University, Diss., 2001--München.

Techn. Hochsch., Diss., 2003--Aachen.

This thesis presents measurements of the cross section for the production of a <i>W</i> boson in association with jets and the ratio of the cross sections for the production of a <i>W</i> boson and a <i>Z</i> boson in association with jets. Both measurements are performed in proton-proton collisions at &radic;s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb^-1. The dataset allows for the exploration of a large kinematic range, including jet production up to a transverse momentum of 1 TeV and multiplicities up to seven jets. Results are presented as a function of jet transverse momenta and rapidities and as a function of event variables such as the scalar sum of the transverse momenta of the jets. Results as a function of dijet angular variables are also presented. The measurements are compared to several state-of-the-art QCD predictions including next-to-leading-order perturbative calculations, resummation calculations and Monte Carlo generators. Finally, the effect of the results on parton distribution functions is explored.

Cette thèse décrit une mesure de la masse du boson W avec le détecteur ATLAS. La mesure exploite les données enregistrées par ATLAS en 2011, a une énergie dans le centre de masse de 7 TeV et correspondant à une luminosité intégrée de 4.6 inverse femtobarn. Les mesures sont faites par ajustement aux données de distributions en énergie transverse des leptons charges et en masse transverse du boson W obtenues par simulation, dans les canaux électron et muon, et dans plusieurs catégories cinématiques. Les différentes mesures sont en bon accord et leur combinaison donne une valeur de m_W = 80371.1 ± 18.6 MeV. La valeur mesurée est compatible avec la moyenne mondiale des mesures existantes, m_W = 80385 ± 15 MeV, et l'incertitude obtenue est compétitive avec les mesures les plus précises réalisées par les collaborations CDF et D0. / This thesis describes a measurement of the W boson mass with the ATLAS detector based on the data-set recorded by ATLAS in 2011 at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, and corresponding to 4.6 inverse femtobarn of integrated luminosity. Measurements are performed through template fits to the transverse momentum distributions of charged leptons and to transverse mass distributions of the W boson, in electron and muon decay modes in various kinematic categories. The individual measurements are found to be consistent and their combination leads to a value of m_W = 80371.1 ± 18.6 MeV. The measured value of the W boson mass is compatible with the current world average of m_W = 80385 ± 15 MeV. The uncertainty is competitive with the current most precise measurements performed by the CDF and D0 collaborations.

No description available.

