Production of Z bosons in proton-proton collisions at root out s = 10 TeV: Expectations for early measurements at the ATLAS experiment

The production of the Z boson in proton-proton collisions at the LHC serves as a standard candle at the ATLAS experiment during early data-taking. The decay of the Z into an electron-positron pair gives a clean signature in the detector that allows for calibration and performance studies. The cross-section of ~ 1 nb allows first LHC measurements of parton density functions. In this thesis, simulations of 10 TeV collisions at the ATLAS detector are studied. The challenges for an experimental measurement of the cross-section with an integrated luminositiy of 100 pb−1 are discussed. In preparation for the cross-section determination, the single-electron efficiencies are determined via a simulation based method and in a test of a data-driven ansatz. The two methods show a very good agreement and differ by ~ 3% at most. The ingredients of an inclusive and a differential Z production cross-section measurement at ATLAS are discussed and their possible contributions to systematic uncertainties are presented. For a combined sample of signal and background the expected uncertainty on the inclusive cross-section for an integrated luminosity of 100 pb−1 is determined to 1.5% (stat) +/- 4.2% (syst) +/- 10% (lumi). The possibilities for single-differential cross-section measurements in rapidity and transverse momentum of the Z boson, which are important quantities because of the impact on parton density functions and the capability to check for non-pertubative effects in pQCD, are outlined. The issues of an efficiency correction based on electron efficiencies as function of the electron’s transverse momentum and pseudorapidity are studied. A possible alternative is demonstrated by expanding the two-dimensional efficiencies with the additional dimension of the invariant mass of the two leptons of the Z decay.

Test hardware del primo batch di schede rod per l'esperimento atlas ibl.

L’acceleratore di particelle LHC, al CERN di Ginevra, permette studi molto rilevanti nell'ambito della fisica subnucleare. L’importanza che ricopre in questo campo il rivelatore è grandissima ed è per questo che si utilizzano tecnologie d’avanguardia nella sua costruzione. É altresì fondamentale disporre di un sistema di acquisizione dati quanto più moderno ma sopratutto efficiente. Tale sistema infatti è necessario per gestire tutti i segnali elettrici che derivano dalla conversione dell’evento fisico, passaggio necessario per rendere misurabili e quantificabili le grandezze di interesse. In particolare in questa tesi viene seguito il lavoro di test delle schede ROD dell’esperimento ATLAS IBL, che mira a verificare la loro corretta funzionalità, prima che vengano spedite nei laboratori del CERN. Queste nuove schede gestiscono i segnali in arrivo dal Pixel Detector di ATLAS, per poi inviarli ai computer per la successiva elaborazione. Un sistema simile era già implementato e funzionante, ma il degrado dei chip ha causato una perdita di prestazioni, che ha reso necessario l’inserimento di un layer aggiuntivo. Il nuovo strato di rivelatori a pixel, denominato Insertable Barrel Layer (IBL), porta così un aggiornamento tecnologico e prestazionale all'interno del Pixel Detector di ATLAS, andando a ristabilire l’efficacia del sistema.

Tracking, b-tagging and measurement of the b-jet production cross section with the ATLAS detector

The Standard Model of elementary particle physics was developed to describe the fundamental particles which constitute matter and the interactions between them. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Geneva was built to solve some of the remaining open questions in the Standard Model and to explore physics beyond it, by colliding two proton beams at world-record centre-of-mass energies. The ATLAS experiment is designed to reconstruct particles and their decay products originating from these collisions. The precise reconstruction of particle trajectories plays an important role in the identification of particle jets which originate from bottom quarks (b-tagging). This thesis describes the step-wise commissioning of the ATLAS track reconstruction and b-tagging software and one of the first measurements of the b-jet production cross section in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector. The performance of the track reconstruction software was studied in great detail, first using data from cosmic ray showers and then collisions at sqrt(s)=900 GeV and 7 TeV. The good understanding of the track reconstruction software allowed a very early deployment of the b-tagging algorithms. First studies of these algorithms and the measurement of the b-tagging efficiency in the data are presented. They agree well with predictions from Monte Carlo simulations. The b-jet production cross section was measured with the 2010 dataset recorded by the ATLAS detector, employing muons in jets to estimate the fraction of b-jets. The measurement is in good agreement with the Standard Model predictions.

