Evidence of Wγγ production in pp collisions at s√=8 TeV and limits on anomalous quartic gauge couplings with the ATLAS detector

This Letter reports evidence of triple gauge boson production pp→W(ℓν)γγ+X, which is accessible for the first time with the 8 TeV LHC data set. The fiducial cross section for this process is measured in a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb−1, collected by the ATLAS detector in 2012. Events are selected using the W boson decay to eν or μν as well as requiring two isolated photons. The measured cross section is used to set limits on anomalous quartic gauge couplings in the high diphoton mass region.

Search for s-channel single top-quark production in proton-proton collisions at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This Letter presents a search at the LHC for s-channel single top-quark production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The analyzed data set was recorded by the ATLAS detector and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb−1. Selected events contain one charged lepton, large missing transverse momentum and exactly two b-tagged jets. A multivariate event classifier based on boosted decision trees is developed to discriminate s-channel single top-quark events from the main background contributions. The signal extraction is based on a binned maximum-likelihood fit of the output classifier distribution. The analysis leads to an upper limit on the s-channel single top-quark production cross-section of 14.6 pb at the 95% confidence level. The fit gives a cross-section of σs=5.0±4.3 pb, consistent with the Standard Model expectation.

Measurement of exclusive γγ→ℓ+ℓ− production in proton--proton collisions at s√=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This Letter reports a measurement of the exclusive γγ→ℓ+ℓ−(ℓ=e,μ) cross-section in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, based on an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb−1. For the electron or muon pairs satisfying exclusive selection criteria, a fit to the dilepton acoplanarity distribution is used to extract the fiducial cross-sections. The cross-section in the electron channel is determined to be σexcl.γγ→e+e−=0.428±0.035(stat.)±0.018(syst.) pb for a phase-space region with invariant mass of the electron pairs greater than 24 GeV, in which both electrons have transverse momentum pT>12 GeV and pseudorapidity |η|<2.4. For muon pairs with invariant mass greater than 20 GeV, muon transverse momentum pT>10 GeV and pseudorapidity |η|<2.4, the cross-section is determined to be σexcl.γγ→μ+μ−=0.628±0.032(stat.)±0.021(syst.) pb. When proton absorptive effects due to the finite size of the proton are taken into account in the theory calculation, the measured cross-sections are found to be consistent with the theory prediction.

Measurement of the WW+WZ cross section and limits on anomalous triple gauge couplings using final states with one lepton, missing transverse momentum, and two jets with the ATLAS detector at s√=7 TeV

The production of a W boson decaying to eν or μν in association with a W or Z boson decaying to two jets is studied using 4.6 fb−1 of proton--proton collision data at s√=7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The combined WW+WZ cross section is measured with a significance of 3.4σ and is found to be 68±7 (stat.)±19 (syst.) pb, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation of 61.1±2.2 pb. The distribution of the transverse momentum of the dijet system is used to set limits on anomalous contributions to the triple gauge coupling vertices and on parameters of an effective-field-theory model.

Measurements of the W production cross sections in association with jets with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents cross sections for the production of a W boson in association with jets, measured in proton--proton collisions at s√=7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. With an integrated luminosity of 4.6fb−1, this data set allows for an exploration of a large kinematic range, including jet production up to a transverse momentum of 1 TeV and multiplicities up to seven associated jets. The production cross sections for W bosons are measured in both the electron and muon decay channels. Differential cross sections for many observables are also presented including measurements of the jet observables such as the rapidities and the transverse momenta as well as measurements of event observables such as the scalar sums of the transverse momenta of the jets. The measurements are compared to numerous QCD predictions including next-to-leading-order perturbative calculations, resummation calculations and Monte Carlo generators.

Search for the bb¯ decay of the Standard Model Higgs boson in associated (W/Z)H production with the ATLAS detector

A search for the bb¯ decay of the Standard Model Higgs boson is performed with the ATLAS experiment using the full dataset recorded at the LHC in Run 1. The integrated luminosities used from pp collisions at s√=7 and 8 TeV are 4.7 and 20.3 fb−1, respectively. The processes considered are associated (W/Z)H production, where W→eν/μν, Z→ee/μμ and Z→νν. The observed (expected) deviation from the background-only hypothesis corresponds to a significance of 1.4 (2.6) standard deviations and the ratio of the measured signal yield to the Standard Model expectation is found to be μ=0.52±0.32(stat.)±0.24(syst.) for a Higgs boson mass of 125.36 GeV. The analysis procedure is validated by a measurement of the yield of (W/Z)Z production with Z→bb¯ in the same final states as for the Higgs boson search, from which the ratio of the observed signal yield to the Standard Model expectation is found to be 0.74±0.09(stat.)±0.14(syst.).

Measurement of the top-quark mass in the fully hadronic decay channel from ATLAS data at s√=7 TeV

The mass of the top quark is measured in a data set corresponding to 4.6 fb−1 of proton--proton collisions with centre-of-mass energy s√=7 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events consistent with hadronic decays of top--antitop quark pairs with at least six jets in the final state are selected. The substantial background from multijet production is modelled with data-driven methods that utilise the number of identified b-quark jets and the transverse momentum of the sixth leading jet, which have minimal correlation. The top-quark mass is obtained from template fits to the ratio of three-jet to dijet mass. The three-jet mass is calculated from the three jets of a top-quark decay. Using these three jets the dijet mass is obtained from the two jets of the W boson decay. The top-quark mass obtained from this fit is thus less sensitive to the uncertainty in the energy measurement of the jets. A binned likelihood fit yields a top-quark mass of mt = 175.1 ± 1.4 (stat.) ± 1.2 (syst.) GeV.

