Search

A combination of searches for new heavy spin-1 resonances decaying into different pairings of W, Z, or Higgs bosons, as well as directly into leptons or quarks, is presented. The data sample used corresponds to 139 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV collected during 2015–2018 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Analyses selecting quark pairs (qq, bb, t t ¯ , and tb) or third-generation leptons (τν and ττ) are included in this kind of combination for the first time. A simplified model predicting a spin-1 heavy vector-boson triplet is used. Cross-section limits are set at the 95% confidence level and are compared with predictions for the benchmark model. These limits are also expressed in terms of constraints on couplings of the heavy vector-boson triplet to quarks, leptons, and the Higgs boson. The complementarity of the various analyses increases the sensitivity to new physics, and the resulting constraints are stronger than those from any individual analysis considered. The data exclude a heavy vector-boson triplet with mass below 5.8 TeV in a weakly coupled scenario, below 4.4 TeV in a strongly coupled scenario, and up to 1.5 TeV in the case of production via vector-boson fusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the measurement of fiducial and differential cross sections for both the inclusive and electroweak production of a same-sign W-boson pair in association with two jets (W±W±jj) using 139 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis is performed by selecting two same-charge leptons, electron or muon, and at least two jets with large invariant mass and a large rapidity difference. The measured fiducial cross sections for electroweak and inclusive W±W±jj production are 2.92 ± 0.22 (stat.) ± 0.19 (syst.) fb and 3.38 ± 0.22 (stat.) ± 0.19 (syst.) fb, respectively, in agreement with Standard Model predictions. The measurements are used to constrain anomalous quartic gauge couplings by extracting 95% confidence level intervals on dimension-8 operators. A search for doubly charged Higgs bosons H±± that are produced in vector-boson fusion processes and decay into a same-sign W boson pair is performed. The largest deviation from the Standard Model occurs for an H±± mass near 450 GeV, with a global significance of 2.5 standard deviations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search is conducted for new phenomena in events with a top quark pair and large missing transverse momentum, where the top quark pair is reconstructed in final states with one isolated electron or muon and multiple jets. The search is performed using the Large Hadron Collider proton-proton collision data sample at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector that corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb−1. An analysis based on neural network classifiers is optimised to search for directly produced pairs of supersymmetric partners of the top quark (stop), and to search for spin-0 mediators, produced in association with a pair of top quarks, that decay into dark-matter particles. In the stop search, the analysis is designed to target models in which the mass difference between the stop and the neutralino from the stop decay is close to the top quark mass. This new search is combined with previously published searches in final states with different lepton multiplicities. No significant excess above the Standard Model background is observed, and limits at 95% confidence level are set. Models with neutralinos with masses up to 570 GeV are excluded, while for small neutralino masses models are excluded for stop masses up to 1230 GeV. Scalar (pseudoscalar) dark matter mediator masses as large as 350 (370) GeV are excluded when the coupling strengths of the mediator to Standard Model and dark-matter particles are both set to one. At lower mediator masses, models with production cross-sections as small as 0.15 (0.16) times the nominal predictions are excluded. Results of this search are also used to set constraints on effective four-fermion contact interactions between top quarks and neutrinos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inclusive Higgs boson production cross-section is measured in the di-photon and the Z Z ∗ → 4 ℓ decay channels using 31.4 and 29.0 fb - 1 of pp collision data respectively, collected with the ATLAS detector at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13.6 TeV . To reduce the model dependence, the measurement in each channel is restricted to a particle-level phase space that closely matches the channel's detector-level kinematic selection, and it is corrected for detector effects. These measured fiducial cross-sections are σ fid , γ γ = 76 - 13 + 14 fb, and σ fid , 4 ℓ = 2.80 ± 0.74 fb, in agreement with the corresponding Standard Model predictions of 67.6 ± 3.7 fb and 3.67 ± 0.19 fb. Assuming Standard Model acceptances and branching fractions for the two channels, the fiducial measurements are extrapolated to the full phase space yielding total cross-sections of σ (p p → H) = 67 - 11 + 12 pb and 46 ± 12 pb at 13.6 TeV from the di-photon and Z Z ∗ → 4 ℓ measurements respectively. The two measurements are combined into a total cross-section measurement of σ (p p → H) = 58.2 ± 8.7 pb, to be compared with the Standard Model prediction of σ (p p → H) SM = 59.9 ± 2.6 pb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for flavour-changing neutral interactions involving the top quark, the Higgs boson and an up-type quark q (q = c, u) is presented. The proton-proton collision data set used, with an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1, was collected at s = 13 TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Both the decay process t → qH in t t ¯ production and the production process pp → tH, with the Higgs boson decaying into two photons, are investigated. No significant excess is observed and upper limits are set on the t → cH and the t → uH branching ratios of 4.3 × 10−4 and 3.8 × 10−4, respectively, at the 95% confidence level, while the expected limits in the absence of signal are 4.7 × 10−4 and 3.9 × 10−4. Combining this search with ATLAS searches in the H → τ+τ− and H → b b ¯ final states yields observed (expected) upper limits on the t → cH branching ratio of 5.8 × 10−4 (3.0 × 10−4) at the 95% confidence level. The corresponding observed (expected) upper limit on the t → uH branching ratio is 4.0 × 10−4 (2.4 × 10−4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Searches for electroweak production of wino-like chargino pairs, χ ~ 1 + χ ~ 1 − , and of wino-like chargino and next-to-lightest neutralino, χ ~ 1 ± χ ~ 2 0 , are presented. The models explored assume that the charginos decay into a W boson and the lightest neutralino, χ ~ 1 ± → W ± χ ~ 1 0 . The next-to-lightest neutralinos are degenerate in mass with the chargino and decay to χ ~ 1 0 and either a Z or a Higgs boson, χ ~ 2 0 → Z χ ~ 1 0 or h χ ~ 1 0 . The searches exploit the presence of a single isolated lepton and missing transverse momentum from the W boson decay