Observation and Measurement of Forward Proton Scattering in Association with Lepton Pairs Produced via the Photon Fusion Mechanism at ATLAS


Aad G., Abbott B., Abbott D. C., Abud A. A., Abeling K., Abhayasinghe D. K., ...More

PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, vol.125, no.26, 2020 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 125 Issue: 26
  • Publication Date: 2020
  • Doi Number: 10.1103/physrevlett.125.261801
  • Journal Name: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Aerospace Database, Chemical Abstracts Core, Compendex, EMBASE, INSPEC, MEDLINE, zbMATH, DIALNET
  • Istanbul University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The observation of forward proton scattering in association with lepton pairs (e(+)e(-) + p or mu(+)mu(-) + p) produced via photon fusion is presented. The scattered proton is detected by the ATLAS Forward Proton spectrometer, while the leptons are reconstructed by the central ATLAS detector. Proton-proton collision data recorded in 2017 at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 13 TeV are analyzed, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 14.6 fb(-1). A total of 57 (123) candidates in the ee + p (mu mu + p) final state arc selected, allowing the background-only hypothesis to be rejected with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations in each channel. Proton-tagging techniques are introduced for cross-section measurements in the fiducial detector acceptance, corresponding to sigma(ee)(+p) = 11.0 +/- 2.6(stat) 1.2(syst) +/- 0.3(lumi) and sigma(mu)(mu+)(p) = 7.2 +/- 1.6(stat) +/- 0.9(syst) 0.2(lumi) fb in the dielectron and dimuon channel, respectively.