Search

A search for the production of single top-quarks via flavour-changing neutral-currents is presented. Data collected with the ATLAS detector at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.05 fb(-1), are used. Candidate events with a semileptonic top-quark decay signature are classified as signal- or background-like events by using several kinematic variables as input to a neural network. No signal is observed in the neural network output distribution and a Bayesian upper limit is placed on the production cross-section. The observed upper limit at 95% confidence level on the cross-section multiplied by the t -> Wb branching fraction is measured to be sigma(qg -> t) x B(t -> Wb) < 3.9 pb. This upper limit is converted using a model-independent approach into upper limits on the coupling strengths kappa(ugt)/Lambda < 6.9.10(-3) TeV-1 and kappa(cgt)/Lambda < 1.6.10(-2) TeV-1, where A is the new physics scale, and on the branching fractions B(t -> ug) < 5.7.10(-5) and B(t -> cg) < 2.7.10(-4).

Invariant mass distributions of jet pairs (dijets) produced in LHC proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy root s = 7 TeV have been studied using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb(-1) recorded in 2011 by ATLAS. Dijet masses up to similar to 4 TeV are observed in the data, and no evidence of resonance production over background is found. Limits are set at 95% C.L. for several new physics hypotheses: excited quarks are excluded for masses below 299 TeV, axigluons are excluded for masses below 3.32 TeV. and colour octet scalar resonances are excluded for masses below 1.92 TeV.

A search for the Standard Model Higgs boson in the H -> WW(*()) -> lvlv (l = e.mu) decay mode is presented. The search is performed using proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb(-1) at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV collected during 2011 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess of events over the expected background is observed. An upper bound is placed on the Higgs boson production cross section as a function of its mass. A Standard Model Higgs boson with mass in the range between 133 GeV and 261 GeV is excluded at 95% confidence level, while the expected exclusion range is from 127 GeV to 233 GeV. (C) 2012 CERN.

The ATLAS experiment at the LHC has measured the centrality dependence of charged particle pseudorapidity distributions over vertical bar eta vertical bar < 2 in lead-lead collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV. In order to include particles with transverse momentum as low as 30 MeV, the data were recorded with the central solenoid magnet off. Charged particles were reconstructed with two algorithms (2-point ¿tracklets¿ and full tracks) using information from the pixel detector only. The lead-lead collision centrality was characterized by the total transverse energy in the forward calorimeter in the range 3.2 < vertical bar eta vertical bar< 4.9. Measurements are presented of the per-event charged particle pseudorapidity distribution, dN(ch)/d eta, and the average charged particle multiplicity in the pseudorapidity interval vertical bar eta vertical bar < 0.5 in several intervals of collision centrality. The results are compared to previous mid-rapidity measurements at the LHC and RHIC. The variation of the mid-rapidity charged particle yield per colliding nucleon pair with the number of participants is consistent with lower root s(NN) results. The shape of the dN(ch)/d eta distribution is found to be independent of centrality within the systematic uncertainties of the measurement.

Distributions sensitive to the underlying event are studied in events containing one or more chargedparticle jets produced in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). These measurements reflect 800 μb(-1) of data taken during 2010. Jets are reconstructed using the anti-k(t) algorithm with radius parameter R varying between 0.2 and 1.0. Distributions of the charged-particle multiplicity, the scalar sum of the transverse momentum of charged particles, and the average charged-particle p(T) are measured as functions of p(T)(jet) in regions transverse to and opposite the leading jet for 4 GeV < p(T)(jet) < 100 GeV. In addition, the R dependence of the mean values of these observables is studied. In the transverse region, both the multiplicity and the scalar sum of the transverse momentum at fixed p(T)(jet) vary significantly with R, while the average charged- particle transverse momentum has a minimal dependence on R. Predictions from several Monte Carlo tunes have been compared to the data; the predictions from Pythia 6, based on tunes that have been determined using LHC data, show reasonable agreement with the data, including the dependence on R. Comparisons with other generators indicate that additional tuning of soft-QCD parameters is necessary for these generators. The measurements presented here provide a testing ground for further development of the Monte Carlo models.