The measurement of the mass of the $W$ boson is currently one of the most promising precision analyses of the Standard Model, that could ultimately reveal a hint for new physics. The mass of the $W$ boson is determined by comparing the $W$ boson, which cannot be reconstructed directly, to the $Z$ boson, where the full decay signature is available. With the help of Monte Carlo simulations one can extrapolate from the $Z$ boson to the $W$ boson. Technically speaking, the measurement of the $W$ boson mass is performed by comparing data taken by the ATLAS experiment to a set of calibrated Monte Carlo simulations, which reflect different mass hypotheses.\ A dedicated calibration of the reconstructed objects in the simulations is crucial for a high precision of the measured value. The comparison of simulated $Z$ boson events to reconstructed $Z$ boson candidates in data allows to derive event weights and scale factors for the calibration. This thesis presents a new approach to reweight the hadronic recoil in the simulations. The focus of the calibration is on the average hadronic activity visible in the mean of the scalar sum of the hadronic recoil $\Sigma E_T$ as a function of pileup. In contrast to the standard method, which directly reweights the scalar sum, the dependency to the transverse boson momentum is less strongly affected here. The $\Sigma E_T$ distribution is modeled first by means of its pileup dependency. Then, the remaining differences in the resolution of the vector sum of the hadronic recoil are scaled. This is done separately for the parallel and the pterpendicular component of the hadronic recoil with respect to the reconstructed boson. This calibration was developed for the dataset taken by the ATLAS experiment at a center of mass energy of $8\,\textrm{TeV}$ in 2012. In addition, the same reweighting procedure is applied to the recent dataset with a low pileup contribution, the \textit{lowMu} runs at $5\,\textrm{TeV}$ and at $13\,\textrm{TeV}$, taken by ATLAS in November 2017. The dedicated aspects of the reweighting procedure are presented in this thesis. It can be shown that this reweighting approach improves the agreement between data and the simulations effectively for all datasets. The uncertainties of this reweighting approach as well as the statistical errors are evaluated for a $W$ mass measurement by a template fit to pseudodata for the \textit{lowMu} dataset. A first estimate of these uncertainties is given here. For the pfoEM algorithm a statistical uncertainty of $17\,\text{MeV}$ for the $5\,\textrm{TeV}$ dataset and of $18\,\text{MeV}$ for the $13\,\textrm{TeV}$ are found for the $W \rightarrow \mu \nu$ analysis. The systematic uncertainty introduced by the resolution scaling has the largest effect, a value of $15\,\text{MeV}$ is estimated for the $13\,\textrm{TeV}$ dataset in the muon channel. / Die Messung der Masse des $W$-Bosons ist im Augenblick eine der vielversprechendsten Präzisionsanalysen des Standard Modells, welche letztendlich einen Hinweis auf neue Physik geben kann. Die Masse des $W$ Bosons wird bestimmt, indem das $W$-Boson, welches nicht direkt rekonstruiert werden kann, mit dem $Z$-Boson verglichen wird, bei dem die vollständige Zerfallssignatur verfügbar ist. Mit Hilfe von Monte Carlo Simulationen kann vom $Z$-Boson auf das $W$-Boson extrapoliert werden. Genau genommen wird die Messung der Masse des $W$-Bosons durchgeführt, indem die Daten, die mit dem ATLAS Experiment aufgenommen wurden, mit einem Satz von kalibrierten Monte Carlo Simulationen verglichen wird. Die Simulationen spiegeln dabei verschiedene Massenhypothesen wider. Eine dezidierte Kalibrierung der rekonstruierten Objekte in den Simulationen ist entscheidend für eine hohe Präzision des gemessenen Werts der Masse des $W$-Bosons. Aus dem Vergleich von simulierten $Z$-Boson Ereignissen und $Z$-Bosonen, die aus den Daten rekonstruiert werden, können Ereignisgewichte und Skalierungsfaktoren für die Kalibrierung erzeugt werden. %Für die Kalibrierung werden Ereignisgewichte und Skalierungsfaktoren erzeugt, indem Simulationen von $Z$ Boson Ereignissen mit $Z$ Bosonen verglichen werden, welche aus den Daten rekonstruiert werden. In dieser Arbeit wird ein neuer Ansatz für die Umgewichtung des hadronischen Rückstoßes in den Simulationen vorgestellt. Der Fokus der Kalibrierung liegt auf der mittleren hadronischen Aktivität, die in der mittleren skalaren Summe des hadronischen Rückstoßes $\Sigma E_T$ als Funktion des Pileups sichtbar ist. Im Gegensatz zur Standardmethode, welche die Skalarsumme direkt umgewichtet, wird hierbei die Abhängigkeit zum transversalen Impuls des Bosons weniger stark beeinflusst. Die $\Sigma E_T$-Verteilung wird zunächst mittels ihrer Abhängigkeit zum Pileup modelliert. Danach werden die verbleibenden Unterschiede in der Auflösung der vektoriellen Summe des hadronischen Rückstoßes skaliert. Dies geschieht separat für die parallele und senkrechte Komponente des hadronischen Rückstoßes, welche in Bezug auf die Richtung des rekonstruierten Bosons gemessen werden. Die Kalibrierung wurde zunächst für den Datensatz entwickelt, der im Jahr 2012 bei einer Schwerpunktsenergie von $8\,\textrm{TeV}$ mit dem ATLAS Experiment aufgenommen wurde. Zusätzlich wird die Umgewichtungsmethodik auf die neuen Datensätze angewendet, welche von ATLAS im November 2017 bei niedrigem Pileup aufgenommen wurden, den \textit{lowMu} Datensätzen bei Schwerpunktsenergien von $5\,\textrm{TeV}$ und $13\,\textrm{TeV}$. In dieser Arbeit werden die verschiedenen Aspekte der Kalibrierung präsentiert. Es kann gezeigt werden, dass diese Herangehensweise für die Umgewichtung des hadronischen Rückstoßes zu einer effektiven Verbesserung der Übereinstimmung zwischen Daten und Simulationen in allen verwendeten Datensätzen führt. Die zugehörigen Unsicherheiten dieser Kalibrierungsmethode sowie die statistischen Fehler für eine Messung der Masse des $W$-Bosons werden anhand der Template-Fit-Methode mit Pseudodaten für die \textit{lowMu} Datensätze ausgewertet. Es wird eine erste Abschätzung dieser Unsicherheiten gegeben. Für den pfoEM Algorithmus wird ein statistischer Fehler von $17\,\text{MeV}$ für den $5\,\textrm{TeV}$ Datensatz und von $18\,\text{MeV}$ für den $13\,\textrm{TeV}$ Datensatz in der $W \rightarrow \mu \nu$ Analyse ermittelt. Die systematische Unsicherheit, welche durch die Auflösungsskalierung erzeugt wird, hat den größten Effekt. Für den $13\,\textrm{TeV}$ Datensatz wird ein Fehler von $15\,\text{MeV}$ im Myonkanal abgeschätzt.

