0000000001236757
AUTHOR
A. Gascon Bravo
Measurement of the Soft-Drop Jet Mass in pp Collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector
Jet substructure observables have significantly extended the search program for physics beyond the standard model at the Large Hadron Collider. The state-of-the-art tools have been motivated by the ...
Search for squarks and gluinos in final states with jets and missing transverse momentum using 36 fb−1 of s=13 TeV pp collision data with the ATLAS detector
A search for the supersymmetric partners of quarks and gluons (squarks and gluinos) in final states containing hadronic jets and missing transverse momentum, but no electrons or muons, is presented ...
A search for point sources of EeV neutrons
A thorough search of the sky exposed at the Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory reveals no statistically significant excess of events in any small solid angle that would be indicative of a flux of neutral particles from a discrete source. The search covers from −90◦ to +15◦ in declination using four different energy ranges above 1 EeV (1018 eV). The method used in this search is more sensitive to neutrons than to photons. The upper limit on a neutron flux is derived for a dense grid of directions for each of the four energy ranges. These results constrain scenarios for the production of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays in the Galaxy.
Search for dark matter in association with a Higgs boson decaying to two photons at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector
A search for dark matter in association with a Higgs boson decaying to two photons is presented. This study is based on data collected with the ATLAS detector, corresponding to an integrated lumino ...
Measurements ofW±Zproduction cross sections inppcollisions ats=8 TeVwith the ATLAS detector and limits on anomalous gauge boson self-couplings
This paper presents measurements of W(+/-)Z production in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The gauge bosons are reconstructed using their leptonic decay modes into electrons and m ...
Search for light resonances decaying to boosted quark pairs and produced in association with a photon or a jet in proton–proton collisions at s=13TeV with the ATLAS detector
This Letter presents a search for new light resonances decaying to pairs of quarks and produced in association with a high- pT photon or jet. The dataset consists of proton–proton collisions with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb −1 at a centre-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Resonance candidates are identified as massive large-radius jets with substructure consistent with a particle decaying into a quark pair. The mass spectrum of the candidates is examined for local excesses above background. No evidence of a new resonance is observed in the data, which are used to exclude the production of a lepto-phobic axial-vector Z′ boson.
Constraints on the origin of cosmic rays above 10^18 eV from large-scale anisotropy searches in data of the Pierre Auger Observatory
A thorough search for large-scale anisotropies in the distribution of arrival directions of cosmic rays detected above 10(18) eV at the Pierre Auger Observatory is reported. For the first time, these large-scale anisotropy searches are performed as a function of both the right ascension and the declination and expressed in terms of dipole and quadrupole moments. Within the systematic uncertainties, no significant deviation from isotropy is revealed. Upper limits on dipole and quadrupole amplitudes are derived under the hypothesis that any cosmic ray anisotropy is dominated by such moments in this energy range. These upper limits provide constraints on the production of cosmic rays above 10(…
Ultra-High Energy Neutrinos at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The observation of ultrahigh energy neutrinos (UHE nu s) has become a priority in experimental astroparticle physics. UHE nu s can be detected with a variety of techniques. In particular, neutrinos can interact in the atmosphere (downward-going nu) or in the Earth crust (Earth-skimming nu), producing air showers that can be observed with arrays of detectors at the ground. With the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory we can detect these types of cascades. The distinguishing signature for neutrino events is the presence of very inclined showers produced close to the ground (i.e., after having traversed a large amount of atmosphere). In this work we review the procedure and …
Interpretation of the depths of maximum of extensive air showers measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory
To interpret the mean depth of cosmic ray air shower maximum and its dispersion, we parametrize those two observables as functions of the first two moments of the ln A distribution. We examine the goodness of this simple method through simulations of test mass distributions. The application of the parameterization to Pierre Auger Observatory data allows one to study the energy dependence of the mean ln A and of its variance under the assumption of selected hadronic interaction models. We discuss possible implications of these dependences in term of interaction models and astrophysical cosmic ray sources.
