Please contact Beth Demkowski, demkowsk@umich.edu for Zoom link.

Collisions of protons at the LHC that produce pairs of leptons offer a unique window into the dynamics and interactions of fundamental particles. This seminar will present two recent results based on data from such collisions that was recorded by the ATLAS experiment. First, is the search for the Higgs boson decaying to two muons. This Standard Model process is the only available opportunity to study the Higgs coupling to a second generation fermion. Second, is a search for new physics beyond the Standard Model that may produce non-resonant features in the dilepton mass spectra. Such an effect would be present if fermions are composed of smaller component particles. Both studies make use of new experimental and statistical techniques that improve their sensitivity and reliability.