Studies of minimum bias events at colliders probe the behavior of QCD in the non-perturbative regime. The phenomenology of events in this regime is described by empirical models that take many parameters, which all need to be tuned to the observed data. Measurements based on angular correlations between the highest transverse momentum charged particle track and the other charged particle tracks in collision events can, because of their robustness against experimental and detector effects, be a component of the tuning inputs for the models. We measure such observables in a variety of pseudorapidity ranges and at many center-of-mass energies at DØ and ATLAS. We observe that such observables are poorly described by current models and tunes that are used to produce simulated event samples, making them valuable information for the tuning process. The Matrix Element method is a powerful analysis tool to extract precise measurements from data samples of limited statistics. We have investigated the potential of the Matrix Element method to measure the mass of the charged Higgs in the exclusive decay H±→τ±ν→e±+3ν when produced in top quark decays at the Tevatron, with emphasis on the construction of transfer functions in the τ decay chain. We concluded that the τ decay chain can be successfully parametrized via a transfer function and that the method has the potential to provide an accurate charged Higgs mass measurement in this channel. Triggering on τ leptons is a key component for many beyond the Standard Model searches at ATLAS, such as the search for the charged Higgs boson. Events containing Z bosons can be used to measure the efficiency of the ATLAS τ hadronic-decay trigger. We have used a tag-and-probe method on simulated Z boson decays to 2 τ leptons where one decays to a μ while the other decays hadronically. The μ is used as the tag and the τ side is probed. We demonstrated that the efficiency of the τ hadronic-decay trigger can be accurately measured with this method using the first 100 pb-1 of ATLAS data. / Felaktigt tryckt som Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 732

Les trois premières années de fonctionnement de l'expérience ATLAS au LHC, aux résultats fructueux, ont ouvert l'accès à la physique expérimentale à l'échelle du TeV. Les travaux effectués dans ce contexte ont porté à la fois sur des aspects de performance (reconstruction des électrons) et d'analyse (recherche de nouvelle physique). La première partie est consacrée aux mesures in situ des efficacités de reconstruction et d'identification des électrons. La méthodologie employée pour réaliser ces mesures dans les données est présentée en détails ainsi que les méthodes développées pour l'estimation du bruit de fond résiduel. La deuxième partie traite de la recherche de Supersymétrie dans les événements avec deux leptons (électrons ou muons) de charges identiques, accompagnés de jets et éventuellement d'énergie transverse manquante, basée sur l'ensemble des données collectées par ATLAS en 2012 (soit 21 fb-1 à sqrt s= 8 TeV). Ces états finaux sont particulièrement appropriés à la recherche de gluinos ou de squarks de troisième génération. Les principaux aspects de l'analyse sont décrits, notamment les méthodes d'estimation des différents bruits de fond. L'absence d'excès dans les régions de signal par rapport aux prédictions du Modèle Standard est interprétée en termes de limites sur les masses des superpartenaires, dans le cadre de modèles aux spectres de masse simplifiés. Ainsi, dans les modes de désintégrations étudiés, l'existence de gluinos de masse inférieure à 1 TeV, ou de sbottoms de masse inférieure à 500 GeV, est exclue.

Les trois première s ann ées de fonctionnement de l'exp erience ATLAS au LHC, aux r esultats fructueux, ont ouvert l'acc es a la physique expérimentale a l' échelle du TeV. Les travaux effectues dans ce contexte ont port e a la fois sur des aspects de performance (reconstruction des électrons) et d'analyse (recherche de nouvelle physique). La première partie est consacrées aux mesures in situ des e cacit es de reconstruction et d'identi cation des électrons. La méthodologie employée pour réaliser ces mesures dans les donn ées est pr esent ée en d étails ainsi que les méthodes d evelopp ées pour l'estimation du bruit de fond r ésiduel. La deuxi ème partie traite de la recherche de Supersym etrie dans les ev enements avec deux leptons ( électrons ou muons) de charges identiques, accompagné es de jets et eventuellement d' energie transverse manquante, bas ee sur l'ensemble des donn ees collect ees par ATLAS en 2012 (soit 21 fb$^{-1}$ a $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV). Ces états fi naux sont particulièr ement appropries a la recherche de gluinos ou de squarks de troisi eme g en eration. Les principaux aspects de l'analyse sont d ecrits, notamment les m ethodes d'estimation des di erents bruits de fond. L'absence d'exc es dans les r egions de signal par rapport aux prédictions du Mod ele Standard est interpr et ée en termes de limites sur les masses des superpartenaires, dans le cadre de mod èles aux spectres de masse simpli fiés. Ainsi, dans les modes de d esint egrations etudi es, l'existence de gluinos de masse inférieure a 1 TeV, ou de sbottoms de masse inf érieure a 500 GeV, est exclue.

