Vertex based missing mass calculator for 3-prong hadronically decaying tau leptons in the ATLAS detector

In this thesis my personal contributions to the ATLAS experiment are presented, these consist of studies and analyses relating to tau leptons. The first main section contains work on the identification of hadronically decaying tau leptons, and my specific contribution the electron veto. This work involved improving the choice of variables to discriminate against electrons that had been incorrectly identified as tau leptons. These variables were optimised to be robust against increasing pile-up, which is present in this data period. The resulting efficiencies are independent of this pile-up. The second main section contains an analysis of Z → τ τ decays, my specific contribution was the calculation of the detector acceptance factors and systematics. The third, and final section contains an analysis of the performance of a new vertex based missing mass calculator for 3-prong hadronically decaying tau leptons. It was found that in its current state it performs just as well as the existing methods. However it has a much greater scope for improvement with the introduction of the Insertable B-Layer in the ATLAS detector that will dramatically increase the ability to track and vertex particles.