This paper reports searches for heavy resonances decaying into $ZZ$ or $ZW$ using data from proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$, were recorded with the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016 at the Large Hadron Collider. The searches are performed in final states in which one $Z$ boson decays into either a pair of light charged leptons (electrons and muons) or a pair of neutrinos, and the associated $W$ boson or the other $Z$ boson decays hadronically. No evidence of the production of heavy resonances is observed. Upper bounds on the production cross sections of heavy resonances times their decay branching ratios to $ZZ$ or $ZW$ are derived in the mass range 300--5000 GeV within the context of Standard Model extensions with additional Higgs bosons, a heavy vector triplet or warped extra dimensions. Production through gluon--gluon fusion, Drell--Yan or vector-boson fusion are considered, depending on the assumed model.
Selection acceptance times efficiency for ggF H -> Z Z -> llqq as a function of the Higgs boson mass, combining the HP and LP signal regions of the ZV -> llJ selection and the b-tagged and untagged regions of the ZV -> lljj selection.
Selection acceptance times efficiency for VBF H -> Z Z -> llqq as a function of the Higgs boson mass, combining the HP and LP signal regions of the ZV -> llJ selection and the b-tagged and untagged regions of the ZV -> lljj selection.
Selection acceptance times efficiency for ggF H -> Z Z -> vvqq as a function of the Higgs boson mass, combining the HP and LP signal regions.
This article presents searches for the $Z\gamma$ decay of the Higgs boson and for narrow high-mass resonances decaying to $Z\gamma$, exploiting $Z$ boson decays to pairs of electrons or muons. The data analysis uses 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The data are found to be consistent with the expected Standard Model background. The observed (expected - assuming Standard Model $pp\to H\to Z\gamma$ production and decay) upper limit on the production cross section times the branching ratio for $pp\to H\to Z\gamma$ is 6.6 (5.2) times the Standard Model prediction at the 95% confidence level for a Higgs boson mass of 125.09 GeV. In addition, upper limits are set on the production cross section times the branching ratio as a function of the mass of a narrow resonance between 250 GeV and 2.4 TeV, assuming spin-0 resonances produced via gluon-gluon fusion, and spin-2 resonances produced via gluon-gluon or quark-antiquark initial states. For high-mass spin-0 resonances, the observed (expected) limits vary between 88 fb (61 fb) and 2.8 fb (2.7 fb) for the mass range from 250 GeV to 2.4 TeV at the 95% confidence level.
The measured sigma(pp-->X)xB(X->Z gamma) limit with the hypothesis of spin-0 resonance.
The measured sigma(pp-->X)xB(X->Z gamma) limit with the hypothesis of spin-2 resonance via gluon-gluon initial states.
The measured sigma(pp-->X)xB(X->Z gamma) limit with the hypothesis of spin-0 resonance via qqbar initial states.
A search for the dimuon decay of the Higgs boson was performed using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the ATLAS detector in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess is observed above the expected background. The observed (expected) upper limit on the cross section times branching ratio is 3.0 (3.1) times the Standard Model prediction at the 95% confidence level for a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV. When combined with the $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV and $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV, the observed (expected) upper limit is 2.8 (2.9) times the Standard Model prediction.
Measurement of signal strength
Event yields for the expected signal (S) and background (B) processes, and numbers of the observed data events in different categories. The full widths at half maximum (FWHM) of the signal $m_{μμ}$ distributions are also shown. In each category, the event yields are counted within an $m_{μμ}$ interval, which is centered at the simulated signal peak and contains 90% of the expected signal events. The expected signal event yields are normalized to $36.1 fb^-1$. The background in each category is normalized to the observed data yield, while the relative fractions between the different processes are fixed to the SM predictions.
The 95% CL upper limit on signal strength
A search for direct top squark pair production resulting in events with either a same-flavour opposite-sign dilepton pair with invariant mass compatible with a $Z$ boson or a pair of jets compatible with a Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson ($h$) is presented. Requirements on additional leptons, jets, jets identified as originating from $b$-quarks, and missing transverse momentum are imposed to target the other decay products of the top squark pair. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2015--2016, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$. No excess is observed in the data with respect to the SM predictions. The results are interpreted in two sets of models. In the first set, direct production of pairs of lighter top squarks ($\tilde{t}_1$) with long decay chains involving $Z$ or Higgs bosons is considered. The second set includes direct pair production of the heavier top squark pairs ($\tilde{t}_2$) decaying via $\tilde{t}_2 \rightarrow Z \tilde{t}_1 $ or $\tilde{t}_2 \rightarrow h \tilde{t}_1$. The results exclude at 95\% confidence level $\tilde{t}_2$ and $\tilde{t}_1$ masses up to about 800 GeV, extending the exclusion region of supersymmetric parameter space covered by previous LHC searches.
