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Accurate nuclear reaction rates for²⁶P(p,γ)²⁷S are pivotal for a comprehensive understanding of therp-process nucleosynthesis path in the region of proton-rich sulfur and phosphorus isotopes. However, large uncertainties still exist in the current rate of²⁶P(p,γ)²⁷S because of the lack of nuclear mass and energy level structure information for²⁷S. We reevaluate this reaction rate using the experimentally constrained²⁷S mass, together with the shell model predicted level structure. It is found that the²⁶P(p,γ)²⁷S reaction rate is dominated by a direct capture reaction mechanism despite the presence of three resonances atE= 1.104, 1.597, and 1.777 MeV above the proton threshold in²⁷S. The new rate is overall smaller than the other previous rates from the Hauser–Feshbach statistical model by at least 1 order of magnitude in the temperature range of X-ray burst interest. In addition, we consistently update the photodisintegration rate using the new²⁷S mass. The influence of new rates of forward and reverse reaction in the abundances of isotopes produced in therp-process is explored by postprocessing nucleosynthesis calculations. The final abundance ratio of²⁷S/²⁶P obtained using the new rates is only 10% of that from the old rate. The abundance flow calculations show that the reaction path²⁶P(p,γ)²⁷S(β⁺,ν)²⁷P is not as important as previously thought for producing²⁷P. The adoption of the new reaction rates for²⁶P(p,γ)²⁷S only reduces the final production of aluminum by 7.1% and has no discernible impact on the yield of other elements.

The superτ-charm facility (STCF) is an electron–positron collider proposed by the Chinese particle physics community. It is designed to operate in a center-of-mass energy range from 2 to 7 GeV with a peak luminosity of 0.5 × 10³⁵cm⁻²·s⁻¹or higher. The STCF will produce a data sample about a factor of 100 larger than that of the presentτ-charm factory — the BEPCII, providing a unique platform for exploring the asymmetry of matter-antimatter (charge-parity violation), in-depth studies of the internal structure of hadrons and the nature of non-perturbative strong interactions, as well as searching for exotic hadrons and physics beyond the Standard Model. The STCF project in China is under development with an extensive R&D program. This document presents the physics opportunities at the STCF, describes conceptual designs of the STCF detector system, and discusses future plans for detector R&D and physics case studies.

A search for pair production of squarks or gluinos decaying via sleptons or weak bosons is reported. The search targets a final state with exactly two leptons with same-sign electric charge or at least three leptons without any charge requirement. The analysed data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb⁻¹of proton-proton collisions collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Multiple signal regions are defined, targeting several SUSY simplified models yielding the desired final states. A single control region is used to constrain the normalisation of theWZ+ jets background. No significant excess of events over the Standard Model expectation is observed. The results are interpreted in the context of several supersymmetric models featuring R-parity conservation or R-parity violation, yielding exclusion limits surpassing those from previous searches. In models considering gluino (squark) pair production, gluino (squark) masses up to 2.2 (1.7) TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level.

A search for supersymmetry targeting the direct production of winos and higgsinos is conducted in final states with either two leptons (eorμ) with the same electric charge, or three leptons. The analysis uses 139 fb⁻¹ofppcollision data at$$ \sqrt{s} $$$\sqrt{s}$= 13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess over the Standard Model expectation is observed. Simplified and complete models with and withoutR-parity conservation are considered. In topologies with intermediate states including eitherWhorWZpairs, wino masses up to 525 GeV and 250 GeV are excluded, respectively, for a bino of vanishing mass. Higgsino masses smaller than 440 GeV are excluded in a naturalR-parity-violating model with bilinear terms. Upper limits on the production cross section of generic events beyond the Standard Model as low as 40 ab are obtained in signal regions optimised for these models and also for anR-parity-violating scenario with baryon-number-violating higgsino decays into top quarks and jets. The analysis significantly improves sensitivity to supersymmetric models and other processes beyond the Standard Model that may contribute to the considered final states.

