Showing papers by "M. Pohl published in 2015"

Precision Measurement of the Helium Flux in Primary Cosmic Rays of Rigidities 1.9 GV to 3 TV with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station

Abstract: Knowledge of the precise rigidity dependence of the helium flux is important in understanding the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays. A precise measurement of the helium flux in primary cosmic rays with rigidity (momentum/charge) from 1.9 GV to 3 TV based on 50 million events is presented and compared to the proton flux. The detailed variation with rigidity of the helium flux spectral index is presented for the first time. The spectral index progressively hardens at rigidities larger than 100 GV. The rigidity dependence of the helium flux spectral index is similar to that of the proton spectral index though the magnitudes are different. Remarkably, the spectral index of the proton to helium flux ratio increases with rigidity up to 45 GV and then becomes constant; the flux ratio above 45 GV is well described by a single power law.

Jet energy measurement and its systematic uncertainty in proton-proton collisions at s√=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: The jet energy scale (JES) and its systematic uncertainty are determined for jets measured with the ATLAS detector using proton-proton collision data with a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text] TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]. Jets are reconstructed from energy deposits forming topological clusters of calorimeter cells using the anti-[Formula: see text] algorithm with distance parameters [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text], and are calibrated using MC simulations. A residual JES correction is applied to account for differences between data and MC simulations. This correction and its systematic uncertainty are estimated using a combination of in situ techniques exploiting the transverse momentum balance between a jet and a reference object such as a photon or a [Formula: see text] boson, for [Formula: see text] and pseudorapidities [Formula: see text]. The effect of multiple proton-proton interactions is corrected for, and an uncertainty is evaluated using in situ techniques. The smallest JES uncertainty of less than 1 % is found in the central calorimeter region ([Formula: see text]) for jets with [Formula: see text]. For central jets at lower [Formula: see text], the uncertainty is about 3 %. A consistent JES estimate is found using measurements of the calorimeter response of single hadrons in proton-proton collisions and test-beam data, which also provide the estimate for [Formula: see text] TeV. The calibration of forward jets is derived from dijet [Formula: see text] balance measurements. The resulting uncertainty reaches its largest value of 6 % for low-[Formula: see text] jets at [Formula: see text]. Additional JES uncertainties due to specific event topologies, such as close-by jets or selections of event samples with an enhanced content of jets originating from light quarks or gluons, are also discussed. The magnitude of these uncertainties depends on the event sample used in a given physics analysis, but typically amounts to 0.5-3 %.

Measurements of Higgs boson production and couplings in the four-lepton channel in pp collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: The final ATLAS Run 1 measurements of Higgs boson production and couplings in the decay channel H -> ZZ* -> l(+)l(-)l(+)l'(-), where l, l' = e or mu, are presented. These measurements were performed using pp collision data corresponding to integrated luminosities of 4.5 and 20.3 fb(-1) at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, respectively, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The H -> ZZ* -> 4l signal is observed with a significance of 8.1 standard deviations, with an expectation of 6.2 standard deviations, at m(H) = 125.36 GeV, the combined ATLAS measurement of the Higgs boson mass from the H -> gamma gamma and H -> ZZ* -> 4l channels. The production rate relative to the Standard Model expectation, the signal strength, is measured in four different production categories in the H -> ZZ* -> 4l channel. The measured signal strength, at this mass, and with all categories combined, is 1.44(-0.33)(+0.40). The signal strength for Higgs boson production in gluon fusion or in association with (tt) over bar or (bb) over bar pairs is found to be 1.7(-0.4)(+0.5), while the signal strength for vector-boson fusion combined with WH/ZH associated production is found to be 0.3(-0.9)(+1.6).

Measurements of the nuclear modification factor for jets in Pb+Pb Collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: Measurements of inclusive jet production are performed in pp and Pb+Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 4.0 pb−1 and 0.14 nb−1, respectively. The jets are identified with the anti-kt algorithm with R = 0.4, and the spectra are measured over the kinematic range of jet transverse momentum 32 < pT < 500 GeV, and absolute rapidity |y| < 2.1 and as a function of collision centrality. The nuclear modification factor, RAA, is evaluated and jets are found to be suppressed by approximately a factor of two in central collisions compared to pp collisions. The RAA shows a slight increase with pT and no significant variation with rapidity.

Measurement of the inclusive jet cross-section in proton-proton collisions at √s=7 $$ TeV using 4.5 fb−1 of data with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: The inclusive jet cross-section is measured in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.5 fb−1 collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2011. Jets are identified using the anti-k t algorithm with radius parameter values of 0.4 and 0.6. The double-differential cross-sections are presented as a function of the jet transverse momentum and the jet rapidity, covering jet transverse momenta from 100 GeV to 2 TeV. Next-to-leading-order QCD calculations corrected for non-perturbative effects and electroweak effects, as well as Monte Carlo simulations with next-to-leading-order matrix elements interfaced to parton showering, are compared to the measured cross-sections. A quantitative comparison of the measured cross-sections to the QCD calculations using several sets of parton distribution functions is performed.

