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Alexander, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Alexander, G..

At least 217 records · Page 12

Performance of pile-up mitigation techniques for jets in pp collisions at √s=8 TeV using the ATLAS detector

The large rate of multiple simultaneous proton–proton interactions, or pile-up, generated by the Large Hadron Collider in Run 1 required the development of many new techniques to mitigate the adverse effects of these conditions. This paper describes the methods employed in the ATLAS experiment to correct for the impact of pile-up on jet energy and jet shapes, and for the presence of spurious additional jets, with a primary focus on the large 20.3 fb -1 data sample collected at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 8TeV. The energy correction techniques that incorporate sophisticated estimates of the average pile-up energy density and tracking information are presented. Jet-to-vertex association techniques are discussed and projections of performance for the future are considered. Lastly, the extension of these techniques to mitigate the effect of pile-up on jet shapes using subtraction and grooming procedures is presented.

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Search for minimal supersymmetric standard model Higgs Bosons H / A and for a $Z^{\prime}$ boson in the $\tau\tau $ final state produced in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$= 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for neutral Higgs bosons of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) and for a heavneutral Z ' boson is performed using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb - 1 from proton–proton collisions at √s=13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The heavy resonance is assumed to decay to a τ + τ - pair with at least one τ lepton decaying to final states with hadrons and a neutrino. The search is performed in the mass range of 0.2–1.2 TeV for the MSSM neutral Higgs bosons and 0.5–2.5 TeV for the heavy neutral Z ' boson. The data are in good agreement with the background predicted by the Standard Model. The results are interpreted in MSSM and Z ' benchmark scenarios. The most stringent constraints on the MSSM m A –tan β space exclude at 95 % confidence level (CL) tan β > 7.6 for m A = 200 GeV in the m$mod+\atop{h}$ MSSM scenario. For the Sequential Standard Model, a Z$'\atop{SSM}$ mass up to 1.90 TeV is excluded at 95 % CL and masses up to 1.82–2.17 TeV are excluded for a Z'$\atop{SFM}$ of the strong flavour model.

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Measurement of the Inelastic Proton-Proton Cross Section at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector at the LHC

This Letter presents a measurement of the inelastic proton-proton cross section using 60 μ b -1 of p p collisions at a center-of-mass energy √ s of 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Inelastic interactions are selected using rings of plastic scintillators in the forward region ( 2.07 < | η | < 3.86 ) of the detector. A cross section of 68.1 ± 1.4 mb is measured in the fiducial region ξ = M $2\atop{X}$ / s > 10 - 6 , where M X is the larger invariant mass of the two hadronic systems separated by the largest rapidity gap in the event. In this ξ range the scintillators are highly efficient. For diffractive events this corresponds to cases where at least one proton dissociates to a system with M X > 13 GeV . The measured cross section is compared with a range of theoretical predictions. When extrapolated to the full phase space, a cross section of 78.1 ± 2.9 mb is measured, consistent with the inelastic cross section increasing with center-of-mass energy.

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Search for gluinos in events with an isolated lepton, jets and missing transverse momentum at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 Te V with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for gluinos in final states with an isolated electron or muon, multiple jets and large missing transverse momentum using proton–proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 Te V are presented. The dataset used was recorded in 2015 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb -1 . Six signal selections are defined that best exploit the signal characteristics. The data agree with the Standard Model background expectation in all six signal selections, and the largest deviation is a 2.1 standard deviation excess. The results are interpreted in a simplified model where pair-produced gluinos decay via the lightest chargino to the lightest neutralino. In this model, gluinos are excluded up to masses of approximately 1.6 Te V depending on the mass spectrum of the simplified model, thus surpassing the limits of previous searches.

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Search for bottom squark pair production in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

The result of a search for pair production of the supersymmetric partner of the Standard Model bottom quark ($\tilde{b}$ 1 ) is reported. The search uses 3.2 fb - 1 of pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015. Bottom squarks are searched for in events containing large missing transverse momentum and exactly two jets identified as originating from b-quarks. No excess above the expected Standard Model background yield is observed. Exclusion limits at 95 % confidence level on the mass of the bottom squark are derived in phenomenological supersymmetric R-parity-conserving models in which the $\tilde{b}$ 1 is the lightest squark and is assumed to decay exclusively via $\tilde{b}$ 1 →b$\tilde{χ}$$0\atop{1}$, where $\tilde{χ}$$0\atop{1}$ is the lightest neutralino. The limits significantly extend previous results; bottom squark masses up to 800 (840) GeV are excluded for the $\tilde{χ}$$0\atop{1}$ mass below 360 (100) GeV whilst differences in mass above 100 GeV between the $\tilde{b}$ 1 and the $\tilde{χ}$$0\atop{1}$ are excluded up to a $\tilde{b}$ 1 mass of 500 GeV.