Measurement of the inclusive jet cross section in proton-proton collisions at root out s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The dominant process in hard proton-proton collisions is the production of hadronic jets.rnThese sprays of particles are produced by colored partons, which are struck out of their confinement within the proton.rnPrevious measurements of inclusive jet cross sections have provided valuable information for the determination of parton density functions and allow for stringent tests of perturbative QCD at the highest accessible energies.rnrnThis thesis will present a measurement of inclusive jet cross sections in proton-proton collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV.rnJets are identified using the anti-kt algorithm and jet radii of R=0.6 and R=0.4.rnThey are calibrated using a dedicated pT and eta dependent jet calibration scheme.rnThe cross sections are measured for 40 GeV < pT <= 1 TeV and |y| < 2.8 in four bins of absolute rapidity, using data recorded in 2010 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 pb^-1.rnThe data is fully corrected for detector effects and compared to theoretical predictions calculated at next-to-leading order including non-perturbative effects.rnThe theoretical predictions are found to agree with data within the experimental and theoretic uncertainties.rnrnThe ratio of cross sections for R=0.4 and R=0.6 is measured, exploiting the significant correlations of the systematic uncertainties, and is compared to recently developed theoretical predictions.rnThe underlying event can be characterized by the amount of transverse momentum per unit rapidity and azimuth, called rhoue.rnUsing analytical approaches to the calculation of non-perturbative corrections to jets, rhoue at the LHC is estimated using the ratio measurement.rnA feasibility study of a combined measurement of rhoue and the average strong coupling in the non-perturbative regime alpha_0 is presented and proposals for future jet measurements at the LHC are made.

Messung der Charmonium-Produktion und Energiekalibration für Elektronen mit dem Atlas-Experiment

Der Wirkungsquerschnitt der Charmoniumproduktion wurde unter Nutzung der Daten aus pp-Kollisionen bei s^{1/2}=7TeV, die im Jahr 2010 vom Atlas-Experiment am LHC aufgezeichnet wurden, gemessen. Um das notwendige Detektorverständnis zu verbessern, wurde eine Energiekalibration durchgeführt.rnrnrnUnter Nutzung von Elektronen aus Zerfällen des Charmoniums wurde die Energieskala der elektromagnetischen Kalorimeter bei niedrigen Energien untersucht. Nach Anwendung der Kalibration wurden für die Energiemessung im Vergleich mit in Monte-Carlo-Simulationen gemessenen Energien Abweichungen von weniger als 0,5% gefunden.rnrnrnMit einer integrierten Luminosität von 2,2pb^{-1} wurde eine erste Messung des inklusiven Wirkungsquerschnittes für den Prozess pp->J/psi(e^{+}e^{-})+X bei s^{1/2}=7TeV vorgenommen. Das geschah im zugänglichen Bereich für Transversalimpulse p_{T,ee}>7GeV und Rapiditäten |y_{ee}|<2,4. Es wurden differentielle Wirkungsquerschnitte für den Transversalimpuls p_{T,ee} und für die Rapidität |y_{ee}| bestimmt. Integration beider Verteilungen lieferte für den inklusiven Wirkungsquerschnitt sigma(pp-> J/psi X)BR(J/psi->e^{+}e^{-}) die Werte (85,1+/-1,9_{stat}+/-11,2_{syst}+/-2,9_{Lum})nb und (75,4+/-1,6_{stat}+/-11,9_{syst}+/-2,6_{Lum})nb, die innerhalb der Systematik kompatibel sind.rnrnrnVergleiche mit Messungen von Atlas und CMS für den Prozess pp->J/psi(mu^{+}mu^{-})+X zeigten gute Übereinstimmung. Zum Vergleich mit der Theorie wurden Vorhersagen mit verschiedenen Modellen in nächst-zu-führender und mit Anteilen in nächst-zu-nächst-zu-führender Ordnung kombiniert. Der Vergleich zeigt eine gute Übereinstimmung bei Berücksichtigung von Anteilen in nächst-zu-nächst-zu-führender Ordnung.