In this paper, a measurement of tau polarization in W -> tau nu decays is presented. It is measured from the energies of the decay products in hadronic tau decays with a single final state charged particle. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 24 pb(-1), were collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in 2010. The measured value of the tau polarization is P-tau = -1.06 +/- 0.04 (stat)(-0.07)(+0.05) (syst), in agreement with the Standard Model prediction, and is consistent with a physically allowed 95 % CL interval [-1,-0.91]. Measurements of tau polarization have not previously been made at hadron colliders.

A search for top quark pair resonances in final states containing at least one electron or muon has been performed with the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The search uses a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.05 fb(-1), which was recorded in 2011 at a proton-proton centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. No evidence for a resonance is found and limits are set on the production cross-section times branching ratio to t (t) over bar for narrow and wide resonances. For narrow Z' bosons, the observed 95 % Bayesian credibility level limits range from 9.3 pb to 0.95 pb for masses in the range of m(Z') = 500 GeV to m(Z') = 1300 GeV. The corresponding excluded mass region for a leptophobic topcolour Z' boson (Kaluza-Klein gluon excitation in the Randall-Sundrum model) is m(Z') < 880 GeV (m(gKK) < 1130 GeV).

The ratio of production cross sections of the W and Z bosons with exactly one associated jet is presented as a function of jet transverse momentum threshold. The measurement has been designed to maximise cancellation of experimental and theoretical uncertainties, and is reported both within a particle-level kinematic range corresponding to the detector acceptance and as a total cross-section ratio. Results are obtained with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV using an integrated luminosity of 33 pb(-1). The results are compared with perturbative leading-order, leading-log, and next-to-leading-order QCD predictions, and are found to agree within experimental and theoretical uncertainties. The ratio is measured for events with a single jet with p(T) > 30 GeV to be 8.73 +/- 0.30(stat) +/- 0.40(syst) in the electron channel, and 8.49 +/- 0.23(stat) +/- 0.33(syst) in the muon channel.

A search for diphoton events with large missing transverse momentum has been performed using 1.07 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data at root s = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. No excess of events was observed above the Standard Model prediction and 95% Confidence Level (CL) upper limits are set on the production cross section for new physics. The limits depend on each model parameter space and vary as follows: sigma < (22-129) fb in the context of a generalised model of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking (GGM) with a bino-like lightest neutralino, sigma < (27-91) fb in the context of a minimal model of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking (SPS8), and sigma < (15-27) fb in the context of a specific model with one universal extra dimension (UED). A 95% CL lower limit of 805 GeV, for bino masses above 50 GeV, is set on the GGM gluino mass. Lower limits of 145 TeV and 1.23 TeV are set on the SPS8 breaking scale Lambda and on the UED compactification scale 1/R, respectively. These limits provide the most stringent tests of these models to date.

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 root 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.

The results of a search for pair production of the lighter scalar partners of top quarks ((t) over bar (1)) in 2.05 fb(-1) of pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV using the ATLAS experiment at the LHC are reported. Scalar top quarks are searched for in events with two same flavour opposite-sign leptons (e, mu) with invariant mass consistent with the Z boson mass, large missing transverse momentum and jets in the final state. At least one of the jets is identified as originating from a b-quark. No excess over Standard Model expectations is found. The results are interpreted in the framework of R-parity conserving, gauge mediated Supersymmetry breaking 'natural' scenarios, where the neutralino ((chi) over bar (0)(1)) is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle. Scalar top quark masses up to 310 GeV are excluded for 115 GeV m( m(z).

