Feasibility Studies for Single Transverse-Spin Asymmetry Measurements at a Fixed-Target Experiment Using the LHC Proton and Lead Beams (AFTER@LHC)
Daniel Kikoła, Miguel García Echevarria, Cynthia Hadjidakis, Jean-Philippe Lansberg, Cedric Lorcé, Laure Massacrier, Catarina Marques Quintans, Andrea Signori, Barbara Trzeciak
The measurement of Single Transverse-Spin Asymmetries, $A_N$, for various quarkonium states and Drell-Yan lepton pairs can shed light on the orbital angular momentum of quarks and gluons, a fundamental ingredient of the proton-spin puzzle. The AFTER@LHC proposal combines a unique kinematic coverage and large luminosities thanks to the Large Hadron Collider beams to deliver precise measurements, complementary to the knowledge provided by collider experiments such as at RHIC. In this paper, we report on sensitivity studies for $J/ψ$, $Υ$ and Drell-Yan $A_N$ done using the performance of LHCb-like or ALICE-like detectors, combined with polarised gaseous hydrogen and helium-3 targets. In particular, such analyses will provide us with new insights and knowledge about transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution functions for quarks and gluons and on twist-3 collinear matrix elements in the proton and the neutron.
We outline the case for heavy-ion-physics studies using the multi-TeV lead LHC beams in the fixed-target mode. After a brief contextual reminder, we detail the possible contributions of AFTER@LHC to heavy-ion physics with a specific emphasis on quarkonia. We then present performance simulations for a selection of observables. These show that $Υ(nS)$, $J/ψ$ and $ψ(2S)$ production in heavy-ion collisions can be studied in new energy and rapidity domains with the LHCb and ALICE detectors. We also discuss the relevance to analyse the Drell-Yan pair production in asymmetric nucleus-nucleus collisio…
We propose a charged, electrically neutral, and flavour changing Z' model to conciliate the apparent disagreement between the important excess found in the top-antitop Tevatron forward-backward asymmetry and the null -compatible with negative- results found in the LHC charge asymmetry. We show that this model contributes positively to the forward-backward asymmetry, whereas naturally a new cancellation is turned on at the LHC, yielding a null, or even negative, charge asymmetry. We found the region in parameter space that is simultaneously allowed by the stringent Tevatron and LHC observables.…
We discuss the potential of AFTER@LHC to measure single-transverse-spin asymmetries in open-charm and bottomonium production. With a HERMES-like hydrogen polarised target, such measurements over a year can reach precisions close to the per cent level. This is particularly remarkable since these analyses can probably not be carried out anywhere else
The dijet signature at the LHC is studied in new physics models for the top forward-backward asymmetry at the Tevatron. In the t-mediator models, flavor-changing interactions contribute to the dijet production cross section as well as the asymmetry at least at the one-loop level. It is found that the LHC dijet measurements at 36pb^(-1) have constrained the Z' coupling larger than 2.5-3. The sensitivity is expected to be improved significantly as the integrated luminosity increases in the LHC.
