Measurement of the W boson polarization in top decay at CDF at √s = 1.8 TeV

Measurement of the W boson polarization in top decay at CDF at √s = 1.8 TeV

The polarization of the W boson in t →Wb decay is unambiguously predicted by the standard model of electroweak interactions and is a powerful test of our understanding of the tbW vertex. We measure this polarization from the invariant mass of the b quark from t → Wb and the lepton from W → lν whose...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Acosta, D, Affolder, T, Albrow, MG, Ambrose, D, Amidei, D, Anikeev, K, Antos, J, Apollinari, G, Arisawa, T, Artikov, A, Ashmanskas, W, Azfar, F, Azzi-Bacchetta, P, Bacchetta, N, Bachacou, H, Badgett, W, Barbaro-Galtieri, A, Barnes, V, Barnett, B, Baroiant, S, Barone, M, Bauer, G, Bedeschi, F, Behari, S, Belforte, S
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2005
Description
Summary:The polarization of the W boson in t →Wb decay is unambiguously predicted by the standard model of electroweak interactions and is a powerful test of our understanding of the tbW vertex. We measure this polarization from the invariant mass of the b quark from t → Wb and the lepton from W → lν whose momenta measure the W decay angle and direction of motion, respectively. In this paper we present a measurement of the decay rate (f V+A) of the W produced from the decay of the top quark in the hypothesis of V + A structure of the tWb vertex. We find no evidence for the nonstandard V + A vertex and set a limit on fV+A < 0.80 at 95% confidence level. By combining this result with a complementary observable in the same data, we assign a limit on fv+A < 0.61 at 95% CL. This corresponds to a constraint on the right-handed helicity component of the W polarization of f+ < 0.18 at 95% CL. This limit is the first significant direct constraint on fV+A in top decay. © 2005 The American Physical Society.

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