We present data on charged kaons (K+-) and {\phi} mesons in Au(1.23A GeV)+Au collisions. It is the first simultaneous measurement of K and {\phi} mesons in central heavy-ion collisions below a kinetic beam energy of 10A GeV. The {\phi}/K- multiplicity ratio is found to be surprisingly high with a value of 0.52 +- 0.16 and shows no dependence on the centrality of the collision. Consequently, the different slopes of the K+ and K- transverse-mass spectra can be explained solely by feed- down, which substantially softens the spectra of K- mesons. Hence, in contrast to the commonly adapted argumentation in literature, the different slopes do not necessarily imply diverging freeze- out temperatures of K+ and K- mesons caused by different couplings to baryons.

The first measurement of dielectron ($\mathrm{e}^{+}\mathrm{e}^{-}$) production in central (0$-$10$\%$) Pb-Pb collisions at $\mathbf{\sqrt{{\textit{s}}_{\mathrm{NN}}}}$ = 2.76 TeV at the LHC is presented. The dielectron invariant-mass spectrum is compared to the expected contributions from hadron decays in the invariant-mass range $0 < m_{\mathrm{ee}}<3.5\ \mathrm{GeV}/\textit{c}^{2}$. The ratio of data and the cocktail of hadronic contributions without vacuum $\rho^{0}$ is measured in the invariant-mass range $0.15 < m_{\mathrm{ee}}<0.7\ \mathrm{GeV}/\textit{c}^{2}$, where an excess of dielectrons is observed in other experiments, and its value is $1.40 \pm 0.28\ (\mathrm{stat.}) \pm 0.08\ (\mathrm{syst.}) \pm 0.27\ (\mathrm{cocktail})$. The dielectron spectrum measured in the invariant mass range $0 < m_{\mathrm{ee}}<1\ \mathrm{GeV}/\textit{c}^{2}$ is consistent with the predictions from two theoretical model calculations that include thermal dielectron production from both partonic and hadronic phases with in-medium broadened $\rho^{0}$ meson. The fraction of direct virtual photons over inclusive virtual photons is extracted for dielectron pairs with invariant mass $0.1 < m_{\mathrm{ee}}<0.3\ \mathrm{GeV}/\textit{c}^{2}$, and in the transverse-momentum intervals $1<p_{\mathrm{T}, \mathrm{ee}}<2\ \mathrm{GeV}/\textit{c}$ and $2<p_{\mathrm{T}, \mathrm{ee}}<4\ \mathrm{GeV}/\textit{c}$. The measured fraction of virtual direct photons is consistent with the measurement of real direct photons by ALICE and with the expectations from previous dielectron measurements at RHIC within the experimental uncertainties.

We have observed exclusive production of K + K − and K S O K S O pairs and the excitation of the f′(1515) tensor meson in photon-photon collisions. Assuming the f′ to be production in a helicity 2 state, we determine Λ( f ′ → γγ) B( f ′ → K K ) = 0.11 ± 0.02 ± 0.04 keV . The non-strange quark of the f′ is found to be less than 3% (95% CL). For the θ(1640) we derive an upper limit for the product Λ(θ rarr; γγ K K ) < 0.03 keV (95% CL ) .

A search for nonresonant excesses in the invariant mass spectra of electron and muon pairs is presented. The analysis is based on data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the CMS experiment in 2016, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 36 fb$^{-1}$. No significant deviation from the standard model is observed. Limits are set at 95% confidence level on energy scales for two general classes of nonresonant models. For a class of fermion contact interaction models, lower limits ranging from 20 to 32 TeV are set on the characteristic compositeness scale $\Lambda$. For the Arkani-Hamed, Dimopoulos, and Dvali model of large extra dimensions, the first results in the dilepton final state at 13 TeV are reported, and values of the ultraviolet cutoff parameter $\Lambda_\mathrm{T}$ below 6.9 TeV are excluded. A combination with recent CMS diphoton results improves this exclusion to $\Lambda_\mathrm{T}$ below 7.7 TeV, providing the most sensitive limits to date in nonhadronic final states.

This paper presents a search for the t-channel exchange of an R-parity violating scalar top quark (\={t}) in the emu continuum using 2.1/fb of data collected by the ATLAS detector in sqrt(s) = 7 TeV pp collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. Data are found to be consistent with the expectation from the Standard Model backgrounds. Limits on R-parity-violating couplings at 95% C.L. are calculated as a function of the scalar top mass (m_{\={t}}). The upper limits on the production cross section for pp->emuX, through the t-channel exchange of a scalar top quark, ranges from 170 fb for m_{\={t}}=95 GeV to 30 fb for m_{\={t}}=1000 GeV.

