The ATLAS experiment has observed 1995 Z boson candidates in data corresponding to 0.15 inverse nb of integrated luminosity obtained in the 2011 LHC Pb+Pb run at sqrt(s_NN)=2.76 TeV. The Z bosons are reconstructed via di-electron and di-muon 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.

Multi-particle cumulants and corresponding Fourier harmonics are measured for azimuthal angle distributions of charged particles in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 5.02 and 13 TeV and in $p$+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV, and compared to the results obtained for low-multiplicity Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV. These measurements aim to assess the collective nature of particle production. The measurements of multi-particle cumulants confirm the evidence for collective phenomena in $p$+Pb and low-multiplicity Pb+Pb collisions. On the other hand, the $pp$ results for four-particle cumulants do not demonstrate collective behaviour, indicating that they may be biased by contributions from non-flow correlations. A comparison of multi-particle cumulants and derived Fourier harmonics across different collision systems is presented as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity. For a given multiplicity, the measured Fourier harmonics are largest in Pb+Pb, smaller in $p$+Pb and smallest in $pp$ collisions. The $pp$ results show no dependence on the collision energy, nor on the multiplicity.

This paper presents a measurement of forward-forward and forward-central dijet azimuthal angular correlations and conditional yields in proton-proton ($pp$) and proton-lead ($p$+Pb) collisions as a probe of the nuclear gluon density in regions where the fraction of the average momentum per nucleon carried by the parton entering the hard scattering is low. In these regions, gluon saturation can modify the rapidly increasing parton distribution function of the gluon. The analysis utilizes 25 pb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ data and 360 $\mu \mathrm{b}^{-1}$ of $p$+Pb data, both at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV, collected in 2015 and 2016, respectively, with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurement is performed in the center-of-mass frame of the nucleon-nucleon system in the rapidity range between $-$4.0 and 4.0 using the two highest transverse momentum jets in each event, with the highest transverse momentum jet restricted to the forward rapidity range. No significant broadening of azimuthal angular correlations is observed for forward-forward or forward-central dijets in $p$+Pb compared to $pp$ collisions. For forward-forward jet pairs in the proton-going direction, the ratio of conditional yields in $p$+Pb collisions to those in $pp$ collisions is suppressed by approximately 20%, with no significant dependence on the transverse momentum of the dijet system. No modification of conditional yields is observed for forward-central dijets.

Measurements of the yield and nuclear modification factor, $R_\mathrm{ AA}$, for inclusive jet production are performed using 0.49 nb$^{-1}$ of Pb+Pb data at $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV and 25 pb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ data at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Jets are reconstructed with the anti-$k_t$ algorithm with radius parameter $R=0.4$ and are measured over the transverse momentum range of 40-1000 GeV in six rapidity intervals covering $|y|<2.8$. The magnitude of $R_\mathrm{ AA}$ increases with increasing jet transverse momentum, reaching a value of approximately 0.6 at 1 TeV in the most central collisions. The magnitude of $R_\mathrm{ AA}$ also increases towards peripheral collisions. The value of $R_\mathrm{ AA}$ is independent of rapidity at low jet transverse momenta, but it is observed to decrease with increasing rapidity at high transverse momenta.

The relationship between jet production in the central region and the underlying-event activity in a pseudorapidity-separated region is studied in 4.0 pb$^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV $pp$ collision data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The underlying event is characterised through measurements of the average value of the sum of the transverse energy at large pseudorapidity downstream of one of the protons, which are reported here as a function of hard-scattering kinematic variables. The hard scattering is characterised by the average transverse momentum and pseudorapidity of the two highest transverse momentum jets in the event. The dijet kinematics are used to estimate, on an event-by-event basis, the scaled longitudinal momenta of the hard-scattered partons in the target and projectile beam-protons moving toward and away from the region measuring transverse energy, respectively. Transverse energy production at large pseudorapidity is observed to decrease with a linear dependence on the longitudinal momentum fraction in the target proton and to depend only weakly on that in the projectile proton. The results are compared to the predictions of various Monte Carlo event generators, which qualitatively reproduce the trends observed in data but generally underpredict the overall level of transverse energy at forward pseudorapidity.

This paper presents measurements of charged-hadron spectra obtained in $pp$, $p$+Pb, and Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ or $\sqrt{s_{_\text{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV, and in Xe+Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_\text{NN}}}=5.44$ TeV. The data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC have total integrated luminosities of 25 pb${}^{-1}$, 28 nb${}^{-1}$, 0.50 nb${}^{-1}$, and 3 $\mu$b${}^{-1}$, respectively. The nuclear modification factors $R_{p\text{Pb}}$ and $R_\text{AA}$ are obtained by comparing the spectra in heavy-ion and $pp$ collisions in a wide range of charged-particle transverse momenta and pseudorapidity. The nuclear modification factor $R_{p\text{Pb}}$ shows a moderate enhancement above unity with a maximum at $p_{\mathrm{T}} \approx 3$ GeV; the enhancement is stronger in the Pb-going direction. The nuclear modification factors in both Pb+Pb and Xe+Xe collisions feature a significant, centrality-dependent suppression. They show a similar distinct $p_{\mathrm{T}}$-dependence with a local maximum at $p_{\mathrm{T}} \approx 2$ GeV and a local minimum at $p_{\mathrm{T}} \approx 7$ GeV. This dependence is more distinguishable in more central collisions. No significant $|\eta|$-dependence is found. A comprehensive comparison with several theoretical predictions is also provided. They typically describe $R_\text{AA}$ better in central collisions and in the $p_{\mathrm{T}}$ range from about 10 to 100 GeV.

