Evidence for light-by-light scattering in heavy-ion collisions with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

doi:10.1038/nphys4208

Evidence for light-by-light scattering in heavy-ion collisions with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv University

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

Abstract

Light-by-light scattering (γγ → γγ) is a quantum-mechanical process that is forbidden in the classical theory of electrodynamics. This reaction is accessible at the Large Hadron Collider thanks to the large electromagnetic field strengths generated by ultra-relativistic colliding lead ions. Using 480 μ¹ of lead-lead collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV by the ATLAS detector, here we report evidence for light-by-light scattering. A total of 13 candidate events were observed with an expected background of 2.6 ± 0.7 events. After background subtraction and analysis corrections, the fiducial cross-section of the process Pb + Pb (γγ) → Pb^(∗) + Pb^(∗) _γγ,for photon transverse energy E_T > 3GeV, photon absolute pseudorapidity |η| <2.4, diphoton invariant mass greater than 6GeV, diphoton transverse momentum lower than 2GeV and diphoton acoplanarity below 0.01, is measured to be 70 ± 24 (stat.) ±17 (syst.) nb, which is in agreement with the standard model predictions.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	852-858
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature Physics
Volume	13
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys4208
State	Published - 5 Sep 2017

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Physics and Astronomy

Access to Document

10.1038/nphys4208

Cite this

@article{1ff056ad4e9049b4bf5c19ded899e4f2,

title = "Evidence for light-by-light scattering in heavy-ion collisions with the ATLAS detector at the LHC",

abstract = "Light-by-light scattering (γγ → γγ) is a quantum-mechanical process that is forbidden in the classical theory of electrodynamics. This reaction is accessible at the Large Hadron Collider thanks to the large electromagnetic field strengths generated by ultra-relativistic colliding lead ions. Using 480 μ1 of lead-lead collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV by the ATLAS detector, here we report evidence for light-by-light scattering. A total of 13 candidate events were observed with an expected background of 2.6 ± 0.7 events. After background subtraction and analysis corrections, the fiducial cross-section of the process Pb + Pb (γγ) → Pb(∗) + Pb(∗) γγ,for photon transverse energy ET > 3GeV, photon absolute pseudorapidity |η| <2.4, diphoton invariant mass greater than 6GeV, diphoton transverse momentum lower than 2GeV and diphoton acoplanarity below 0.01, is measured to be 70 ± 24 (stat.) ±17 (syst.) nb, which is in agreement with the standard model predictions.",

author = "M. Aaboud and G. Aad and B. Abbott and J. Abdallah and O. Abdinov and B. Abeloos and Abidi, {S. H.} and AbouZeid, {O. S.} and Abraham, {N. L.} and H. Abramowicz and H. Abreu and R. Abreu and Y. Abulaiti and Acharya, {B. S.} and S. Adachi and L. Adamczyk and J. Adelman and M. Adersberger and T. Adye and Affolder, {A. A.} and T. Agatonovic-Jovin and C. Agheorghiesei and Aguilar-Saavedra, {J. A.} and Ahlen, {S. P.} and F. Ahmadov and G. Aielli and S. Akatsuka and H. Akerstedt and {\AA}kesson, {T. P.A.} and Akimov, {A. V.} and Alberghi, {G. L.} and J. Albert and {Alconada Verzini}, {M. J.} and M. Aleksa and Aleksandrov, {I. N.} and C. Alexa and G. Alexander and T. Alexopoulos and M. Alhroob and B. Ali and M. Aliev and G. Alimonti and J. Alison and Alkire, {S. P.} and Allbrooke, {B. M.M.} and Allen, {B. W.} and Allport, {P. P.} and A. Aloisio and Citron, {Z. H.} and M. Pitt and M. Bellomo and S. Cheatham and O. Gabizon and S. Istin and E. Kajomovitz and J. Meyer and S. Tarem and A. Ashkenazi and L. Barak and G. Bella and Y. Benhammou and T. Cao and E. Etzion and O. Kuprash and Y. Oren",

year = "2017",

month = sep,

day = "5",

doi = "10.1038/nphys4208",

language = "American English",

volume = "13",

pages = "852--858",

journal = "Nature Physics",

issn = "1745-2473",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "9",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evidence for light-by-light scattering in heavy-ion collisions with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

AU - Aaboud, M.

AU - Aad, G.

AU - Abbott, B.

AU - Abdallah, J.

AU - Abdinov, O.

AU - Abeloos, B.

AU - Abidi, S. H.

AU - AbouZeid, O. S.

AU - Abraham, N. L.

AU - Abramowicz, H.

AU - Abreu, H.

AU - Abreu, R.

AU - Abulaiti, Y.

AU - Acharya, B. S.

AU - Adachi, S.

AU - Adamczyk, L.

AU - Adelman, J.

AU - Adersberger, M.

AU - Adye, T.

AU - Affolder, A. A.

AU - Agatonovic-Jovin, T.

AU - Agheorghiesei, C.

AU - Aguilar-Saavedra, J. A.

AU - Ahlen, S. P.

AU - Ahmadov, F.

AU - Aielli, G.

AU - Akatsuka, S.

AU - Akerstedt, H.

AU - Åkesson, T. P.A.

AU - Akimov, A. V.

AU - Alberghi, G. L.

AU - Albert, J.

AU - Alconada Verzini, M. J.

AU - Aleksa, M.

AU - Aleksandrov, I. N.

AU - Alexa, C.

AU - Alexander, G.

AU - Alexopoulos, T.

AU - Alhroob, M.

AU - Ali, B.

AU - Aliev, M.

AU - Alimonti, G.

AU - Alison, J.

AU - Alkire, S. P.

AU - Allbrooke, B. M.M.

AU - Allen, B. W.

AU - Allport, P. P.

AU - Aloisio, A.

AU - Citron, Z. H.

AU - Pitt, M.

AU - Bellomo, M.

AU - Cheatham, S.

AU - Gabizon, O.

AU - Istin, S.

AU - Kajomovitz, E.

AU - Meyer, J.

AU - Tarem, S.

AU - Ashkenazi, A.

AU - Barak, L.

AU - Bella, G.

AU - Benhammou, Y.

AU - Cao, T.

AU - Etzion, E.

AU - Kuprash, O.

AU - Oren, Y.

PY - 2017/9/5

Y1 - 2017/9/5

N2 - Light-by-light scattering (γγ → γγ) is a quantum-mechanical process that is forbidden in the classical theory of electrodynamics. This reaction is accessible at the Large Hadron Collider thanks to the large electromagnetic field strengths generated by ultra-relativistic colliding lead ions. Using 480 μ1 of lead-lead collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV by the ATLAS detector, here we report evidence for light-by-light scattering. A total of 13 candidate events were observed with an expected background of 2.6 ± 0.7 events. After background subtraction and analysis corrections, the fiducial cross-section of the process Pb + Pb (γγ) → Pb(∗) + Pb(∗) γγ,for photon transverse energy ET > 3GeV, photon absolute pseudorapidity |η| <2.4, diphoton invariant mass greater than 6GeV, diphoton transverse momentum lower than 2GeV and diphoton acoplanarity below 0.01, is measured to be 70 ± 24 (stat.) ±17 (syst.) nb, which is in agreement with the standard model predictions.

AB - Light-by-light scattering (γγ → γγ) is a quantum-mechanical process that is forbidden in the classical theory of electrodynamics. This reaction is accessible at the Large Hadron Collider thanks to the large electromagnetic field strengths generated by ultra-relativistic colliding lead ions. Using 480 μ1 of lead-lead collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV by the ATLAS detector, here we report evidence for light-by-light scattering. A total of 13 candidate events were observed with an expected background of 2.6 ± 0.7 events. After background subtraction and analysis corrections, the fiducial cross-section of the process Pb + Pb (γγ) → Pb(∗) + Pb(∗) γγ,for photon transverse energy ET > 3GeV, photon absolute pseudorapidity |η| <2.4, diphoton invariant mass greater than 6GeV, diphoton transverse momentum lower than 2GeV and diphoton acoplanarity below 0.01, is measured to be 70 ± 24 (stat.) ±17 (syst.) nb, which is in agreement with the standard model predictions.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85028933316&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/nphys4208

DO - 10.1038/nphys4208

M3 - Article

SN - 1745-2473

VL - 13

SP - 852

EP - 858

JO - Nature Physics

JF - Nature Physics

IS - 9

ER -

Evidence for light-by-light scattering in heavy-ion collisions with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this