Jet multiplicity distributions in control regions CR$^{3\ell 1b}_{t\bar{t}Z}$, after normalising the $t\bar{t}Z$ and multi-boson background processes via the simultaneous fit described in Section 5. The contributions from all SM backgrounds are shown as a histogram stack; the bands represent the total uncertainty in the background prediction. The "Others" category contains the contributions from $t\bar{t} h$, $t\bar{t} WW$, $t\bar{t} t$, $t\bar{t} t\bar{t}$, $Wh$, and $Zh$ production.
Jet multiplicity distributions in control regions CR$^{3\ell 1b}_{t\bar{t}Z}$, after normalising the $t\bar{t}Z$ and multi-boson background processes via the simultaneous fit described in Section 5. The contributions from all SM backgrounds are shown as a histogram stack; the bands represent the total uncertainty in the background prediction. The "Others" category contains the contributions from $t\bar{t} h$, $t\bar{t} WW$, $t\bar{t} t$, $t\bar{t} t\bar{t}$, $Wh$, and $Zh$ production.
Jet multiplicity distributions in control region CR$^{3\ell 1b}_{VV}$, after normalising the $t\bar{t}Z$ and multi-boson background processes via the simultaneous fit described in Section 5. The contributions from all SM backgrounds are shown as a histogram stack; the bands represent the total uncertainty in the background prediction. The "Others" category contains the contributions from $t\bar{t} h$, $t\bar{t} WW$, $t\bar{t} t$, $t\bar{t} t\bar{t}$, $Wh$, and $Zh$ production.
The results of a search for direct pair production of top squarks in events with two opposite-charge leptons (electrons or muons) are reported, using 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity from proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. To cover a range of mass differences between the top squark $\tilde{t}$ and lighter supersymmetric particles, four possible decay modes of the top squark are targeted with dedicated selections: the decay $\tilde{t} \rightarrow b \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$ into a $b$-quark and the lightest chargino with $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm} \rightarrow W \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$, the decay $\tilde{t} \rightarrow t \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ into an on-shell top quark and the lightest neutralino, the three-body decay $\tilde{t} \rightarrow b W \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ and the four-body decay $\tilde{t} \rightarrow b \ell \nu \tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$. No significant excess of events is observed above the Standard Model background for any selection, and limits on top squarks are set as a function of the $\tilde{t}$ and $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ masses. The results exclude at 95% confidence level $\tilde{t}$ masses up to about 720 GeV, extending the exclusion region of supersymmetric parameter space covered by previous searches.
Two-body selection background fit results for the CRs of the SRA$^{2-body}_{180}$ and SRB$^{2-body}_{140}$ background fits. The nominal expectations from MC simulation are given for comparison for those backgrounds (top, $VV$-SF, ttZ and $VZ$) that are normalised to data in dedicated CRs. The `Others category contains the contributions from $ttW$, $tth$, $ttWW$, $ttt$, $tttt$, $Wh$, $ggh$ and $Zh$ production. Combined statistical and systematic uncertainties are given. Entries marked ``--'' indicate a negligible background contribution. Uncertainties on the predicted background event yields are quoted as symmetric except where the negative uncertainty extends to zero predicted events, in which case the negative uncertainty is truncated.
Two-body selection background fit results for the CRs of the SRC$^{2-body}_{110}$ background fit. The nominal expectations from MC simulation are given for comparison for those backgrounds ($t\bar t$, $t\bar t Z$) that are normalised to data in dedicated CRs. The Others category contains the contributions from $t\bar t W$, $t\bar t h$, $t\bar t WW$, $t\bar t t$, $t\bar t t\bar t$, $Wh$, $ggh$ and $Zh$ production. Combined statistical and systematic uncertainties are given. Entries marked $--$ indicate a negligible background contribution. Uncertainties on the predicted background event yields are quoted as symmetric except where the negative uncertainty extends to zero predicted events, in which case the negative uncertainty is truncated.
