Measurement of the Zγ→νν¯γ production cross section in pp collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector and limits on anomalous triple gauge-boson couplings

Abstract

Abstract The production of Z bosons in association with a high-energy photon (Zγ production) is studied in the neutrino decay channel of the Z boson using pp collisions at

$$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$

s

= 13

TeV. The analysis uses a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 36.1fb−1 collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2015 and 2016. Candidate Zγ events with invisible decays of the Z boson are selected by requiring significant transverse momentum (p T) of the dineutrino system in conjunction with a single isolated photon with large transverse energy (E T). The rate of Zγ production is measured as a function of photon E T, dineutrino system p T and jet multiplicity. Evidence of anomalous triple gauge-boson couplings is sought in Zγ production with photon E T greater than 600 GeV. No excess is observed relative to the Standard Model expectation, and upper limits are set on the strength of ZZγ and Zγγ couplings.