Dr. Karolos Potamianos

Abstract:

A search for the resonant production of a heavy scalar X decaying into a lighter scalar S and a Higgs boson, through the process X → S ( → b b ¯ ) H ( → γ γ ) , where the two photons are consistent with the Higgs boson decay, is performed. The search is conducted using integrated luminosities of 140 and 59 fb − 1 of proton–proton collision data at centre-of-mass energies of 13 and 13.6 TeV, respectively, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The search is performed over the mass ranges of 170  ≤  mX  ≤  1000 GeV and 15  ≤  mS  ≤  500 GeV. No significant excess over the Standard Model background predictions is observed and limits at 95% confidence level are set on the product of cross section and branching fraction for the process X → S ( → b b ¯ ) H ( → γ γ ) at 13 TeV, ranging from 9 fb to 0.06 fb.

Abstract:

A model-agnostic search for Beyond the Standard Model physics is presented, targeting final states with at least four light leptons (electrons or muons). The search regions are separated by event topology and unsupervised machine learning is used to identify anomalous events in the full 140 fb-1$$^{-1}$$ of proton–proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector during Run 2. No significant excess above the Standard Model background expectation is observed. Model-agnostic limits are presented in each topology, along with limits on several benchmark models including vector-like leptons, wino-like charginos and neutralinos, or smuons. Limits are set on the flavourful vector-like lepton model for the first time.

Abstract:

A search for Standard Model Higgs bosons produced in association with a high-energy photon and decaying to b b ¯ is performed using 133 fb − 1 of s = 13 TeV pp collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. The photon requirement reduces the multijet background, and the H → b b ¯ decay is the dominant decay mode. Event selection requirements target events produced by vector-boson fusion, the dominant production mode in this channel. Several improvements enhance the search sensitivity compared to previous measurements. These improvements include better background modelling and characterization, the use of a neural-network classifier, and an updated signal extraction strategy adopting a direct binned-likelihood fit to the classifier output. With these improvements, the Higgs boson signal strength is measured to be 0.2 ± 0.7 relative to the Standard Model prediction. This corresponds to an observed significance of 0.3 standard deviations, compared to an expectation of 1.5 standard deviations assuming the Standard Model.

Abstract:

A search for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon in the ℓℓγ ( ℓ = e , μ ) final state is performed using pp collisions at s = 13.6 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider during 2022–2024, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 165 fb − 1 . The signal yield, normalised to the Standard Model prediction, is measured to be μ = 0 . 9 − 0.6 + 0.7 , compatible with the expected value of μ = 1.0 ± 0.7 . This corresponds to an observed (expected) signal significance of 1.4 (1.5) standard deviations under the background-only hypothesis. This result is combined with that of a similar search performed with 140 fb − 1 of s = 13 TeV pp collisions to provide the best expected sensitivity to date to this rare decay, namely an observed (expected) signal strength of μ = 1 . 3 − 0.5 + 0.6 ( μ = 1 . 0 − 0.5 + 0.6 ), corresponding to an observed (expected) significance of 2.5 (1.9) standard deviations. The measurement is consistent with the Standard Model expectation.

Abstract:

The existence of right-handed neutrinos with Majorana masses below the electroweak scale could help address the origins of neutrino masses, the matter–antimatter asymmetry, and dark matter. In this paper, leptonic decays of W bosons from 140 fb-1$$^{-1}$$ of 13 TeV proton–proton collisions at the LHC, reconstructed in the ATLAS experiment, are used to search for heavy neutral leptons produced through their mixing with muon or electron neutrinos in a scenario with lepton number violation. The search is conducted using prompt leptonic decay signatures. The considered final states require two same-charge leptons or three leptons, while vetoing three-lepton same-flavour topologies. No significant excess over the expected Standard Model backgrounds is found, leading to constraints on the heavy neutral lepton’s mixing with muon and electron neutrinos for heavy-neutral-lepton masses. The analysis excludes |Ue|2$$|U_{e}|^2$$ values above 8×10-5$$8\times 10^{-5}$$ and |Uμ|2$$|U_{\mu }|^2$$ values above 5.0×10-5$$5.0 \times 10^{-5}$$ in the full mass range of 8–65 GeV. The strongest constraints are placed on heavy-neutral-lepton masses in the range 15–30 GeV of |Ue|2<1.1×10-5$$|U_{e}|^2 < 1.1 \times 10^{-5}$$ and |Uμ|2<5×10-6$$|U_{\mu }|^2 < 5 \times 10^{-6}$$.