A blind analysis searching for the decay B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) has been performed using proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. With an integrated luminosity of 2.4 fb(-1) no excess of events over the background expectation is found and an upper limit is set on the branching fraction BR(B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-))

Differential measurements of charged particle azimuthal anisotropy are presented for lead-lead collisions at root sNN = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, based on an integrated luminosity of approximately 8 μb(-1). This anisotropy is characterized via a Fourier expansion of the distribution of charged particles in azimuthal angle relative to the reaction plane, with the coefficients v(n) denoting the magnitude of the anisotropy. Significant v(2)-v(6) values are obtained as a function of transverse momentum (0.5 < p(T) < 20 GeV), pseudorapidity (|eta| < 2.5), and centrality using an event plane method. The v(n) values for n >= 3 are found to vary weakly with both eta and centrality, and their p(T) dependencies are found to follow an approximate scaling relation, v(n)(1/n)(p(T)) proportional to v(2)(1/2)(p(T)), except in the top 5% most central collisions. A Fourier analysis of the charged particle pair distribution in relative azimuthal angle (Delta phi = phi(a)-phi(b)) is performed to extract the coefficients v(n,n) = < cos n Delta phi >. For pairs of charged particles with a large pseudorapidity gap (|Delta eta = eta(a) ¿ eta(b)| > 2) and one particle with p(T) < 3 GeV, the v(2,2)-v(6,6) values are found to factorize as v(n,n)(p(T)(a), p(T)(b)) approximate to v(n) (p(T)(a))v(n)(p(T)(b)) in central and midcentral events. Such factorization suggests that these values of v(2,2)-v(6,6) are primarily attributable to the response of the created matter to the fluctuations in the geometry of the initial state. A detailed study shows that the v(1,1)(p(T)(a), p(T)(b)) data are consistent with the combined contributions from a rapidity-even v(1) and global momentum conservation. A two-component fit is used to extract the v(1) contribution. The extracted v(1) isobserved to cross zero at pT approximate to 1.0 GeV, reaches a maximum at 4-5 GeV with a value comparable to that for v(3), and decreases at higher p(T).

A search for the Standard Model Higgs boson in proton-proton collisions with the ATLAS detector at the LHC is presented. The datasets used correspond to integrated luminosities of approximately 4.8 fb(-1) collected at, root s = 7 TeV in 2011 and 5.8 fb(-1) at root s = 8 TeV in 2012. Individual searches in the channels H -> ZZ(()*()) -> 4l, H -> gamma gamma and H -> WW (()*()) -> ev μv in the 8 TeV data are combined with previously published results of searches for H -> ZZ(()*()), WW(*()), b (b) over bar and tau(+)tau(-) in the 7 TeV data and results from improved analyses of the H -> ZZ(()*()) -> 4l and H -> gamma gamma channels in the 7 TeV data. Clear evidence for the production of a neutral boson with a measured mass of 126.0 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.4 (sys) GeV is presented. This observation, which has a significance of 5.9 standard deviations, corresponding to a background fluctuation probability of 1.7 x 10(-9), is compatible with the production and decay of the Standard Model Higgs boson.

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 root 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.

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 bar' -> W(+)bW(-)(b) over bar. The search is based on 1.04 fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions at root 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.

Using data recorded in 2011 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider, a search for evidence of extra spatial dimensions has been performed through an analysis of the diphoton final state. The analysis uses data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.12 fb(-1) of root s = 7 TeV proton-proton collisions. The diphoton invariant mass (m(gamma gamma)) spectrum is observed to be in good agreement with the expected Standard Model background. In the large extra dimension scenario of Arkani-Hamed, Dimopoulos and Dvali, the results provide 95% CL lower limits on the fundamental Planck scale between 2.27 and 3.53 TeV, depending on the number of extra dimensions and the theoretical formalism used. The results also set 95% CL lower limits on the lightest Randall-Sundrum graviton mass of between 0.79 and 1.85 TeV, for values of the dimensionless coupling k/(M) over bar (Pl) varying from 0.01 to 0.1. Combining with previously published ATLAS results from the dielectron and dimuon final states, the 95% CL lower limit on the Randall-Sundrum graviton mass for k/(M) over bar (Pl) = 0.01 (0.1) is 0.80 (1.95) TeV.

This Letter presents measurements of l(+/-) nu gamma and l(+)l(-)gamma (l = e.mu) production in 1.02 fb(-1) of pp collision data recorded at root s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in the first half of 2011. Events dominated by W gamma and Z gamma production with leptonic decays of the W and Z bosons are selected, and their production cross sections and kinematic properties are measured in several ranges of the photon transverse energy. The results are compared to Standard Model predictions and are used to determine limits on anomalous WW gamma and ZZ gamma/Z gamma gamma couplings.