Supersymmetry searches in the single lepton final state with the ATLAS detector

This thesis presents an analysis for the search of Supersymmetry with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The final state with one lepton, several coloured particles and large missing transverse energy was chosen. Particular emphasis was placed on the optimization of the requirements for lepton identification. This optimization showed to be particularly useful when combining with multi-lepton selections. The systematic error associated with the higher order QCD diagrams in Monte Carlo production is given particular focus. Methods to verify and correct the energy measurement of hadronic showers are developed. Methods for the identification and removal of mismeasurements caused by the detector are found in the single muon and four jet environment are applied. A new detector simulation system is shown to provide good prospects for future fast Monte Carlo production. The analysis was performed for $35pb^{-1}$ and no significant deviation from the Standard Model is seen. Exclusion limits subchannel for minimal Supergravity. Previous limits set by Tevatron and LEP are extended.

The new Beam Halo Monitor for the CMS experiment at the LHC

In the context of increasing beam energy and luminosity of the LHC accelerator at CERN, it will be important to accurately measure the Machine Induced Background. A new monitoring system will be installed in the CMS cavern for measuring the beam background at high radius. This detector, called the Beam Halo Monitor, will provide an online, bunch-by-bunch measurement of background induced by beam halo interactions, separately for each beam. The detector is composed of synthetic quartz Cherenkov radiators, coupled to fast UV sensitive photomultiplier tubes. The directional and fast response of the system allows the discrimination of the background particles from the dominant flux in the cavern induced by pp collision debris, produced within the 25 ns bunch spacing. The readout electronics of this detector will make use of many components developed for the upgrade of the CMS Hadron Calorimeter electronics, with a dedicated firmware and readout adapted to the beam monitoring requirements. The PMT signal will be digitized by a charge integrating ASIC, providing both the signal rise time and the charge integrated over one bunch crossing. The backend electronics will record bunch-by-bunch histograms, which will be published to CMS and the LHC using the newly designed CMS beam instrumentation specific DAQ. A calibration and monitoring system has been designed to generate triggered pulses of UV light to monitor the efficiency of the system. The experimental results validating the design of the detector, the calibration system and the electronics will be presented.

Measurement of the pair production of b-jets in proton-proton collisions at root out s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