Particle physics deals with the elementary constituents of our universe and their interactions. The electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism in the Standard Model of Particle Physics is of paramount importance and it plays a central role in the physics programmes of current high-energy physics experiments at the Large Hadron Collider. The study of scattering processes of massive electroweak gauge bosons provides an approach complementary to the precise measurement of the properties of the recently discovered Higgs boson. Owing to the unprecedented energies achieved in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider and the large amount of data collected, experimental studies of these processes become feasible for the first time. Especially the scattering of two W± bosons of identical electric charge is considered a promising process for an initial study due to its distinct experimental signature. In the course of this work, 20.3 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 8 TeV are analysed. An analysis of the production of two W± bosons of identical electric charge in association with two jets, pp → W ± W ± jj, is conducted in the leptonic decay channel of the W± bosons. Thereby, emphasis is put on the development of methods for the estimation of experimental backgrounds as well as on the optimisation of the event selection. As a result of this work, first experimental evidence for the existence of the aforementioned process is established with an observed significance of 4.9. Based on the number of observed events in the selected phase space the extracted fiducial cross section is σ(fid) = (2.3 ± 0.5(stat.) +0.4/−0.3 (sys.)) fb which is in agreement with the prediction of the Standard Model of σ(fid,SM) = (1.6 ± 0.2) fb. Of particular theoretical interest are electroweak contributions to the pp → W ± W ± jj process due to their sensitivity to the nature of the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism. Criteria for a dedicated event selection are investigated and implemented in the analysis with the goal of enhancing the sensitivity to these contributions. First experimental evidence for the presence of electroweak contributions to the pp → W ± W ± jj process can be claimed with an observed significance of 4.1. The cross section extracted in the selected phase space region is found to be σ(fid) = (1.7 +0.5/−0.4 (stat.) ± 0.3(sys.)) fb which is 1.3 standard deviations above the theoretical prediction of the Standard Model of σ(fid,SM) = (1.0 ± 0.1) fb. A variety of extensions to the Standard Model predict modifications to the electroweak gauge sector. In the context of the electroweak chiral Lagrangian, which serves as an effective approximation of these theories in the energy regime E = 1 − 3 TeV, anomalous contributions to the quartic WWWW gauge coupling can be described by the parameters α4 and α5 . The selection of events is optimised again to enhance the sensitivity to these two parameters. On the basis of the number of events observed in this phase space region, the following one-dimensional confidence intervals at the 95% confidence level are derived: −0.09 ≤ α4 ≤ 0.10 and −0.15 ≤ α5 ≤ 0.15. At present, these limits represent the most stringent constraints on contributions from new physics processes to the quartic WWWW gauge coupling.

