Modelling Z → ττ processes in ATLAS with τ-embedded Z → μμ data

Abstract

This paper describes the concept, technical realisation and validation of a largely data-driven method to model events with $Z\rightarrow\tau\tau$ decays. In $Z\rightarrow\mu\mu$ events selected from proton--proton collision data recorded at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in 2012, the $Z$ decay muons are replaced by $\tau$ leptons from simulated $Z\rightarrow\tau\tau$ decays at the level of reconstructed tracks and calorimeter cells. The $\tau$ lepton kinematics are derived from the kinematics of the original muons. Thus, only the well-understood decays of the $Z$ boson and $\tau$ leptons as well as the detector response to the $\tau$ decay products are obtained from simulation. All other aspects of the event, such as the $Z$ boson and jet kinematics as well as effects from multiple interactions, are given by the actual data. This so-called $\tau$-embedding method is particularly relevant for Higgs boson searches and analyses in $\tau\tau$ final states, where $Z\rightarrow\tau\tau$ decays constitute a large irreducible background that cannot be obtained directly from data control samples. In this paper, the relevant concepts are discussed based on the implementation used in the ATLAS Standard Model $H\rightarrow\tau\tau$ analysis of the full datataset recorded during 2011 and 2012.