In hadronischen Kollisionen entstehen bei einem Großteil der Ereignisse mit einem hohen Impulsübertrag Paare aus hochenergetischen Jets. Deren Produktion und Eigenschaften können mit hoher Genauigkeit durch die Störungstheorie in der Quantenchromodynamik (QCD) vorhergesagt werden. Die Produktion von \textit{bottom}-Quarks in solchen Kollisionen kann als Maßstab genutzt werden, um die Vorhersagen der QCD zu testen, da diese Quarks die Dynamik des Produktionsprozesses bei Skalen wieder spiegelt, in der eine Störungsrechnung ohne Einschränkungen möglich ist. Auf Grund der hohen Masse von Teilchen, die ein \textit{bottom}-Quark enthalten, erhält der gemessene, hadronische Zustand den größten Teil der Information von dem Produktionsprozess der Quarks. Weil sie eine große Produktionsrate besitzen, spielen sie und ihre Zerfallsprodukte eine wichtige Rolle als Untergrund in vielen Analysen, insbesondere in Suchen nach neuer Physik. In ihrer herausragenden Stellung in der dritten Quark-Generation könnten sich vermehrt Zeichen im Vergleich zu den leichteren Quarks für neue Phänomene zeigen. Daher ist die Untersuchung des Verhältnisses zwischen der Produktion von Jets, die solche \textit{bottom}-Quarks enthalten, auch bekannt als $b$-Jets, und aller nachgewiesener Jets ein wichtiger Indikator für neue massive Objekte. In dieser Arbeit werden die Produktionsrate und die Korrelationen von Paaren aus $b$-Jets bestimmt und nach ersten Hinweisen eines neuen massiven Teilchens, das bisher nicht im Standard-Modell enthalten ist, in dem invarianten Massenspektrum der $b$-Jets gesucht. Am Large Hadron Collider (LHC) kollidieren zwei Protonenstrahlen bei einer Schwerpunktsenergie von $\sqrt s = 7$ TeV, und es werden viele solcher Paare aus $b$-Jets produziert. Diese Analyse benutzt die aufgezeichneten Kollisionen des ATLAS-Detektors. Die integrierte Luminosität der verwendbaren Daten beläuft sich auf 34~pb$^{-1}$. $b$-Jets werden mit Hilfe ihrer langen Lebensdauer und den rekonstruierten, geladenen Zerfallsprodukten identifiziert. Für diese Analyse müssen insbesondere die Unterschiede im Verhalten von Jets, die aus leichten Objekten wie Gluonen und leichten Quarks hervorgehen, zu diesen $b$-Jets beachtet werden. Die Energieskala dieser $b$-Jets wird untersucht und die zusätzlichen Unsicherheit in der Energiemessung der Jets bestimmt. Effekte bei der Jet-Rekonstruktion im Detektor, die einzigartig für $b$-Jets sind, werden studiert, um letztlich diese Messung unabhängig vom Detektor und auf Niveau der Hadronen auswerten zu können. Hiernach wird die Messung zu Vorhersagen auf nächst-zu-führender Ordnung verglichen. Dabei stellt sich heraus, dass die Vorhersagen in Übereinstimmung zu den aufgenommenen Daten sind. Daraus lässt sich schließen, dass der zugrunde liegende Produktionsmechanismus auch in diesem neu erschlossenen Energiebereich am LHC gültig ist. Jedoch werden auch erste Hinweise auf Mängel in der Beschreibung der Eigenschaften dieser Ereignisse gefunden. Weiterhin können keine Anhaltspunkte für eine neue Resonanz, die in Paare aus $b$-Jets zerfällt, in dem invarianten Massenspektrum bis etwa 1.7~TeV gefunden werden. Für das Auftreten einer solchen Resonanz mit einer Gauß-förmigen Massenverteilung werden modell-unabhängige Grenzen berechnet.

Caratterizzazione di un rivelatore MCP-PMT per misure di risoluzione temporale e spaziale.

Questa tesi descrive una prima serie di misure effettuate per caratterizzare le prestazioni di un rivelatore di fotoni MCP-PMT a multi anodo, con particolare enfasi sulla risoluzione temporale e spaziale. I risultati sono stati confrontati con quelli relativi a tre ulteriori rivelatori (un MCP-PMT a singolo anodo e due fotomoltiplicatori a silicio). Le misure sono state effettuate presso i Laboratori dell’Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN - Sezione di Bologna) per conto del Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Università di Bologna. La rivelazione della luce ha sempre occupato un posto fondamentale nella Fisica Nucleare e Subnucleare. Il principio base della rivelazione consiste nel trasformare la luce incidente in un segnale elettrico misurabile e i primi strumenti storicamente utilizzati furono i fotomoltiplicatori. Successivamente furono introdotti dei nuovi rivelatori di fotoni chiamati Micro Channel Plates, composti da un array di canali di dimensioni microscopiche, ciascuno in grado di moltiplicare gli elettroni prodotti per effetto fotoelettrico dai fotoni incidenti. Questo nuovo modello presenta ottime prestazioni in particolare per quanto riguarda la risoluzione temporale, e questa insieme ad altre caratteristiche (come la segmentazione degli anodi, che permette una risoluzione spaziale migliore), ha spinto a studiarne il funzionamento.