Pour la deuxième période de prise des données du LHC (Run 2) de 2015 - 2022, une quatrième couche de senseurs pixels a été installée dans le détecteur de l’existence ATLAS sur un tube de faisceau de plus petit diamètre afin d’ajouter de la redondance pour améliorer la reconstruction des trajectoires des particules chargées. Ce détecteur du pixel permettra d’assurer un suivi de la qualité de l’étiquetage des mesons b haute luminosité (b-tagging). Au cours des deux dernières années plusieurs composants ont été produits et assemblés sur des structures de soutien appelées échelles. Au total, 20 échelles ont été construites et qualifiées en cardere d’un procédé d’assurance qualité définie par ATLAS au CERN. Quatorze échelles ont été intégrées sur le tube de faisceau. Ceci constitue la première partie de la thèse dédiée à la partie construction du détecteur. La deuxième partie est consacrée à la recherche de boson de Higgs issu de collisions proton proton l’énergie du 8 TeV centre de masse de, se désintégrant en particules invisibles une luminosité integrée de 20.3 fb−1 enregistrées par le détecteur ATLAS au LHC. Les résultats sont interprétés dans les modèles de matière noire Higgs portail(Higgs portal Dark Matter). / For Run 2 of the LHC a fourth, innermost Pixel Detector layer on a smaller radius beampipe has been installed in the ATLAS Detector to add redundancy against radiation damage ofthe current Pixel Detector and to ensure a high quality tracking and b-tagging performance ofthe Inner Detector over the coming years until the High Luminosity Upgrade. State of the artcomponents have been produced and assembled onto support structures known as staves overthe last two years. In total, 20 staves have been built and qualified in a designated QualityAssurance setup at CERN of which 14 have been integrated onto the beam pipe. In the secondpart, A search for a Higgs boson produced via vector-boson fusion and decaying into invisibleparticles is discussed, using 20.3 fb−1 of proton proton collision data at the centre of massenergy of 8 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. For a Higgs boson with a massof 125 GeV, assuming the Standard Model production cross section, an upper bound of 0.28is set on the branching fraction of H →invisible at 90% confidence level, where the expectedupper limit is 0.31. The results are interpreted in model of Higgs portal dark matter where thebranching fraction limit is converted into upper bounds on the dark matter nucleon scatteringcross section as a function of the dark matter particle mass, and compared to results from thedirect dark matter detection experiments.