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

Abstract: A search for the b (b) over bar 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 are 4.7 and 20.3 fb(-1) from pp collisions at root s = 7 and 8 TeV, respectively. The processes considered are associated (WIZ)H production, where W -> e nu/mu nu, Z -> ee/mu mu, and Z -> nu nu. The observed (expected) deviation from the backgroundonly 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 mu = 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 -> b (b) over bar 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.).

Searches for heavy long-lived charged particles with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 Tev

Abstract: Searches for heavy long-lived charged particles are performed using a data sample of 19.1 fb(-1) from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 8 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No excess is observed above the estimated background and limits are placed on the mass of long-lived particles in various supersymmetric models. Long-lived tau sleptons in models with gauge-mediated symmetry breaking are excluded up to masses between 440 and 385 GeV for tan,3 between 10 and 50, with a 290 GeV limit in the case where only direct tau slepton production is considered. In the context of simplified LeptoSUSY models, where sleptons are stable and have a mass of 300 GeV, squark and gluino masses are excluded up to a mass of 1500 and 1360 GeV, respectively. Directly produced charginos, in simplified models where they are nearly degenerate to the lightest neutralino, are excluded up to a mass of 620 GeV. R-hadrons, composites containing a gluino, bottom squark or top squark, are excluded up to a mass of 1270, 845 and 900 GeV, respectively, using the full detector; and up to a mass of 1260, 835 and 870 GeV using an approach disregarding information from the muon spectrometer.

Search for new phenomena in events with a photon and missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: © 2015 CERN. © 2015 CERN, for the ATLAS Collaboration. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the »http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/» Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI. Results of a search for new phenomena in events with an energetic photon and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC are reported. Data were collected in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb-1. The observed data are well described by the expected Standard Model backgrounds. The expected (observed) upper limit on the fiducial cross section for the production of events with a photon and large missing transverse momentum is 6.1 (5.3) fb at 95% confidence level. Exclusion limits are presented on models of new phenomena with large extra spatial dimensions, supersymmetric quarks, and direct pair production of dark-matter candidates.

Measurement of Spin Correlation in Top-Antitop Quark Events and Search for Top Squark Pair Production in pp Collisions at √s = 8 TeV Using the ATLAS Detector

Abstract: A measurement of spin correlation in t (t) over bar production is presented using data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass ...

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

Abstract: This paper presents cross sections for the production of a [Formula: see text] boson in association with jets, measured in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] with the ATLAS experiment at the large hadron collider. With an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text], this data set allows for an exploration of a large kinematic range, including jet production up to a transverse momentum of [Formula: see text] and multiplicities up to seven associated jets. The production cross sections for [Formula: see text] 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 anomalous production of prompt same-sign lepton pairs and pair-produced doubly charged Higgs bosons with s =8 TeV pp collisions using the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A low-background inclusive search for new physics in events with same-sign dileptons is presented The search uses proton-proton collisions corresponding to 203 fb−1 of integrated luminosity taken in 2012 at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC Pairs of isolated leptons with the same electric charge and large transverse momenta of the type e±e±, e±μ±, and μ±μ± are selected and their invariant mass distribution is examined No excess of events above the expected level of Standard Model background is found The results are used to set upper limits on the cross-sections for processes beyond the Standard Model Limits are placed as a function of the dilepton invariant mass within a fiducial region corresponding to the signal event selection criteria Exclusion limits are also derived for a specific model of doubly charged Higgs boson production

Search for dark matter in events with heavy quarks and missing transverse momentum in $pp$ collisions with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: This article reports on a search for dark matter pair production in association with bottom or top quarks in 20.3 fb−1 of pp collisions collected at s√=8 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events with large missing transverse momentum are selected when produced in association with high-momentum jets of which one or more are identified as jets containing b-quarks. Final states with top quarks are selected by requiring a high jet multiplicity and in some cases a single lepton. The data are found to be consistent with the Standard Model expectations and limits are set on the mass scale of effective field theories that describe scalar and tensor interactions between dark matter and Standard Model particles. Limits on the dark-matter--nucleon cross-section for spin-independent and spin-dependent interactions are also provided. These limits are particularly strong for low-mass dark matter. Using a simplified model, constraints are set on the mass of dark matter and of a coloured mediator suitable to explain a possible signal of annihilating dark matter.

