Momentum distributions int\bar t production and decay near threshold

We apply the Green function formalism for \(t - \bar t\) production and decay near threshold in a study of the effects due to the momentum dependent width for such a system. We point out that these effects are likely to be much smaller than expected from the reduction of the available phase space. The Lippmann-Schwinger equation for the QCD chromostatic potential is solved numerically forS partial wave. We compare the results on the total cross section, top quark intrinsic momentum distributions and on the energy spectra ofW bosons from top quark decays with those obtained for the constant width.     

Top quark production in e^+ e^- annihilation

We analyze the four-fermion reactions containing a single top quark and three other fermions, a possible decay product of the resonant anti-top quark, in the final state. This allows us to estimate the contribution of the nonresonant Feynman graphs and effects related to the off mass shell production and decay of the top quark. We test the sensitivity of the total cross section at center of mass energies in the threshold region and far above it to the variation of the top quark width. We perform the calculation in an arbitrary linear gauge in the framework of the standard model and discuss the important issue of gauge symmetry violation by a constant top quark width. Received: 21 February 2001 / Revised version: 27 March 2001 / Published online: 18 May 2001     

O(αs) corrections to polarized top quark decay into a charged Higgs boson: $t(\uparrow)\to{H}^+ + b$

We calculate the O(α_s) radiative corrections to polarized top quark decay into a charged Higgs boson and a massive bottom quark in two variants of the two-Higgs-doublet model. The radiative corrections to the polarization asymmetry of the decay may become as large as 25%. We provide analytical formulae for the unpolarized and polarized rates for m_b≠0 and for m_b=0. For m_b=0 our closed-form expressions for the unpolarized and polarized rates become rather compact. PACS 12.38.Bx; 13.88.+e; 14.65.Ha; 14.80.Cp     

Semileptonic decays of heavy quarks in quantum chromodynamics

We investigate the semileptonic decays of heavy quarks in the leading non-trivial order in quantum chromodynamics. Effects of gluon corrections and the initial quark Fermi motion on the semileptonic rates and decay distributions are calculated. The resulting lepton energy spectrum for the charm semileptonic decay is compared with data to extract the mass of the charm quark. This is combined with the semileptonic branching ratio to predict the charm-quark lifetime. We find the lepton energy spectrum very stable with respect to gluon corrections. Expected spectra from the semileptonic decays of bottom and top quarks are presented. We also study the semileptonic decay process Q → q?v_? + G, involving the emission of a single hard non-collinear gluon. This process should be observable with a branching ratio of a few percent in the decays of top (and heavier) quarks.     

Measurements of the production, decay and properties of the top quark: a review

With the full Tevatron Run II and early LHC data samples, the opportunity for furthering our understanding of the properties of the top quark has never been more promising. Although the current knowledge of the top quark comes largely from Tevatron measurements, the experiments at the LHC are poised to probe top-quark production and decay in unprecedented regimes. Although no current top quark measurements conclusively contradict predictions from the standard model, the precision of most measurements remains statistically limited. Additionally, some measurements, most notably A _FB in top quark pair production, show tantalizing hints of beyond-the-Standard-Model dynamics. The top quark sample is growing rapidly at the LHC, with initial results now public. This review examines the current status of top quark measurements in the particular light of searching for evidence of new physics, either through direct searches for beyond the standard model phenomena or indirectly via precise measurements of standard model top quark properties.     

Top mesons

The possibility of formation for a bound state of a quark and a lighter one is investigated using potential model predictions and heavy quark effective theory approach. Resulting estimates for the 1S–2S splitting of the energy levels are compared to the total top decay width . As for the case of toponium, our conclusions show that the probability of formation for T–mesons is negligibly small due to the high top mass value. Received: 2 April 1997     

Higgs boson bremsstrahlung in top quark decay

In top quark decay a neutral Higgs boson may be emitted in bremsstrahlung from the top quark or from the W-boson. We evaluate the branching fraction for this hitherto overlooked t→H⁰bW⁺ decay mode, where the W⁺ can be virtual or real. It has the standard model values of 0.02%, 0.2%, 0.8% for m_t=50, 100, 200 GeVand m_H=10 GeV.     

Top quark polarization in polarized e+e− annihilation near threshold

Top quark polarization in e⁺e^{t -} annihilation into tt? is calculated for linearly polarized beams. The Green function formalism is applied to this reaction near threshold. The Lippmann—Schwinger equations for the S-wave and P-wave Green functions are solved numerically for the QCD chromostatic potential given by the two-loop formula for large momentum transfer and Richardson’s ansatz for intermediate and small momenta. S- P— wave interference contributes to all components of the top quark polarization vector. Rescattering of the decay products is considered. The mean values 〈nl〉 of the charged lepton four-momentum projections on appropriately chosen directions n in semileptonic top decays are proposed as experimentally observable quantities sensitive to top quark polarization. The results for 〈nl〉 are obtained including S- P— wave interference and rescattering of the decay products. It is demonstrated that for the longitudinally polarized electron beam a highly polarized sample of top quarks can be produced.     

