Search for scalar bottom quark pair production with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7 TeV.

The results of a search for pair production of the scalar partners of bottom quarks in 2.05 fb(-1) of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7 TeV using the ATLAS experiment are reported. Scalar bottom quarks are searched for in events with large missing transverse momentum and two jets in the final state, where both jets are identified as originating from a bottom quark. In an R-parity conserving minimal supersymmetric scenario, assuming that the scalar bottom quark decays exclusively into a bottom quark and a neutralino, 95% confidence-level upper limits are obtained in the b(1) - χ(1)(0) mass plane such that for neutralino masses below 60 GeV scalar bottom masses up to 390 GeV are excluded.

Search for down-type fourth generation quarks with the ATLAS detector in events with one lepton and hadronically decaying W bosons.

This Letter presents a search for pair production of heavy down-type quarks decaying via b' → Wt in the lepton + jets channel, as b'b' → W- tW+ t → bbW+ W- W+ W- → l± νbbqqqqqq. In addition to requiring exactly one lepton, large missing transverse momentum, and at least six jets, the invariant mass of nearby jet pairs is used to identify high transverse momentum W bosons. In data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.04 fb(-1) from pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector, a heavy down-type quark with mass less than 480 GeV can be excluded at the 95% confidence level.

Search for tb resonances in proton-proton collisions at √s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector.

This Letter presents a search for tb resonances in 1.04 fb(-1) of LHC proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. Events with a lepton, missing transverse momentum, and two jets are selected and the invariant mass of the corresponding final state is reconstructed. The search exploits the shape of the tb invariant mass distribution compared to the expected standard model backgrounds. The model of a right-handed W(R)' with standard model-like couplings is chosen as the benchmark model for this search. No statistically significant excess of events is observed in the data, and upper limits on the cross section times the branching ratio of W(R)' resonances at 95% C.L. lie in the range of 6.1-1.0 pb for W(R)' masses ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 TeV. These limits are translated into a lower bound on the allowed right-handed W(R)' mass, giving m(W(R)'))>1.13 TeV at 95% C.L.

Search for production of resonant states in the photon-jet mass distribution using pp collisions at √s=7 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector.

This Letter describes a model-independent search for the production of new resonant states in photon+jet events in 2.11 fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions at √s=7 TeV. We compare the photon+jet mass distribution to a background model derived from data and find consistency with the background-only hypothesis. Given the lack of evidence for a signal, we set 95% credibility level limits on generic Gaussian-shaped signals and on a benchmark excited-quark (q*) model, excluding 2 TeV Gaussian resonances with cross section times branching fraction times acceptance times efficiency near 5 fb and excluding q* masses below 2.46 TeV, respectively.

Observation of spin correlation in tt¯ events from pp collisions at √s=7 TeV using the ATLAS detector.

A measurement of spin correlation in tt[over ¯] production is reported using data collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.1 fb(-1). Candidate events are selected in the dilepton topology with large missing transverse energy and at least two jets. The difference in azimuthal angle between the two charged leptons in the laboratory frame is used to extract the correlation between the top and antitop quark spins. In the helicity basis the measured degree of correlation corresponds to A(helicity)=0.40(-0.08)(+0.09), in agreement with the next-to-leading-order standard model prediction. The hypothesis of zero spin correlation is excluded at 5.1 standard deviations.

Search for gluinos in events with two same-sign leptons, jets, and missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7 TeV.

A search is presented for gluinos decaying via the supersymmetric partner of the top quark using events with two same-sign leptons, jets, and missing transverse momentum. The analysis is performed with 2.05 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity from pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. No excess beyond the standard model expectation is observed, and exclusion limits are derived for simplified models where the gluino decays via the supersymmetric partner of the top quark and in the minimal supergravity and constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model framework. In those scenarios, gluino masses below 550 GeV are excluded at 95% C.L. within the parameter space considered, significantly extending the coverage with respect to existing limits. Depending on the model parameters, gluino masses up to 750 GeV can also be excluded at 95% C.L.

Search for a light Higgs boson decaying to long-lived weakly interacting particles in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s] = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector.