The cross sections for neutral current (NC) deep inelastic scattering (DIS) in e+p collisions with a longitudinally polarised positron beam are measured at high momentum transfer squared (Q2 > 185 GeV2) at the ZEUS detector at HERA. The HERA accelerator provides e+-p collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 318 GeV, which allows the weak contribution to the NC process to be studied at high Q2. The measurements are based on a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 135.5 pb-1 collected with the ZEUS detector in 2006 and 2007. The single differential NC cross sections dsigma/dQ2, dsigma/dx and dsigma/dy and the reduced cross section are measured. The structure function xF3 is determined by combining the e+p NC reduced cross sections with the previously measured e-p measurements. The interference structure function xF 3^gamma,Z is extracted at Q2 = 1500 GeV2. The cross-section asymmetry between the positive and negative polarisation of the positron beam is measured and the parity violation effects of the electroweak interaction are observed. The predictions of the Standard Model of particle physics agree well with the measurements.

A general analysis of the photon and lepton polarizations in the rare Bs &amp / #8594 / &amp / #61543 / l+l- decay by using the most general model independent form of the effective Hamiltonian is presented. The total and the differential branching ratios for these decays, when photon is in the positive and negative helicity states, are studied. The sensitivity of &quot / photon polarization asymmetry&quot / and the longitudinal, transverse and normal polarization asymmetries of final state leptons, as well as lepton-antilepton combined asymmetries in Bs &amp / #8594 / &amp / #61543 / l+l- decay to the new Wilson coefficients are also investigated. It is shown that all these physical observables are very sensitive to the existence of new physics beyond SM and their experimental measurements can give valuable information about it.

Only a small part of particle physics is mentioned in the physics courses for Swedish high school students, despite the fact that particle physics is a field where a lot of research and progress are being done today. The first two physics courses in Swedish high schools include an overview of the standard model and the particles and interactions within the model. By designing an experiment where students get to use data from the ATLAS experiment in CERN they not only get to learn more about particle physics, they also get the opportunity to learn how to work similar to how researchers work in this field. This project was inspired by the Hands-on-CERN project which is focusing on increasing high school students interest and understanding of particle physics. By imitating Hands-on-CERN’s way of working, an experiment for high school students has been designed. In the experiment students get to discover the existence of quarks, even though they can not be observed as free particles but only in bounded states; so called hadrons. By analyzing data from the ATLAS experiment of the decay of the Z boson, you get to the conclusion that the Z boson more often decay to hadrons than to leptons with a proportion of about 14:71. This proportion depends on the various possibilities of hadrons that the Z boson can decay to, depending on the inner structure of hadrons consisting of quarks, dissimilar to the leptons which have no inner structure. / I fysikkurserna på gymnasiet ingår endast en liten del av partikelfysiken, trots att det är ett område som är väldigt aktuell inom forskning. I Fysik 1 och 2 ingår en översiktlig orientering om standardmodellen och de partiklar och interaktioner som ingår i modellen. Genom att utforma en laboration där eleverna får använda sig av data från ATLAS-experimentet på CERN får de både möjligheten att lära sig mer om partikelfysik och prova att arbeta på ett sätt som liknar forskarnas arbetssätt. Inspiration till arbetet har hämtats från projektet Hands-on-CERN som inriktar sig på att öka gymnasieelevers intresse och kunskaper inom partikelfysik. Genom att efterlikna Hands-on-CERNs sätt att arbeta har en laboration lämplig för gymnasieelever utformats. I laborationen får eleverna möjlighet att upptäcka att kvarkar finns trots att de inte går att observera i fria tillstånd, utan endast i bundna tillstånd; så kallade hadroner. Data från Z-bosonens sönderfall hämtas från ATLAS-experimentet i CERN analyseras, från vilken man kan dra slutsatsen att Z-bosonen sönderfaller oftare till hadroner än till leptoner, ett förhållande på ungefär 14:71. Förhållandet beror på att det finns fler möjliga hadroner som Z- bosonen kan sönderfalla till, vilket i sin tur beror på hadronernas inre struktur bestående av kvarkar, till skillnad från leptonerna som saknar inre struktur.

