Searching for ALPs in light-by-light scattering in pp collisions using AFP proton tagging with the ATLAS detector

The search for an Axion-Like-Particle (ALP) is being performed using 30fb−1 data recorded with the ATLAS experiment and the ATLAS Forward Proton (AFP) detector in 2017. The AFP detector is positioned symmetrically at approximately 220m about the interaction point near the beam pipe and is used to measure the kinematics of surviving protons. The high mass diphoton spectrum is studied to prepare the search for ALP mediated light-by-light scattering. At the current stage of the analysis, the focus falls on a 1 TeV ALP with coupling g = 0.001 GeV−1, which was simulated. Data containing photon information and AFP containers was also prepared. The blinding strategy was established, along with the next steps to be performed in this search.