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Search for new phenomena in different-flavour high-mass dilepton final states in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ Tev with the ATLAS detector

A search is performed for a heavy particle decaying into different flavour dilepton pairs (eμ, eτ or μτ), using 3.2 fb -1 of proton–proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected in 2015 by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No excess over the Standard Model prediction is observed. Limits at the 95 % credibility level are set on the mass of a Z' boson with lepton-flavour-violating couplings at 3.0, 2.7 and 2.6 TeV, and on the mass of a supersymmetric τ sneutrino with R-parity-violating couplings at 2.3, 2.2 and 1.9 TeV, for eμ, eτ and μτ final states, respectively. The results are also interpreted as limits on the threshold mass for quantum black hole production.

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Measurements of top-quark pair differential cross-sections in the lepton+jets channel in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=8\,~{\mathrm {TeV}}$ using the ATLAS detector

Measurements of normalized differential cross-sections of top-quark pair production are presented as a function of the top-quark, t$\bar{t}$ system and event-level kinematic observables in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √s=8TeV. The observables have been chosen to emphasize the t$\bar{t}$ production process and to be sensitive to effects of initial- and final-state radiation, to the different parton distribution functions, and to non-resonant processes and higher-order corrections. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb - 1 , recorded in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Events are selected in the lepton+jets channel, requiring exactly one charged lepton and at least four jets with at least two of the jets tagged as originating from a b-quark. The measured spectra are corrected for detector effects and are compared to several Monte Carlo simulations. The results are in fair agreement with the predictions over a wide kinematic range. Nevertheless, most generators predict a harder top-quark transverse momentum distribution at high values than what is observed in the data. Predictions beyond NLO accuracy improve the agreement with data at high top-quark transverse momenta. Using the current settings and parton distribution functions, the rapidity distributions are not well modelled by any generator under consideration. However, the level of agreement is improved when more recent sets of parton distribution functions are used.

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Measurement of the total cross section from elastic scattering in pp collisions at s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the total ppcross section at the LHC at √s=8TeV is presented. An integrated luminosity of 500 μb-1 was accumulated in a special run with high-β beam optics to measure the differential elastic cross section as a function of the Mandelstam momentum transfer variable t. The measurement is performed with the ALFA sub-detector of ATLAS. Using a fit to the differential elastic cross section in the -t range from 0.014GeV2 to 0.1GeV2 to extrapolate t→0, the total cross section, σtot(pp →X), is measured via the optical theorem to be σtot(pp→ X) = 96.07±0.18 (stat.)±0.85 (exp.)± 0.31 (extr.) mb, where the first error is statistical, the second accounts for all experimental systematic uncertainties and the last is related to uncertainties in the extrapolation t→0. In addition, the slope of the exponential function describing the elastic cross section at small t is determined to be B =19.74 ±0.05 (stat.) ±0.23 (syst.) GeV-2.

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Measurement of the top quark mass in the t t ¯ → dilepton channel from s = 8 TeV ATLAS data

The top quark mass is measured in the t¯t→dileptonchannel (lepton=e, μ) using ATLAS data recorded in the year 2012 at the LHC. The data were taken at a proton–proton centre-of-mass energy of √s=8TeVand correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 20.2fb-1. Exploiting the template method, and using the distribution of invariant masses of lepton–b-jetpairs, the top quark mass is measured to be mtop=172.99 ±0.41(stat)±0.74(syst)GeV, with a total uncertainty of 0.84GeV. Finally, acombination with previous ATLAS mtopmeasurements from √s=7TeVdata in the t¯t→dileptonand t¯t→lepton+jetschannels results in mtop=172.84 ±0.34(stat)±0.61(syst)GeV, with a total uncertainty of 0.70GeV.

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Search for high-mass new phenomena in the dilepton final state using proton–proton collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search is conducted for both resonant and non-resonant high-mass new phenomena in dielectron and dimuon final states. The search uses 3.2 fb-1of proton–proton collision data, collected at √s = 13 TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in 2015. The dilepton invariant mass is used as the discriminating variable. No significant deviation from the Standard Model prediction is observed; therefore limits are set on the signal model parameters of interest at 95% credibility level. Upper limits are set on the cross-section times branching ratio for resonances decaying to dileptons, and the limits are converted into lower limits on the resonance mass, ranging between 2.74 TeV and 3.36 TeV, depending on the model. Lower limits on the ℓℓqq contact interaction scale are set between 16.7 TeV and 25.2 TeV, also depending on the model.