A search for dark matter produced in association with a Higgs boson in final states with two hadronically decayingτ-leptons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis uses 139 fb⁻¹of proton-proton collision data at$$ \sqrt{s} $$$\sqrt{s}$= 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018. No evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model is found. The results are interpreted in terms of a 2HDM+amodel featuring two scalar Higgs doublets and a pseudoscalar singlet field. Exclusion limits on the parameters of the model in selected benchmark scenarios are derived at 95% confidence level. Model-independent limits are also set on the visible cross-section for processes beyond the Standard Model producing missing transverse momentum in association with a Higgs boson decaying intoτ-leptons.

A search for pair-produced vector-like quarks using events with exactly one lepton (eor$$\mu $$$\mu$), at least four jets including at least oneb-tagged jet, and large missing transverse momentum is presented. Data from proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of$$\sqrt{s}=$$$\sqrt{s}=$13 $$\text {TeV}$$$\text{TeV}$, recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC from 2015 to 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$$^{-1}$$${}^{-1}$, are analysed. Vector-like partnersTandBof the top and bottom quarks are considered, as is a vector-likeXwith charge$$+5/3$$$+5/3$, assuming their decay into aW,Z, or Higgs boson and a third-generation quark. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectation are observed. Upper limits on the production cross-section ofTandBquark pairs as a function of their mass are derived for various decay branching ratio scenarios. The strongest lower limits on the masses are 1.59 $$\text {TeV}$$$\text{TeV}$assuming mass-degenerate vector-like quarks and branching ratios corresponding to the weak-isospin doublet model, and 1.47 $$\text {TeV}$$$\text{TeV}$(1.46 $$\text {TeV}$$$\text{TeV}$) for exclusive$$T \rightarrow Zt$$$T\to Zt$($$B/X \rightarrow Wt$$$B/X\to Wt$) decays. In addition, lower limits on theTandBquark masses are derived for all possible branching ratios.

This paper describes a search for the single production of an up-type vector-like quark (T) decaying asT→HtorT→Zt. The search utilises a dataset ofppcollisions at$$ \sqrt{s} $$$\sqrt{s}$= 13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector during the 2015–2018 data-taking period of the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb⁻¹. Data are analysed in final states containing a single lepton with multiple jets andb-jets. The presence of boosted heavy resonances in the event is exploited to discriminate the signal from the Standard Model background. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed, and 95% CL upper limits are set on the production cross section ofTquarks in different decay channels. The results are interpreted in several benchmark scenarios to set limits on the mass and universal coupling strength (κ) of the vector-like quark. For singletTquarks,κvalues above 0.53 are excluded for all masses below 2.3 TeV. At a mass of 1.6 TeV,κvalues as low as 0.35 are excluded. ForTquarks in the doublet scenario, where the production cross section is much lower,κvalues above 0.72 are excluded for all masses below 1.7 TeV, and this exclusion is extended toκabove 0.55 for low masses around 1.0 TeV.

Measurements of Higgs boson production cross-sections are carried out in the diphoton decay channel using 139 fb⁻¹ofppcollision data at$$ \sqrt{s} $$$\sqrt{s}$= 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The analysis is based on the definition of 101 distinct signal regions using machine-learning techniques. The inclusive Higgs boson signal strength in the diphoton channel is measured to be$$ {1.04}_{-0.09}^{+0.10} $$${1.04}_{-0.09}^{+0.10}$. Cross-sections for gluon-gluon fusion, vector-boson fusion, associated production with aWorZboson, and top associated production processes are reported. An upper limit of 10 times the Standard Model prediction is set for the associated production process of a Higgs boson with a single top quark, which has a unique sensitivity to the sign of the top quark Yukawa coupling. Higgs boson production is further characterized through measurements of Simplified Template Cross-Sections (STXS). In total, cross-sections of 28 STXS regions are measured. The measured STXS cross-sections are compatible with their Standard Model predictions, with ap-value of 93%. The measurements are also used to set constraints on Higgs boson coupling strengths, as well as on new interactions beyond the Standard Model in an effective field theory approach. No significant deviations from the Standard Model predictions are observed in these measurements, which provide significant sensitivity improvements compared to the previous ATLAS results.