The acceptance-corrected dielectron excess mass spectra, where the known hadronic sources have been subtracted from the inclusive dielectron mass spectra, are reported for the first time at mid-rapidity $|y_{ee}|<1$ in minimum-bias Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 19.6 and 200 GeV. The excess mass spectra are consistently described by a model calculation with a broadened $\rho$ spectral function for $M_{ee}<1.1$ GeV/$c^{2}$. The integrated dielectron excess yield at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 19.6 GeV for $0.4<M_{ee}<0.75$ GeV/$c^2$, normalized to the charged particle multiplicity at mid-rapidity, has a value similar to that in In+In collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 17.3 GeV. For $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV, the normalized excess yield in central collisions is higher than that at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 17.3 GeV and increases from peripheral to central collisions. These measurements indicate that the lifetime of the hot, dense medium created in central Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV is longer than those in peripheral collisions and at lower energies.

Results of three searches are presented for the production of supersymmetric particles decaying into final states with missing transverse momentum and exactly two isolated leptons, e or mu. The analysis uses a data sample collected during the first half of 2011 that corresponds to a total integrated luminosity of 1 fb^-1 of sqrt{s} = 7 TeV proton-proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Opposite-sign and same-sign dilepton events are separately studied, with no deviations from the Standard Model expectation observed. Additionally, in opposite- sign events, a search is made for an excess of same-flavour over different-flavour lepton pairs. Effective production cross sections in excess of 9.9 fb for opposite-sign events containing supersymmetric particles with missing transverse momentum greater than 250 GeV are excluded at 95% CL. For same-sign events containing supersymmetric particles with missing transverse momentum greater than 100 GeV, effective production cross sections in excess of 14.8 fb are excluded at 95% CL. The latter limit is interpreted in a simplified weak gaugino production model excluding chargino masses up to 200 GeV.

The production of single top quarks and top antiquarks via the $t$-channel exchange of a virtual $W$ boson is measured in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the LHC using $140\,\mathrm{fb^{-1}}$ of ATLAS data. The total cross-sections are determined to be $\sigma(tq)=137^{+8}_{-8}\,\mathrm{pb}$ and $\sigma(\bar{t}q)=84^{+6}_{-5}\,\mathrm{pb}$ for top-quark and top-antiquark production, respectively. The combined cross-section is found to be $\sigma(tq+\bar{t}q)=221^{+13}_{-13}\,\mathrm{pb}$ and the cross-section ratio is $R_{t}=\sigma(tq)/\sigma(\bar{t}q)=1.636^{+0.036}_{-0.034}$. The predictions at next-to-next-to-leading-order in quantum chromodynamics are in good agreement with these measurements. The predicted value of $R_{t}$ using different sets of parton distribution functions is compared with the measured value, demonstrating the potential to further constrain the functions when using this result in global fits. The measured cross-sections are interpreted in an effective field theory approach, setting limits at the 95% confidence level on the strength of a four-quark operator and an operator coupling the third quark generation to the Higgs boson doublet: $-0.37 < C_{Qq}^{3,1}/\Lambda^2 < 0.06$ and $-0.87 < C_{\phi Q}^{3}/\Lambda^2 < 1.42$. The constraint $|V_{tb}|>0.95$ at the 95% confidence level is derived from the measured value of $\sigma(tq+\bar{t}q)$. In a more general approach, pairs of CKM matrix elements involving top quarks are simultaneously constrained, leading to confidence contours in the corresponding two-dimensional parameter spaces.

This Letter presents the first search for a heavy particle decaying into an e\mu final state in sqrt(s)=7 TeV pp collisions at the LHC. The data were recorded by the ATLAS detector during 2010 and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 35/pb. No excess above the Standard Model background expectation is observed. Exclusions at 95% confidence level are placed on two representative models. In an R-parity violating supersymmetric model, tau sneutrinos with a mass below 0.75 TeV are excluded, assuming single coupling dominance and the couplings lambda'_{311}=0.11, lambda_{312}=0.07. In a lepton flavor violating model, a Z'-like vector boson with masses of 0.70 to 1.00 TeV and corresponding cross sections times branching ratios of 0.175 to 0.183 pb is excluded. These results extend to higher mass RPV sneutrinos and LFV Z's than previous constraints from the Tevatron.

This Letter reports a search for a heavy particle that decays to WW using events produced in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV. The data were recorded in 2011 by the ATLAS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb-1. WW to l nu l' nu'(l, l' = e or mu) final states are considered and the distribution of the transverse mass of the WW candidates is found to be consistent with Standard Model expectations. Upper limits on the production cross section times branching ratio into W boson pairs are set for Randall-Sundrum and bulk Randall-Sundrum gravitons, which result in observed 95% CL lower limits on the masses of the two particles of 1.23 TeV and 0.84 TeV, respectively.