Measurement of the Inelastic Proton-Proton Cross Section at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector at the LHC
This Letter presents a measurement of the inelastic proton-proton cross section using 60 μb^{-1} of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[s] of 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Inelastic interactions are selected using rings of plastic scintillators in the forward region (2.07 10^{-6}, where M_{X} is the larger invariant mass of the two hadronic systems separated by the largest rapidity gap in the event. In this ξ range the scintillators are highly efficient. For diffractive events this corresponds to cases where at least one proton dissociates to a system with M_{X}>13 GeV. The measured cross section is compared with a range of theoretical predictions. When extrapolated…
Techniques for measuring aerosol attenuation using the Central Laser Facility at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory in Malargue, Argentina, is designed to study the properties of ultra-high energy cosmic rays with energies above 10(18) eV. It is a hybrid facility that employs a Fluorescence Detector to perform nearly calorimetric measurements of Extensive Air Shower energies. To obtain reliable calorimetric information from the FD, the atmospheric conditions at the observatory need to be continuously monitored during data acquisition. In particular, light attenuation due to aerosols is an important atmospheric correction. The aerosol concentration is highly variable, so that the aerosol attenuation needs to be evaluated hourly. We use light from the Central Laser Facility, lo…
A measurement of material in the ATLAS tracker using secondary hadronic interactions in 7 TeV pp collisions
Knowledge of the material in the ATLAS inner tracking detector is crucial in understanding the reconstruction of charged-particle tracks, the performance of algorithms that identify jets containing b-hadrons and is also essential to reduce background in searches for exotic particles that can decay within the inner detector volume. Interactions of primary hadrons produced in pp collisions with the material in the inner detector are used to map the location and amount of this material. The hadronic interactions of primary particles may result in secondary vertices, which in this analysis are reconstructed by an inclusive vertex-finding algorithm. Data were collected using minimum-bias trigger…
Identifying clouds over the Pierre Auger Observatory using infrared satellite data
We describe a new method of identifying night-time clouds over the Pierre Auger Observatory using infrared data from the Imager instruments on the GOES-12 and GOES-13 satellites. We compare cloud. identifications resulting from our method to those obtained by the Central Laser Facility of the Auger Observatory. Using our new method we can now develop cloud probability maps for the 3000 km(2) of the Pierre Auger Observatory twice per hour with a spatial resolution of similar to 2.4 km by similar to 5.5 km. Our method could also be applied to monitor cloud cover for other ground-based observatories and for space-based observatories. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Search for new phenomena in dijet events using 37 fb−1 of pp collision data collected at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector
Dijet events are studied in the proton-proton collision dataset recorded at root s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015 and 2016, corresponding to integrated lumino ...
High-ET isolated-photon plus jets production in pp collisions at s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector
The dynamics of isolated-photon plus one-, two- and three-jet production in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV are studied with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using a data set with an ...
Probing the radio emission from air showers with polarization measurements
The emission of radio waves from air showers has been attributed to the so-called geomagnetic emission process. At frequencies around 50 MHz this process leads to coherent radiation which can be observed with rather simple setups. The direction of the electric field induced by this emission process depends only on the local magnetic field vector and on the incoming direction of the air shower. We report on measurements of the electric field vector where, in addition to this geomagnetic component, another component has been observed which cannot be described by the geomagnetic emission process. The data provide strong evidence that the other electric field component is polarized radially wit…
Search for point-like sources of ultra-high energy neutrinos at the pierre auger observatory and improved limit on the diffuse flux of tau neutrinos
The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory can detect neutrinos with energy Eν between 1017 eV and 1020 eV from point-like sources across the sky south of +55º and north of −65º declinations. A search has been performed for highly inclined extensive air showers produced by the interaction of neutrinos of all flavors in the atmosphere (downward-going neutrinos), and by the decay of tau leptons originating from tau neutrino interactions in Earth’s crust (Earth-skimming neutrinos). No candidate neutrinos have been found in data up to 2010 May 31. This corresponds to an equivalent exposure of ∼3.5 years of a full surface detector array for the Earth-skimming channel and ∼2 years…
A Targeted Search for Point Sources of EeV Neutrons
A flux of neutrons from an astrophysical source in the Galaxy can be detected in the Pierre Auger Observatory as an excess of cosmic-ray air showers arriving from the direction of the source. To avoid the statistical penalty for making many trials, classes of objects are tested in combinations as nine “target sets”, in addition to the search for a neutron flux from the Galactic Center or from the Galactic Plane. Within a target set, each candidate source is weighted in proportion to its electromagnetic flux, its exposure to the Auger Observatory, and its flux attenuation factor due to neutron decay. These searches do not find evidence for a neutron flux from any class of candidate sources. …
Large-scale distribution of arrival directions of cosmic rays detected above 1018 eV at the Pierre Auger Observatory
A thorough search for large-scale anisotropies in the distribution of arrival directions of cosmic rays detected above 1018 eV at the Pierre Auger Observatory is presented. This search is performed as a function of both declination and right ascension in several energy ranges above 1018 eV, and reported in terms of dipolar and quadrupolar coefficients. Within the systematic uncertainties, no significant deviation from isotropy is revealed. Assuming that any cosmic-ray anisotropy is dominated by dipole and quadrupole moments in this energy range, upper limits on their amplitudes are derived. These upper limits allow us to test the origin of cosmic rays above 1018 eV from stationary Galactic …
Study of ordered hadron chains with the ATLAS detector
The analysis of the momentum difference between charged hadrons in high-energy proton-proton collisions is performed in order to study coherent particle production. The observed correlation pattern agrees with a model of a helical QCD string fragmenting into a chain of ground-state hadrons. A threshold momentum difference in the production of adjacent pairs of charged hadrons is observed, in agreement with model predictions. The presence of low-mass hadron chains also explains the emergence of charge-combination-dependent two-particle correlations commonly attributed to Bose-Einstein interference. The data sample consists of 190 μb-1 of minimum-bias events collected with proton-proton colli…
Antennas for the detection of radio emission pulses from cosmic-ray induced air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory.