products and the lightest neutralinos, and the presence of jets from hadronically decaying Z or W bosons or from the Higgs boson decaying into a pair of b-quarks. The searches use 139 fb−1 of s = 13 TeV proton-proton collisions data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018. No deviations from the Standard Model expectations are found, and 95% confidence level exclusion limits are set. Chargino masses ranging from 260 to 520 GeV are excluded for a massless χ ~ 1 0 in chargino pair production models. Degenerate chargino and next-to-lightest neutralino masses ranging from 260 to 420 GeV are excluded for a massless χ ~ 1 0 for χ ~ 2 0 → Z χ ~ 1 0 . For decays through an on-shell Higgs boson and for mass-splitting between χ ~ 1 ± / χ ~ 2 0 and χ ~ 1 0 as small as the Higgs boson mass, mass limits are improved by up to 40 GeV in the range of 200–260 GeV and 280–470 GeV compared to previous ATLAS constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of the polarisation and CP properties in ZZ production is presented. The used data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The ZZ candidate events are reconstructed using two same-flavour opposite-charge electron or muon pairs. The production of two longitudinally polarised Z bosons is measured with a significance of 4.3 standard deviations, and its cross-section is measured in a fiducial phase space to be 2.45 ± 0.60 fb, consistent with the next-to-leading-order Standard Model prediction. The inclusive differential cross-section as a function of a CP-sensitive angular observable is also measured. The results are used to constrain anomalous CP-odd neutral triple gauge couplings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for new heavy scalars with flavour-violating decays in final states with multiple leptons and b-tagged jets is presented. The results are interpreted in terms of a general two-Higgs-doublet model involving an additional scalar with couplings to the top-quark and the three up-type quarks (ρtt, ρtc, and ρtu). The targeted signals lead to final states with either a same-sign top-quark pair, three top-quarks, or four top-quarks. The search is based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. Events are categorised depending on the multiplicity of light charged leptons (electrons or muons), total lepton charge, and a deep-neural-network output to enhance the purity of each of the signals. Masses of an additional scalar boson mH between 200 − 630 GeV with couplings ρtt = 0.4, ρtc = 0.2, and ρtu = 0.2 are excluded at 95% confidence level. Additional interpretations are provided in models of R-parity violating supersymmetry, motivated by the recent flavour and (g − 2)μ anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for a new massive charged gauge boson, W′, is performed with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The dataset used in this analysis was collected from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. The reconstructed tb invariant mass is used to search for a W′ boson decaying into a top quark and a bottom quark. The result is interpreted in terms of a W′ boson with purely right-handed or left-handed chirality in a mass range of 0.5–6 TeV. Different values for the coupling of the W′ boson to the top and bottom quarks are considered, taking into account interference with single-top-quark production in the s-channel. No significant deviation from the background prediction is observed. The results are expressed as upper limits on the W′ → tb production cross-section times branching ratio as a function of the W′-boson mass and in the plane of the coupling vs the W′-boson mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for heavy right-handed Majorana or Dirac neutrinos N R and heavy right-handed gauge bosons W R is performed in events with energetic electrons or muons, with the same or opposite electric charge, and energetic jets. The search is carried out separately for topologies of clearly separated final-state products ("resolved" channel) and topologies with boosted final states with hadronic and/or leptonic products partially overlapping and reconstructed as a large-radius jet ("boosted" channel). The events are selected from pp collision data at the LHC with an integrated luminosity of 139 fb - 1 collected by the ATLAS detector at s = 13 TeV. No significant deviations from the Standard Model predictions are observed. The results are interpreted within the theoretical framework of a left-right symmetric model, and lower limits are set on masses in the heavy right-handed W R boson and N R plane. The excluded region extends to about m (W R) = 6.4 TeV for both Majorana and Dirac N R neutrinos at m (N R) < 1 TeV. N R with masses of less than 3.5 (3.6) TeV are excluded in the electron (muon) channel at m (W R) = 4.8 TeV for the Majorana neutrinos, and limits of m (N R) up to 3.6 TeV for m (W R) = 5.2 (5.0) TeV in the electron (muon) channel are set for the Dirac neutrinos. These constitute the most stringent exclusion limits to date for the model considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a search for magnetic monopoles and high-electric-charge objects using LHC Run 2 s = 13 TeV proton-proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector. A total integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1 was collected by a specialized trigger. No highly ionizing particle candidate was observed. Considering the Drell-Yan and photon-fusion pair production mechanisms as benchmark models, cross-section upper limits are presented for spin-0 and spin-1/2 magnetic monopoles of magnetic charge 1gD and 2gD and for high-electric-charge objects of electric charge 20 ≤ |z| ≤ 100, for masses between 200 GeV and 4000 GeV. The search improves by approximately a factor of three the previous cross-section limits on the Drell-Yan production of magnetic monopoles and high-electric charge objects. Also, the first ATLAS limits on the photon-fusion pair production mechanism of magnetic monopoles and high-electric-charge objects are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for pair-produced scalar or vector leptoquarks decaying into a b-quark and a τ -lepton is presented using the full LHC Run 2 (2015–2018) data sample of 139 fb - 1 collected with the ATLAS detector in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV. Events in which at least one τ -lepton decays hadronically are considered, and multivariate discriminants are used to extract the signals. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectation are observed and 95% confidence-level upper limits on the production cross-section are derived as a function of leptoquark mass and branching ratio B into a τ -lepton and b-quark. For scalar leptoquarks, masses below 1460 GeV are excluded assuming B = 100 %, while for vector leptoquarks the corresponding limit is 1650 GeV (1910 GeV) in the minimal-coupling (Yang–Mills) scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search is performed for a heavy particle decaying into different-flavour, dilepton final states, using 139 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data at s = 13 TeV collected in 2015–2018 by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Final states with electrons, muons and hadronically decaying tau leptons are considered (eμ, eτ or μτ). No significant excess over the Standard Model predictions is observed. Upper limits on the production cross-section are set as a function of the mass of a Z′ boson, a supersymmetric τ-sneutrino, and a quantum black-hole. The observed 95% CL lower mass limits obtained on a typical benchmark model Z′ boson are 5.0 TeV (eμ), 4.0 TeV (eτ), and 3.9 TeV (μτ), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A measurement of novel event shapes quantifying the isotropy of collider events is performed in 140 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions with s = 13 TeV centre-of-mass energy recorded with the ATLAS detector at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. These event shapes are defined as the Wasserstein distance between collider events and isotropic reference geometries. This distance is evaluated by solving optimal transport problems, using the 'Energy-Mover's Distance'. Isotropic references with cylindrical and circular symmetries are studied, to probe the symmetries of interest at hadron colliders. The novel event-shape observables defined in this way are infrared- and collinear-safe, have improved dynamic range and have greater sensitivity to isotropic radiation patterns than other event shapes. The measured event-shape variables are corrected for detector effects, and presented in inclusive bins of jet multiplicity and the scalar sum of the two leading jets' transverse momenta. The measured distributions are provided as inputs to future Monte Carlo tuning campaigns and other studies probing fundamental properties of QCD and the production of hadronic final states up to the TeV-scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for leptoquarks decaying into the bτ final state is performed using Run 2 proton-proton collision data from the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1 at s = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector. The benchmark models considered in this search are vector leptoquarks with electric charge of 2/3e and scalar leptoquarks with an electric charge of 4/3e. No significant excess above the Standard Model prediction is observed, and 95% confidence level upper limits are set on the cross-section times branching fraction of leptoquarks decaying into bτ. For the vector leptoquark production two models are considered: the Yang-Mills and Minimal coupling models. In the Yang-Mills (Minimal coupling) scenario, vector leptoquarks with a mass below 1.58 (1.35) TeV are excluded for a gauge coupling of 1.0 and below 2.05 (1.99) TeV for a gauge coupling of 2.5. In the case of scalar leptoquarks, masses below 1.28 (1.53) TeV are excluded for a Yukawa coupling of 1.0 (2.5). Finally, an interpretation of the results with minimal model dependence is performed for each of the signal region categories, and limits on the visible cross-section for beyond the Standard Model processes are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for a new heavy scalar particle X decaying into a Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson and a new singlet scalar particle S is presented. The search uses a proton-proton (pp) collision data sample with an integrated luminosity of 140 fb−1 recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The most sensitive mass parameter space is explored in X mass ranging from 500 to 1500 GeV, with the corresponding S mass in the range 200–500 GeV. The search selects events with two hadronically decaying τ-lepton candidates from H → τ+τ− decays and one or two light leptons (ℓ = e, μ) from S → VV (V = W, Z) decays while the remaining V boson decays hadronically or to neutrinos. A multivariate discriminant based on event kinematics is used to separate the signal from the background. No excess is observed beyond the expected SM background and 95% confidence level upper limits between 72 fb and 542 fb are derived on the cross-section σ(pp → X → SH) assuming the same SM-Higgs boson-like decay branching ratios for the S → VV decay. Upper limits on the visible cross-sections σ(pp → X → SH → WWττ) and σ(pp → X → SH → ZZττ) are also set in the ranges 3–26 fb and 6–33 fb, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for Majorana neutrinos in same-sign WW scattering events is presented. The analysis uses s = 13 TeV proton–proton collision data with an integrated luminosity of 140 fb - 1 recorded during 2015–2018 by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis targets final states including exactly two same-sign muons and at least two hadronic jets well separated in rapidity. The modelling of the main backgrounds, from Standard Model same-sign WW scattering and WZ production, is constrained with data in dedicated signal-depleted control regions. The distribution of the transverse momentum of the second-hardest muon is used to search for signals originating from a heavy Majorana neutrino with a mass between 50 GeV and 20 TeV. No significant excess is observed over the background expectation. The results are interpreted in a benchmark scenario of the Phenomenological Type-I Seesaw model. In addition, the sensitivity to the Weinberg operator is investigated. Upper limits at the 95% confidence level are placed on the squared muon-neutrino–heavy-neutrino mass-mixing matrix element | V μ N | 2 as a function of the heavy Majorana neutrino's mass m N , and on the effective μ μ Majorana neutrino mass | m μ μ | . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higgs boson production via gluon–gluon fusion is measured in the W W ∗ → e ν μ ν decay channel. The dataset utilized corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb - 1 collected by the ATLAS detector from s = 13 TeV proton–proton collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018. Differential cross sections are measured in a fiducial phase space restricted to the production of at most one additional jet. The results are consistent with Standard Model expectations, derived using different Monte Carlo generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Searches for the exclusive decays of Higgs and Z bosons into a vector quarkonium state and a photon are performed in the μ + μ - γ final state with a proton–proton collision data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb - 1 collected at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The observed data are compatible with the expected backgrounds. The 95% confidence-level upper limits on the branching fractions of the Higgs boson decays into J / ψ γ , ψ (2 S) γ , and Υ (1 S , 2 S , 3 S) γ are found to be 2.0 × 10 - 4 , 10.5 × 10 - 4 , and (2.5 , 4.2 , 3.4) × 10 - 4 , respectively, assuming Standard Model production of the Higgs boson. The corresponding 95% CL upper limits on the branching fractions of the Z boson decays are 1.2 × 10 - 6 , 2.4 × 10 - 6 , and (1.1 , 1.3 , 2.4) × 10 - 6 . An observed 95% CL interval of (- 133 , 175) is obtained for the κ c / κ γ ratio of Higgs boson coupling modifiers, and a 95% CL interval of (- 37 , 40) is obtained for κ b / κ γ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a search for the single production of an up-type vector-like quark (T) decaying as T → Ht or T → Zt. The search utilises a dataset of pp collisions at s = 13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector during the 2015–2018 data-taking period of the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. Data are analysed in final states containing a single lepton with multiple jets and b-jets. The presence of boosted heavy resonances in the event is exploited to discriminate the signal from the Standard Model background. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed, and 95% CL upper limits are set on the production cross section of T quarks in different decay channels. The results are interpreted in several benchmark scenarios to set limits on the mass and universal coupling strength (κ) of the vector-like quark. For singlet T quarks, κ values above 0.53 are excluded for all masses below 2.3 TeV. At a mass of 1.6 TeV, κ values as low as 0.35 are excluded. For T quarks in the doublet scenario, where the production cross section is much lower, κ values above 0.72 are excluded for all masses below 1.7 TeV, and this exclusion is extended to κ above 0.55 for low masses around 1.0 TeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive and differential measurements of the top–antitop (t t ¯ ) charge asymmetry A C t t ¯ and the leptonic asymmetry A C ℓ ℓ ¯ are presented in proton–proton collisions at s = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement uses the complete Run 2 dataset, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1, combines data in the single-lepton and dilepton channels, and employs reconstruction techniques adapted to both the resolved and boosted topologies. A Bayesian unfolding procedure is performed to correct for detector resolution and acceptance effects. The combined inclusive t t ¯ charge asymmetry is measured to be A C t t ¯ = 0.0068 ± 0.0015, which differs from zero by 4.7 standard deviations. Differential measurements are performed as a function of the invariant mass, transverse momentum and longitudinal boost of the t t ¯ system. Both the inclusive and differential measurements are found to be compatible with the Standard Model predictions, at next-to-next-to-leading order in quantum chromodynamics perturbation theory with next-to-leading-order electroweak corrections. The measurements are interpreted in the framework of the Standard Model effective field theory, placing competitive bounds on several Wilson coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A determination of the jet energy scale is presented using proton–proton collision data with a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb - 1 collected using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Jets are reconstructed using the ATLAS particle-flow method that combines charged-particle tracks and topo-clusters formed from energy deposits in the calorimeter cells. The anti- k t jet algorithm with radius parameter R = 0.4 is used to define the jet. Novel jet energy scale calibration strategies developed for the LHC Run 2 are reported that lay the foundation for the jet calibration in Run 3. Jets are calibrated with a series of simulation-based corrections, including state-of-the-art techniques in jet calibration such as machine learning methods and novel in situ calibrations to achieve better performance than the baseline calibration derived using up to 81 fb - 1 of Run 2 data. The performance of these new techniques is then examined in the in situ measurements by exploiting the transverse momentum balance between a jet and a reference object. The b-quark jet energy scale using particle flow jets is measured for the first time with around 1% precision using γ +jet events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for forward proton scattering in association with light-by-light scattering mediated by an axion-like particle is presented, using the ATLAS Forward Proton spectrometer to detect scattered protons and the central ATLAS detector to detect pairs of outgoing photons. Proton-proton collision data recorded in 2017 at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV were analysed, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 14.6 fb−1. A total of 441 candidate events were selected. A search was made for a narrow resonance in the diphoton mass distribution, corresponding to an axion-like particle (ALP) with mass in the range 150–1600 GeV. No excess is observed above a smooth background. Upper limits on the production cross section of a narrow resonance are set as a function of the mass, and are interpreted as upper limits on the ALP production coupling constant, assuming 100% decay branching ratio into a photon pair. The inferred upper limit on the coupling constant is in the range 0.04–0.09 TeV−1 at 95% confidence level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for resonances in events with at least one isolated lepton (e or μ) and two jets is performed using 139 fb−1 of s = 13 TeV proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Deviations from a smoothly falling background hypothesis are tested in three- and four-body invariant mass distributions constructed from leptons and jets, including jets identified as originating from bottom quarks. Model-independent limits on generic resonances characterised by cascade decays of particles leading to multiple jets and leptons in the final state are presented. The limits are calculated using Gaussian shapes with different widths for the invariant masses. The multi-body invariant masses are also used to set 95% confidence level upper limits on the cross-section times branching ratios for the production and subsequent decay of resonances predicted by several new physics scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for heavy Higgs bosons produced in association with a vector boson and decaying into a pair of vector bosons is performed in final states with two leptons (electrons or muons) of the same electric charge, missing transverse momentum and jets. A data sample of proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018 is used. The data correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. The observed data are in agreement with Standard Model background expectations. The results are interpreted using higher-dimensional operators in an effective field theory. Upper limits on the production cross-section are calculated at 95% confidence level as a function of the heavy Higgs boson's mass and coupling strengths to vector bosons. Limits are set in the Higgs boson mass range from 300 to 1500 GeV, and depend on the assumed couplings. The highest excluded mass for a heavy Higgs boson with the coupling combinations explored is 900 GeV. Limits on coupling strengths are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for