The fully differential top decay distribution

We write down the four-dimensional fully differential decay distribution for the top quark decay \(t \rightarrow Wb \rightarrow \ell \nu b\). We discuss how its eight physical parameters can be measured, either with a global fit or with the use of selected one-dimensional distributions and asymmetries. We give expressions for the top decay amplitudes for a general tbW interaction, and show how the untangled measurement of the two components of the fraction of longitudinal W bosons – those with b quark helicities of 1 / 2 and \(-1/2\), respectively – could improve the precision of a global fit to the tbW vertex.     

Status and prospects of top-quark physics

The top quark is the heaviest elementary particle observed to date. Its large mass of about 173 GeV/c² makes the top quark act differently than other elementary fermions, as it decays before it hadronises, passing its spin information on to its decay products. In addition, the top quark plays an important role in higher order loop corrections to standard model processes, which makes the top-quark mass a crucial parameter for precision tests of the electroweak theory. The top quark is also a powerful probe for new phenomena beyond the standard model.During the time of discovery at the Tevatron in 1995 only a few properties of the top quark could be measured. In recent years, since the start of Tevatron Run II, the field of top-quark physics has changed and entered a precision era. This report summarises the latest measurements and studies of top-quark properties and gives prospects for future measurements at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).     

The width of theZ boson

We present a detailed discussion of the electroweak radiative corrections to the partial decay widths of theZ boson into lepton and quark pairs (q≠t) and to the total width for 5 flavors. The results are only very weakly dependent on the Higgs mass. The top mass dependence leads to sizable variations ofΓ _z which have to be taken into account for precision experiments at thee ⁺ e ^? colliders LEP and SLC.     

Resummed corrections to the ρ parameter in the complex mass scheme

We present all order results for the heavy top corrections to the ρ parameter in the complex mass scheme. We derive translation formulas between the complex mass and the on-shell scheme and show that they are ultimately equivalent. We show that a naive treatment with a fixed width for the top quark cannot give even approximately correct results.     

Heavy quark spectroscopy

Non-relativistic Schr?dinger wave equation has been solved numerically by MATSLISE package to calculate mass spectra of t $ \bar t $ \bar t system for Cornell, Song-Lin and Turin potentials taking as the top of the recently reported experimental value of 177.1 GeV as the top quark mass. Energy splitting (2S-1S) with variation of mass has been calculated and compared with those obtained in earlier calculations. Variation of leptonic decay width with top quark mass has also been studied.     

Top and bottom quark condensates

It is possible that electroweak symmetry might be broken dynamically by a condensate of top quarks. We extend a previous study of top quark dynamics to include the bottom quark. The simultaneous gap equations in dressed ladder approximation for∑ _t (p),∑ _b (p) are studied numerically and analytically in various regions of parameter space, and the solutions are used to determine \(\langle \bar tt\rangle ,\langle \bar bb\rangle \) and the decay constantsF _±,F ₀, as well as the top and bottom masses. We discuss the question of fine-tuning, and show how our approach can be extended to other quark and lepton masses.     

(η−η′−ι)-mixing,decay and production mechanisms

We present a phenomenological model for meson-glueball mixing and apply it to the mixing of the pseudoscalar mesons η and η′ with the ι(1440)-particle as the prime candidate for a 0^?+-glueball. Using the MIT bag model framework, our model incorporates, among other elements, configuration mixing effects due to virtually excited states, as well as mixing of quark and gluon components. We evaluate the portions of quark antiquark and two-gluon admixtures in η,η′ and ι. The results are used to study various decay and production processes involving these particles. In particular, we calculate the radiative and the 2γ-decay widths of the light mesons and make predictions for the widths of the ι in these channels. Furthermore, production mechanisms of the light mesons in electromagnetic and hadronicJ/ψ-decays are used to evaluate the branching ratios for the production of the ι in variousJ/ψ-transitions. Our results are generally in reasonable agreement with experimental data. Especially we predict a rather large width for the decay ι→ργ and a sizable production rate for the ι in the transitionJ/ψ→ωι.     

Electroweak radiative corrections to the top quark decay

The top quark, once produced, should be an important window to the electroweak symmetry breaking sector. We compute electroweak radiative corrections to the decay processt→b+W ⁺ in order to extract information on the Higgs sector and to fix the background in searches for a possible new physics contribution. The large Yukawa coupling of the top quark induces a new form factor through vertex corrections and causes discrepancy from the tree-level longitudinalW-boson production fraction, but the effect is of order 1% or less form _H<1 TeV.     

Bounds on a top quark with charged Higgs decay

If the top quark decays to a charged Higgs boson t→bH⁺, semileptonic decay signatures are suppressed and the mass bounds set by the UA1 top search are evaded. However the charged Higgs decay mode H⁺→τ⁺ν_τ gives a missing-ϱ_T signature; depending on the decay branching fraction and using the UA1 limits on new physics contributions to missing-ϱ_T, we set bounds on the top mass in this scenario. We also evaluate the feasibility of seeking visible-τ-jet signals for top at a pp̄ collider.     

The Λb lifetime in the light front quark model

The enhancement of the Λ_b decay width relative to B decay due to the difference in Fermi motion effects in Λ_band B is calculated in the light front quark model with the simplifying assumption that Λ_bconsists of a heavy quark and a light scalar diquark. In order to explain the large deviation from unity in the experimental result for τ(Λ_b)/τ(B), it is necessary that the diquark be light and the ratio of the squares of the Λ_b and B wave functions at the origin be ?1.