We study contributions of a scalar diquark particle in a color representation of anti-triplet and sextet to the top quark pair production at the Tevatron and the Large hadron collider (LHC). The model can give Forward-Backward (FB) asymmetry at the Tevatron while can avoid the same sign top quark production at the LHC by assuming the top-number conserving diquark couplings. We study compatibility between the large positive FB asymmetry observed at the Tevatron and non-observation of the charge asymmetry at the LHC, by including contributions from the single and pair production of diquarks. We …
The forward LHCb acceptance offers the possibility of measuring the top-quark pair asymmetry in a kinematic region that does not receive overwhelming dilution from the symmetric gluon-fusion channel. To investigate this possibility, two leptonic final states are identified, and analysis strategies are proposed for each channel with 14~TeV data. Leading fixed-order predictions are then provided for the relevant leptonic asymmetry variables in each channel. If backgrounds can be experimentally constrained, statistically, a non-zero asymmetry is estimated to be observable beyond 5$σ$ confidence l…
The energy asymmetry in top-antitop-jet production is an observable of the top charge asymmetry designed for the LHC. We perform a realistic analysis in the boosted kinematic regime, including effects of the parton shower, hadronization and expected experimental uncertainties. Our predictions at particle level show that the energy asymmetry in the Standard Model can be measured with a significance of $3σ$ during Run 3, and with more than $5σ$ significance at the HL-LHC. Beyond the Standard Model the energy asymmetry is a sensitive probe of new physics with couplings to top quarks. In the frame…
The top-antitop energy asymmetry is a promising observable of the charge asymmetry in jet-associated top-quark pair production at the LHC. We present new predictions of the energy asymmetry in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV, including QCD corrections at the next-to-leading perturbative order. The effect of QCD corrections on the observable is moderate. With suitable phase-space cuts, the asymmetry can be enhanced at the cost of reducing the cross section. For instance, for a cross section of $1\,\text{pb}$ after cuts, we predict an energy asymmetry of $-6.5^{\,+0.1}_{\,-0.2}\%$ at the next…
We consider the top forward-backward (FB) asymmetry at the Tevatron and top charge asymmetry at the LHC within chiral U(1)^\prime models with flavor-dependent U(1)^\prime charges and flavored Higgs fields, which were introduced in the ref. [65]. The models could enhance not only the top forward-backward asymmetry at Tevatron, but also the top charge asymmetry at LHC, without too large same-sign top pair production rates. We identify parameter spaces for the U(1)^\prime gauge boson and (pseudo)scalar Higgs bosons where all the experimental data could be accommodated, including the case with abo…
An extra $U(1)'$ model with $Z'$ coupled only to the right-handed (RH) up-type quarks has been one of the popular models for the Tevatron top forward-backward asymmetry (FBA), and has been excluded by the same-sign top-pair productions at the LHC. However, the original $Z'$ model is not physical, since the up-type quarks are massless including the top quark. This disaster can be evaded if the Higgs sector is extended by including new Higgs doublets with nonzero $U(1)'$ charges. We find that some parameter regions could achieve not only the top FBA at the Tevatron, but also the charge asymmetry…
The asymmetry in the forward region production cross section of D^\pm is calculated using the heavy-quark recombination mechanism for pp collisions at 7 TeV. By suitable choices of four non-perturbative parameters, our calculated results can reproduce those obtained at LHCb. We find A_p ~ -1% when integrated over 2.0 GeV < p_T < 18 GeV and 2.2< eta <4.75, which agrees with A_p=-0.96\pm0.26\pm0.18% as measured by LHCb. Furthermore, the calculated distributions in eta and p_T agree reasonably well with those obtained at LHCb.
The feasibility studies of the central exclusive jet production at the LHC using the proton tagging technique are presented. Three classes of data taking scenarios are considered: double tag at high pile-up, single tag at low pile-up and double tag at low pile-up. Analyses were performed at the c.m. energy of 14 TeV for the ATLAS experiment, but are also valid for the CMS/TOTEM detectors.
We use an effective operator framework to study the contributions to the Tevatron t tbar asymmetry from arbitrary vector bosons and scalars, and compare with their effect on the t tbar tail at LHC. Our study shows, for example, that models reproducing the t tbar asymmetry by exchange of Z' and W' bosons or colour-triplet scalars lead to a large enhancement in the t tbar tail at LHC. This fact can be used to exclude these models as the sole explanation for the asymmetry, using the data already collected by CMS and ATLAS. Our analysis is model independent in the sense that we scan over all possi…
An overview of the most recent measurements on top quark charge asymmetry in top quark pair production is presented. The results are obtained using data collected with ATLAS and CMS detectors in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 8 TeV. In these studies, either dileptonic or semileptonic top pair decays are analyzed. All measurements are comparable with the standard model prediction and no sign of new physics is observed.
