Search for an axion-like particle with forward proton scattering in association with photon pairs at ATLAS

Summary, in English

A search for forward proton scattering in association with light-by-light scattering mediated by an axion-like particle is presented, using the ATLAS Forward Proton spectrometer to detect scattered protons and the central ATLAS detector to detect pairs of outgoing photons. Proton-proton collision data recorded in 2017 at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV were analysed, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 14.6 fb −1. A total of 441 candidate events were selected. A search was made for a narrow resonance in the diphoton mass distribution, corresponding to an axion-like particle (ALP) with mass in the range 150–1600 GeV. No excess is observed above a smooth background. Upper limits on the production cross section of a narrow resonance are set as a function of the mass, and are interpreted as upper limits on the ALP production coupling constant, assuming 100% decay branching ratio into a photon pair. The inferred upper limit on the coupling constant is in the range 0.04–0.09 TeV −1 at 95% confidence level. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2023, The Author(s).

• Author: G. Aad; T.P.A. Åkesson; C. Doglioni; P.A. Ekman; V. Hedberg; H. Herde; B. Konya; E. Lytken; R. Poettgen; N.D. Simpson; E. Skorda; O. Smirnova; L. Zwalinski
• Department/s: Particle and nuclear physics; eSSENCE: The e-Science Collaboration
• Publishing year: 2023
• Language: English
• Publication/Series: Journal of High Energy Physics
• Volume: 2023
• Issue: 7
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP07(2023)234
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Springer
• Topic: Subatomic Physics
• Keywords: CP Violation; Hadron-Hadron Scattering
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1029-8479