Search for resonances decaying to a Z boson and a photon in the ATLAS Detector using data from the Large Hadron Collider


Readioff, NP (2016) Search for resonances decaying to a Z boson and a photon in the ATLAS Detector using data from the Large Hadron Collider. PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

This thesis presents a search for Zγ resonances in the context of both the Standard Model Higgs boson and exotic high mass particles. The search for evidence of a Standard Model Higgs boson undergoing the decay H→Zγ, Z→ll, where l = e or μ, is performed using proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC corresponding to 4.5 fb⁻¹ at a centre-of-mass energy √s = 7 TeV and 20.3 fb⁻¹ at a centre-of-mass energy √s = 8 TeV. No significant excess over the Standard Model prediction is observed and so exclusion limits on the production cross-section of an SM Higgs boson decaying to Zγ are set at 95% confidence level: production of the Higgs boson at 9.0 x SM predictions is excluded. Refinements to the analysis are presented, making use of an alternative event classification based on the mass of the reconstructed Z boson to increase the sensitivity and set improved exclusion limits: production of the Higgs boson at 8.0 x SM predictions is excluded. A search for a new Higgs-like boson, X, with high mass and decaying through Zγ to an llγ final state, where l = e or μ, is performed using proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC corresponding to 3.2 fb⁻¹ at a centre-of-mass energy √s = 13 TeV. No significant excesses above the SM background are observed and so exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are set on the production cross section times decay branching ratio to Zγ for such a boson with mass between 250 GeV and 1.5 TeV.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Divisions: Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Physical Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 17 Aug 2017 12:15
Last Modified: 16 Jan 2024 17:21
DOI: 10.17638/03004762
Supervisors:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3004762
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