Physics

Total Cost of Ownership and Evaluation of Google Cloud Resources for the ATLAS Experiment at the LHC

(2025)

Abstract: The ATLAS Google Project was established as part of an ongoing evaluation of the use of commercial clouds by the ATLAS Collaboration, in anticipation of the potential future adoption of such resources by WLCG grid sites to fulfil or complement their computing pledges. Seamless integration of Google cloud resources into the worldwide ATLAS distributed computing infrastructure was achieved at large scale and for an extended period of time, and hence cloud resources are shown to be an effective mechanism to provide additional, flexible computing capacity to ATLAS. For the first time a total cost of ownership analysis has been performed, to identify the dominant cost drivers and explore effective mechanisms for cost control. Network usage significantly impacts the costs of certain ATLAS workflows, underscoring the importance of implementing such mechanisms. Resource bursting has been successfully demonstrated, whilst exposing the true cost of this type of activity. A follow-up to the project is underway to investigate methods for improving the integration of cloud resources in data-intensive distributed computing environments and reducing costs related to network connectivity, which represents the primary expense when extensively utilising cloud resources.

Configuration, Performance, and Commissioning of the ATLAS b-jet Triggers for the 2022 and 2023 LHC data-taking periods

(2025)

Abstract: In 2022 and 2023, the Large Hadron Collider produced approximately two billion hadronic interactions each second from bunches of protons that collide at a rate of 40 MHz. The ATLAS trigger system is used to reduce this rate to a few kHz for recording. Selections based on hadronic jets, their energy, and event topology reduce the rate to 𝒪(10) kHz while maintaining high efficiencies for important signatures resulting in b-quarks, but to reach the desired recording rate of hundreds of Hz, additional real-time selections based on the identification of jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) are employed to achieve low thresholds on the jet transverse momentum at the High-Level Trigger. The configuration, commissioning, and performance of the real-time ATLAS b-jet identification algorithms for the early LHC Run 3 collision data are presented. These recent developments provide substantial gains in signal efficiency for critical signatures; for the Standard Model production of Higgs boson pairs, a 50% improvement in selection efficiency is observed in final states with four b-quarks or two b-quarks and two hadronically decaying τ-leptons.

Measurement of the associated production of a top-antitop-quark pair and a Higgs boson decaying into a bb¯ pair in pp collisions at s=13 TeV using the ATLAS detector at the LHC

(2025)

Abstract: This paper reports the measurement of Higgs boson production in association with a $$t\bar{t}$$ t t ¯ pair in the $$H\rightarrow b\bar{b}$$ H → b b ¯ decay channel. The analysis uses 140 fb $$^{-1}$$ - 1 of 13 $$\text {TeV}$$ TeV proton–proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The final states with one or two electrons or muons are employed. An excess of events over the expected background is found with an observed (expected) significance of 4.6 (5.4) standard deviations. The $$t\bar{t}H$$ t t ¯ H cross-section is $$\sigma _{t\bar{t}H} = 411~^{+101}_{-92}~\text {fb} = 411 \pm 54(\text {stat.})~^{+85}_{-75}(\text {syst.})~\text {fb}$$ σ t t ¯ H = 411 - 92 + 101 fb = 411 ± 54 ( stat. ) - 75 + 85 ( syst. ) fb for a Higgs boson mass of 125.09 $$\text {GeV}$$ GeV , consistent with the prediction of the Standard Model of $$507^{+35}_{-50}$$ 507 - 50 + 35 fb. The cross-section is also measured differentially in bins of the Higgs boson transverse momentum within the simplified template cross-section framework.

Search for Magnetic Monopole Pair Production in Ultraperipheral Pb+Pb Collisions at sNN=5.36 TeV with the ATLAS Detector at the LHC

(2025)

This Letter presents a search for highly ionizing magnetic monopoles in 262 μb−1 of ultraperipheral Pb+Pb collision data at sNN=5.36 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. A new methodology that exploits the properties of clusters of hits reconstructed in the innermost silicon detector layers is introduced to study highly ionizing particles in heavy-ion data. No significant excess above the background, which is estimated using a data-driven technique, is observed. Using a nonperturbative semiclassical model, upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the cross section for pair production of monopoles with a single Dirac magnetic charge in the mass range of 20–150 GeV. Depending on the model, monopoles with a single Dirac magnetic charge and mass below 80–120 GeV are excluded. © 2025 CERN, for the ATLAS Collaboration 2025 CERN

Nuclear Recoil Calibration at Sub-keV Energies in LUX and Its Impact on Dark Matter Search Sensitivity

(2025)

Dual-phase xenon time projection chamber (TPC) detectors offer heightened sensitivities for dark matter detection across a spectrum of particle masses. To broaden their capability to low-mass dark matter interactions, we investigated the light and charge responses of liquid xenon (LXe) to sub-keV nuclear recoils. Using neutron events from a pulsed Adelphi Deuterium-Deuterium neutron generator, an in situ calibration was conducted on the LUX detector. We demonstrate direct measurements of light and charge yields down to 0.45 and 0.27 keV, respectively, both approaching single quanta production, the physical limit of LXe detectors. These results hold significant implications for the future of dual-phase xenon TPCs in detecting low-mass dark matter via nuclear recoils.

