Attempting to find evidence for supersymmetry (SUSY) is one of the key aims of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. This thesis is concerned with searching for supersymmetry in final states with 2-4 hadronic jets, missing transverse energy and no electrons or muons. In the first part, a search strategy is developed using 1.04 fb−1 of data from the first half of 2011. No excess over the Standard Model expectation is observed, so the data are used to set limits on two SUSY simplified models, in which pair-produced squarks or gluinos decay directly to neutralinos and jets. Good limits are achieved for scenarios where the neutralino is nearly as massive as the squark/gluino, compared to an earlier ATLAS analysis using the same dataset. For example, for pair-production of squarks decaying directly to neutralinos, all neutralino masses below 200 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level when the squark mass is 300 GeV. Similarly, for pair-produced gluinos, neutralino masses below 300 GeV are excluded when the gluino mass is 400 GeV. The equivalent neutralino mass limits in the earlier analysis are 130 GeV and 240 GeV respectively. In the second part, the performance of the ATLAS missing transverse energy trigger is studied, and its suitability for use in the SUSY search is evaluated. The behaviour is found to be consistent with expectations, and the trigger strategy for 2010 data-taking is described.

Missing transverse energy is an important aspect of physics analyses at hadron collider detectors. While other particles can be identified by the energy they deposit in the detector, the presence of neutrinos and other theorized particles must be inferred by an energy imbalance. At the DØ experiment missing energy algorithms exist not only to calculate the missing energy in an event, but to distinguish between possible sources: detector measurement effects or unobserved particles. DØ scientists rely on these algorithms to produce reliable physics results. This thesis presents updates made in the past year to missing energy certification, the unclustered energy resolution, and the missing energy significance calculation. It describes a new processor which calculates missing momentum from tracks as well as development work toward an unclustered energy calibration.

This dissertation describes a search for the invisible decays of dark matter particles produced in association with a Z boson, where the latter decays to a charged lepton pair. The dataset for this search includes 13.3 1/fb of collisions recorded in 2015 and 2016 at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV in the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland. The invisible particles manifest themselves as missing transverse momentum, or MET, in the detector, while the charged leptons of interest are electron (e+e-) or muon (mu+mu-) pairs. The models simulated for this study are vector mediated simplified models with Dirac fermionic dark matter particles with couplings g_q = 0.25, g_X = 1 and g_l = 0 . The main background to this analysis, ZZ->llvv, is irreducible, as it shares the same signature as the signal. It is estimated with Monte Carlo simulations including contributions from both qq->ZZ and gg->ZZ production modes. Where possible, other backgrounds are estimated using data-driven techniques and reduced through various selection criteria. The final search is performed by looking for a deviation from the Standard Model background expectation in the MET distribution using two signal regions, e+e- and mu+mu-. This is done using statistical tools to make a likelihood fit and set a 95% confidence level limit as no deviations are found. Limits are placed on the presented model of dark matter for mediator masses up to 400 GeV and for a range of dark matter masses from 1 to ~200 GeV. / Graduate

Future long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments like the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) rely on Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) detectors. The reconstruction of neutrino flavors and energy through interactions with Argon is a critical issue for assuring the DUNE success. The neutrino-Argon nuclear cross section is one of the biggest sources of uncertainty in measuring possible Charge-Parity Violation (CPV) in the neutrino (ν) sector and decoupling background like matter-effects. This thesis summarizes the exclusive electron scattering measurement of the Jefferson Lab E12-14-012 experiment. The E12-14-012 experiment goals are to explore the Ti(e,e′p) and Ar(e,e′p) reactions in a wide range of kinematics in order to determine the spectral function of protons and neutrons in Argon. The measurements made in E12-14-012 are the first of their kind in argon and are a pivotal step in understanding the electron-Argon interaction and its relation to neutrino scattering. Titanium was specifically chosen under an assumption that its protons can be a proxy for argon neutron spectral functions. The analysis of the exclusive electron scattering in titanium is described in detail in this thesis. / M.S. / While considerable progress has been made in understanding the power of the atom, nucleons (protons and neutrons) trapped in medium-to-heavy nuclei have properties that we still need to understand. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the nuclear investigation conducted at Jefferson Lab (JLab) in Newport News, Virginia. Specifically, we follow the data analysis of the JLab Hall A Experiment E12-14-012 which seeks to quantify the nuclear energy momentum distributions of nucleons in complex nuclei like titanium and argon. These measurements, the first of their kind experimentally, are done to provide a reliable model for lepton-nucleus interactions. Modeling lepton-nucleus interactions in argon is of paramount importance, as argon is the primary target medium in future long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments like DUNE. Neutrinos are notoriously difficult to measure; and therefore, when they interact, we only measure the interaction products as they come out of the nucleus. Sometimes the products of the primary interaction will not escape the nucleus and have to be modelled to accurately estimate the incoming neutrino energy. The analysis on titanium provided in this thesis is a bridge for argon interactions with leptons, where titanium is used to determine argon neutron momentum and energy distributions.