The Pierre Auger Observatory is exploring the potential of the radio detection technique to study extensive air showers induced by ultra-high energy cosmic rays. The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) addresses both technological and scientific aspects of the radio technique. A first phase of AERA has been operating since September 2010 with detector stations observing radio signals at frequencies between 30 and 80 MHz. In this paper we present comparative studies to identify and optimize the antenna design for the final configuration of AERA consisting of 160 individual radio detector stations. The transient nature of the air shower signal requires a detailed description of the antenna s…
Search for supersymmetry in events with four or more leptons in s=13 TeV pp collisions with ATLAS
Results from a search for supersymmetry in events with four or more charged leptons (electrons, muons and taus) are presented. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to 36.1 fb-1 of proton-proton collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider at s=13 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Four-lepton signal regions with up to two hadronically decaying taus are designed to target a range of supersymmetric scenarios that can be either enriched in or depleted of events involving the production and decay of a Z boson. Data yields are consistent with Standard Model expectations and results are used to set upper limits on the event yields from processes beyond the Standard Model. Exclu…
Muons in air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory
We present the first hybrid measurement of the average muon number in air showers at ultrahigh energies, initiated by cosmic rays with zenith angles between 62° and 80°. The measurement is based on 174 hybrid events recorded simultaneously with the surface detector array and the fluorescence detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The muon number for each shower is derived by scaling a simulated reference profile of the lateral muon density distribution at the ground until it fits the data. A 1019eV shower with a zenith angle of 67°, which arrives at the surface detector array at an altitude of 1450 m above sea level, contains on average (2.68±0.04±0.48(sys))×107 muons with energies large…
Search for patterns by combining cosmic-ray energy and arrival directions at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Energy-dependent patterns in the arrival directions of cosmic rays are searched for using data of the Pierre Auger Observatory. We investigate local regions around the highest-energy cosmic rays with E ≥ 6×1019 eV by analyzing cosmic rays with energies above E ≥ 5×1018 eV arriving within an angular separation of approximately 15∘. We characterize the energy distributions inside these regions by two independent methods, one searching for angular dependence of energy-energy correlations and one searching for collimation of energy along the local system of principal axes of the energy distribution. No significant patterns are found with this analysis. The comparison of these measurements with …
Measurement of the tt¯ production cross section in the τ+jets final state in pp collisions at s=8 TeV using the ATLAS detector
A measurement of the inclusive pp -> t (t) over bar + X production cross section in the tau + jets final state using only the hadronic decays of the tau lepton is presented. The measurement is p ...
Searches for anisotropies in the arrival directions of the highest energy cosmic rays detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory
We analyze the distribution of arrival directions of ultra-high energy cosmic rays recorded at the Pierre Auger Observatory in 10 years of operation. The data set, about three times larger than that used in earlier studies, includes arrival directions with zenith angles up to $80^\circ$, thus covering from $-90^\circ$ to $+45^\circ$ in declination. After updating the fraction of events correlating with the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the V��ron-Cetty and V��ron catalog, we subject the arrival directions of the data with energies in excess of 40 EeV to different tests for anisotropy. We search for localized excess fluxes and for self-clustering of event directions at angular scales up t…
Measurement of the cosmic ray energy spectrum using hybrid events of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The energy spectrum of ultra-high energy cosmic rays above 10$^{18}$ eV is measured using the hybrid events collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory between November 2005 and September 2010. The large exposure of the Observatory allows the measurement of the main features of the energy spectrum with high statistics. Full Monte Carlo simulations of the extensive air showers (based on the CORSIKA code) and of the hybrid detector response are adopted here as an independent cross check of the standard analysis (Phys. Lett. B 685, 239 (2010)). The dependence on mass composition and other systematic uncertainties are discussed in detail and, in the full Monte Carlo approach, a region of confiden…
Measurements of tt¯ differential cross-sections of highly boosted top quarks decaying to all-hadronic final states in pp collisions at s=13 TeV using the ATLAS detector
Measurements are made of differential cross-sections of highly boosted pair-produced top quarks as a function of top-quark and t (t) over bar system kinematic observables using proton-proton collis ...