Particle production sensitive to non-factorizable and non-perturbative processes that contribute to the underlying event associated with a high transverse momentum ($p_{T}$) jet in proton+proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$=200 GeV is studied with the STAR detector. Each event is divided into three regions based on the azimuthal angle with respect to the highest-$p_{T}$ jet direction: in the leading jet direction ("Toward"), opposite to the leading jet ("Away"), and perpendicular to the leading jet ("Transverse"). In the Transverse region, the average charged particle density is found to be between 0.4 and 0.6 and the mean transverse momentum, $\langle p_{T}\rangle$, between 0.5-0.7 GeV/$c$ for particles with $p_{T}$$>$0.2 GeV/$c$ at mid-pseudorapidity ($|\eta|$$<$1) and jet $p_{T}$$>$15 GeV/$c$. Both average particle density and $\langle p_{T}\rangle$ depend weakly on the leading jet $p_{T}$. Closer inspection of the Transverse region hints that contributions to the underlying event from initial- and final-state radiation are significantly smaller in these collisions than at the higher energies, up to 13 TeV, recorded at the LHC. Underlying event measurements associated with a high-$p_{T}$ jet will contribute to our understanding of QCD processes at hard and soft scales at RHIC energies, as well as provide constraints to modeling of underlying event dynamics.

We report results on the total and elastic cross sections in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=200$ GeV obtained with the Roman Pot setup of the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The elastic differential cross section was measured in the squared four-momentum transfer range $0.045 \leq -t \leq 0.135$ GeV$^2$. The value of the exponential slope parameter $B$ of the elastic differential cross section $d\sigma/dt \sim e^{-Bt}$ in the measured $-t$ range was found to be $B = 14.32 \pm 0.09 (stat.)^{\scriptstyle +0.13}_{\scriptstyle -0.28} (syst.)$ GeV$^{-2}$. The total cross section $\sigma_{tot}$, obtained from extrapolation of the $d\sigma/dt$ to the optical point at $-t = 0$, is $\sigma_{tot} = 54.67 \pm 0.21 (stat.) ^{\scriptstyle +1.28}_{\scriptstyle -1.38} (syst.)$ mb. We also present the values of the elastic cross section $\sigma_{el} = 10.85 \pm 0.03 (stat.) ^{\scriptstyle +0.49}_{\scriptstyle -0.41}(syst.)$ mb, the elastic cross section integrated within the STAR $t$-range $\sigma^{det}_{el} = 4.05 \pm 0.01 (stat.) ^{\scriptstyle+0.18}_{\scriptstyle -0.17}(syst.)$ mb, and the inelastic cross section $\sigma_{inel} = 43.82 \pm 0.21 (stat.) ^{\scriptstyle +1.37}_{\scriptstyle -1.44} (syst.)$ mb. The results are compared with the world data.

We report on the measurement of the Central Exclusive Production of charged particle pairs $h^{+}h^{-}$ ($h = \pi, K, p$) with the STAR detector at RHIC in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 200$ GeV. The charged particle pairs produced in the reaction $pp\to p^\prime+h^{+}h^{-}+p^\prime$ are reconstructed from the tracks in the central detector, while the forward-scattered protons are measured in the Roman Pot system. Differential cross sections are measured in the fiducial region, which roughly corresponds to the square of the four-momentum transfers at the proton vertices in the range $0.04~\mbox{GeV}^2 < -t_1 , -t_2 < 0.2~\mbox{GeV}^2$, invariant masses of the charged particle pairs up to a few GeV and pseudorapidities of the centrally-produced hadrons in the range $|\eta|<0.7$. The measured cross sections are compared to phenomenological predictions based on the Double Pomeron Exchange (DPE) model. Structures observed in the mass spectra of $\pi^{+}\pi^{-}$ and $K^{+}K^{-}$ pairs are consistent with the DPE model, while angular distributions of pions suggest a dominant spin-0 contribution to $\pi^{+}\pi^{-}$ production. The fiducial $\pi^+\pi^-$ cross section is extrapolated to the Lorentz-invariant region, which allows decomposition of the invariant mass spectrum into continuum and resonant contributions. The extrapolated cross section is well described by the continuum production and at least three resonances, the $f_0(980)$, $f_2(1270)$ and $f_0(1500)$, with a possible small contribution from the $f_0(1370)$. Fits to the extrapolated differential cross section as a function of $t_1$ and $t_2$ enable extraction of the exponential slope parameters in several bins of the invariant mass of $\pi^+\pi^-$ pairs. These parameters are sensitive to the size of the interaction region.

We report measurements of single- and double- spin asymmetries for $W^{\pm}$ and $Z/\gamma^*$ boson production in longitudinally polarized $p+p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 510$ GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The asymmetries for $W^{\pm}$ were measured as a function of the decay lepton pseudorapidity, which provides a theoretically clean probe of the proton's polarized quark distributions at the scale of the $W$ mass. The results are compared to theoretical predictions, constrained by recent polarized deep inelastic scattering measurements, and show a preference for a sizable, positive up antiquark polarization in the range $0.05<x<0.2$.