We investigate a charge asymmetry in $t \bar t γ$ production at the LHC that provides complementary information to the measured asymmetries in $t \bar t$ production. We estimate the experimental uncertainty in its measurement at the LHC with 8 and 14 TeV. For new physics models that simultaneously reproduce the asymmetry excess in $t \bar t$ at the Tevatron and the SM-like asymmetry at the LHC, the measurement in $t \bar t γ$ at the LHC could exhibit significant deviations with respect to the SM prediction.
As a top quark factory, the LHC can test the new physics models used to explain the top quark forward-backward asymmetry A^t_FB measured at the Tevatron. In this work we perform a comparative study for two such models: the W'-model and the color triplet diquark (ϕ) model. Requiring these models to explain A^t_FB and also satisfy the top pair production rate measured at the Tevatron, we examine their contributions to the LHC observables such as the polarization and charge asymmetry in top quark and W' (or ϕ) productions. We find that these observables can be enhanced to the observable level and…
The ttbar asymmetry measured at the Tevatron continues to disagree with Standard Model predictions at the 3 sigma level. We update the status of the phenomenological light axigluon model in explaining the asymmetry data, taking into account constraints from the charge asymmetry at the LHC and the ttbar cross section at both Tevatron and LHC. We find that an axigluon with a mass between 100 and 400 GeV provides an excellent fit to the data. Recent searches by ATLAS and CMS for pair production of heavy resonances which decay to dijets rule out axigluons with large branching fractions to dijets. …
Forward-backward asymmetry $A_{\rm FB}$ is an essential observable to study the nature of coupling in the standard model and physics beyond the standard model, as shown at LEP and Tevatron. As a proton-proton collider, the LHC does not have the preferred direction contrary to her counterpart, namely, LEP and Tevatron. Therefore $A_{\rm FB}$ is not applicable at the LHC. However for the proton the momentum of valence quark is usually larger than that of the sea quark. Utilizing this feature we have defined a so-called one-side forward-backward asymmetry $A_{\rm OFB}$ for the top quark pair prod…
The measurements of the top quark charge asymmetry performed by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the LHC are presented. The focus is on the single lepton and dilepton decay channels of the tt system. Both inclusive and differential top quark charge asymmetry measurements are shown.
The excess in top quark forward-backward asymmetry has been a hot topic in recent years. Although there are many proposals to explain it, most of them can not fit the differential distributions well. The color octet axial-vector like particle, with mass near the top quark pair threshold, is still a good description of the differential distributions. We study how to distinguish the color singlet and octet mediating particles in top quark pair production by adopting the color flow method. For the first time, we show that such a proposal for the froward-backward asymmetry can be cross-checked ind…
The origin of the baryon asymmetry of the Universe (BAU) is one of the major puzzles beyond the Standard Model. Detecting the particles responsible for the generation of the BAU would enormously boost our understanding of physics of the early Universe. Here we demonstrate that searches for displaced vertices at ATLAS, CMS and LHCb allow detecting heavy neutral leptons (HNL) with parameters that can simultaneously lead to the successful generation of the BAU and explain the masses and oscillations of active neutrinos. The combination of a dedicated LHC search program and a complementary Intensi…
A fourth chiral generation, with $m_{t^\prime}$ in the range $\sim (300 - 500)$ GeV and a moderate value of the CP-violating phase can explain the anomalous like-sign dimuon charge asymmetry observed recently by the D0 collaboration. The required parameters are found to be consistent with constraints from other $B$ and $K$ decays. The presence of such quarks, apart from being detectable in the early stages of the LHC, would also have important consequences in the electroweak symmetry breaking sector.