Search for charged Higgs bosons decaying via H±→ τ±ν in fully hadronic final states using pp collision data at √s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: The results of a search for charged Higgs bosons decaying to a T lepton and a neutrino. H-+/- -> T-+/-nu, are presented. The analysis is based on 19.5 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data at r ...

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with isolated leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum at √s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: The results of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing at least one isolated lepton (electron or muon), jets and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s√=8 TeV collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb−1. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed. Limits are set on supersymmetric particle masses for various supersymmetric models. Depending on the model, the search excludes gluino masses up to 1.32 TeV and squark masses up to 840 GeV. Limits are also set on the parameters of a minimal universal extra dimension model, excluding a compactification radius of 1/R c = 950 GeV for a cut-off scale times radius (ΛR c) of approximately 30.

Measurement of the production and lepton charge asymmetry of W bosons in Pb+Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A measurement of W boson production in lead-lead collisions at root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV is presented. It is based on the analysis of data collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2011 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.14 nb(-1) and 0.15 nb(-1) in the muon and electron decay channels, respectively. The differential production yields and lepton charge asymmetry are each measured as a function of the average number of participating nucleons and absolute pseudorapidity of the charged lepton. The results are compared to predictions based on next-to-leading-order QCD calculations. These measurements are, in principle, sensitive to possible nuclear modifications to the parton distribution functions and also provide information on scaling of W boson production in multi-nucleon systems.

Search for resonant diboson production in the ℓℓqq̄ final state in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: This paper reports on a search for narrow resonances in diboson production in the llq (q) over bar final state using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb(-1) collect ...

Differential top-antitop cross-section measurements as a function of observables constructed from final-state particles using pp collisions at s√=7 TeV in the ATLAS detector

Abstract: Various differential cross-sections are measured in top-quark pair (t (t) over bar) events produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV at the LHC with the ATLAS detector. These differential cross-sections are presented in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb(-1). The differential cross-sections are presented in terms of kinematic variables, such as momentum, rapidity and invariant mass, of a top-quark proxy referred to as the pseudo-top-quark as well as the pseudo-top-quark pair system. The dependence of the measurement on theoretical models is minimal. The measurements are performed on tt events in the lepton+jets channel, requiring exactly one charged lepton and at least four jets with at least two of them tagged as originating from a b-quark. The hadronic and leptonic pseudo-top-quarks are defined via the leptonic or hadronic decay mode of the W boson produced by the top-quark decay in events with a single charged lepton. Differential cross-section measurements of the pseudo-top-quark variables are compared with several Monte Carlo models that implement next-to-leading order or leading-order multi-leg matrix-element calculations.

Performance of the ATLAS Muon Trigger in pp Collisions at √s=8 TeV

Abstract: The performance of the ATLAS muon trigger system is evaluated with proton-proton collision data collected in 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. It is primarily evaluated using events containing a pair of muons from the decay of [Formula: see text] bosons. The efficiency of the single-muon trigger is measured for muons with transverse momentum [Formula: see text] GeV, with a statistical uncertainty of less than 0.01 % and a systematic uncertainty of 0.6 %. The [Formula: see text] range for efficiency determination is extended by using muons from decays of [Formula: see text] mesons, [Formula: see text] bosons, and top quarks. The muon trigger shows highly uniform and stable performance. The performance is compared to the prediction of a detailed simulation.

Two-particle Bose–Einstein correlations in pp collisions at √s=0.9 and 7 TeV measured with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: The paper presents studies of Bose-EinsteinCorrelations (BEC) for pairs of like-sign charged particles measured in the kinematic range p(T) > 100 MeV and |eta| < 2.5 in proton-proton collisio ...

Measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry of electron and muon pair-production in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: This paper presents measurements from the ATLAS experiment of the forward-backward asymmetry in the reaction pp -> Z/gamma* -> l(+)l(-), with l being electrons or muons, and the extraction of the effective weak mixing angle. The results are based on the full set of data collected in 2011 in pp collisions at the LHC at root s = 7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 fb(-1). The measured asymmetry values are found to be in agreement with the corresponding Standard Model predictions. The combination of the muon and electron channels yields a value of the effective weak mixing angle of sin(2) theta(lept)(eff) = 0.2308 +/- 0.0005(stat.)+/- 0.0006(syst.)+/- 0.0009(PDF), where the first uncertainty corresponds to data statistics, the second to s ystematic effects and the third to knowledge of the parton density functions. This result agrees with the current world average from the Particle Data Group fit.

Measurement of the charge asymmetry in dileptonic decays of top quark pairs in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV using the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A measurement of the top-antitop (t (t) over bar) charge asymmetry is presented using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb(-1) of LHC pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector. Events with two charged leptons, at least two jets and large missing transverse momentum are selected. Two observables are studied: A(C)(ll) based on the identified charged leptons, and A(C)(t (t) over bar), based on the reconstructed t (t) over bar final state. The asymmetries are measured to be A(C)(ll) =0.024 +/- 0.015 (stat.) +/- 0.009 (syst.), A(C)(t (t) over bar) = 0.021 +/- 0.025 (stat.) +/- 0.017 (syst.). The measured values are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions.