Two-body selection distribution of $n_{jets}$ in CR$^{2-body}_{top}$ after the background fits. The contributions from all SM backgrounds are shown as a histogram stack; the bands represent the total statistical and detector-related systematic uncertainty. The rightmost bin of each plot includes overflow events.
A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with at least two hadronically decaying tau leptons is presented. The analysis uses a dataset of $pp$ collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No significant deviation from the Standard Model background expectation is observed. Limits are derived in scenarios of $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{+}\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{-}$ pair production and of $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}\tilde{\chi}_{2}^{0}$ and $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{+}\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{-}$ production in simplified models where the neutralinos and charginos decay solely via intermediate left-handed staus and tau sneutrinos, and the mass of the $\tilde{\tau}_{\mathrm L}$ state is set to be halfway between the masses of the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$ and the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$. Chargino masses up to 630 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level in the scenario of direct production of $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{+}\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{-}$ for a massless $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$. Common $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$, $\tilde{\chi}_{2}^{0}$ masses up to 760 GeV are excluded in the case of production of $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}\tilde{\chi}_{2}^{0}$ and $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{+}\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{-}$ assuming a massless $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$. Exclusion limits for additional benchmark scenarios with large and small mass-splitting between the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$ and the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$ are also studied by varying the $\tilde{\tau}_{\mathrm L}$ mass between the masses of the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{\pm}$ and the $\tilde{\chi}_{1}^{0}$.
The $E_{\mathrm T}^{\mathrm{miss}}$ distribution in the $W$-CR region. The SM backgrounds other than multi-jet production are estimated from MC simulation. The contribution of $W$+jets events is scaled to the fit result. The multi-jet contribution is estimated from data using the OS-SS method. The hatched bands represent the combined statistical and systematic uncertainties of the total SM background. For illustration, the distributions of the SUSY reference points are also shown as dashed lines. The lower panels show the ratio of data to the SM background estimate. The last bin includes the overflow events.
The $m_{\mathrm{T2}}$ distribution in the $W$-CR region. The SM backgrounds other than multi-jet production are estimated from MC simulation. The contribution of $W$+jets events is scaled to the fit result. The multi-jet contribution is estimated from data using the OS-SS method. The hatched bands represent the combined statistical and systematic uncertainties of the total SM background. For illustration, the distributions of the SUSY reference points are also shown as dashed lines. The lower panels show the ratio of data to the SM background estimate. The last bin includes the overflow events.
The $E_{\mathrm T}^{\mathrm{miss}}$ distribution in the multi-jet background VR-F for SR-lowMass. The stacked histograms show the contribution of the non-multi-jet SM backgrounds from MC simulation. The multi-jet contribution is estimated from data using the ABCD method. The hatched bands represent the combined statistical and systematic uncertainties in the sum of the SM backgrounds shown. For illustration, the distributions of the SUSY reference points are also shown as dashed lines. The last bin in the left panels includes the overflow events.
A search for neutral heavy resonances is performed in the $WW\to e\nu\mu\nu$ decay channel using $pp$ collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$, collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No evidence of such heavy resonances is found. In the search for production via the quark--antiquark annihilation or gluon--gluon fusion process, upper limits on $\sigma_X \times B(X \to WW)$ as a function of the resonance mass are obtained in the mass range between 200 GeV and up to 5 TeV for various benchmark models: a Higgs-like scalar in different width scenarios, a two-Higgs-doublet model, a heavy vector triplet model, and a warped extra dimensions model. In the vector-boson fusion process, constraints are also obtained on these resonances, as well as on a Higgs boson in the Georgi--Machacek model and a heavy tensor particle coupling only to gauge bosons.
Figure 1, left, subfigure a, Acceptance times efficiency as a function of signal mass for the ggF or qqA production. The "0" efficiency mass point means there's no such signal sample for the corresponding model.
Figure 1, right, subfigure b, Acceptance times efficiency as a function of signal mass for the VBF production. The "0" efficiency mass point means there's no such signal sample for the corresponding model.
Figure 2, left, subfigure a, Transverse mass distribution in the ggF top-quark control regions. For NWA signals, the "0" value means lack of statistics.