flavour-changing neutral-current decays of a top quark into an up-type quark (either up or charm) and a light scalar particle X decaying into a bottom anti-bottom quark pair is presented. The search focuses on top-quark pair production where one top quark decays to qX, with X → b b ¯ , and the other top quark decays according to the Standard Model, with the W boson decaying leptonically. The final state is thus characterised by an isolated electron or muon and at least four jets. Events are categorised according to the multiplicity of jets and jets tagged as originating from b-quarks, and a neural network is used to discriminate between signal and background processes. The data analysed correspond to 139 fb−1 of proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The 95% confidence-level upper limits between 0.019% and 0.062% are derived for the branching fraction B (t → uX) and between 0.018% and 0.078% for the branching fraction B (t → cX), for masses of the scalar particle X between 20 and 160 GeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents direct searches for lepton flavour violation in Higgs boson decays, H → eτ and H → μτ, performed using data collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The searches are based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy s = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1. Leptonic (τ → ℓνℓντ) and hadronic (τ → hadrons ντ) decays of the τ-lepton are considered. Two background estimation techniques are employed: the MC-template method, based on data-corrected simulation samples, and the Symmetry method, based on exploiting the symmetry between electrons and muons in the Standard Model backgrounds. No significant excess of events is observed and the results are interpreted as upper limits on lepton-flavour-violating branching ratios of the Higgs boson. The observed (expected) upper limits set on the branching ratios at 95% confidence level, B (H → eτ) < 0.20% (0.12%) and B (H → μτ) < 0.18% (0.09%), are obtained with the MC-template method from a simultaneous measurement of potential H → eτ and H → μτ signals. The best-fit branching ratio difference, B (H → μτ) → B (H → eτ), measured with the Symmetry method in the channel where the τ-lepton decays to leptons, is (0.25 ± 0.10)%, compatible with a value of zero within 2.5σ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a search for dark photons (γd) in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The dark photons are searched for in the decay of Higgs bosons (H → γγd) produced through the ZH production mode. The transverse mass of the system, made of the photon and the missing transverse momentum from the non-interacting γd, presents a distinctive signature as it peaks near the Higgs boson mass. The results presented use the total Run-2 integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1 recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The dominant reducible background processes are estimated using data-driven techniques. A Boosted Decision Tree technique is adopted to enhance the sensitivity of the search. As no excess is observed with respect to the Standard Model prediction, an observed (expected) upper limit on the branching ratio BR(H → γγd) of 2.28% ( 2.82 − 0.84 + 1.33 % ) is set at 95% CL for massless γd. For massive dark photons up to 40 GeV, the observed (expected) upper limits on BR(H → γγd) at 95% confidence level is found within the [2.19,2.52]% ([2.71,3.11]%) range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for vector-like leptons in multilepton (two, three, or four-or-more electrons plus muons) final states with zero or more hadronic τ-lepton decays is presented. The search is performed using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. To maximize the separation of signal and background, a machine-learning classifier is used. No excess of events is observed beyond the Standard Model expectation. Using a doublet vector-like lepton model, vector-like leptons coupling to third-generation Standard Model leptons are excluded in the mass range from 130 GeV to 900 GeV at the 95% confidence level, while the highest excluded mass is expected to be 970 GeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a search for a new Z′ vector gauge boson with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider using pp collision data collected at s = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. The new gauge boson Z′ is predicted by Lμ − Lτ models to address observed phenomena that can not be explained by the Standard Model. The search examines the four-muon (4μ) final state, using a deep learning neural network classifier to separate the Z′ signal from the Standard Model background events. The di-muon invariant masses in the 4μ events are used to extract the Z′ resonance signature. No significant excess of events is observed over the predicted background. Upper limits at a 95% confidence level on the Z′ production cross-section times the decay branching fraction of pp → Z′μμ → 4μ are set from 0.31 to 4.3 fb for the Z′ mass ranging from 5 to 81 GeV. The corresponding common coupling strengths, gZ′, of the Z′ boson to the second and third generation leptons above 0.003 – 0.2 have been excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of differential cross sections are presented for inclusive isolated-photon production in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV provided by the LHC and using 139 fb−1 of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment. The cross sections are measured as functions of the photon transverse energy in different regions of photon pseudorapidity. The photons are required to be isolated by means of a fixed-cone method with two different cone radii. The dependence of the inclusive-photon production on the photon isolation is investigated by measuring the fiducial cross sections as functions of the isolation-cone radius and the ratios of the differential cross sections with different radii in different regions of photon pseudorapidity. The results presented in this paper constitute an improvement with respect to those published by ATLAS earlier: the measurements are provided for different isolation radii and with a more granular segmentation in photon pseudorapidity that can be exploited in improving the determination of the proton parton distribution functions. These improvements provide a more in-depth test of the theoretical predictions. Next-to-leading-order QCD predictions from JETPHOX and SHERPA and next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD predictions from NNLOJET are compared to the measurements, using several parameterisations of the proton parton distribution functions. The measured cross sections are well described by the fixed-order QCD predictions within the experimental and theoretical uncertainties in most of the investigated phase-space region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of transverse energy-energy correlations and their associated azimuthal asymmetries in multijet