The discovery reach for the ADD-type Large Extra Dimension (LED) scenario in the CMS Experiment at the LHC is presented by looking at the Monojet + Missing Energy signature, which arises as a result of a single graviton emission accompanied by a quark or gluon. Using Monte Carlo generated events, two LHC run scenarios were considered and compared namely a center-of-mass energy of 14 TeV and integrated luminosity of 100 pb&amp / #8722 / 1, and a center-of-mass energy of 10 TeV and integrated luminosity of 200 pb&amp / #8722 / 1. Details from extensive trigger studies are presented and offline selection techniques that optimize the signal excess over backgrounds are highlighted. As a result of this study, it is shown that the existing Tevatron limits on the ADD model can be improved through the implementation of this analysis in CMS Experiment with a factor of 3 using the the early LHC data.

Recherche la Higgs boson produit en associe avec a Z boson et desintegre a paire de b-quarks. Cet etude est realise avec l'experience ATLAS aupres du LHC. Cet recherche contient le travail de l'identification de b-jets au detecteur d'ATLAS, l'etude de triggers de l'energie manquant et introduire un nouveau trigger qui permet de gagner plus de significance de signaux. La recherche de Higgs boson est poursuit avec l'implementation de nouveau trigger et faire d'analyse statistique pour estimer la significance gagne en comparaison avec l'analyse qui utilise triggers nominaux. / Search for the Higgs poson produced in association with a Z boson and decaying to a pair of b-quarks. This study is implemented with the ATLAS experience at LHC. This research includes the work on identification of b-jets in ATLAS detector, study of triggers of missing transverse energy and introduce a new trigger which is expected to gain more signal significance. The search for the Higgs boson is followed with the implementation of the new trigger and do the statistical analysis to estimate the significance gain in comparison with the analysis which use the nominal triggers.

Les trois premières années de fonctionnement de l'expérience ATLAS au LHC, aux résultats fructueux, ont ouvert l'accès à la physique 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. / The first three years of operation of the ATLAS experiment at LHC, with fruitful results, have opened the way to physics at the TeV scale. The work realized in this context included some performance aspects (electron reconstruction) as well as analysis (search for new physics). The first part is devoted to in-situ measurements of electron reconstruction and identification efficiencies. The methodology employed to perform these measurements in data is presented in details, as well as the methods developped for estimating the residual background. The second part deals with a search for Supersymmetry in events with two leptons (electrons or muons) of identical charges, together with jets and in some cases missing transverse energy, based on the whole dataset colledcted by ATLAS in 2012 (namely 21 fb-1 at 8 TeV). These final states are particularly adapted to searches for gluinos or third generation squarks. The main aspects of the analysis are described, in particular the methods used to estimate the various backgrounds. The absence of excess in the signal regions with respect to the Standard Model predictions is interpreted in terms of limits on the masses of superpartners, in the frame of models with simplified mass spectra. Thus, in the studied decay modes, the existence of gluinos with masses below 1 TeV or sbottoms with masses below 500 GeV is excluded.