Muons in air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory: Measurement of atmospheric production depth
The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory provides information about the longitudinal development of the muonic component of extensive air showers. Using the timing information from the flash analog-to-digital converter traces of surface detectors far from the shower core, it is possible to reconstruct a muon production depth distribution. We characterize the goodness of this reconstruction for zenith angles around 60° and different energies of the primary particle. From these distributions, we define Xμmax as the depth along the shower axis where the production of muons reaches maximum. We explore the potentiality of Xμmax as a useful observable to infer the mass compositi…
A search for point sources of EeV photons
Measurements of air showersmade using the hybrid technique developed with the fluorescence and surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory allow a sensitive search for point sources of EeV photons anywhere in the exposed sky. A multivariate analysis reduces the background of hadronic cosmic rays. The search is sensitive to a declination band from −85º to +20º, in an energy range from 1017.3 eV to 1018.5 eV. No photon point source has been detected. An upper limit on the photon flux has been derived for every direction. The mean value of the energy flux limit that results from this, assuming a photon spectral index of −2, is 0.06 eV cm−2 s−1, and no celestial direction exceeds 0.25 eV …
Transverse momentum, rapidity, and centrality dependence of inclusive charged-particle production in sNN=5.02 TeV p+ Pb collisions measured by the ATLAS experiment
Measurements of the per-event charged-particle yield as a function of the charged-particle transverse momentum and rapidity are performed using p+Pbp+Pb collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt (SNN) = 5.01 TeV. Charged particles are reconstructed over pseudorapidity |η|<2.3|η|<2.3 and transverse momentum between 0.1 GeV0.1 GeV and 22 GeV22 GeV in a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1 μb−11 μb−1. The results are presented in the form of charged-particle nuclear modification factors, where the p+Pbp+Pb charged-particle multiplicities are compared between central and peripheral p+Pbp+Pb collisions as well as to charged-p…
Origin of atmospheric aerosols at the Pierre Auger Observatory using studies of air mass trajectories in South America
The Pierre Auger Observatory is making significant contributions towards understanding the nature and origin of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. One of its main challenges is the monitoring of the atmosphere, both in terms of its state variables and its optical properties. The aim of this work is to analyze aerosol optical depth $\tau_{\rm a}(z)$ values measured from 2004 to 2012 at the observatory, which is located in a remote and relatively unstudied area of the Pampa Amarilla, Argentina. The aerosol optical depth is in average quite low - annual mean $\tau_{\rm a}(3.5~{\rm km})\sim 0.04$ - and shows a seasonal trend with a winter minimum - $\tau_{\rm a}(3.5~{\rm km})\sim 0.03$ -, and a sum…
Reconstruction of inclined air showers detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory
We describe the method devised to reconstruct inclined cosmic-ray air showers with zenith angles greater than $60^\circ$ detected with the surface array of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The measured signals at the ground level are fitted to muon density distributions predicted with atmospheric cascade models to obtain the relative shower size as an overall normalization parameter. The method is evaluated using simulated showers to test its performance. The energy of the cosmic rays is calibrated using a sub-sample of events reconstructed with both the fluorescence and surface array techniques. The reconstruction method described here provides the basis of complementary analyses including an…
Study of the material of the ATLAS inner detector for Run 2 of the LHC
The ATLAS inner detector comprises three different sub-detectors: the pixel detector, the silicon strip tracker, and the transition-radiation drift-tube tracker. The Insertable B-Layer, a new innermost pixel layer, was installed during the shutdown period in 2014, together with modifications to the layout of the cables and support structures of the existing pixel detector. The material in the inner detector is studied with several methods, using a low-luminosity root s = 13 TeV pp collision sample corresponding to around 2.0 nb(-1) collected in 2015 with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. In this paper, the material within the innermost barrel region is studied using reconstructed hadronic in…
Bounds on the density of sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays from the Pierre Auger Observatory
We derive lower bounds on the density of sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays from the lack of significant clustering in the arrival directions of the highest energy events detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory. The density of uniformly distributed sources of equal intrinsic intensity was found to be larger than similar to (0.06 – 5) x 10(-4) Mpc(-3) at 95% CL, depending on the magnitude of the magnetic defections. Similar bounds, in the range (0.2 – 7) x 10(-4) Mpc(-3), were obtained for sources following the local matter distribution.