A search for the decay of a light Higgs boson (120-140 GeV) to a pair of weakly interacting, long-lived particles in 1.94 fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s] = 7 TeV recorded in 2011 by the ATLAS detector is presented. The search strategy requires that both long-lived particles decay inside the muon spectrometer. No excess of events is observed above the expected background and limits on the Higgs boson production times branching ratio to weakly interacting, long-lived particles are derived as a function of the particle proper decay length.

Search for pair production of a new b' quark that decays into a Z boson and a bottom quark with the ATLAS detector.

A search is reported for the pair production of a new quark b' with at least one b' decaying to a Z boson and a bottom quark. The data, corresponding to 2.0 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity, were collected from pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Using events with a b-tagged jet and a Z boson reconstructed from opposite-charge electrons, the mass distribution of large transverse momentum b' candidates is tested for an enhancement. No evidence for a b' signal is detected in the observed mass distribution, resulting in the exclusion at a 95% confidence level of b' quarks with masses m (b') < 400 GeV that decay entirely via b' → Z+b. In the case of a vectorlike singlet b' mixing solely with the third standard model generation, masses m(b') < 358 GeV are excluded.

Determination of the strange-quark density of the proton from ATLAS measurements of the W→ℓν and Z→ℓℓ cross sections.

A QCD analysis is reported of ATLAS data on inclusive W(±) and Z boson production in pp collisions at the LHC, jointly with ep deep-inelastic scattering data from HERA. The ATLAS data exhibit sensitivity to the light quark sea composition and magnitude at Bjorken x∼0.01. Specifically, the data support the hypothesis of a symmetric composition of the light quark sea at low x. The ratio of the strange-to-down sea quark distributions is determined to be 1.00(-0.28)(+0.25) at absolute four-momentum transfer squared Q(2)=1.9 GeV(2) and x=0.023.

Measurement of the ZZ production cross section and limits on anomalous neutral triple gauge couplings in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s] = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector.

A measurement of the ZZ production cross section in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s] = 7 TeV using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.02 fb(-1) recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC is presented. Twelve events containing two Z boson candidates decaying to electrons and/or muons are observed, with an expected background of 0.3 ± 0.3(stat)(-0.3)(+0.4)(syst) events. The cross section measured in a phase-space region with good detector acceptance and for dilepton masses within the range 66 to 116 GeV is σ(ZZ → ℓ+ ℓ- ℓ+ ℓ-)(fid) = 19.4(-5.2)(+6.3)(stat)(-0.7)(+0.9)(syst) ± 0.7(lumi) fb. The resulting total cross section for on-shell ZZ production, σ(ZZ)(tot) = 8.5(-2.3)(+2.7)(stat)(-0.3)(+0.4)(syst) ± 0.3(lumi) pb, is consistent with the standard model expectation of 6.5(-0.2)(+0.3) pb calculated at the next-to-leading order in QCD. Limits on anomalous neutral triple gauge boson couplings are derived.

Search for new phenomena in tt events with large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s] = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector.

A search for new phenomena in tt events with large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The measurement is based on 1.04 fb(-1) of data collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Contributions to this final state may arise from a number of standard model extensions. The results are interpreted in terms of a model where new top-quark partners are pair produced and each decay to an on-shell top (or antitop) quark and a long-lived undetected neutral particle. The data are found to be consistent with standard model expectations. A limit at 95% confidence level is set excluding a cross section times branching ratio of 1.1 pb for a top-partner mass of 420 GeV and a neutral particle mass less than 10 GeV. In a model of exotic fourth generation quarks, top-partner masses are excluded up to 420 GeV and neutral particle masses up to 140 GeV.

Search for the Higgs boson in the H→WW(*)→ℓ(+)νℓ(-)ν decay channel in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector.

A search for the Higgs boson has been performed in the H→WW(*)→ℓ(+)νℓ(-)ν[over ¯] channel (ℓ=e/µ) with an integrated luminosity of 2.05 fb(-1) of pp collisions at √s=7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess of events over the expected background is observed and limits on the Higgs boson production cross section are derived for a Higgs boson mass in the range 110 GeV

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the diphoton decay channel with 4.9 fb(-1) of pp collision data at √s=7 TeV with ATLAS.

A search for the standard model Higgs boson is performed in the diphoton decay channel. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.9 fb(-1) collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of √s=7 TeV. In the diphoton mass range 110-150 GeV, the largest excess with respect to the background-only hypothesis is observed at 126.5 GeV, with a local significance of 2.8 standard deviations. Taking the look-elsewhere effect into account in the range 110-150 GeV, this significance becomes 1.5 standard deviations. The standard model Higgs boson is excluded at 95% confidence level in the mass ranges of 113-115 GeV and 134.5-136 GeV.