Diese Arbeit beschreibt die Messung von Ereignissen mit einem oder mehreren Photonen und fehlender Energie im Endzustand wie sie in Elektron-Positron-Wechselwirkungen entstehen. Mit den Ergebnissen wurde der Wirkungsquerschnitt der Neutrinopaarproduktion gemessen und die Anzahl leichter Neutrinosorten bestimmt. Es wurde nach verschiedenen Prozessen "Neuer Physik" gesucht, bei denen Photonen und fehlende Energie im Endzustand auftreten. Diese Prozesse beinhalten die Erzeugung supersymmetrischer Teilchen, fermiophobischer Higgsbosonen und massiver Gravitonen. Die Analyse wurde mit einem Datensatz durchgefuehrt, der mit dem L3-Detektor am LEP-Beschleuniger bei Schwerpunktsenergien zwischen 130 GeV und 190 GeV aufgezeichnet wurde und der einer Luminositaet von 265 1/pb entspricht. Der Wirkungsquerschnitt der Reaktion Elektron Positron geht nach Neutrino Antineutrino Photon (Photon) mit einer Photonenenergie groesser als 5 GeV und einem Photonstreuwinkel relativ zur Strahlachse groesser als 14 Grad bei einer Schwerpunktsenergie von 189 GeV wurde zu (5.25 +- 0.22 +- 0.07) pb bestimmt. Hieraus wurde der totale Wirkungsquerschnitt fuer Neutrinopaarproduktion extrapoliert mit einem Ergebnis von (58.3 +- 2.7) pb. Die Energiespektren der Photonen wurden benutzt um die Anzahl leichter Neutrinogenerationen zu berechnen. Das Ergebnis lautet 3.05 +- 0.11 +- 0.04, welches sich in guter Uebereinstimmung mit der Hypothese von drei leichten Neutrinoarten befindet und das Standardmodell mit seinen drei Teilchenfamilien untermauert.Da kein Anzeichen neuer Physik festgestellt wurde, konnten obere Grenzen auf Produktionswirkungsquerschnitte neuer Teilchen abgeleitet und die erlaubten Massenbereiche solcher Teilchen unter der Annahme von drei Neutrinosorten eingeschraenkt werden. Falls das Gravitino das leichteste supersymmetrische Teilchen ist und sich die Massen aller anderen SUSY-Teilchen ueber der Produktionsschwelle befinden, koennte Gravitinopaarproduktion der einzige SUSY-Teilchen beinhaltende Prozess bei LEP sein. Aus einer Analyse der Reaktion Elektron Positron geht nach Gravitino Gravitino Photon konnte ein unteres Limit auf die Gravitinomasse von 8.9 mal 10 hoch -6 eV mit 95% Konfidenzniveau auf die Gravitinomasse bestimmt werden. Es wurden sowohl fuer die Produktion von Neutralino Gravitino und Neutralino Neutralino und nachfolgenden Zerfall Neutralino geht nach Gravitino Photon, als auch fuer die Produktion von leichtestem und zweitleichtestem Neutralino bzw. Paarproduktion von zweitleichtestem Neutralino und Zerfall desgleichen nach leichtestem Neutralino und Photon obere Grenzen auf den Wirkungsquerschnitt in Abhaengigkeit der Masse der beteiligten Teilchen gesetzt. Innerhalb von Modellen der durch Eichbosonen vermittelten Supersymmetriebrechung wurde unter der Annahme, dass das leichteste Neutralino das zweitleichteste supersymmetrische Teilchen ist, eine untere Grenze auf die Neutralinomasse von 88.2 GeV mit 95% Konfidenzniveau abgeleitet.Zur Suche nach fermiophobischen Higgsbosonen wurde der Prozess Elektron Positron geht nach Higgs Z geht nach Photon Photon Neutrino Antineutrino analysiert. Es wurden Grenzen auf den Wirkungsquerschnitt und auf das Verzweigungsverhaeltnis des Higgs nach Photonpaaren bestimmt. Eine untere Grenze auf die Higgsmasse von 89.9 GeV mit 95% Konfidenzniveau wurde fuer ein solches Higgsboson ermittelt. Die Suche nach der Erzeugung massiver Gravitonen in Quantengravitationsmodellen mit zusaetzlichen raeumlichen Dimensionen wurde anhand der Reaktion Elektron Positron geht nach Photon Graviton durchgefuehrt. Untere Grenzen auf die Energieskala zwischen 1018 GeV und 349 GeV fuer zwei bis zehn zusaetzliche Dimensionen wurden bestimmt. Deren Groesse wurde auf hoechstens 