Search for invisible particles produced in association with single-top-quarks in proton–proton collisions at √s = 8 Tev with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search for the production of single-top-quarks in association with missing energy is performed in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text] with the ATLAS experiment at the large hadron collider using data collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text] fb[Formula: see text]. In this search, the [Formula: see text] boson from the top quark is required to decay into an electron or a muon and a neutrino. No deviation from the standard model prediction is observed, and upper limits are set on the production cross-section for resonant and non-resonant production of an invisible exotic state in association with a right-handed top quark. In the case of resonant production, for a spin-[Formula: see text] resonance with a mass of [Formula: see text] GeV, an effective coupling strength above [Formula: see text] is excluded at 95[Formula: see text] confidence level for the top quark and an invisible spin-[Formula: see text] state with mass between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] GeV. In the case of non-resonant production, an effective coupling strength above [Formula: see text] is excluded at 95[Formula: see text] confidence level for the top quark and an invisible spin-[Formula: see text] state with mass between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] GeV.

Observation of top-quark pair production in association with a photon and measurement of the t t ¯ γ production cross section in pp collisions at √s =7 TeV using the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search is performed for top-quark pairs (t (t) over bar) produced together with a photon (gamma) with transverse energy greater than 20 GeV using a sample of t (t) over bar candidate events in final states with jets, missing transverse momentum, and one isolated electron or muon. The data set used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.59 fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. In total, 140 and 222 t (t) over bar gamma candidate events are observed in the electron and muon channels, to be compared to the expectation of 79 +/- 26 and 120 +/- 39 non-t (t) over bar gamma background events, respectively. The production of t (t) over bar gamma events is observed with a significance of 5.3 standard deviations away from the null hypothesis. The t (t) over bar gamma production cross section times the branching ratio (BR) of the single-lepton decay channel is measured in a fiducial kinematic region within the ATLAS acceptance. The measured value is sigma(fid)(t (t) over bar gamma) x BR = 63 +/- 8(stat)(-13)(+17) (syst) +/- 1(lumi) fb per lepton flavor, in good agreement with the leading-order theoretical calculation normalized to the next-to-leading-order theoretical prediction of 48 +/- 10 fb.

Search for new phenomena in events with three or more charged leptons in pp collisions at √s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A generic search for anomalous production of events with at least three charged leptons is presented. The data sample consists of pp collisions at TeV collected in 2012 by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb(-1). Events are required to have at least three selected lepton candidates, at least two of which must be electrons or muons, while the third may be a hadronically decaying tau. Selected events are categorized based on their lepton flavour content and signal regions are constructed using several kinematic variables of interest. No significant deviations from Standard Model predictions are observed. Model-independent upper limits on contributions from beyond the Standard Model phenomena are provided for each signal region, along with prescription to re-interpret the limits for any model. Constraints are also placed on models predicting doubly charged Higgs bosons and excited leptons. For doubly charged Higgs bosons decaying to e tau or mu tau, lower limits on the mass are set at 400 GeV at 95% confidence level. For excited leptons, constraints are provided as functions of both the mass of the excited state and the compositeness scale I >, with the strongest mass constraints arising in regions where the mass equals I >. In such scenarios, lower mass limits are set at 3.0 TeV for excited electrons and muons, 2.5 TeV for excited taus, and 1.6 TeV for every excited-neutrino flavour.

Search for W′→tb→qqbb decays in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search for a massive [Formula: see text] gauge boson decaying to a top quark and a bottom quark is performed with the ATLAS detector in [Formula: see text] collisions at the LHC. The dataset was taken at a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text] and corresponds to [Formula: see text] of integrated luminosity. This analysis is done in the hadronic decay mode of the top quark, where novel jet substructure techniques are used to identify jets from high-momentum top quarks. This allows for a search for high-mass [Formula: see text] bosons in the range 1.5-3.0 [Formula: see text]. [Formula: see text]-tagging is used to identify jets originating from [Formula: see text]-quarks. The data are consistent with Standard Model background-only expectations, and upper limits at 95 % confidence level are set on the [Formula: see text] cross section times branching ratio ranging from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] for left-handed [Formula: see text] bosons, and ranging from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text] bosons with purely right-handed couplings. Upper limits at 95 % confidence level are set on the [Formula: see text]-boson coupling to [Formula: see text] as a function of the [Formula: see text] mass using an effective field theory approach, which is independent of details of particular models predicting a [Formula: see text] boson.