Observation of Light-by-Light Scattering in Ultraperipheral Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

Atlas Collaboration

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.052001

Observation of Light-by-Light Scattering in Ultraperipheral Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

Atlas Collaboration

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

155 Scopus citations

Abstract

This Letter describes the observation of the light-by-light scattering process, γγ→γγ, in Pb+Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV. The analysis is conducted using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.73 nb-1, collected in November 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Light-by-light scattering candidates are selected in events with two photons produced exclusively, each with transverse energy ETγ>3 GeV and pseudorapidity |ηγ|<2.4, diphoton invariant mass above 6 GeV, and small diphoton transverse momentum and acoplanarity. After applying all selection criteria, 59 candidate events are observed for a background expectation of 12±3 events. The observed excess of events over the expected background has a significance of 8.2 standard deviations. The measured fiducial cross section is 78±13(stat)±7(syst)±3(lumi) nb.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	052001
Journal	Physical review letters
Volume	123
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.052001
State	Published - Jul 31 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Physics and Astronomy

Access to Document

10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.052001

Cite this

@article{4608b7d07df6410f8e3be7f550e7bbfc,

title = "Observation of Light-by-Light Scattering in Ultraperipheral Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector",

abstract = "This Letter describes the observation of the light-by-light scattering process, γγ→γγ, in Pb+Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV. The analysis is conducted using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.73 nb-1, collected in November 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Light-by-light scattering candidates are selected in events with two photons produced exclusively, each with transverse energy ETγ>3 GeV and pseudorapidity |ηγ|<2.4, diphoton invariant mass above 6 GeV, and small diphoton transverse momentum and acoplanarity. After applying all selection criteria, 59 candidate events are observed for a background expectation of 12±3 events. The observed excess of events over the expected background has a significance of 8.2 standard deviations. The measured fiducial cross section is 78±13(stat)±7(syst)±3(lumi) nb.",

author = "\{Atlas Collaboration\} and G. Aad and B. Abbott and Abbott, \{D. C.\} and O. Abdinov and \{Abed Abud\}, A. and K. Abeling and Abhayasinghe, \{D. K.\} and Abidi, \{S. H.\} and Abouzeid, \{O. S.\} and Abraham, \{N. L.\} and H. Abramowicz and H. Abreu and Y. Abulaiti and Acharya, \{B. S.\} and B. Achkar and S. Adachi and L. Adam and \{Adam Bourdarios\}, C. and L. Adamczyk and L. Adamek and J. Adelman and M. Adersberger and A. Adiguzel and S. Adorni and T. Adye and Affolder, \{A. A.\} and Y. Afik and C. Agapopoulou and Agaras, \{M. N.\} and A. Aggarwal and C. Agheorghiesei and Aguilar-Saavedra, \{J. A.\} and F. Ahmadov and Ahmed, \{W. S.\} and X. Ai and G. Aielli and S. Akatsuka and {\AA}kesson, \{T. P.A.\} and E. Akilli and Akimov, \{A. V.\} and \{Al Khoury\}, K. and Alberghi, \{G. L.\} and J. Albert and \{Alconada Verzini\}, \{M. J.\} and S. Alderweireldt and E. Cheu and Johns, \{K. A.\} and P. Loch and Rutherfoord, \{J. P.\} and Varnes, \{E. W.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 CERN.",

year = "2019",

month = jul,

day = "31",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.052001",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "123",

journal = "Physical review letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Observation of Light-by-Light Scattering in Ultraperipheral Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

AU - Atlas Collaboration

AU - Aad, G.

AU - Abbott, B.

AU - Abbott, D. C.

AU - Abdinov, O.

AU - Abed Abud, A.

AU - Abeling, K.

AU - Abhayasinghe, D. K.

AU - Abidi, S. H.

AU - Abouzeid, O. S.

AU - Abraham, N. L.

AU - Abramowicz, H.

AU - Abreu, H.

AU - Abulaiti, Y.

AU - Acharya, B. S.

AU - Achkar, B.

AU - Adachi, S.

AU - Adam, L.

AU - Adam Bourdarios, C.

AU - Adamczyk, L.

AU - Adamek, L.

AU - Adelman, J.

AU - Adersberger, M.

AU - Adiguzel, A.

AU - Adorni, S.

AU - Adye, T.

AU - Affolder, A. A.

AU - Afik, Y.

AU - Agapopoulou, C.

AU - Agaras, M. N.

AU - Aggarwal, A.

AU - Agheorghiesei, C.

AU - Aguilar-Saavedra, J. A.

AU - Ahmadov, F.

AU - Ahmed, W. S.

AU - Ai, X.

AU - Aielli, G.

AU - Akatsuka, S.

AU - Åkesson, T. P.A.

AU - Akilli, E.

AU - Akimov, A. V.

AU - Al Khoury, K.

AU - Alberghi, G. L.

AU - Albert, J.

AU - Alconada Verzini, M. J.

AU - Alderweireldt, S.

AU - Cheu, E.

AU - Johns, K. A.

AU - Loch, P.

AU - Rutherfoord, J. P.

AU - Varnes, E. W.

PY - 2019/7/31

Y1 - 2019/7/31

N2 - This Letter describes the observation of the light-by-light scattering process, γγ→γγ, in Pb+Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV. The analysis is conducted using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.73 nb-1, collected in November 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Light-by-light scattering candidates are selected in events with two photons produced exclusively, each with transverse energy ETγ>3 GeV and pseudorapidity |ηγ|<2.4, diphoton invariant mass above 6 GeV, and small diphoton transverse momentum and acoplanarity. After applying all selection criteria, 59 candidate events are observed for a background expectation of 12±3 events. The observed excess of events over the expected background has a significance of 8.2 standard deviations. The measured fiducial cross section is 78±13(stat)±7(syst)±3(lumi) nb.

AB - This Letter describes the observation of the light-by-light scattering process, γγ→γγ, in Pb+Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV. The analysis is conducted using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.73 nb-1, collected in November 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Light-by-light scattering candidates are selected in events with two photons produced exclusively, each with transverse energy ETγ>3 GeV and pseudorapidity |ηγ|<2.4, diphoton invariant mass above 6 GeV, and small diphoton transverse momentum and acoplanarity. After applying all selection criteria, 59 candidate events are observed for a background expectation of 12±3 events. The observed excess of events over the expected background has a significance of 8.2 standard deviations. The measured fiducial cross section is 78±13(stat)±7(syst)±3(lumi) nb.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85071896312

UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85071896312&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.052001

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.052001

M3 - Article

C2 - 31491300

AN - SCOPUS:85071896312

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 123

JO - Physical review letters

JF - Physical review letters

IS - 5

M1 - 052001

ER -

Observation of Light-by-Light Scattering in Ultraperipheral Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this