0.46 mm fuer zwei und auf maximal 8.3 mal 10 hoch -13 mm fuer zehn zusaetzliche Dimensionen begrenzt. / This thesis describes a measurement of single and multi-photon events with missing energy in electron-positron interactions. The results have been used to measure the neutrino pair-production cross section and to determine the number of light neutrino species. A search for various kinds of new physics processes involving photons and missing energy in the final state like the production of supersymmetric particles, a fermiophobic Higgs boson and massive gravitons has been carried out.The analysis has been performed using data collected with the L3 detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies between 130 GeV and 190 GeV corresponding to a total luminosity of 265 1/pb. The cross section of the process electron positron to neutrino anti-neutrino photon (photon) for a photon energy larger than 5 GeV and a photon scattering angle with respect to the beam axis larger than 14 degrees at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV has been measured to be (5.25+- 0.22 +- 0.07) pb and has been extrapolated to a total cross section for neutrino pair-production yielding (58.3 +- 2.7) pb. The measured photon energy spectra have been used to derive the number of light neutrino species. The combined value determined from all data analysed in this thesis is 3.05 +- 0.11 +- 0.04, which is in good agreement with the hypothesis of three light neutrino types and supports the Standard Model with its three generations of particles.Since no indication for the appearance of new physics processes has been found, upper limits on cross sections of new particle production have been set and lower limits on particle masses have been derived assuming three neutrino generations. If the gravitino is the lightest supersymmetric particle and all other SUSY particles are too heavy to be created at LEP energies, gravitino pair-production could be the only process involving SUSY particles accessible at LEP. From an analysis of the process electron positron to gravitino gravitino photon, a lower limit of 8.9 times 10 to the power -6 eV has been determined at the 95% confidence level. Cross section limits have been set depending on the masses of the particles involved in neutralino gravitino production and neutralino pair-production and neutralino decay to gravitino and photon, and for the production of the lightest and second lightest neutralino and pair-production of the second lightest neutralino and its decay to lightest neutralino and photon. Within the framework of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking a lower limit on the neutralino mass of 88.2 GeV at the 95% confidence level has been derived under the assumption that the lightest neutralino is the second lightest supersymmetric particle. Fermiophobic Higgs bosons have been searched for investigating the process electron positron to Higgs Z to photon photon neutrino anti-neutrino. Cross section bounds on this process have been determined depending on the Higgs mass and limits on the branching ratio of the Higgs decaying into photons have been derived. A lower mass limit for such a fermiophobic Higgs boson is set to 89.9 GeV at the 95% confidence level.A search for the production of massive gravitons in quantum gravity models with extra spatial dimensions has been performed investigating the process electron positron to graviton photon. Lower limits on the energy scale ranging from 1018 GeV to 349 GeV have been derived at the 95% confidence level for two to ten extra dimensions. Their size has been limited to at most 0.46 mm and to at most 8.3 times 10 to the power -13 mm for two and ten extra dimensions, respectively.