Particle physics deals with the elementary constituents of our universe and their interactions. The electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism in the Standard Model of Particle Physics is of paramount importance and it plays a central role in the physics programmes of current high-energy physics experiments at the Large Hadron Collider. The study of scattering processes of massive electroweak gauge bosons provides an approach complementary to the precise measurement of the properties of the recently discovered Higgs boson. Owing to the unprecedented energies achieved in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider and the large amount of data collected, experimental studies of these processes become feasible for the first time. Especially the scattering of two W± bosons of identical electric charge is considered a promising process for an initial study due to its distinct experimental signature. In the course of this work, 20.3 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 8 TeV are analysed. An analysis of the production of two W± bosons of identical electric charge in association with two jets, pp → W ± W ± jj, is conducted in the leptonic decay channel of the W± bosons. Thereby, emphasis is put on the development of methods for the estimation of experimental backgrounds as well as on the optimisation of the event selection. As a result of this work, first experimental evidence for the existence of the aforementioned process is established with an observed significance of 4.9. Based on the number of observed events in the selected phase space the extracted fiducial cross section is σ(fid) = (2.3 ± 0.5(stat.) +0.4/−0.3 (sys.)) fb which is in agreement with the prediction of the Standard Model of σ(fid,SM) = (1.6 ± 0.2) fb. Of particular theoretical interest are electroweak contributions to the pp → W ± W ± jj process due to their sensitivity to the nature of the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism. Criteria for a dedicated event selection are investigated and implemented in the analysis with the goal of enhancing the sensitivity to these contributions. First experimental evidence for the presence of electroweak contributions to the pp → W ± W ± jj process can be claimed with an observed significance of 4.1. The cross section extracted in the selected phase space region is found to be σ(fid) = (1.7 +0.5/−0.4 (stat.) ± 0.3(sys.)) fb which is 1.3 standard deviations above the theoretical prediction of the Standard Model of σ(fid,SM) = (1.0 ± 0.1) fb. A variety of extensions to the Standard Model predict modifications to the electroweak gauge sector. In the context of the electroweak chiral Lagrangian, which serves as an effective approximation of these theories in the energy regime E = 1 − 3 TeV, anomalous contributions to the quartic WWWW gauge coupling can be described by the parameters α4 and α5 . The selection of events is optimised again to enhance the sensitivity to these two parameters. On the basis of the number of events observed in this phase space region, the following one-dimensional confidence intervals at the 95% confidence level are derived: −0.09 ≤ α4 ≤ 0.10 and −0.15 ≤ α5 ≤ 0.15. At present, these limits represent the most stringent constraints on contributions from new physics processes to the quartic WWWW gauge coupling.

The Standard Model of particle physics is currently the most complete theory of subatomic particles. The discovery of the Higgs boson with a mass of 125 GeV in 2012 further validated the Standard Model, providing evidence for the theory that vector bosons obtain non-zero masses through the Higgs mechanism. Studies are ongoing to determine the exact nature and properties of the Higgs boson. A Higgs boson of this mass is predicted to decay to a pair of b-b quarks with a branching ratio of 58%, however this decay mode has not yet been observed. This thesis presents a search for the associated production of a Higgs boson with a leptonically decaying W boson, WH → ℓvb-b, using 20.3 fb-1 of Run 1 data collected by ATLAS at the LHC from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of ps = 8 TeV. The observed (expected) significance of a Higgs boson with a mass of 125 GeV for the WH → ℓvb-b process is found to be 2:7σ (1:3σ). The measured cross section in units of the expected Standard Model cross section has a best-fit value of μ = μ/μSM = 2:2+0:67-0:64(stat:)+0:7-0:59(syst:) = 2:2+0:97-0:87. The results are combined with the search for ZH → v-vb-b and ZH → ℓ+ℓ-b-b to provide a best-fit value of μ = μ/μSM = 1:1+0:61-0:56. The start of Run 2 of the LHC in 2015 saw the collision energy being raised to √s = 13 TeV, increasing the probability of particles being produced with a large momentum boost. At these high energies there is also a possibility to discover new particles and interactions. An extension of the Standard Model, the Heavy Vector Triplet (HVT) model, describes new heavy vector bosons W¹ and Z¹, which can decay to pairs of heavy bosons (W, Z or Higgs bosons). If the W0 and Z0 bosons are sufficiently heavy, the hadronic decays of the diboson final states produce boosted jets. In this thesis, methods for identifying hadronically decaying boosted bosons are developed, based on techniques that examine the internal substructure of the jet. Multiple substructure variables are combined into a single discriminant using two machine learning techniques: boosted decision trees and deep neural networks. Simulated events of W¹→WZ → q-qq-q are used to develop these boosted W boson taggers. An improvement in the background rejection power, whilst keeping 50% of the signal, over previous boosted W boson taggers of up to 13%-when using deep neural networks-and 36%-when using boosted decision trees-is obtained. The performance of the new boosted W boson taggers are evaluated in a search for a narrow WW resonances from the decay of a Z¹ with boson-tagged jets in 3.2 fb-1 of pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector.