Electroweak gauge-boson and Higgs production at Small qT: Infrared safety from the collinear anomaly

We discuss the differential cross sections for electroweak gauge-boson and Higgs production at small and very small transverse momentum q_T. Large logarithms are resummed using soft-collinear effective theory. The collinear anomaly generates a non-perturbative scale q^∗, which protects the processes from receiving large long-distance hadronic contributions. A numerical comparison of our predictions with data on the transverse-momentum distribution in Z-boson production at the Tevatron and LHC is given.

Statistical Methods and the Meaning of Probabilities. A Philosopher Looks at Statistics

The talk starts out with a short introduction to the philosophy of probability. I highlight the need to interpret probabilities in the sciences and motivate objectivist accounts of probabilities. Very roughly, according to such accounts, ascriptions of probabilities have truth-conditions that are independent of personal interests and needs. But objectivist accounts are pointless if they do not provide an objectivist epistemology, i.e., if they do not determine well-defined methods to support or falsify claims about probabilities. In the rest of the talk I examine recent philosophical proposals for an objectivist methodology. Most of them take up ideas well-known from statistics. I nevertheless find some proposals incompatible with objectivist aspirations.

Measurement of angular correlations in Drell-Yan lepton pairs to probe Z/gamma* boson transverse momentum at sqrt(s)=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of angular correlations in Drell-Yan lepton pairs via the phi(eta)* observable is presented. This variable probes the same physics as the Z/gamma* boson transverse momentum with a better experimental resolution. The Z/gamma* -> e(+)e(-) and Z/gamma* -> mu(+)mu(-) decays produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV are used. The data were collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb(-1). Normalised differential cross sections as a function of phi(eta)* are measured separately for electron and muon decay channels. These channels are then combined for improved accuracy. The cross section is also measured double differentially as a function of phi(eta)* for three independent bins of the Z boson rapidity. The results are compared to QCD calculations and to predictions from different Monte Carlo event generators. The data are reasonably well described, in all measured Z boson rapidity regions, by resummed QCD predictions combined with fixed-order perturbative QCD calculations or by some Monte Carlo event generators. The measurement precision is typically better by one order of magnitude than present theoretical uncertainties.

Search for new phenomena in events with three charged leptons at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A generic search for anomalous production of events with at least three charged leptons is presented. The search uses a pp-collision data sample at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV corresponding to 4.6 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected in 2011 by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Events are required to contain at least two electrons or muons, while the third lepton may either be an additional electron or muon, or a hadronically decaying tau lepton. Events are categorized by the presence or absence of a reconstructed tau-lepton or Z-boson candidate decaying to leptons. No significant excess above backgrounds expected from Standard Model processes is observed. Results are presented as upper limits on event yields from non-Standard-Model processes producing at least three prompt, isolated leptons, given as functions of lower bounds on several kinematic variables. Fiducial efficiencies for model testing are also provided. The use of the results is illustrated by setting upper limits on the production of doubly charged Higgs bosons decaying to same-sign lepton pairs.

Measurement of the production cross section of jets in association with a Z boson in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of the production of jets of particles in association with a Z boson in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV are presented, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb(-1) collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Inclusive and differential jet cross sections in Z events, with Z decaying into electron or muon pairs, are measured for jets with transverse momentum p(T) > 30 GeV and rapidity vertical bar y vertical bar < 4.4. The results are compared to next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations, and to predictions from different Monte Carlo generators based on leading-order and next-to-leading-order matrix elements supplemented by parton showers.

Measurement of the cross-section for W boson production in association with b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper reports a measurement of the W+b-jets (W+b+X and W+b (b) over bar +X) production cross-section in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV at the LHC. These results are based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb(-1), collected with the ATLAS detector. Cross-sections are presented as a function of jet multiplicity and of the transverse momentum of the leading b-jet for both the muon and electron decay modes of the W boson. The W+b-jets cross-section, corrected for all known detector effects, is quoted in a limited kinematic range. Combining the muon and electron channels, the fiducial cross-section for W+b-jets is measured to be 7.1 +/- 0.5 (stat) +/- 1.4 (syst) pb, consistent with the next-to-leading order QCD prediction, corrected for non-perturbative and double-parton interactions (DPI) contributions, of 4.70 +/- 0.09 (stat) (+0.60)(-0.49) (scale) +/- 0.06 (PDF) +/- 0.16 (non-pert) (+0.52)(-0.38) (DPI) pb.

