Professor Amanda Cooper-Sarkar

Abstract:

Using 1.8 fb-1 of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider, we present measurements of the production cross sections of Υ(1S,2S,3S) mesons. Υ mesons are reconstructed using the dimuon decay mode. Total production cross sections for pT<70 GeV and in the rapidity interval |yΥ|<2.25 are measured to be, 8.01±0.02±0.36±0.31 nb, 2.05±0.01±0.12±0.08 nb, and 0.92±0.01±0. 07±0.04 nb, respectively, with uncertainties separated into statistical, systematic, and luminosity measurement effects. In addition, differential cross section times dimuon branching fractions for Υ(1S), Υ(2S), and Υ(3S) as a function of Υ transverse momentum pT and rapidity are presented. These cross sections are obtained assuming unpolarized production. If the production polarization is fully transverse or longitudinal with no azimuthal dependence in the helicity frame, the cross section may vary by approximately ±20%. If a nontrivial azimuthal dependence is considered, integrated cross sections may be significantly enhanced by a factor of 2 or more. We compare our results to several theoretical models of Υ meson production, finding that none provide an accurate description of our data over the full range of Υ transverse momenta accessible with this data set.

Abstract:

A generic search for anomalous production of events with at least three charged leptons is presented. The search uses a pp-collision data sample at a center-of-mass energy of √s=7 TeV corresponding to 4.6 fb-1 of integrated luminosity collected in 2011 by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Events are required to contain at least two electrons or muons, while the third lepton may either be an additional electron or muon, or a hadronically decaying tau lepton. Events are categorized by the presence or absence of a reconstructed tau-lepton or Z-boson candidate decaying to leptons. No significant excess above backgrounds expected from Standard Model processes is observed. Results are presented as upper limits on event yields from non-Standard-Model processes producing at least three prompt, isolated leptons, given as functions of lower bounds on several kinematic variables. Fiducial efficiencies for model testing are also provided. The use of the results is illustrated by setting upper limits on the production of doubly charged Higgs bosons decaying to same-sign lepton pairs.

Abstract:

The measurement of the jet energy resolution is presented using data recorded with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at √ s = 7 TeV. The sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35 pb−1. Jets are reconstructed from energy deposits measured by the calorimeters and calibrated using different jet calibration schemes. The jet energy resolution is measured with two different in situ methods which are found to be in agreement within uncertainties. The total uncertainties on these measurements range from 20 % to 10 % for jets within |y| < 2.8 and with transverse momenta increasing from 30 GeV to 500 GeV. Overall, the Monte Carlo simulation of the jet energy resolution agrees with the data within 10 %.