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

ATLAS Collaboration

doi:10.1038/nphys4208

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

ATLAS Collaboration

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

333 Citations (Scopus)

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	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
Publication status	Published - 5 Sept 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1038/nphys4208

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@article{4c8662ee2241411882e1714f4206c219,

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 = "\{ATLAS Collaboration\} and 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 Connell, \{S. H.\} and N. Govender and L. Truong",

year = "2017",

month = sep,

day = "5",

doi = "10.1038/nphys4208",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

pages = "852--858",

journal = "Nature Physics",

issn = "1745-2473",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "9",

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TY - JOUR

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

AU - ATLAS Collaboration

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 - Connell, S. H.

AU - Govender, N.

AU - Truong, L.

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 - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85028933316

U2 - 10.1038/nphys4208

DO - 10.1038/nphys4208

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85028933316

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

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