") observed recently in p+Pb collisions at sqrt(s_NN) =5.02 TeV, the second-order azimuthal anisotropy parameter of charged particles, v_2, has been measured with the cumulant method using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. In a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 1 microb^(-1), the parameter v_2 has been obtained using two- and four-particle cumulants over the pseudorapidity range |eta|<2.5. The results are presented as a function of transverse momentum and the event activity, defined in terms of the transverse energy summed over 3.1final-state effects in p+Pb reactions.

Search for a multi-Higgs-boson cascade in W(+)W(-)b(b)over-bar events with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV

A search is presented for new particles in an extension to the Standard Model that includes a heavy Higgs boson (H-0), an intermediate charged Higgs-boson pair (H-+/-), and a light Higgs boson (h(0)). The analysis searches for events involving the production of a single heavy neutral Higgs boson which decays to the charged Higgs boson and a W boson, where the charged Higgs boson subsequently decays into a W boson and the lightest neutral Higgs boson decaying to a bottom-antibottom-quark pair. Such a cascade results in a W-boson pair and a bottom-antibottom-quark pair in the final state. Events with exactly one lepton, missing transverse momentum, and at least four jets are selected from a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb(-1), collected by the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at root s = 8 TeV at the LHC. The data are found to be consistent with Standard Model predictions, and 95% confidence-level upper limits are set on the product of cross section and branching ratio. These limits range from 0.065 to 43 pb as a function of H-0 and H-+/- masses, with m(h)o fixed at 125 GeV.