The search for the neutrinoless double beta (0nbb) decay is one of the most active fields in modern particle physics. This process is not allowed within the Standard Model and its observation would imply lepton number violation and would lead to the Majorana nature of neutrinos. The experimentally observed quantity is the half-life of the decay, which can be connected to the effective Majorana neutrino mass via nuclear matrix elements. The latter can only be determined theoretically and are currently affected by large uncertainties. To reduce these uncertainties one can investigate the well established two-neutrino double beta (2nbb) decay into the ground and excited states of the daughter isotope. These similar processes are allowed within the Standard Model. In this dissertation, the search for 2nbb decays into excited states is performed in Pd-110, Pd-102 and Ge-76. Three gamma spectroscopy setups at the Felsenkeller (Germany), HADES (Belgium) and LNGS (Italy) underground laboratories are used to search for the transitions in Pd-110 and Pd-102. No signal is observed leading to lower half-live bounds (90% C.I.) of 2.9e20 yr, 3.9e20 yr and 2.9e20 yr for the 0/2nbb 2p1, 0p1 and 2p2 transitions in Pd-110 and 7.9e18 yr, 9.2e18 yr and 1.5e19 yr for the 0/2nbb 2p1, 0p1 and 2p2 transitions in Pd-102, respectively. This is a factor of 1.3 to 3 improvement compared to previous limits. The data of Phase I (Nov 2011 - May 2013) of the 0nbb decay experiment GERDA at LNGS is used to search for excited state transitions in Ge-76. The analysis is based on coincidences between two detectors and finds no signal. Lower half-life limits (90 % C.L.) of 1.6e23 yr, 3.7e23 yr and 2.3e23 yr are obtained for the 2nbb 2p1, 0p1 and 2p2 transitions, respectively. These limits are more than two orders of magnitude larger than previous ones and could exclude many old matrix element calculations. In addition to the excited state searches, important measurements and improvements for GERDA Phase II upgrades are performed within this dissertation. 30 new BEGe detectors are characterized for their surface and active volume properties which is an essential ingredient for all future physics analyses in GERDA. These precision measurements reduce the systematic uncertainty of the active volume to a subdominant level. In extension to this, a new model for simulating pulse shapes of n+ electrode surface events is developed. With this model it is demonstrated that the dominant background of K-42 on the detector surfaces can be suppressed by a factor of 145 with an A/E pulse shape cut in Phase II. A further suppression of background is obtained by a liquid argon scintillation light veto. With newly developed Monte Carlo simulations, including the optical scintillation photons, it is demonstrated that Tl-208 in the detectors holders can be suppressed by a factor of 134. K-42 homogeneously distributed in the LAr can be suppressed with this veto in combination with pulse shape cuts by a factor of 170 for BEGe detectors. The characterization measurements and the developed simulation tools presented within this dissertation will help to enhance the sensitivity for all 0/2nbb decay modes and will allow to construct an improved background model in GERDA Phase II. / Die Suche nach dem neutrinolosen Doppelbetazerfall (0nbb) ist eines der aktivsten Felder der modernen Teilchenphysik. Der Zerfall setzt die Verletzung der Leptonenzahl voraus und hätte die Majorananatur des Neutrinos zur Folge. Die durch eine Beobachtung bestimmbare Halbwertszeit des Zerfalls ermöglicht, über ein nukleares Matrixelement, Zugang zur effektiven Majorananeutrinomasse. Die größten Unsicherheiten gehen dabei auf das Matrixelement zurück, welches nur durch verschiedene, teilweise stark voneinander abweichende theoretische Modelle zugänglich ist. Eine Möglichkeit diese Unsicherheiten zu reduzieren bieten genaue Studien des im Standardmodel erlaubten neutrinobegleiteten Doppelbetazerfalls (2nbb) in angeregte Zustände des Tochterkerns. In dieser Dissertation wird der 2nbb-Zerfall der Nuklide Pd-110, Pd-102 und Ge-76 in angeregte Zustände untersucht. Die Untersuchungen von Pd-110 und Pd-102 wurden in drei umfangreichen Gammaspektroskopie-Experimenten in den Untergrundlaboren Felsenkeller (Deutschland), HADES (Belgien) und LNGS (Italien) durchgefürt. Es wurde kein Signal beobachtet und damit die weltweit besten unteren Grenzen für die Halbwertszeit dieser Zerfälle festgesetzt: 2,9e20 yr, 3,9e20 yr und 2,9e20 yr für die 0/2nbb 2p1, 0p1 und 2p2 Übergänge in Pd-110 and 7,9e18 yr, 9,2e18 yr und 1,5e19 yr für die 0/2nbb 2p1, 0p1 und 2p2 Übergänge in Pd-102 (90% C.I.). Dies ist eine 1,3 bis 3-fache Verbesserung gegenüber den vorher bekannten Grenzen. Die Untersuchung des 2nbb-Zerfalls in Ge-76 basiert auf Daten aus Phase I (Nov. 2011 - Mai 2013) des 0nbb-Zerfall Experiments GERDA. Mit der auf koinzidenten Ereignissen basierten Analyse konnte kein Signal beobachtet werden und folgende untere Grenzen für die Halbwertszeit der 2nbb 2p1, 0p1 und 2p2 Übergänge wurden festgelegt: 1,6e23 yr, 3,7e23 yr und 2,3e23 (90% C.L.). Diese 100-fache Verbesserung gegenüber den bisher bekannten Grenzen widerlegt eine Vielzahl älterer, zur Verfügung stehender Matrixelemente. Zusätzlich wurden im Rahmen dieser Dissertation für die Erweiterungen des GERDA Experiments zur Phase II wichtige Messungen durchgeführt und Verbesserungen entwickelt. 30 neu produzierte BEGe Detektoren wurden hinsichtlich ihrer Oberflächeneigenschaften sowie ihrer aktiven Volumina charakterisiert. Diese Präzisisionsmessungen sind für alle zukünftigen Analysen in GERDA notwendig und erlauben die entsprechenden systematischen Unsicherheiten auf ein subdominantes Niveau zu reduzieren. Erweiternd wurde ein neues Model zur Beschreibung der n+ Elektrode entwickelt, welches erstmals erlaubt die Pulsform von Oberflächeninteraktionen zu simulieren. Mithilfe dieses Models konnte demonstriert werden, dass der in Oberflächeninteraktionen begründete und in GERDA dominante Messuntergrund von K-42 auf der Detektoroberfläche durch Pulsformanalyse um das 145-fache unterdrückt werden kann. Eine weitere Untergrundreduzierung wird durch ein Flüssigargon Szintillationsveto erreicht. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden vorhandene Monte Carlo Simulationen um den Transport von optischen Photonen erweitert und die 134-fache Unterdrückung des Tl-208 Untergrundes demonstriert. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit helfen eine deutliche Sensitivitätsverbesserung für die zuküntige Suche nach dem 0/2nbb-Zerfall zu erzielen und erlauben die Erstellung eines präziseren Untergrundmodels in GERDA Phase II.