The first 900 four-anode Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs) have been evaluated for use in the 2013 Hadronic Forward (HF) calorimeter upgrade. HF is a part of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), which is one of the two large general-purpose particle detectors of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. HF requires 1728 PMTs. These small tubes are the sensitive light detectors that provide the output signals of HF. Before installing PMTs in HF, their quality control demands need to be satisfied. These tests, done at the University of Iowa, are designed in three categories to test seventeen different parameters for each PMT. The three most basic and most important groups of parameters are: dark current, gain (anode and cathode), and timing. There are secondary tests which are performed on a smaller percentage of the PMTs such as surface uniformity, double pulse and single photo-electron resolution. The PMTs that meet the specifications of HF will be sent to CERN where they are expected to be in use for at least a decade.

Orientador: Jose Augusto Chinellato / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Fisica Gleb Wataghin / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T05:35:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Catalani_Fernando_D.pdf: 3151550 bytes, checksum: e2bbe39231b08bdb8fdcd358452d30f5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Essa tese tinha como objetivo estudar o perfil longitudinal de chuveiros atmosféricos extensos de forma completa. Nós simulamos chuveiros atmosféricos utilizando o programa CORSIKA para diferentes primários e energias acima de 10 17 e V e procuramos relações entre vários parâmetros extraídos do perfil longitudinal, como Xmax, X0, Xmax - X0, FWHM entre outros. Utilizamos os modelos de interação hadrônica QGSJET01 e SIBYLL2.1 nesses estudos. Um resultado obtido foi a contribuição de diferentes componentes de um chuveiro atmosférico no depósito de energia na atmosfera, para diferentes ângulos, primários e modelos de interação hadrônica. Calculamos, pela primeira vez, explicitamente as quantidades de energia calorimétrica e energia perdida que são necessárias para a recosntrução da energia do primário. Pudemos, então, parametrizar a fração de energia perdida em termos da energia calorimétrica e da energia do primário. Essa parametrização varia menos de 1 % com o ângulo zenital e com o nível de observação. Já a dependência com o primário é menor que 5 % e com o modelo de interação hadrônica é menor que 2 %.Calculamos como menor que 3 % o erro sistemático de corrigir a energia perdida usando uma parametrização mista de 50 % de chuveiros de ferro e 50 % chuveiros de próton. Aplicamos métodos estatísticos no estudo da composição de raios cósmicos. Como resultado, propomos a utilização de vários parâmetros do perfil longitudinal como Xmax, Nmax, Sigma, Assimetria, Skewness and Kurtose. Através do método de análise de componentes principais (PCA) nós estudamos a relevência de cada um desses parâmetros na caracterização do perfil longitudinal. Aplicamos, então, a análise de discriminantes lineares (LDA) para encontrar uma combinação linear dos parâmetros usados que melhor classifique um chuveiro como sendo originado por próton, ferro e fótons. Mostramos que LDA permite uma melhor separação entre chuveiros de hádrons e fótons e entre chuveiros de prótons e ferro que métodos baseados apenas na medida de Xmax / Abstract: The aim of this thesis was to study in a thoroughly way the longitudinal profile of air showers. We simulated air showers for different primaries and energies with the CORSIKA program and searched for relations between several parameters extracted from longitudinal profile, like Xsub>max, X0, Xmax-X0, FWHM and others. Hadronic interaction models QGSJET01 and SiBYLL2.1 were used in these studies. One result was the contribution for different components of an air shower to the energy deposit in the atmosphere, considering different angles, primary particles and hadronic interaction models was studied. We calculated, for the first time, the amounts of calorimetric energy and missing energy which are essential to reconstruct the primary energy. Thus, we could parameterize the fraction of missing energy in terms of the primary energy as a function of calorimetric energy. This parametrization varies less than 1% with angle and observation level. We showed that the dependence with primary mass is less than 5 % and with hadronic interaction model is below 2%. Using a parametrization with a mixture of 50 % of proton and 50 % iron showers at 45° to correct the missing energy the systematic error found was less than 3 %. Finally, we applied statistical methods in the composition studies of air showers. As a result, we propose the utilization of several features of air shower longitudinal profiles such as Xmax, Nmax, Sigma, Asymmetry, Skewness and Kurtosis. First we studied the relevance of each parameter for the overall shower features using principal component analysis (PCA). Then, we applied linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to find a linear combination of the shower parameters that best classifies a shower as an iron, proton or photon originated shower. We showed that LDA provides a better separation between iron and proton showers than using only Xmax-based methods / Doutorado / Física das Particulas Elementares e Campos / Doutor em Ciências