Search for high mass resonances decaying into electron-positron pairs in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The Standard Model of particle physics was developed to describe the fundamental particles, which form matter, and their interactions via the strong, electromagnetic and weak force. Although most measurements are described with high accuracy, some observations indicate that the Standard Model is incomplete. Numerous extensions were developed to solve these limitations. Several of these extensions predict heavy resonances, so-called Z' bosons, that can decay into an electron positron pair. The particle accelerator Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland was built to collide protons at unprecedented center-of-mass energies, namely 7 TeV in 2011. With the data set recorded in 2011 by the ATLAS detector, a large multi-purpose detector located at the LHC, the electron positron pair mass spectrum was measured up to high masses in the TeV range. The properties of electrons and the probability that other particles are mis-identified as electrons were studied in detail. Using the obtained information, a sophisticated Standard Model expectation was derived with data-driven methods and Monte Carlo simulations. In the comparison of the measurement with the expectation, no significant deviations from the Standard Model expectations were observed. Therefore exclusion limits for several Standard Model extensions were calculated. For example, Sequential Standard Model (SSM) Z' bosons with masses below 2.10 TeV were excluded with 95% Confidence Level (C.L.).

Measurement of ttbar production differential cross section at \sqrt{s}=8 TeV at ATLAS

Top quark studies play an important role in the physics program of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The energy and luminosity reached allow the acquisition of a large amount of data especially in kinematic regions never studied before. In this thesis is presented the measurement of the ttbar production differential cross section on data collected by ATLAS in 2012 in proton proton collisions at \sqrt{s} = 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb^{−1}. The measurement is performed for ttbar events in the semileptonic channel where the hadronically decaying top quark has a transverse momentum above 300 GeV. The hadronic top quark decay is reconstructed as a single large radius jet and identified using jet substructure properties. The final differential cross section result has been compared with several theoretical distributions obtaining a discrepancy of about the 25% between data and predictions, depending on the MC generator. Furthermore the kinematic distributions of the ttbar production process are very sensitive to the choice of the parton distribution function (PDF) set used in the simulations and could provide constraints on gluons PDF. In particular in this thesis is performed a systematic study on the PDF of the protons, varying several PDF sets and checking which one better describes the experimental distributions. The boosted techniques applied in this measurement will be fundamental in the next data taking at \sqrt{s}=13 TeV when will be produced a large amount of heavy particles with high momentum.

Supersymmetry searches in dilepton final states with the ATLAS experiment

One of the main goals of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Geneva is the search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. In 2011, proton-proton collisions were performed at the LHC at a center of mass energy of 7 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb^{-1} was recorded. This dataset can be tested for one of the most promising theories beyond limits achieved thus far: supersymmetry. Final states in supersymmetry events at the LHC contain highly energetic jets and sizeable missing transverse energy. The additional requirement of events with highly energetic leptons simplifies the control of the backgrounds. This work presents results of a search for supersymmetry in the inclusive dilepton channel. Special emphasis is put on the search within the Gauge-Mediated Symmetry Breaking (GMSB) scenario in which the supersymmetry breaking is mediated via gauge fields. Statistically independent Control Regionsrnfor the dominant Standard Model backgrounds as well as Signal Regions for a discovery of a possible supersymmetry signal are defined and optimized. A simultaneous fit of the background normalizations in the Control Regions via the profile likelihood method allows for a precise prediction of the backgrounds in the Signal Regions and thus increases the sensitivity to several supersymmetry models. Systematic uncertainties on the background prediction are constrained via the jet multiplicity distribution in the Control Regions driven by data. The observed data are consistent with the Standard Model expectation. New limits within the GMSB and the minimal Supergravity (mSUGRA) scenario as well as for several simplified supersymmetry models are set or extended.

