Search for singly produced vector-like top partners in multilepton final states with $139$ $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ data collected from $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for the single production of vector-like top partners ($T$) optimized for final states with a $Z$ boson decaying to a pair of electrons or muons is presented, using the full Run 2 dataset corresponding to $139$ $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV, collected in 2015–2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The targeted final state is characterized by the presence of a pair of electrons or muons with opposite-sign charges which form a $Z$ boson candidate, as well as by the presence of $b$-tagged jets and forward jets. Events with exactly two or at least three leptons are categorized into two independently optimized analysis channels. No significant excess above the background expectation is observed and the results from the two channels are statistically combined to set exclusion limits at 95% confidence level on the masses and couplings of $T$ for benchmark models as well as generalized representations.