Physics

Search for emerging jets in pp collisions at s=13TeV with the ATLAS experiment

(2026)

A search is presented for emerging jets using 140fb-1$$140~\textrm{fb}^{-1}$$ of proton–proton collision data at s=13TeV$$\sqrt{s} = 13~\textrm{TeV}$$, collected by the ATLAS experiment between 2015 and 2018. The search looks for the existence of a dark sector with symmetries similar to those in quantum chromodynamics. This dark sector is populated with dark quarks, which undergo showering similar to quarks in the Standard Model, leading to a high multiplicity of long-lived dark hadrons within a dark jet. These dark hadrons subsequently decay to Standard Model particles via a new heavy scalar mediating particle ϕ$$\phi $$. This results in jets which contain multiple displaced vertices, known as emerging jets. This analysis targets four-jet topologies, with two emerging jets and two Standard Model jets, resulting from the decay of pair-produced scalar mediators. No significant excess above the Standard Model background is observed. For dark pion proper decay lengths of 20mm$$20~\textrm{mm}$$, mediator masses are excluded between 1 and 2TeV$$2~\textrm{TeV}$$ assuming a dark pion mass of 20GeV$$20~\textrm{GeV}$$.

Combination of Measurements of CP Properties of Higgs Boson Interactions with Vector Bosons Using Proton-Proton Collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

(2026)

A combination of measurements of the properties of Higgs boson interactions with electroweak gauge bosons is presented, using of proton-proton collisions at recorded by the ATLAS detector. Results from vector boson fusion , inclusive , and channels are combined. No evidence of violation is observed, and constrains on the -violating operators in the Standard Model effective field theory framework (SMEFT) are set in the Warsaw basis. The results from the combination improve by over 40% on previous individual limits on and, for the first time, simultaneous constraints on three coefficients , , and are set. These limits are the most stringent constraints to date on the relevant Wilson coefficients in the SMEFT framework with minimum model dependence.

Search for long-lived particles using displaced vertices of oppositely charged leptons in 140 fb − 1 of pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

(2026)

A search is presented for long-lived particles decaying into an oppositely charged lepton pair, μ + μ − , e + e − , or e  ±  μ ∓, that form a vertex within the inner tracking system of the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider, displaced from the primary proton–proton interaction region. The analysis uses the 140 fb − 1 of Run-2 data collected at s = 13 TeV by the ATLAS experiment in 2015–2018. The results of the analysis are interpreted in the context of three benchmark models covering masses from 0.1 to 2.2 TeV and a range of mean proper lifetimes times the speed of light from 1 to 10 000 mm. The first model is a generic Z′ boson pair-produced by a new heavy scalar, with the Z′ decaying into lepton pairs. The remaining two models are R-parity violating supersymmetric models in which the lightest neutralino χ ˜ 1 0 decays into ℓ + ℓ ′ − ν ( ℓ , ℓ ′ = e , μ). The models differ by the mode of production of the χ ˜ 1 0 , which can be produced via the decay of pairs of gluinos or of pairs of charginos and neutralinos ( χ ˜ 1 ± χ ˜ 1 0 , χ ˜ 1 ± χ ˜ 2 0 , or χ ˜ 2 0 χ ˜ 1 0 ). Although each benchmark sample includes pair-produced LLPs, only a single vertex is required to be reconstructed. No dilepton displaced vertex candidate is observed and the results are presented as upper limits on the production cross-sections. This analysis sets leading limits on the production cross-sections for multiple models, including parameter space that has never been directly probed.

Search for massive, long-lived particles in events with displaced vertices and displaced muons in pp collisions at s = 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

(2026)

A search is presented for massive long-lived particles in events featuring at least one displaced vertex and at least one displaced muon, using proton–proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider from 2022 to 2024 at a centre-of-mass energy of 13.6 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 164 fb − 1 . The analysis targets scenarios in which long-lived particles decay inside the ATLAS inner detector, resulting in a topology of at least one massive, displaced vertex (DV) with multiple associated tracks, and at least one muon with a large transverse impact parameter relative to the primary interaction point. The muon is not required to be associated with the DV. Two signal regions are defined by the transverse distance of the reconstructed DV from the interaction point. Background contributions are estimated by using fully data-driven techniques. No significant excess above the expected background is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the visible cross-section and on the production cross-sections of several benchmark models of R-parity-violating supersymmetry.