Studio di produzione associata dei bosoni Higgs e Z in interazioni protone-protone a LHC

Uno dei cardini nel programma di ricerca attuale del Large Hadron Collider (LHC) al CERN è l’approfondimento della conoscenza relativa al bosone di Higgs e agli accoppiamenti di questa particella, di recente scoperta, con le altre del Modello Standard. Il prossimo Run di LHC sarà caratterizzato da collisioni di fasci di protoni con un'energia di 6.5 TeV ciascuno e renderà possibile l’acquisizione di grandi campioni di dati nei quali si prevede un aumento della statistica per tipologie di eventi che fino a questo momento è stato problematico studiare. Tra questi la produzione per Higgs-strahlung del bosone di Higgs associato al bosone vettore Z, che, essendo caratterizzata da una bassa sezione d’urto, è sempre stata considerata un processo molto difficile da investigare. Questa tesi fornisce uno studio preliminare della fattibilità di recuperare in modo efficiente questo canale, con l’obiettivo di individuare alcuni tagli che permettano di ripulire il grande fondo adronico prodotto nelle collisioni protone-protone a LHC. La presente analisi è stata effettuata su campioni di dati ottenuti tramite una generazione Monte Carlo e una simulazione parametrica del rivelatore ATLAS. Sebbene la statistica dei campioni MC sia ancora limitata e la simulazione della risposta del detector non sia dettagliata, le tecniche e i tagli utilizzati in questo lavoro di tesi potranno dare utili indicazioni per futuri studi più dettagliati e per l'investigazione di questo processo una volta che i dati del prossimo Run di LHC a √s=13 TeV saranno disponibili.

Test hardware del secondo batch di schede ROD per il layer 2 del pixel detector dell'esperimento ATLAS al CERN

In questa tesi viene seguito il lavoro di test delle schede ROD del layer 2 del Pixel Detector dell’ esperimento ATLAS, che mira a verificare la loro corretta funzionalità, prima che vengano spedite nei laboratori del CERN. Queste nuove schede gestiscono i segnali in arrivo dal Pixel Detector di ATLAS, per poi inviarli ai computer per la successiva elaborazione. Le schede ROD andranno a sostituire le precedenti schede SiROD nella catena di acquisizione dati dell’esperimento, procedendo dal nuovo strato IBL, e proseguendo con i tre layer del Pixel Detector, corroborando l’aggiornamento tecnologico e prestazionale necessario in vista dell’incremento di luminosità dell’esperimento.

Probing quantum chromodynamics with the ATLAS detector : charged-particle event shape variables and the dijet cross-section

Die Quantenchromodynamik ist die zugrundeliegende Theorie der starken Wechselwirkung und kann in zwei Bereiche aufgeteilt werden. Harte Streuprozesse, wie zum Beispiel die Zwei-Jet-Produktion bei hohen invarianten Massen, können störungstheoretisch behandelt und berechnet werden. Bei Streuprozessen mit niedrigen Impulsüberträgen hingegen ist die Störungstheorie nicht mehr anwendbar und phänemenologische Modelle werden für Vorhersagen benutzt. Das ATLAS Experiment am Large Hadron Collider am CERN ermöglicht es, QCD Prozesse bei hohen sowie niedrigen Impulsüberträgen zu untersuchen. In dieser Arbeit werden zwei Analysen vorgestellt, die jeweils ihren Schwerpunkt auf einen der beiden Regime der QCD legen:rnDie Messung von Ereignisformvariablen bei inelastischen Proton--Proton Ereignissen bei einer Schwerpunktsenergie von $sqrt{s} = unit{7}{TeV}$ misst den transversalen Energiefluss in hadronischen Ereignissen. rnDie Messung des zweifachdifferentiellen Zwei-Jet-Wirkungsquerschnittes als Funktion der invarianten Masse sowie der Rapiditätsdifferenz der beiden Jets mit den höchsten Transversalimpulsen kann genutzt werden um Theorievorhersagen zu überprüfen. Proton--Proton Kollisionen bei $sqrt{s} = unit{8}{TeV}$, welche während der Datennahme im Jahr 2012 aufgezeichnet wurden, entsprechend einer integrierten Luminosität von $unit{20.3}{fb^{-1}}$, wurden analysiert.rn