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 root 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.

A search for a Standard Model Higgs boson decaying via H -> ZZ -> l(+)l(-) nu(nu) over bar, where l represents electrons or muons, is presented. It is based on proton-proton collision data at root s = 7 TeV, collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC during 2011 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb(-1). The data agree with the expected Standard Model backgrounds. Upper limits on the Higgs boson production cross section are derived for Higgs boson masses between 200 GeV and 600 GeV and the production of a Standard Model Higgs boson with a mass in the range 319-558 GeV is excluded at the 95% confidence level.

A search is presented for a narrow resonance decaying to a pair of Z bosons using data corresponding to 1.02 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected by the ATLAS experiment from pp collisions at root s= 7 TeV. Events containing either four charged leptons (llll) or two charged leptons and two jets (lljj) are analyzed and found to be consistent with the Standard Model background expectation. Lower limits on a resonance mass are set using the Randall-Sundrum (RS1) graviton model as a benchmark. Using both llll and lljj events, an RS1 graviton with k/(m) over bar (pl) = 0.1 and mass between 325 and 845 GeV is excluded at 95% confidence level. In addition, the llll events are used to set a model-independent fiducial cross section limit of sigma(fid)(pp -> X -> ZZ) < 0.92 pb at 95% confidence level for any new sources of ZZ production with m(ZZ) greater than 300 GeV.

This Letter reports a measurement of the W W production cross section in root s = 7 TeV pp collisions using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.02 fb(-1) collected with the ATLAS detector. Using leptonic decays of oppositely charged W bosons, the total measured cross section is sigma (pp -> W W) = 54.4 +/- 4.0 (stat.) +/- 3.9 (syst.) +/- 2.0 (lumi.) pb, consistent with the Standard Model prediction of sigma (pp -> W W)= 44.4 +/- 2.8 pb. Limits on anomalous electroweak triple-gauge couplings are extracted from a fit to the transverse-momentum distribution of the leading charged lepton in the event.

Inclusive jet and dijet cross sections have been measured in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV using the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The cross sections were measured using jets clustered with the anti-kt algorithm with parameters R = 0.4 and R = 0.6. These measurements are based on the 2010 data sample, consisting of a total integrated luminosity of 37 pb(-1). Inclusive jet double-differential cross sections are presented as a function of jet transverse momentum, in bins of jet rapidity. Dijet double-differential cross sections are studied as a function of the dijet invariant mass, in bins of half the rapidity separation of the two leading jets. The measurements are performed in the jet rapidity range vertical bar y vertical bar < 4.4, covering jet transverse momenta from 20 GeV to 1.5 TeV and dijet invariant masses from 70 GeV to 5 TeV. The data are compared to expectations based on next-to-leading-order QCD calculations corrected for nonperturbative effects, as well as to next-to-leading-order Monte Carlo predictions. In addition to a test of the theory in a new kinematic regime, the data also provide sensitivity to parton distribution functions in a region where they are currently not well-constrained.

A combined search for the Standard Model Higgs boson with the ATLAS detector at the LHC is presented. The data sets used correspond to integrated luminosities from 4.6 fb(-1) to 4.9 fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions collected at root s = 7 TeV in 2011. The Higgs boson mass ranges of 111.4 GeV to 116.6 GeV, 119.4 GeV to 122.1 GeV, and 129.2 GeV to 541 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level, while the range 120 GeV to 560 GeV is expected to be excluded in the absence of a signal. An excess of events is observed at Higgs boson mass hypotheses around 126 GeV with a local significance of 2.9 standard deviations (sigma). The global probability for the background to produce an excess at least as significant anywhere in the entire explored Higgs boson mass range of 110-600 GeV is estimated to be similar to 15%, corresponding to a significance of approximately 1 sigma.