Search for electroweak tt¯Wj production in multileptonic final states at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector and bounds on effective field theory operators

(2026)

A search is presented for the electroweak production of a top-quark pair in association with a boson and at least one additional jet known as the process. This process has embedded within it a -scattering vertex, which is probed directly for the first time. The collision data were collected with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of at . The search uses same-charge pairs of electrons and muons together with jets, of which at least one is -tagged. The properties of the most forward jet relative to the rest of the event are used to discriminate the electroweak production process from its strong production counterpart. A measured (expected) 95% CL upper limit on the cross section is set at (230 fb), to be compared with the expected Standard Model (SM) cross section of 47.7 fb. Limits are set on the SM effective field theory (EFT) operators and , which modify the electroweak couplings of the top quark through contributions to the -scattering vertex. The interpretation acts as a case study to emphasize the importance of energy-dependent sensitivity, multiprocess, and multioperator EFT contributions.

Search for higgsinos in compressed mass spectra using low-momentum tracks in pp collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

(2026)

This paper presents two searches for the electroweak production of higgsinos with compressed mass spectra using 140 fb−1 of s=13$$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$ TeV proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Events are required to feature an energetic jet, large missing transverse momentum, and at least one low-momentum charged particle that serves as a candidate higgsino decay product. In the first search, targeting higgsino mass splittings in the range of 0.3–1 GeV, the higgsinos are expected to predominantly decay into pions that are identified as low-momentum charged particles with large transverse impact parameters due to the long higgsino lifetime (cτ ≈ 𝒪(0.1–10 mm)), and neural networks are used to discriminate between signal and background processes. The second search targets larger mass splittings in the range of 1–3 GeV, where the higgsinos are expected to decay promptly into low-momentum leptons, one of which is identified by dedicated low-momentum electron or muon taggers based on neural networks utilising tracking and calorimeter information. No significant excess above the Standard Model prediction is observed in either search and the results are interpreted within simplified models, to set lower limits on the masses of the higgsino-like charginos and neutralinos. Together, these searches exclude chargino masses below 126 GeV at 95% confidence level for mass splittings between the chargino and lightest neutralino in the range of 0.3–2 GeV. This represents the first ATLAS constraints in a portion of this parameter space and surpasses the limits previously set by other experiments.

Observation of structures in the J/ψ+ψ(2S) mass spectrum with the ATLAS detector

(2026)

A search for resonant structures in the mass spectrum is performed using proton-proton collision data at , corresponding to an integrated luminosity of , recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The decay channels of and are analyzed. An excess near 6.9 GeV is observed in both channels with a combined significance of . No significant signal is observed near 7.2 GeV, and an upper limit on its yield relative to is provided. A simultaneous fit with the di- channel is carried out under assumptions regarding the resonance interferences, yielding a ratio of the partial decay widths between the and di- channels of for the resonance near 6.9 GeV.

Search for dimuon resonance in the 35 to 75 GeV mass range using 140 fb−1 of 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

(2026)

A model-independent search for low-mass resonances decaying into pairs of oppositely charged muons is presented. The analysis uses proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb−1, recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018. The search targets hypothetical dimuon resonances in the invariant mass range from 35 GeV to 75 GeV. The modelling of this mass region is particularly challenging for conventional analytic background parameterisations. To address this, a Gaussian process regression technique is used to model the background. The dimuon mass spectrum is analysed for potential signals, and no statistically significant excess is observed. Upper limits at the 95% confidence level are set on the fiducial production cross-section of new resonances decaying promptly into muons, ranging from 20 fb to 110 fb, depending on the resonance mass. These results are further interpreted in the context of dark-photon and dark-matter-mediator models, leading to new constraints on their parameter spaces.

Cover page of Characterization of nuclear breakup as a function of hard-scattering kinematics using dijets measured by ATLAS in p+Pb collisions

Characterization of nuclear breakup as a function of hard-scattering kinematics using dijets measured by ATLAS in p+Pb collisions

(2026)

This Letter analyzes the sensitivity of event geometry estimators to the initial-state kinematics of hard scattering in proton–lead collisions. This analysis uses dijets as a proxy for the parton–parton scattering configuration, correlating it with event geometry estimators, namely the energy deposited in the Zero-Degree Calorimeter and the transverse energy recorded in the Forward Calorimeter in the Pb-going direction. The analysis uses data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider with a nucleon–nucleon center-of-mass energy of 8.16 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 56 nb − 1 . The jets are measured within the pseudorapidity interval −2.8  <  η  <  4.5, where positive η values correspond to the direction of the proton beam. Results are presented as a function of the Bjorken-x of the parton originating from the proton, xp . Both event geometry estimators are found to be dependent on xp , with the energy deposited in the Zero-Degree Calorimeter about six times less sensitive to xp compared with the transverse energy deposited in the Forward Calorimeter.

Cover page of Search for a resonance decaying into a scalar particle and a Higgs boson in the final state with two bottom quarks and two photons with 199 fb − 1 of data collected at s =13 and 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Search for a resonance decaying into a scalar particle and a Higgs boson in the final state with two bottom quarks and two photons with 199 fb − 1 of data collected at s =13 and 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS detector

(2026)

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.

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