Inclusive and differential fiducial cross sections of Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions are measured in the $H \rightarrow ZZ^* \rightarrow 4\ell$ decay channel. The proton-proton collision data were produced at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb$^{-1}$. The inclusive fiducial cross section in the $H \rightarrow ZZ^* \rightarrow 4\ell$ decay channel is measured to be 3.62 $\pm$ 0.50 (stat) $^{+0.25}_{-0.20}$ (sys) fb, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 2.91 $\pm$ 0.13 fb. The cross section is also extrapolated to the total phase space including all Standard Model Higgs boson decays. Several differential fiducial cross sections are measured for observables sensitive to the Higgs boson production and decay, including kinematic distributions of jets produced in association with the Higgs boson. Good agreement is found between data and Standard Model predictions. The results are used to put constraints on anomalous Higgs boson interactions with Standard Model particles, using the pseudo-observable extension to the kappa-framework.
Measured differential fiducial cross sections in Higgs transverse momentum (second column). The given uncertainty is split into statistical (first) and systematic components (second). Values without uncertainties are 95% CL limits in the absence of signal events. The third column gives the theoretical prediction of Higgs production in the fiducial volume using Powheg NNLOPS for the ggF process, Powheg for the VBF and the VH processes, and Madgraph5_aMC@NLO for the ttH and bbH processes. The uncertainty includes PDF, scale, and branching fraction uncertainty. All predictions were normalized to the best available inclusive Higgs production cross sections at the time of the publication.
Measured differential fiducial cross sections in Higgs rapidity (second column). The given uncertainty is split into statistical (first) and systematic components (second). Values without uncertainties are 95% CL limits in the absence of signal events. The third column gives the theoretical prediction of Higgs production in the fiducial volume using Powheg NNLOPS for the ggF process, Powheg for the VBF and the VH processes, and Madgraph5_aMC@NLO for the ttH and bbH processes. The uncertainty includes PDF, scale, and branching fraction uncertainty. All predictions were normalized to the best available inclusive Higgs production cross sections at the time of the publication.
Measured differential fiducial cross sections in invariant mass of the subleading lepton pair (second column). The given uncertainty is split into statistical (first) and systematic components (second). Values without uncertainties are 95% CL limits in the absence of signal events. The third column gives the theoretical prediction of Higgs production in the fiducial volume using Powheg NNLOPS for the ggF process, Powheg for the VBF and the VH processes, and Madgraph5_aMC@NLO for the ttH and bbH processes. The uncertainty includes PDF, scale, and branching fraction uncertainty. All predictions were normalized to the best available inclusive Higgs production cross sections at the time of the publication.
The production of a $Z$ boson and a photon in association with a high-mass dijet system is studied using 20.2fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector in 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider. Final states with a photon and a Z boson decaying into a pair of either electrons, muons, or neutrinos are analysed. Electroweak and total $pp \to Z\gamma j j$ cross-sections are extracted in two fiducial regions with different sensitivities to electroweak production processes. Quartic couplings of vector bosons are studied in regions of phase space with an enhanced contribution from pure electroweak production, sensitive to vector-boson scattering processes $VV \to Z\gamma$. No deviations from Standard Model predictions are observed and constraints are placed on anomalous couplings parameterized by higher-dimensional operators using effective field theory.
The measured fiducial sections of Zyjj in the charged-leptonic channel. In the measured cross-sections, the first uncertainty is the statistical uncertainty, and the second one is the combined systematic uncertainty.
95% confidence level cross-section upper limits on the $Z\gamma jj$ processes in both charged-leptonic and neutrino channels. The reconstruction efficiencies are provided as C-factors.
95% confidence level interval (expected and observed) on aQGC parameters (VBFNLO formalism) provided for different values of unitarity scale (Form Factor).
Several extensions of the Standard Model predict associated production of dark-matter particles with a Higgs boson. Such processes are searched for in final states with missing transverse momentum and a Higgs boson decaying to a $b\bar b$ pair with the ATLAS detector using 36.1 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the LHC. The observed data are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions and limits are placed on the associated production of dark-matter particles and a Higgs boson.
Distributions of the invariant mass of the Higgs boson candidates mh=m_J with one b-tag in the SR for the fourth MET category which is used as input to the fit.
Distributions of the invariant mass of the Higgs boson candidates mh=m_jj with two b-tags in the SR for the first MET category that is used as input to the fit.
Distributions of the invariant mass of the Higgs boson candidates mh=m_jj with two b-tags in the SR for the second MET category that is used as input to the fit.
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