Observation of W+W−γ production in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector and constraints on anomalous quartic gauge-boson couplings

Atlas Collaboration

doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2025.140050

Observation of W+W−γ production in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector and constraints on anomalous quartic gauge-boson couplings

Atlas Collaboration

Physics

Aix-Marseille Université
University of Bergen
University of Oklahoma
New York University Abu Dhabi
University of Göttingen
TU Dortmund University
United States Department of Energy
Southern Methodist University
Mohammed V University in Rabat
Tel Aviv University
New York University
King's College London
National Institute for Nuclear Physics
Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics
Heidelberg University
Université de Savoie
AGH University of Krakow
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
University of Manchester
Northern Illinois University
Istanbul University
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
University of California at Santa Cruz
The University of Chicago
Institute for High Energy Physics
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi
Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences
CERN
Royal Holloway University of London
University of Valencia
Zhengzhou University
University of Rome Tor Vergata
University of Hassan II Casablanca
Lund University
Stony Brook University
Waseda University
University of Bonn
University of Würzburg
University of Victoria BC
University of Bern
Université Grenoble Alpes
University of Edinburgh
Oklahoma State University
Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering
National Technical University of Athens

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

Abstract

This Letter reports the observation of W⁺W⁻γ triboson production in 140 fb⁻¹ of data collected by the ATLAS detector from proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV at the LHC. Events with an opposite-charge eμ pair, a high transverse-momentum photon, and significant missing transverse momentum are considered. The observed (expected) significance of the signal is 5.9 (6.0) standard deviations. The measured fiducial cross-section, defined for the W⁺W⁻γ→e^±μ^∓νν¯γ final state is 6.2 ± 0.8 (stat.) ± 0.6 (sys.) fb, in good agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 6.1_−0.7 ^+1.0 fb. Constraints on the Wilson coefficients of 13 dimension-8 operators describing physics beyond the Standard Model through anomalous quartic gauge-boson couplings are derived using the effective field theory framework.

Original language	English
Article number	140050
Journal	Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
Volume	873
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2025.140050
State	Published - Feb 2026

Keywords

Anomalous quartic gauge couplings
Cross-section
EFT
Electroweak
Multiboson
WWgamma

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10.1016/j.physletb.2025.140050

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@article{1760daf63da74d5a929fd9a660391438,

title = "Observation of W+W−γ production in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector and constraints on anomalous quartic gauge-boson couplings",

abstract = "This Letter reports the observation of W+W−γ triboson production in 140 fb−1 of data collected by the ATLAS detector from proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV at the LHC. Events with an opposite-charge eμ pair, a high transverse-momentum photon, and significant missing transverse momentum are considered. The observed (expected) significance of the signal is 5.9 (6.0) standard deviations. The measured fiducial cross-section, defined for the W+W−γ→e±μ∓νν¯γ final state is 6.2 ± 0.8 (stat.) ± 0.6 (sys.) fb, in good agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 6.1−0.7 +1.0 fb. Constraints on the Wilson coefficients of 13 dimension-8 operators describing physics beyond the Standard Model through anomalous quartic gauge-boson couplings are derived using the effective field theory framework.",

keywords = "Anomalous quartic gauge couplings, Cross-section, EFT, Electroweak, Multiboson, WWgamma",

author = "\{Atlas Collaboration\} and G. Aad and E. Aakvaag and B. Abbott and S. Abdelhameed and K. Abeling and Abicht, \{N. J.\} and Abidi, \{S. H.\} and M. Aboelela and A. Aboulhorma and H. Abramowicz and Y. Abulaiti and Acharya, \{B. S.\} and A. Ackermann and \{Adam Bourdarios\}, C. and L. Adamczyk and Addepalli, \{S. V.\} and Addison, \{M. J.\} and J. Adelman and A. Adiguzel and T. Adye and Affolder, \{A. A.\} and Y. Afik and Agaras, \{M. N.\} and A. Aggarwal and C. Agheorghiesei and F. Ahmadov and S. Ahuja and X. Ai and G. Aielli and A. Aikot and \{Ait Tamlihat\}, M. and B. Aitbenchikh and M. Akbiyik and {\AA}kesson, \{T. P.A.\} and Akimov, \{A. V.\} and D. Akiyama and Akolkar, \{N. N.\} and S. Aktas and Alberghi, \{G. L.\} and J. Albert and U. Alberti and P. Albicocco and Albouy, \{G. L.\} and S. Alderweireldt and Alegria, \{Z. L.\} and M. Aleksa and Aleksandrov, \{I. N.\} and C. Alexa and T. Alexopoulos and \{Mc Lean\}, \{C. A.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Authors.",

year = "2026",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1016/j.physletb.2025.140050",

language = "English",

volume = "873",

journal = "Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics",

issn = "0370-2693",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Observation of W+W−γ production in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector and constraints on anomalous quartic gauge-boson couplings