events are presented. The analysis is performed using a data sample corresponding to 139 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV, collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The measurements are presented in bins of the scalar sum of the transverse momenta of the two leading jets and unfolded to particle level. They are then compared to next-to-next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations for the first time, which feature a significant reduction in the theoretical uncertainties estimated using variations of the renormalisation and factorisation scales. The agreement between data and theory is good, thus providing a precision test of QCD at large momentum transfers Q. The strong coupling constant αs is extracted as a function of Q, showing a good agreement with the renormalisation group equation and with previous analyses. A simultaneous fit to all transverse energy-energy correlation distributions across different kinematic regions yields a value of α s m Z = 0.1175 ± 0.0006 exp. − 0.0017 + 0.0034 theo. , while the global fit to the asymmetry distributions yields α s m Z = 0.1185 ± 0.0009 exp. − 0.0012 + 0.0025 theo. . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential cross-section measurements of Zγ production in association with hadronic jets are presented, using the full 139 fb−1 dataset of s = 13 TeV proton–proton collisions collected by the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the LHC. Distributions are measured using events in which the Z boson decays leptonically and the photon is usually radiated from an initial-state quark. Measurements are made in both one and two observables, including those sensitive to the hard scattering in the event and others which probe additional soft and collinear radiation. Different Standard Model predictions, from both parton-shower Monte Carlo simulation and fixed-order QCD calculations, are compared with the measurements. In general, good agreement is observed between data and predictions from MATRIX and MiNNLOPS, as well as next-to-leading-order predictions from MadGraph5_aMC@NLO and Sherpa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for the leptonic charge asymmetry ( A c ℓ ) of top-quark-antiquark pair production in association with a W boson (t t ¯ W ) is presented. The search is performed using final states with exactly three charged light leptons (electrons or muons) and is based on s = 13 TeV proton-proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN during the years 2015–2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. A profile-likelihood fit to the event yields in multiple regions corresponding to positive and negative differences between the pseudorapidities of the charged leptons from top-quark and top-antiquark decays is used to extract the charge asymmetry. At reconstruction level, the asymmetry is found to be −0.12 ± 0.14 (stat.) ± 0.05 (syst.). An unfolding procedure is applied to convert the result at reconstruction level into a charge-asymmetry value in a fiducial volume at particle level with the result of −0.11 ± 0.17 (stat.) ± 0.05 (syst.). The Standard Model expectations for these two observables are calculated using Monte Carlo simulations with next-to-leading-order plus parton shower precision in quantum chromodynamics and including next-to-leading-order electroweak corrections. They are − 0.084 − 0.003 + 0.005 (scale) ± 0.006 (MC stat.) and − 0.063 − 0.004 + 0.007 (scale) ± 0.004 (MC stat.) respectively, and in agreement with the measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exclusive production of pion pairs in the process p p → p p π + π - has been measured at s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, using 80 μ b - 1 of low-luminosity data. The pion pairs were detected in the ATLAS central detector while outgoing protons were measured in the forward ATLAS ALFA detector system. This represents the first use of proton tagging to measure an exclusive hadronic final state at the LHC. A cross-section measurement is performed in two kinematic regions defined by the proton momenta, the pion rapidities and transverse momenta, and the pion–pion invariant mass. Cross-section values of 4.8 ± 1.0 (stat) - 0.2 + 0.3 (syst) μ b and 9 ± 6 (stat) - 2 + 2 (syst) μ b are obtained in the two regions; they are compared with theoretical models and provide a demonstration of the feasibility of measurements of this type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of the charge conjugation and parity (CP ) properties of the interaction between the Higgs boson and τ -leptons is presented. The study is based on a measurement of CP -sensitive angular observables defined by the visible decay products of τ -leptons produced in Higgs boson decays. The analysis uses 139 fb - 1 of proton–proton collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Contributions from CP -violating interactions between the Higgs boson and τ -leptons are described by a single mixing angle parameter ϕ τ in the generalised Yukawa interaction. Without constraining the H → τ τ signal strength to its expected value under the Standard Model hypothesis, the mixing angle ϕ τ is measured to be 9 ∘ ± 16 ∘ , with an expected value of 0 ∘ ± 28 ∘ at the 68% confidence level. The pure CP -odd hypothesis is disfavoured at a level of 3.4 standard deviations. The results are compatible with the predictions for the Higgs boson in the Standard Model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for supersymmetry involving the pair production of gluinos decaying via off-shell third-generation squarks into the lightest neutralino (χ ~ 1 0) is reported. It exploits LHC proton–proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s = 13 TeV with an integrated luminosity of 139 fb - 1 collected with the ATLAS detector from 2015 to 2018. The search uses events containing large missing transverse momentum, up to one electron or muon, and several energetic jets, at least three of which must be identified as containing b-hadrons. Both a simple kinematic event selection and an event selection based upon a deep neural-network are used. No significant excess above the predicted background is found. In simplified models involving the pair production of gluinos that decay via off-shell top (bottom) squarks, gluino masses less than 2.44 TeV (2.35 TeV) are excluded at 95% CL for a massless χ ~ 1 0. Limits are also set on the gluino mass in models with variable branching ratios for gluino decays to b b ¯ χ ~ 1 0 , t t ¯ χ ~ 1 0 and t b ¯ χ ~ 1 - / t ¯ b χ ~ 1 +. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inclusive top-quark pair (t t ¯ ) production cross-section σ t t ¯ is measured in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy s = 5.02 TeV, using 257 pb−1 of data collected in 2017 by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The t t ¯ cross-section is measured in both the dilepton and single-lepton final states of the t t ¯ system and then combined. The combination of the two measurements yields σ t t ¯ = 67.5 ± 0.9 stat. ± 2.3 syst. ± 1.1 lumi. ± 0.2 beam pb , where the four uncertainties reflect the limited size of the data sample, experimental and theoretical systematic effects, and imperfect knowledge of both the integrated luminosity and the LHC beam energy, giving a total uncertainty of 3.9%. The result is in agreement with theoretical quantum chromodynamic calculations at next-to-next-to-leading order in the strong coupling constant, including the resummation of next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic soft-gluon terms, and constrains the parton distribution functions of the proton at large Bjorken-x. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electroweak production of Z ν ν ¯ γ in association with two jets is studied in a regime with a photon of high transverse momentum above 150 GeV using proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis uses a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1 collected by the ATLAS detector during the 2015–2018 LHC data-taking period. This process is an important probe of the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism in the Standard Model and is sensitive to quartic gauge boson couplings via vector-boson scattering. The fiducial Z ν ν ¯ γjj cross section for electroweak production is measured to be 0.77 − 0.30 + 0.34 fb and is consistent with the Standard Model prediction. Evidence of electroweak Z ν ν ¯ γjj production is found with an observed significance of 3.2σ for the background-only hypothesis, compared with an expected significance of 3.7σ. The combination of this result with the previously published ATLAS observation of electroweak Z ν ν ¯ γjj production yields an observed (expected) signal significance of 6.3σ (6.6σ). Limits on anomalous quartic gauge boson couplings are obtained in the framework of effective field theory with dimension-8 operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A generic search for resonances is performed with events containing a Z boson with transverse momentum greater than 100 GeV, decaying into e+e− or μ+μ−. The analysed data collected with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider correspond to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. Two invariant mass distributions are examined for a localised excess relative to the expected Standard Model background in six independent event categories (and their inclusive sum) to increase the sensitivity. No significant excess is observed. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are derived for two cases: a model-independent interpretation of Gaussian-shaped resonances with the mass width between 3% and 10% of the resonance mass, and a specific heavy vector triplet model with the decay mode W′ → ZW →ℓℓqq. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-sections for the production of a Z boson in association with two photons are measured in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb - 1 recorded by the ATLAS experiment during Run 2 of the LHC. The measurements use the electron and muon decay channels of the Z boson, and a fiducial phase-space region where the photons are not radiated from the leptons. The integrated Z (→ ℓ ℓ) γ γ cross-section is measured with a precision of 12% and differential cross-sections are measured as a function of six kinematic variables of the Z γ γ system. The data are compared with predictions from MC event generators which are accurate to up to next-to-leading order in QCD. The cross-section measurements are used to set limits on the coupling strengths of dimension-8 operators in the framework of an effective field theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the observation of four-top-quark ( t t ¯ t t ¯ ) production in proton-proton collisions at the LHC. The analysis is performed using an integrated luminosity of 140 fb - 1 at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected using the ATLAS detector. Events containing two leptons with the same electric charge or at least three leptons (electrons or muons) are selected. Event kinematics are used to separate signal from background through a multivariate discriminant, and dedicated control regions are used to constrain the dominant backgrounds. The observed (expected) significance of the measured t t ¯ t t ¯ signal with respect to the standard model (SM) background-only hypothesis is 6.1 (4.3) standard deviations. The t t ¯ t t ¯ production cross section is measured to be 22. 5 - 5.5 + 6.6 fb, consistent with the SM prediction of 12.0 ± 2.4 fb within 1.8 standard deviations. Data are also used to set limits on the three-top-quark production cross section, being an irreducible background not measured previously, and to constrain the top-Higgs Yukawa coupling and effective field theory operator coefficients that affect t t ¯ t t ¯ production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a search for Higgs boson pair (hh) production in association with a vector boson ( W o r Z ) using 139 fb - 1 of proton–proton collision data at s = 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The search is performed in final states in which the vector boson decays leptonically ( W → ℓ ν , Z → ℓ ℓ , ν ν with ℓ = e , μ ) and the Higgs bosons each decay into a pair of b-quarks. It targets Vhh signals from both non-resonant hh production, present in the Standard Model (SM), and resonant hh production, as predicted in some SM extensions. A 95% confidence-level upper limit of 183 (87) times the SM cross-section is observed (expected) for non-resonant Vhh production when assuming the kinematics are as expected in the SM. Constraints are also placed on Higgs boson coupling modifiers. For the resonant search, upper limits on the production cross-sections are derived for two specific models: one is the production of a vector boson along with a neutral heavy scalar resonance H, in the mass range 260–1000 GeV, that decays into hh, and the other is the production of a heavier neutral pseudoscalar resonance A that decays into a Z boson and H boson, where the A boson mass is 360–800 GeV and the H boson mass is 260–400 GeV. Constraints are also derived in the parameter space of two-Higgs-doublet models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A measurement of observables sensitive to effects of colour reconnection in top-quark pair-production events is presented using 139 fb - 1 of 13 TeV proton–proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are selected by requiring exactly one isolated electron and one isolated muon with opposite charge and two or three jets, where exactly two jets are required to be b-tagged. For the selected events, measurements are presented for the charged-particle multiplicity, the scalar sum of the transverse momenta of the charged particles, and the same scalar sum in bins of charged-particle multiplicity. These observables are unfolded to the stable-particle level, thereby correcting for migration effects due to finite detector resolution, acceptance and efficiency effects. The particle-level measurements are compared with different colour reconnection