<p>The ability of the Mu2e experiment to probe, or discover BSM physics in direct CLFV μ+ and π+ decay modes is estimated.</p>

<p>In this work, we consider the addition of a single neutral massive vector boson to the Standard Model (SM). This boson, which we refer to as N⁰, induces dipolar transitions between electrons and muons. We obtain bounds on the strength of its coupling and its mass: from the scattering process e+e- to mu+mu-; from its contribution to muonium-antimuonium oscillations; and from its possible contribution to the rare muon decay mu- to e+e-e-. In particular, we examine the two cases where the mediator is both heavy and light compared with the scattering energies for, and place constraints on the relevant parameters based on their contributions to the cross section and the forward-backward asymmetry. For muonium-antimuonium oscillations, we consider only the case where the mediator is heavy compared to all other scales, reducing its effect to an effective contact interaction. Finally, we consider an SU(2) invariant theory from which the N⁰ interaction emerges, and find that flavour diagonal interactions also emerge, giving a tree-level path for the decay mu- to e+e-e-. We find that the heavy N⁰ is not strongly constrained by this contribution, while the light N⁰ is very strongly constrained by it. Very generally, we find that the heavy N⁰ is much less constrained than other lepton flavour violating processes, while the constraints on the light N0 vary in strength between processes.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

No description available.