Used in the fixed-target mode, the multi-TeV LHC proton and lead beams allow for studies of heavy-flavour hadroproduction with unprecedented precision at backward rapidities - far negative Feyman-x - using conventional detection techniques. At the nominal LHC energies, quarkonia can be studies in detail in p+p, p+d and p+A collisions at sqrt(s_NN) ~ 115 GeV as well as in Pb+p and Pb+A collisions at sqrt(s_NN) ~ 72 GeV with luminosities roughly equivalent to that of the collider mode, i.e. up to 20 fb-1 yr-1 in p+p and p+d collisions, up to 0.6 fb-1 yr-1 in p+A collisions and up to 10 nb-1 yr-1…
We investigate the discovery potential of light color-octet bosons in the mass range of 100 - 400 GeV in exclusive top-pair plus jet production at the LHC. We study the impact of such bosons on the incline, the energy and the rapidity asymmetries. We show that light axigluons with large couplings to quarks can be discovered at the LHC with a luminosity of a few inverse fb. Almost all of the considered axigluon parameter space can be probed using the already available 2011/2012 LHC data. In a small-coupling scenario, axigluons could be discovered using the charge asymmetry with 65 inverse fb at…
We consider the possibility of studying new physics that singles out the tau-lepton at the LHC. We concentrate on the tau-lepton charge asymmetry in tau+tau- pair production as a tool to probe this physics beyond the Standard Model. We consider two generic scenarios for the new physics. We first study a non-universal Z' boson as an example of a new resonance that can single out tau-leptons. We then consider vector lepto-quarks coupling of the first generation quarks with the third generation leptons as an example of non-resonant new physics. We find that in both cases the charge asymmetry can …
Feasibility studies of an observation of the exclusive diffractive bremsstrahlung in proton-proton scattering at the LHC are reported. A simplified approach to the photon and the scattered proton energy reconstruction is used. The background influence is discussed.
We study the phenomenology of same sign top pair production at the LHC in a model-independent way. The complete set of dimension six operators involving two top (or anti-top) quarks is introduced and the connection with all possible t- or s-channel particle exchanges is established. Only in the former case, same and opposite sign top pair production can be related. We find that while current Tevatron data disfavor t-channel models, other production mechanisms are viable and can be tested at the LHC.
We examine the implications of the recent CDF measurement of the top-quark forward-backward asymmetry, focusing on a scenario with a new color octet vector boson at 1-3 TeV. We study several models, as well as a general effective field theory, and determine the parameter space which provides the best simultaneous fit to the CDF asymmetry, the Tevatron top pair production cross section, and the exclusion regions from LHC dijet resonance and contact interaction searches. Flavor constraints on these models are more subtle and less severe than the literature indicates. We find a large region of al…
A recent LHCb measurement of the CP violating flavour specific asymmetry in $B_s^0$ decays, \asls, is presented. This measurement is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ $=$ 7 TeV, collected during the 2011 run of the LHC. The result is $\asls = (-0.24 \pm 0.54_{\rm stat} \pm 0.33_{\rm syst})\times 10^{-2}$, which is the most precise measurement of this quantity to date and agrees with the Standard Model prediction.}
We study different top quark charge asymmetries and the variation of $t\bar t$ total cross section induced by the effective axial-vector coupling of gluon in the LHC experiments. We show that rapidity cut-dependent asymmetries are more sensitive to the new physics than the independent ones. We also study the dependence of the asymmetries and variations of total $t\bar t$ cross sections on the invariant mass of $t\bar t$ system and show that it would be necessary to measure those quantities as functions of $m_{tt}$ at the LHC. In the context of considered new physics scenario, 7 TeV LHC has eno…
In this brief report, we propose a new definition of charge asymmetry in top pair production at the LHC, namely the edge charge asymmetry (ECA). ECA utilizes the information of drifting direction only for single top (or anti-top) with hadronically decay. Therefore ECA can be free from the uncertainty arising from the missing neutrino in the $t\bar{t}$ event reconstruction. Moreover rapidity $Y$ of top (or anti-top) is required to be greater than a critical value $Y_{\rm C}$ in order to suppress the symmetric $t\bar{t}$ events mainly due to the gluon-gluon fusion process. In this paper ECA is c…
The asymmetries in the forward region production cross section of Lambda_c^+/Lambda_c^- and Lambda_b^0/\bar{Lambda}_b^0 are predicted using the heavy quark recombination mechanism for pp collisions at 7 TeV and 14 TeV. Using non-perturbative parameters determined from various previous experiments, we find that A_p(Lambda_c^+/Lambda_c^-) ~ 1-2% and A_p(Lambda_b^0/\bar{Lambda}_b^0) ~ 1-3% in the forward region covered by the LHCb experiment.
