Professor Tony Weidberg

Abstract:

A bstract A search for dark-matter particles in events with large missing transverse momentum and a Higgs boson candidate decaying into two photons is reported. The search uses 139 fb − 1 of proton-proton collision data collected at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the CERN LHC between 2015 and 2018. No significant excess of events over the Standard Model predictions is observed. The results are interpreted by extracting limits on three simplified models that include either vector or pseudoscalar mediators and predict a final state with a pair of dark-matter candidates and a Higgs boson decaying into two photons.

Abstract:

Abstract This paper presents a search for dark matter in the context of a two-Higgs-doublet model together with an additional pseudoscalar mediator, a , which decays into the dark-matter particles. Processes where the pseudoscalar mediator is produced in association with a single top quark in the 2HDM+ a model are explored for the first time at the LHC. Several final states which include either one or two charged leptons (electrons or muons) and a significant amount of missing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis is based on proton–proton collision data collected with the ATLAS experiment at $$\sqrt{s} = 13$$ s = 13 TeV during LHC Run 2 (2015–2018), corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 $$\hbox {fb}^{-1}$$ fb - 1 . No significant excess above the Standard Model predictions is found. The results are expressed as 95% confidence-level limits on the parameters of the signal models considered.

Abstract:

Abstract Measurements of both the inclusive and differential production cross sections of a top-quark–antiquark pair in association with a Z boson ( $$t{\bar{t}}Z$$ t t ¯ Z ) are presented. The measurements are performed by targeting final states with three or four isolated leptons (electrons or muons) and are based on $$\sqrt{s} = 13$$ s = 13 TeV proton–proton collision data with an integrated luminosity of 139 $$\hbox {fb}^{-1}$$ fb - 1 , recorded from 2015 to 2018 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The inclusive cross section is measured to be $$\sigma _{t{\bar{t}}Z} = 0.99 \pm 0.05$$ σ t t ¯ Z = 0.99 ± 0.05 (stat.) $$\pm \, 0.08$$ ± 0.08 (syst.) pb, in agreement with the most precise theoretical predictions. The differential measurements are presented as a function of a number of kinematic variables which probe the kinematics of the $$t{\bar{t}}Z$$ t t ¯ Z system. Both absolute and normalised differential cross-section measurements are performed at particle and parton levels for specific fiducial volumes and are compared with theoretical predictions at different levels of precision, based on a $$\chi ^{2}/$$ χ 2 / ndf and p value computation. Overall, good agreement is observed between the unfolded data and the predictions.

Abstract:

Abstract Non-ionizing energy loss causes bulk damage to the silicon sensors of the ATLAS pixel and strip detectors. This damage has important implications for data-taking operations, charged-particle track reconstruction, detector simulations, and physics analysis. This paper presents simulations and measurements of the leakage current in the ATLAS pixel detector and semiconductor tracker as a function of location in the detector and time, using data collected in Run 1 (2010–2012) and Run 2 (2015–2018) of the Large Hadron Collider. The extracted fluence shows a much stronger | z |-dependence in the innermost layers than is seen in simulation. Furthermore, the overall fluence on the second innermost layer is significantly higher than in simulation, with better agreement in layers at higher radii. These measurements are important for validating the simulation models and can be used in part to justify safety factors for future detector designs and interventions.