This paper reports a measurement of D*(+/-) meson production in jets from proton- proton collisions at a center- of- mass energy of root s = 7 TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is based on a data sample recorded with the ATLAS detector with an integrated luminosity of 0.30 pb(-1) for jets with transverse momentum between 25 and 70 GeV in the pseudorapidity range vertical bar eta vertical bar D-0 pi(+), D-0 -> K-pi(+), and its charge conjugate. The production rate is found to be N(D*(+/-))/N(jet) = 0.025 +/- 0.001(stat.) +/- 0.004(syst.) for D*(+/-) mesons that carry a fraction z of the jet momentum in the range 0.3< z< 1. Monte Carlo predictions fail to describe the data at small values of z, and this is most marked at low jet transverse momentum.

A search for squarks and gluinos in events containing jets, missing transverse momentum and no electrons or muons is presented. The data were recorded in 2011 by the ATLAS experiment in root s = 7 TeV proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. No excess above the Standard Model background expectation is observed in 1.04 fb(-1) of data. Gluino and squark masses below 700 GeV and 875 GeV respectively are excluded at the 95% confidence level in simplified models containing only squarks of the first two generations, a gluino octet and a massless neutralino. The exclusion limit increases to 1075 GeV for squarks and gluinos of equal mass. In MSUGRA/CMSSM models with tan beta = 10, A(0) = 0 and μ> 0, squarks and gluinos of equal mass are excluded for masses below 950 GeV. These limits extend the region of supersymmetric parameter space excluded by previous measurements.

Results of three searches are presented for the production of supersymmetric particles decaying into final states with missing transverse momentum and exactly two isolated leptons, e or mu. The analysis uses a data sample collected during the first half of 2011 that corresponds to a total integrated luminosity of 1 fb(-1) of root s = 7 TeV proton-proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Opposite-sign and same-sign dilepton events are separately studied, with no deviations from the Standard Model expectation observed. Additionally, in opposite-sign events, a search is made for an excess of same-flavour over different-flavour lepton pairs. Effective production cross sections in excess of 9.9 fb for opposite-sign events containing supersymmetric particles with missing transverse momentum greater than 250 GeV are excluded at 95% CL For same-sign events containing supersymmetric particles with missing transverse momentum greater than 100 GeV, effective production cross sections in excess of 14.8 fb are excluded at 95% CL The latter limit is interpreted in a simplified electroweak gaugino production model excluding chargino masses up to 200 GeV, under the assumption that slepton decay is dominant.

A search is presented for heavy-quark pair production (Q (Q) over bar) under the decay hypothesis Q (Q) over bar -> W(+)qW(-)(q) over bar with q = d, s, b for up-type Q or q = u, c for down-type Q. The search is performed with 1.04 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity from pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the CERN LHC. Dilepton final states are selected, requiring large missing transverse momentum and at least two jets. Mass reconstruction of heavy-quark candidates is performed by assuming that the W boson decay products are nearly collinear. The data are in agreement with standard model expectations; a heavy quark with mass less than 350 GeV is excluded at 95% confidence level.

This Letter presents a measurement of W(+/-)Z production in 1.02 fb(-1) of pp collision data at root s = 7 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment in 2011. Doubly leptonic decay events are selected with electrons, muons and missing transverse momentum in the final state. In total 71 candidates are observed, with a background expectation of 12.1 +/- 1.4(stat.)(-2.0)(+4.1)(syst.) events. The total cross section for W(+/-)Z production for Z/gamma* masses within the range 66 GeV to 116 GeV is determined to be sigma(tot)(WZ) = 20.5(-2.8)(+3.1)(stat.)(-1.3)(+1.4)(syst)(-0.8)(+0.9)(lumi.) pb, which is consistent with the Standard Model expectation of 17.3(0.8)(+1.3) pb. Limits on anomalous triple gauge boson couplings are extracted.