AU - Atlas Collaboration

AU - Aad, G.

AU - Aakvaag, E.

AU - Abbott, B.

AU - Abdelhameed, S.

AU - Abeling, K.

AU - Abicht, N. J.

AU - Abidi, S. H.

AU - Aboelela, M.

AU - Aboulhorma, A.

AU - Abramowicz, H.

AU - Abulaiti, Y.

AU - Acharya, B. S.

AU - Ackermann, A.

AU - Adam Bourdarios, C.

AU - Adamczyk, L.

AU - Addepalli, S. V.

AU - Addison, M. J.

AU - Adelman, J.

AU - Adiguzel, A.

AU - Adye, T.

AU - Affolder, A. A.

AU - Afik, Y.

AU - Agaras, M. N.

AU - Aggarwal, A.

AU - Agheorghiesei, C.

AU - Ahmadov, F.

AU - Ahuja, S.

AU - Ai, X.

AU - Aielli, G.

AU - Aikot, A.

AU - Ait Tamlihat, M.

AU - Aitbenchikh, B.

AU - Akbiyik, M.

AU - Åkesson, T. P.A.

AU - Akimov, A. V.

AU - Akiyama, D.

AU - Akolkar, N. N.

AU - Aktas, S.

AU - Alberghi, G. L.

AU - Albert, J.

AU - Alberti, U.

AU - Albicocco, P.

AU - Albouy, G. L.

AU - Alderweireldt, S.

AU - Alegria, Z. L.

AU - Aleksa, M.

AU - Aleksandrov, I. N.

AU - Alexa, C.

AU - Alexopoulos, T.

AU - Mc Lean, C. A.

PY - 2026/2

Y1 - 2026/2

N2 - This Letter reports the observation of W+W−γ triboson production in 140 fb−1 of data collected by the ATLAS detector from proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV at the LHC. Events with an opposite-charge eμ pair, a high transverse-momentum photon, and significant missing transverse momentum are considered. The observed (expected) significance of the signal is 5.9 (6.0) standard deviations. The measured fiducial cross-section, defined for the W+W−γ→e±μ∓νν¯γ final state is 6.2 ± 0.8 (stat.) ± 0.6 (sys.) fb, in good agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 6.1−0.7 +1.0 fb. Constraints on the Wilson coefficients of 13 dimension-8 operators describing physics beyond the Standard Model through anomalous quartic gauge-boson couplings are derived using the effective field theory framework.

AB - This Letter reports the observation of W+W−γ triboson production in 140 fb−1 of data collected by the ATLAS detector from proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 13 TeV at the LHC. Events with an opposite-charge eμ pair, a high transverse-momentum photon, and significant missing transverse momentum are considered. The observed (expected) significance of the signal is 5.9 (6.0) standard deviations. The measured fiducial cross-section, defined for the W+W−γ→e±μ∓νν¯γ final state is 6.2 ± 0.8 (stat.) ± 0.6 (sys.) fb, in good agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 6.1−0.7 +1.0 fb. Constraints on the Wilson coefficients of 13 dimension-8 operators describing physics beyond the Standard Model through anomalous quartic gauge-boson couplings are derived using the effective field theory framework.

KW - Anomalous quartic gauge couplings

KW - Cross-section

KW - EFT

KW - Electroweak

KW - Multiboson

KW - WWgamma

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105027948024

U2 - 10.1016/j.physletb.2025.140050

DO - 10.1016/j.physletb.2025.140050

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105027948024

SN - 0370-2693

VL - 873

JO - Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics

JF - Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics

M1 - 140050

ER -

Observation of W+W−γ production in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector and constraints on anomalous quartic gauge-boson couplings

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Keywords

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