models in Monte Carlo generators. These measurements disfavour some of the colour reconnection models and provide inputs to future optimisation of the parameters in Monte Carlo generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total and differential Higgs boson production cross-sections are measured through a combined statistical analysis of the H → ZZ* → 4ℓ and H → γγ decay channels. The results are based on a dataset of 139 fb−1 of proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The measured total Higgs boson production cross-section is 55.5 − 3.8 + 4.0 pb, consistent with the Standard Model prediction of 55.6 ± 2.5 pb. All results from the two decay channels are compatible with each other, and their combination agrees with the Standard Model predictions. A combined statistical interpretation of the measured fiducial cross-sections as a function of the Higgs boson transverse momentum is performed in order to probe the Yukawa couplings to the bottom and charm quarks. A similar interpretation is performed by including also the constraints from the measurements of Higgs boson production in association with a W or Z boson in the H → b b ¯ and c c ¯ decay channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a measurement of the triple-differential cross section for the Drell-Yan process Z/ γ → ℓ ℓ where ℓ is an electron or a muon. The measurement is performed for invariant masses of the lepton pairs, m , between 46 and 200 GeV using a sample of 20.2 fb of pp collisions data at a centre-of-mass energy of $$ \sqrt{s}=8 $$ TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2012. The data are presented in bins of invariant mass, absolute dilepton rapidity, | y |, and the angular variable cos θ between the outgoing lepton and the incoming quark in the Collins-Soper frame. The measurements are performed in the range | y | < 2.4 in the muon channel, and extended to | y | < 3.6 in the electron channel. The cross sections are used to determine the Z boson forward-backward asymmetry as a function of | y | and m . The measurements achieve high-precision, below the percent level in the pole region, excluding the uncertainty in the integrated luminosity, and are in agreement with predictions. These precision data are sensitive to the parton distribution functions and the effective weak mixing angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for the decay of the Standard Model Higgs boson into a $$ b\overline{b} $$ pair when produced in association with a W or Z boson is performed with the ATLAS detector. The analysed data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb, were collected in proton-proton collisions in Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. Final states containing zero, one and two charged leptons (electrons or muons) are considered, targeting the decays Z → νν, W → ℓν and Z → ℓℓ. For a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV, an excess of events over the expected background from other Standard Model processes is found with an observed significance of 3.5 standard deviations, compared to an expectation of 3.0 standard deviations. This excess provides evidence for the Higgs boson decay into b-quarks and for its production in association with a vector boson. The combination of this result with that of the Run 1 analysis yields a ratio of the measured signal events to the Standard Model expectation equal to 0.90 ± 0.18(stat.)(syst.). Assuming the Standard Model production cross-section, the results are consistent with the value of the Yukawa coupling to b-quarks in the Standard Model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search for pair production of a scalar partner of the top quark in events with four or more jets plus missing transverse momentum is presented. An analysis of 36.1 fb of $$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$ TeV proton-proton collisions collected using the ATLAS detector at the LHC yields no significant excess over the expected Standard Model background. To interpret the results a simplified supersymmetric model is used where the top squark is assumed to decay via $$ {\tilde{t}}_1\to {t}^{\left(\ast \right)}{\tilde{\upchi}}_1^0 $$ and $$ {\tilde{t}}_1\to b{\tilde{\upchi}}_1^{\pm}\to b{W}^{\left(\ast \right)}{\tilde{\upchi}}_1^0 $$ , where χ(χ) denotes the lightest neutralino (chargino). Exclusion limits are placed in terms of the top-squark and neutralino masses. Assuming a branching ratio of 100% to $$ t{\tilde{\upchi}}_1^0 $$ , top-squark masses in the range 450-1000 GeV are excluded for $$ {\tilde{\upchi}}_1^0 $$ masses below 160 GeV. In the case where $$ {m}_{{\tilde{t}}_1}\sim {m}_t+{m}_{{\tilde{\chi}}_1^0} $$ , top-squark masses in the range 235-590 GeV are excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A search is presented for particles that decay producing a large jet multiplicity and invisible particles. The event selection applies a veto on the presence of isolated electrons or muons and additional requirements on the number of b-tagged jets and the scalar sum of masses of large-radius jets. Having explored the full ATLAS 2015-2016 dataset of LHC proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$ TeV, which corresponds to 36.1 fb of integrated luminosity, no evidence is found for physics beyond the Standard Model. The results are interpreted in the context of simplified models inspired by R-parity-conserving and R-parity-violating supersymmetry, where gluinos are pair-produced. More generic models within the phenomenological minimal supersymmetric Standard Model are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in energy of the Large Hadron Collider to a centre-of-mass energy of 13 $$\text {TeV}$$ for Run 2, events with dense environments, such as in the cores of high-energy jets, became a focus for new physics searches as well as measurements of the Standard Model. These environments are characterized by charged-particle separations of the order of the tracking detectors sensor granularity. Basic track quantities are compared between 3.2 fb $$^{-1}$$ of data collected by the ATLAS experiment and simulation of proton-proton collisions producing high-transverse-momentum jets at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 $$\text {TeV}$$ . The impact of charged-particle separations and multiplicities on the track reconstruction performance is discussed. The track reconstruction efficiency in the cores of jets with transverse momenta between 200 and 1600 $$\text {GeV}$$ is quantified using a novel, data-driven, method. The method uses the energy loss, $${\text { d}}{} \textit{E}/d\textit{x}$$ , to identify pixel clusters originating from two charged particles. Of the charged particles creating these clusters, the measured fraction that fail to be reconstructed is $$0.061 \pm 0.006\ {\text {(stat.)}} \pm 0.014\ {\text {(syst.)}}$$ and $$0.093 \pm 0.017\ {\text {(stat.)}}\pm 0.021\ {\text {(syst.)}}$$ for jet transverse momenta of 200-400 $$\text {GeV}$$ and 1400-1600 $$\text {GeV}$$ , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]