A search for the Standard Model Higgs boson has been performed in the H -> WW -> lvjj channel using 4.7 fb(-1) of pp collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Higgs boson candidates produced in association with zero, one or two jets are included in the analysis to maximize the acceptance for both gluon fusion and weak boson fusion Higgs boson production processes. No significant excess of events is observed over the expected background and limits on the Higgs boson production cross section are derived for a Higgs boson mass in the range 300 GeV < m(H) < 600 GeV. The best sensitivity is reached for m(H) = 400 GeV, where the observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper bound on the cross section for H -> WW produced in association with zero or one jet is 2.2 pb (1.9 pb), corresponding to 1.9 (1.6) times the Standard Model prediction. In the Higgs boson plus two jets channel, which is more sensitive to the weak boson fusion process, the observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper bound on the cross section for H -> WW production with m(H) = 400 GeV is 0.7 pb (0.6 pb), corresponding to 7.9 (6.5) times the Standard Model prediction.

This Letter presents a search for contact interactions in the dielectron and dimuon channels using data from proton-proton collisions produced by the LHC at,root s = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. The data sample, collected in 2011, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.08 and 1.21 fb(-1) in the e(+)e(-) and mu(+)mu(-) channels, respectively. No significant deviations from the standard model are observed. Using a Bayesian approach with a prior flat in 1/A(2), the following 95% CL lower limits are placed on the energy scale of llqq contact interactions: A(-) > 10.1 TeV (A(+) > 9.4 TeV) in the electron channel and A(-) > 8.0 TeV (A(+) > 7.0 TeV) in the muon channel for constructive (destructive) interference in the left-left isoscalar contact interaction model. Limits are also provided for a prior flat in 1/A(4).

A search for production of supersymmetric particles in final states containing jets, missing transverse momentum, and at least one hadronically decaying tau lepton is presented. The data were recorded by the ATLAS experiment in root s = 7 TeV proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. No excess above the Standard Model background expectation was observed in 2.05 fb(-1) of data. The results are interpreted in the context of gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking models with M-mess = 250 TeV, N-5 = 3, μ> 0, and C-grav = 1. The production of supersymmetric particles is excluded at 95% C.L. up to a supersymmetry breaking scale Lambda = 30 TeV, independent of tan beta, and up to Lambda = 43 TeV for large tan beta.

A search for the Higgs boson has been performed in the H -> WW(*()) -> l+vl-(v) over bar channel (l = e/mu) with an integrated luminosity of 2.05 fb(-1) of pp collisions at root 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< m(H) < 300 GeV. The observations exclude the presence of a standard model Higgs boson with a mass 145 < m(H) < 206 GeV at 95% confidence level.

A combined search for the Standard Model Higgs boson with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC using datasets corresponding to integrated luminosities from 1.04 fb(-1) to 4.9 fb(-1) of pp collisions collected at root s = 7 TeV is presented. The Higgs boson mass ranges 112.9-115.5 GeV, 131-238 GeV and 251-466 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level (CL), while the range 124-519 GeV is expected to be excluded in the absence of a signal. An excess of events is observed around m(H) similar to 126 GeV with a local significance of 3.5 standard deviations (sigma). The local significances of H -> gamma, H -> ZZ(()*()) -> l(+)l(-)l'(+)l'(-) and H -> WW(*()) l(+)nu l'(-)(nu) over bar, the three most sensitive channels in this mass range, are 2.8 sigma, 2.1 sigma and 1.4 sigma. respectively. The global probability for the background to produce such a fluctuation anywhere in the explored Higgs boson mass range 110-600 GeV is estimated to be similar to 1.4% or, equivalently, 2.2 sigma.

We report a search for first generation scalar leptoquarks using 1.03 fb(-1) of proton-proton collisions data produced by the Large Hadron Collider at root s = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS experiment. Leptoquarks are sought via their decay into an electron or neutrino and a quark, producing events with two oppositely charged electrons and at least two jets, or events with an electron, missing transverse momentum and at least two jets. Control data samples are used to validate background predictions from Monte Carlo simulation. In the signal region, the observed event yields are consistent with the background expectations. We exclude at 95% confidence level the production of first generation scalar leptoquark with masses m(LQ) < 660 (607) GeV when assuming the branching fraction of a leptoquark to a charged lepton is equal to 1.0 (0.5).