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Dark matter interpretations of ATLAS searches for the electroweak production of supersymmetric particles in $ \sqrt{s}=8 $ TeV proton-proton collisions

A selection of searches by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC for the electroweak production of SUSY particles are used to study their impact on the constraints on dark matter candidates. The searches use 20 fb -1 of proton-proton collision data at √s=8 TeV. A likelihood-driven scan of a five-dimensional effective model focusing on the gaugino-higgsino and Higgs sector of the phenomenological minimal supersymmetric Standard Model is performed. This scan uses data from direct dark matter detection experiments, the relic dark matter density and precision flavour physics results. Further constraints from the ATLAS Higgs mass measurement and SUSY searches at LEP are also applied. A subset of models selected from this scan are used to assess the impact of the selected ATLAS searches in this five-dimensional parameter space. These ATLAS searches substantially impact those models for which the mass m($\tilde{χ}$$0\atop{1}$) of the lightest neutralino is less than 65 GeV, excluding 86% of such models. The searches have limited impact on models with larger m($\tilde{χ}$$0\atop{1}$) due to either heavy electroweakinos or compressed mass spectra where the mass splittings between the produced particles and the lightest supersymmetric particle is small.

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Searches for heavy diboson resonances in pp collisions at $ \sqrt{s}=13 $ TeV with the ATLAS detector

Searches for new heavy resonances decaying to WW, WZ, and ZZ bosons are presented, using a data sample corresponding to 3.2 fb -1 of pp collisions at s=13 TeV colle cted with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Analyses selecting ννqq, ℓνqq, ℓℓqq and qqqq final states are combined, searching for an arrow-width resonance with mass between 500 and 3000 GeV. The discriminating variable is either an invariant mass or a transverse mass. No significant deviations from the Standard Model predictions are observed. Three benchmark models are tested: a model predicting the existence of a new heavy scalar singlet, a simplified model predicting a heavy vector-boson triplet, and a bulk Randall-Sundrum model with a heavy spin-2 graviton. Cross-section limits are set at the 95% confidence level and are compared to theoretical cross-section predictions for a variety of models. The data exclude a scalar singlet with mass below 2650 GeV, a heavy vector-boson triplet with mass below 2600 GeV, and a graviton with mass below 1100 GeV. These results significantly extend the previous limits set using pp collisions at √s=8 TeV.

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The performance of the jet trigger for the ATLAS detector during 2011 data taking

The performance of the jet trigger for the ATLAS detector at the LHC during the 2011 data taking period is described. During 2011 the LHC provided proton–proton collisions with a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and heavy ion collisions with a 2.76 TeV per nucleon–nucleon collision energy. The ATLAS trigger is a three level system designed to reduce the rate of events from the 40 MHz nominal maximum bunch crossing rate to the approximate 400 Hz which can be written to offline storage. The ATLAS jet trigger is the primary means for the online selection of events containing jets. Events are accepted by the trigger if they contain one or more jets above some transverse energy threshold. During 2011 data taking the jet trigger was fully efficient for jets with transverse energy above 25 GeV for triggers seeded randomly at Level 1. For triggers which require a jet to be identified at each of the three trigger levels, full efficiency is reached for offline jets with transverse energy above 60 GeV. Jets reconstructed in the final trigger level and corresponding to offline jets with transverse energy greater than 60 GeV, are reconstructed with a resolution in transverse energy with respect to offline jets, of better than 4 % in the central region and better than 2.5 % in the forward direction.

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Search for supersymmetry in a final state containing two photons and missing transverse momentum in ${\sqrt{s}}$ = 13 TeV $pp$ collisions at the LHC using the ATLAS detector

A search has been made for supersymmetry in a final state containing two photons and missing transverse momentum using the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The search makes use of 3.2fb -1 of proton-proton collision data collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV in 2015. Using a combination of data-driven and Monte-Carlo-based approaches, the Standard Model background is estimated to be 0.27$-0.10\atop{+0.22}$ events. No events are observed in the signal region; considering the expected background and its uncertainty, this observation implies a model-independent 95 % CL upper limit of 0.93 fb (3.0 events) on the visible cross section due to physics beyond the Standard Model. In the context of a generalized model of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking with a bino-like next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle, this leads to a lower limit of 1650 GeV on the mass of a degenerate octet of gluino states, independent of the mass of the lighter bino-like neutralino.

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Search for top squarks in final states with one isolated lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentum in s = 13 TeV p p collisions with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for the top squark, the supersymmetric partner of the top quark, in final states with one isolated electron or muon, jets, and missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses the 2015 LHC p p collision data at a center-of-mass energy of √ s = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb - 1 . The analysis targets two types of signal models: gluino-mediated pair production of top squarks with a nearly mass-degenerate top squark and neutralino and direct pair production of top squarks, decaying to the top quark and the lightest neutralino. The experimental signature in both signal scenarios is similar to that of a top quark pair produced in association with large missing transverse momentum. No significant excess over the Standard Model background prediction is observed, and exclusion limits on gluino and top squark masses are set at 95% confidence level. The results extend the LHC run-1 exclusion limit on the gluino mass up to 1460 GeV in the gluino-mediated scenario in the high gluino and low top squark mass region and add an excluded top squark mass region from 745 to 780 GeV for the direct top squark model with a massless lightest neutralino. The results are also reinterpreted to set exclusion limits in a model of vectorlike top quarks.

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