Observation of a new χ(b) state in radiative transitions to Υ(1S) and Υ(2S) at ATLAS.

The χ(b)(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider at sqrt[s] = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb(-1), these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to Υ(1S,2S) with Υ â†’ µ+ µ-. In addition to the mass peaks corresponding to the decay modes χ(b)(1P,2P) → Υ(1S)γ, a new structure centered at a mass of 10.530 ± 0.005(stat) ± 0.009(syst) GeV is also observed, in both the Υ(1S)γ and Υ(2S)γ decay modes. This structure is interpreted as the χ(b)(3P) system.

Search for pair production of a heavy up-type quark decaying to a W boson and a b quark in the lepton + jets channel with the ATLAS detector.

A search is presented for production of a heavy up-type quark (t') together with its antiparticle, assuming subsequent decay to a W boson and a b quark, t't[over ¯]'→W(+)bW(-)b[over ¯]. The search is based on 1.04 fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions at √[s]=7 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Data are analyzed in the lepton+jets final state, characterized by a high transverse momentum isolated electron or muon, high missing transverse momentum, and at least three jets. No significant excess of events above the background expectation is observed. A 95% C.L. lower limit of 404 GeV is set for the mass of the t' quark.

Measurement of dijet azimuthal decorrelations in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV.

Azimuthal decorrelations between the two central jets with the largest transverse momenta are sensitive to the dynamics of events with multiple jets. We present a measurement of the normalized differential cross section based on the full data set (∫Ldt=36 pb(-1)) acquired by the ATLAS detector during the 2010 sqrt(s)=7 TeV proton-proton run of the LHC. The measured distributions include jets with transverse momenta up to 1.3 TeV, probing perturbative QCD in a high-energy regime.

Search for diphoton events with large missing transverse energy in 7 TeV proton-proton collisions with the ATLAS detector.

A search for diphoton events with large missing transverse energy is presented. The data were collected with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at √s=7 TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 3.1 pb⁻¹. No excess of such events is observed above the standard model background prediction. In the context of a specific model with one universal extra dimension with compactification radius R and gravity-induced decays, values of 1/R<729 GeV are excluded at 95% C. L., providing the most sensitive limit on this model to date.

Search for supersymmetry using final states with one lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector in √s=7 TeV pp collisions.

This Letter presents the first search for supersymmetry in final states containing one isolated electron or muon, jets, and missing transverse momentum from √s=7 TeV proton-proton collisions at the LHC. The data were recorded by the ATLAS experiment during 2010 and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 35 pb(-1). No excess above the standard model background expectation is observed. Limits are set on the parameters of the minimal supergravity framework, extending previous limits. Within this framework, for A(0)=0 GeV, tanß=3, and µ>0 and for equal squark and gluino masses, gluino masses below 700 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level.

Search for a heavy particle decaying into an electron and a muon with the ATLAS detector in sqrt[s] = 7 TeV pp collisions at the LHC.

This Letter presents the first search for a heavy particle decaying into an e ± µ(-/+) 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(-1). 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 all R-parity violating couplings are zero except λ(311)' = 0.11 and λ312 = 0.07. In a lepton flavor violating model, a Z'-like vector boson with masses of 0.70-1.00 TeV and corresponding cross sections times branching ratios of 0.175-0.183 pb is excluded. These results extend to higher mass R-parity violating sneutrinos and lepton flavor violating Z's than previous constraints from the Tevatron.

Measurement of the W+ W- cross section in sqrt(s) = 7 TeV pp collisions with ATLAS.

This Letter presents a measurement of the W+ W- production cross section in sqrt(s) = 7 TeV pp collisions by the ATLAS experiment, using 34 pb(-1) of integrated luminosity produced by the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Selecting events with two isolated leptons, each either an electron or a muon, 8 candidate events are observed with an expected background of 1.7 ± 0.6 events. The measured cross section is 41(-16)(+20)(stat) ± 5(syst)±1(lumi) pb, which is consistent with the standard model prediction of 44 ± 3 pb calculated at next-to-leading order in QCD.