Standard model: An introduction

We present a primer on the Standard Model of the electroweak interaction. Emphasis is given to the historical aspects of the theory's formulation. The radiative corrections to the Standard Model are presented and its predictions for the electroweak parameters are compared with the precise experimental data obtained at the Z pole. Finally, we make some remarks on the perspectives for the discovery of the Higgs boson, the most important challenge of the Standard Model.

Evidence for production of single top quarks

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Accidental symmetries and massless quarks in the economical 3-3-1 model

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Measurement of the W boson helicity in events with a single reconstructed top quark in p p collisions at root s=8 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Messung der Zerfallsasymmetrien der radiativen Hyperonzerfälle Xi 0 Lambda gamma und Xi 0 Sigma 0 gamma mit dem NA48/1-Experiment

Der radiative Zerfall eines Hyperons in ein leichteres Hyperon und ein Photon erlaubt eine Untersuchung der Struktur der elektroschwachen Wechselwirkung von Hadronen. Dazu wird die Zerfallsasymmetrie $alpha$ betrachtet. Sie beschreibt die Verteilung des Tochterhyperons bezüglich der Polarisation $vec{P}$ des Mutterhyperons mit $dN / d cos(Theta) propto 1 + alpha |vec{P}| cos(Theta)$, wobei $Theta$ der Winkel zwischen $vec{P}$ und dem Impuls des Tochterhyperons ist. Von besonderem Interesse ist der radiative Zerfall $Xi^0 to Lambda gamma$, für den alle Rechnungen auf Quarkniveau eine positive Asymmetrie vorhersagen, wohingegen bisher eine negative Asymmetrie von $alpha_{Lambda gamma} = -0,73 +- 0,17$ gemessen wurde. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, die bisherigen Messungen zu überprüfen und die Asymmetrie mit einer deutlich höheren Präzision zu bestimmen. Ferner wurden die Zerfallsasymmetrie des radiativen Zerfalls $Xi^0 to Sigma^0 gamma$ ermittelt und zum Test der angewandten Analysemethode der gut bekannte Zerfall $Xi^0 to Lambda pi^0$ herangezogen. Während der Datennahme im Jahr 2002 zeichnete das NA48/1-Experiment am CERN gezielt seltene $K_S$- und Hyperonzerfälle auf. Damit konnte der weltweit größte Datensatz an $Xi^0$-Zerfällen gewonnen werden, aus dem etwa 52.000 $Xi^0 to Lambda gamma$-Zerfälle, 15.000 $Xi^0 to Sigma^0 gamma$-Zerfälle und 4 Mill. $Xi^0 to Lambda pi^0$-Zerfälle mit nur geringem Untergrund extrahiert wurden. Ebenso wurden die entsprechenden $antiXi$-Zerfälle mit etwa einem Zehntel der obigen Ereigniszahlen registriert. Die Bestimmung der Zerfallsasymmetrien erfolgte durch den Vergleich der gemessene Daten mit einer detaillierten Detektorsimulation und führte zu den folgenden Resultaten dieser Arbeit: $alpha_{Lambda gamma} = -0,701 +- 0,019_{stat} +- 0,064_{sys}$, $alpha_{Sigma^0 gamma} = -0,683 +- 0,032_{stat} +- 0,077_{sys}$, $alpha_{Lambda pi^0} = -0,439 +- 0,002_{stat} +- 0,056_{sys}$, $alpha_{antiLambda gamma} = 0,772 +- 0,064_{stat} +- 0,066_{sys}$, $alpha_{antiSigma^0 gamma} = 0,811 +- 0,103_{stat} +- 0,135_{sys}$, $alpha_{antiLambda pi^0} = 0,451 +- 0,005_{stat} +- 0,057_{sys}$. Somit konnte die Unsicherheit der $Xi^0 to Lambda gamma$-Zerfallsasymmetrie auf etwa ein Drittel reduziert werden. Ihr negatives Vorzeichen und damit der Widerspruch zu den Vorhersagen der Quarkmodellrechnungen ist so zweifelsfrei bestätigt. Mit den zum ersten Mal gemessenen $antiXi$-Asymmetrien konnten zusätzlich Grenzen auf eine mögliche CP-Verletzung in den $Xi^0$-Zerfällen, die $alpha_{Xi^0} neq -alpha_{antiXi}$ zur Folge hätte, bestimmt werden.

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.

Constraints on four-fermion contact interactions from precise electroweak measurements

We establish constraints on a general four-fermion contact interaction from precise measurements of electroweak parameters. We compute the one-loop contribution for the leptonic Z width, anomalous magnetic, weak-magnetic, electric and weak dipole moments of leptons in order to extract bounds on the energy scale of these effective interactions.

Measurement of electroweak production of two jets in association with a Z boson in proton-proton collisions at root s=8 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)