Measurement of ℤ boson Production in Pb+Pb Collision at sqrtsNN=2.76 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

The ATLAS experiment has observed 1995 Z boson candidates in data corresponding to 0.15 nb(-1) of integrated luminosity obtained in the 2011 LHC Pb + Pb run at root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV. The Z bosons are reconstructed via dielectron and dimuon decay channels, with a background contamination of less than 3%. Results from the two channels are consistent and are combined. Within the statistical and systematic uncertainties, the per-event Z boson yield is proportional to the number of binary collisions estimated by the Glauber model. The elliptic anisotropy of the azimuthal distribution of the Z boson with respect to the event plane is found to be consistent with zero.

Search for neutral Higgs bosons of the minimal supersymmetric standard model in pp collisions at sqrts = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for the neutral Higgs bosons predicted by the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) is reported. The analysis is performed on data from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The samples used for this search were collected in 2012 and correspond to integrated luminosities in the range 19.5-20.3 fb−1. The MSSM Higgs bosons are searched for in the τ τ final state. No significant excess over the expected background is observed, and exclusion limits are derived for the production cross section times branching fraction of a scalar particle as a function of its mass. The results are also interpreted in the MSSM parameter space for various benchmark scenarios.

Search for pair and single production of new heavy quarks that decay to a ℤ boson and a third-generation quark in pp collisions at √ s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search is presented for the production of new heavy quarks that decay to a Z boson and a third-generation Standard Model quark. In the case of a new charge +2/3 quark (T), the decay targeted is T → Zt, while the decay targeted for a new charge −1/3 quark (B) is B → Zb. The search is performed with a dataset corresponding to 20.3 fb−1 of pp collisions at √ s = 8TeV recorded in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Selected events contain a high transverse momentum Z boson candidate reconstructed from a pair of oppositely charged same-flavor leptons (electrons or muons), and are analyzed in two channels defined by the absence or presence of a third lepton. Hadronic jets, in particular those with properties consistent with the decay of a b-hadron, are also required to be present in selected events. Different requirements are made on the jet activity in the event in order to enhance the sensitivity to either heavy quark pair production mediated by the strong interaction, or single production mediated by the electroweak interaction. No significant excess of events above the Standard Model expectation is observed, and lower limits are derived on the mass of vector-like T and B quarks under various branching ratio hypotheses, as well as upper limits on the agnitude of electroweak coupling parameters.

Measurement of distributions sensitive to the underlying event in inclusive Z-boson production in pp collisions at √ s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of charged-particle distributions sensitive to the properties of the underlying event is presented for an inclusive sample of events containing a Z-boson, decaying to an electron or muon pair. The measurement is based on data collected using the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV with an integrated luminosity of 4.6fb−1. Distributions of the charged particle multiplicity and of the charged particle transverse momentum are measured in regions of azimuthal angle defined with respect to the Z-boson direction. The measured distributions are compared to similar distributions measured in jet events, and to the predictions of various Monte Carlo generators implementing different underlying event models.

Measurement of differential production cross-sections for a ℤ boson in association with b-jets in 7 TeV proton-proton collisions with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of differential production cross-sections of a Z boson in association with b-jets in pp collisions at √s = 7TeV are reported. The data analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb−1 recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Particle-level cross-sections are determined for events with a Z boson decaying into an electron or muon pair, and containing b-jets. For events with at least one b-jet, the cross-section is presented as a function of the Z boson transverse momentum and rapidity, together with the inclusive b-jet cross-section as a function of b-jet transverse momentum, rapidity and angular separations between the b-jet and the Z boson. For events with at least two b-jets, the cross-section is determined as a function of the invariant mass and angular separation of the two highest transverse momentum b-jets, and as a function of the Z boson transverse momentum and rapidity. Results are compared to leading-order and next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations.

Measurement of the Z/ѵ* boson transverse momentum distribution in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper describes a measurement of the Z/ѵ* boson transverse momentum spectrum using ATLAS proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 7 TeV at the LHC. The measurement is performed in the Z/ѵ* → e+e− and Z/ѵ* → μ+μ− channels, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb−1. Normalized differential cross sections as a function of the Z/ѵ* boson transverse momentum are measured for transverse momenta up to 800 GeV. The measurement is performed inclusively for Z/ѵ* rapidities up to 2.4, as well as in three rapidity bins. The channel results are combined, compared to perturbative and resummed QCD calculations and used to constrain the parton shower parameters of Monte Carlo generators.