Search for a light charged Higgs boson in t→H±b decays, with H±→cs, in pp collisions at s=13TeV with the ATLAS detector

(2025)

Abstract: A search for a light charged Higgs boson produced in decays of the top quark, $$t \rightarrow H^{\pm } b$$ t → H ± b with $$H^{\pm } \rightarrow cs$$ H ± → c s , is presented. This search targets the production of top-quark pairs $$t\bar{t} \rightarrow Wb H^{\pm } b$$ t t ¯ → W b H ± b , with $$W \rightarrow \ell u $$ W → ℓ ν ( $$\ell = e, \mu $$ ℓ = e , μ ), resulting in a lepton-plus-jets final state characterised by an isolated electron or muon and at least four jets. The search exploits b-quark and c-quark identification techniques as well as multivariate methods to suppress the dominant $$t\bar{t}$$ t t ¯ background. The data analysed correspond to $$140\hbox { fb}^{-1}$$ 140 fb - 1 of $$pp$$ pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s} = 13\hbox { TeV}$$ s = 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC between 2015 and 2018. Observed (expected) 95% confidence-level upper limits on the branching fraction $$\mathscr {B}(t\rightarrow H^{\pm } b)$$ B ( t → H ± b ) , assuming $$\mathscr {B}(t\rightarrow Wb) + \mathscr {B}(t \rightarrow H^{\pm } (\rightarrow cs)b)=1.0$$ B ( t → W b ) + B ( t → H ± ( → c s ) b ) = 1.0 , are set between 0.066% (0.077%) and 3.6% (2.3%) for a charged Higgs boson with a mass between 60 and 168 GeV.

AI-Based Prediction of Protein Corona Composition on DNA Nanostructures.

(2025)

DNA nanotechnology has emerged as a powerful approach to engineering biophysical tools, therapeutics, and diagnostics because it enables the construction of designer nanoscale structures with high programmability. Based on DNA base pairing rules, nanostructure size, shape, surface functionality, and structural reconfiguration can be programmed with a degree of spatial, temporal, and energetic precision that is difficult to achieve with other methods. However, the properties and structure of DNA constructs are greatly altered in vivo due to spontaneous protein adsorption from biofluids. These adsorbed proteins, referred to as the protein corona, remain challenging to control or predict, and subsequently, their functionality and fate in vivo are difficult to engineer. To address these challenges, we prepared a library of diverse DNA nanostructures and investigated the relationship between their design features and the composition of their protein corona. We identified protein characteristics important for their adsorption to DNA nanostructures and developed a machine-learning model that predicts which proteins will be enriched on a DNA nanostructure based on the DNA structures design features and protein properties. Our work will help to understand and program the function of DNA nanostructures in vivo for biophysical and biomedical applications.

Cover page of Constraint on the total width of the Higgs boson from Higgs boson and four-top-quark measurements in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Constraint on the total width of the Higgs boson from Higgs boson and four-top-quark measurements in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

(2025)

This Letter presents a constraint on the total width of the Higgs boson (ΓH) using a combined measurement of on-shell Higgs boson production and the production of four top quarks, which involves contributions from off-shell Higgs boson-mediated processes. This method relies on the assumption that the tree-level Higgs-top Yukawa coupling strength is the same for on-shell and off-shell Higgs boson production processes, thereby avoiding any assumptions about the relationship between on-shell and off-shell gluon fusion Higgs production rates, which were central to previous measurements. The result is based on up to 140 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 observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper limit on ΓH is 450 MeV (75 MeV). Additionally, considering the constraint on the Higgs-top Yukawa coupling from loop-induced Higgs boson production and decay processes further yields an observed (expected) upper limit of 160 MeV (55 MeV).

Expected tracking performance of the ATLAS Inner Tracker at the High-Luminosity LHC

(2025)

Abstract: The high-luminosity phase of LHC operations (HL-LHC), will feature a large increase in simultaneous proton-proton interactions per bunch crossing up to 200, compared with a typical leveling target of 64 in Run 3. Such an increase will create a very challenging environment in which to perform charged particle trajectory reconstruction, a task crucial for the success of the ATLAS physics program, and will exceed the capabilities of the current ATLAS Inner Detector (ID). A new all-silicon Inner Tracker (ITk) will replace the current ID in time for the start of the HL-LHC. To ensure successful use of the ITk capabilities in Run 4 and beyond, the ATLAS tracking software has been successfully adapted to achieve state-of-the-art track reconstruction in challenging high-luminosity conditions with the ITk detector. This paper presents the expected tracking performance of the ATLAS ITk based on the latest available developments since the ITk technical design reports.

Search for triple Higgs boson production in the 6b final state using pp collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

(2025)

A search for the production of three Higgs bosons (HHH) in the bb¯bb¯bb¯ final state is presented. The search uses 126 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data at s=13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis targets both nonresonant and resonant production of HHH. The resonant interpretations primarily consider a cascade decay topology of X→SH→HHH with masses of the new scalars X and S up to 1.5 and 1 TeV, respectively. In addition to scenarios where S is off-shell, the nonresonant interpretation includes a search for Standard Model HHH production, with limits on the trilinear and quartic Higgs self-coupling set. No evidence for HHH production is observed. An upper limit of 59 fb is set, at the 95% confidence level, on the cross section for Standard Model HHH production. © 2025 CERN, for the ATLAS Collaboration 2025 CERN

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