This Letter reports on a search for narrow high-mass resonances decaying into dilepton final states. The data were recorded by the ATLAS experiment in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 1.08 (1.21) fb(-1) in the e(+)e(-) (mu(+)mu(-)) channel. No statistically significant excess above the standard model expectation is observed and upper limits are set at the 95% C. L. on the cross section times branching fraction of Z' resonances and Randall-Sundrum gravitons decaying into dileptons as a function of the resonance mass. A lower mass limit of 1.83 TeV on the sequential standard model Z' boson is set. A Randall-Sundrum graviton with coupling k/(M) over bar Pl = 0.1 is excluded at 95% C. L. for masses below 1.63 TeV.

The ATLAS detector at the LHC is used to search for high-mass states, such as heavy charged gauge bosons (W '), decaying to a charged lepton (electron or muon) and a neutrino. Results are presented based on the analysis of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.04 fb(-1). No excess above Standard Model expectations is observed. A W ' with Sequential Standard Model couplings is excluded at the 95% confidence level for masses up to 2.15 TeV.

A search for new phenomena in events featuring a high energy jet and large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at root s = 7 TeV is presented using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 33 pb(-1) recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The number of observed events is consistent with the Standard Model prediction. This result is interpreted in terms of limits on a model of Large Extra Dimensions.

The first measurements from proton-proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC are presented. Data were collected in December 2009 using a minimum-bias trigger during collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 900 GeV. The charged-particle multiplicity, its dependence on transverse momentum and pseudorapidity, and the relationship between mean transverse momentum and charged-particle multiplicity are measured for events with at least one charged particle in the kinematic range |eta|500 MeV. The measurements are compared to Monte Carlo models of proton-proton collisions and to results from other experiments at the same centre-of-mass energy. The charged-particle multiplicity per event and unit of pseudorapidity at eta = 0 is measured to be 1.333 +/- 0.003 (stat.) +/- 0.040 (syst.), which is 5-15% higher than the Monte Carlo models predict.

First measurements of the W -> lnu and Z/gamma* -> ll (l = e, mu) production cross sections in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV are presented using data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The results are based on 2250 W -> lnu and 179 Z/gamma* -> ll candidate events selected from a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 320 nb-1. The measured total W and Z/gamma*-boson production cross sections times the respective leptonic branching ratios for the combined electron and muon channels are $\stotW$ * BR(W -> lnu) = 9.96 +- 0.23(stat) +- 0.50(syst) +- 1.10(lumi) nb and $\stotZg$ * BR(Z/gamma* -> ll) = 0.82 +- 0.06(stat) +- 0.05(syst) +- 0.09(lumi) nb (within the invariant mass window 66 < m_ll < 116 GeV). The W/Z cross-section ratio is measured to be 11.7 +- 0.9(stat) +- 0.4(syst). In addition, measurements of the W+ and W- production cross sections and of the lepton charge asymmetry are reported. Theoretical predictions based on NNLO QCD calculations are found to agree with the measurements.

Using the ATLAS detector, observations have been made of a centrality-dependent dijet asymmetry in the collisions of lead ions at the Large Hadron Collider. In a sample of lead-lead events with a per-nucleon center of mass energy of 2.76 TeV, selected with a minimum bias trigger, jets are reconstructed in fine-grained, longitudinally-segmented electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeters. The underlying event is measured and subtracted event-by-event, giving estimates of jet transverse energy above the ambient background. The transverse energies of dijets in opposite hemispheres is observed to become systematically more unbalanced with increasing event centrality leading to a large number of events which contain highly asymmetric dijets. This is the first observation of an enhancement of events with such large dijet asymmetries, not observed in proton-proton collisions, and which may point to an interpretation in terms of strong jet energy loss in a hot, dense medium.

A search for charged Higgs bosons decaying into quarks is described, based on statistics of around 1.7 million hadronic Z0 decays detected in DELPHI. Despite the very high background from standard hadronic decays of the Z0, masses in the range up to 43.5 GeV/c2 are excluded at the 95% con dence level. After combination with a search for leptonic decays, this mass limit is extended to cover all branching ratios. A similar analysis sets new limits on the possible production of any pair-produced heavy scalar decaying into a pair of jets, such as neutral Higgs bosons in a two doublet scheme and diquarks.