W polarisation beyond helicity fractions in top quark decays

DOI10.1016/J.NUCLPHYSB.2010.07.012zbMATH Open1206.81138arXiv1005.5382OpenAlexW2071169908MaRDI QIDQ627902FDOQ627902

Authors: Juan-Miguel Gracia 

Publication date: 4 March 2011

Published in: Nuclear Physics B (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We calculate the density matrix for the decay of a polarised top quark into a polarised W boson and a massive b quark, for the most general Wtb vertex arising from dimension-six gauge-invariant effective operators. We show that, in addition to the well-known W helicity fractions, for polarised top decays it is worth to define and study the transverse and normal W polarisation fractions, that is, the W polarisation along two directions orthogonal to its momentum. In particular, a rather simple forward-backward asymmetry in the normal direction is found to be very sensitive to complex phases in one of the Wtb anomalous couplings. This asymmetry, which indicates a normal W polarisation, can be generated for example by a P-odd, T-odd transition electric dipole moment. We also investigate the angular distribution of decay products in the top quark rest frame, calculating the spin analysing powers for a general Wtb vertex. Finally we show that, using a combined fit to top decay observables and the tW cross section, at LHC it will be possible to obtain model-independent measurements of all the (complex) Wtb couplings as well as the single top polarisation. Implications for spin correlations in top pair production are also discussed.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1005.5382

Recommendations

• Model-independent measurement of the top quark polarisation
• Probing anomalous \(tbW\) couplings in single-top production using top polarization at the Large Hadron Collider
• Spin-dependent energy distribution of B-hadrons from polarized top decays considering the azimuthal correlation rate
• \(W\) boson polarization as a measure of gauge-Higgs anomalous couplings at the LHC
• Distributions and correlations for top quark pair production and decay at the Tevatron and LHC

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Nuclear physics (81V35) Inelastic and multichannel quantum scattering (81U35)

Cites Work

• A minimal set of top-Higgs anomalous couplings
• \(Zt\), \(\gamma t\) and \(t\) production at hadron colliders via strong flavour-changing neutral couplings
• CP violation and electric-dipole-moment at low energy \(\tau\) production with polarized electrons

Cited In (11)

• Model-independent measurement of the top quark polarisation
• Spin-dependent energy distribution of B-hadrons from polarized top decays considering the azimuthal correlation rate
• Distributions and correlations for top quark pair production and decay at the Tevatron and LHC
• On measurement of top polarization as a probe of \(t\bar{t}\) production mechanisms at the LHC
• Top quark tensor couplings
• \(W\) boson polarization as a measure of gauge-Higgs anomalous couplings at the LHC
• Helicity contributions of \(W^+\)-boson in energy distribution of B-hadron in top quark decay
• The effects of standard model extensions on W-boson helicity ratios in top quark decay
• Parametrizations of the spin density matrix
• Measuring the polarization of boosted hadronic tops
• Probing anomalous \(tbW\) couplings in single-top production using top polarization at the Large Hadron Collider

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