We suggest that top physics can be studied at the LHCb experiment, and that top production could be observed. Since LHCb covers a large pseudorapidity region in the forward direction, it has unique abilities to probe new physics in the top sector. Furthermore, we demonstrate that LHCb may be able to measure a t\bar t production rate asymmetry, and thus indirectly probe an anomalous forward backward t\bar t asymmetry in the forward region; a possibility suggested by the enhanced forward-backward asymmetry reported by the CDF experiment.
The measurement of forward-backward asymmetry in the top and anti-top quark ($t \bar{t}$) production has been recently reconfirmed by the CDF Collaboration and shows a more than $3σ$ deviation from the Standard Model(SM) prediction in the large $t \bar{t}$ invariant mass region. Models with new W$^{\prime}$ or Z$^{\prime}$ bosons have been invoked to explain this deviation. In the context of these models we perform a $χ^2$ analysis with all the available experimental numbers in different $ΔY$ and $M_{t \bar{t}}$ bins. We show that for the $Z^{\prime}$ model the region of parameter space which …
Measurements of the top quark forward-backward asymmetry performed at the Tevatron suggest that new-physics may be playing a role in t-tbar production. To better understand the source of the asymmetry, recent proposals have called for a measurement of the bottom and charm forward-backward asymmetries at the Tevatron, using jets with embedded muons. Here we propose a corresponding measurement of the bottom quark forward-central asymmetry designed to look for similar effects in the b-sector at ATLAS and CMS. We construct a set of cuts designed to enhance sensitivity to this asymmetry, and test o…
Flavor-violating interactions involving new heavy particles are among proposed explanations for the $t\bar t$ forward-backward asymmetry observed at the Tevatron. Many of these models generate a $t\bar t$-plus-jet signal at the LHC. In this paper we identify several new charge asymmetric variables in $t\bar tj$ events that can contribute to the discovery of such models at the LHC. We propose a data-driven method for the background, largely eliminating the need for a Monte Carlo prediction of $t\bar t$-plus-jets, and thus reducing systematic errors. With a fast detector simulation, we estimate …
The forward-backward asymmetry $A_{FB}^{t\bar t}$ in top quark production at the Tevatron has been observed to be anomalously large by both CDF and D0. It has been suggested that a model with a $W'$ coupling to $td$ and $ub$ might explain this anomaly, and other anomalies in $B$ mesons. Single-top-quark production in this model is large, and arguably in conflict with Tevatron measurements. However the model might still be viable if $A_{FB}^{t\bar t}$ is somewhat smaller than its current measured central value. We show that even with smaller couplings, the model can be discovered (or strongly e…
We develop in more detail our reweighting method for incorporating new datasets in parton fits based on a Monte Carlo representation of PDFs. After revisiting the derivation of the reweighting formula, we show how to construct an unweighted PDF replica set which is statistically equivalent to a given reweighted set. We then use reweighting followed by unweighting to test the consistency of the method, specifically by verifying that results do not depend on the order in which new data are included in the fit via reweighting. We apply the reweighting method to study the impact of LHC W lepton as…
The measurement of a charge asymmetry in t tbar production at LHC constitutes more than an independent confirmation of the forward-backward asymmetry found at Tevatron. Indeed, both measurements together can be used to identify the source of the asymmetry. This is demonstrated for the case of new Z', W' vector bosons and colour-sextet and triplet scalars, exchanged in t, u channels respectively, and a very heavy axigluon in the s channel.
We provide the most up-to-date predictions for the top-quark charge asymmetry A_C at the LHC with a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. Our result is accurate at the NNLO level in the strong interactions and at the complete-NLO level in both the strong and electroweak interactions. We present results for the inclusive A_C, several differential asymmetries as well as the P_{T,tt} and M_{tt} cumulative asymmetries. Similarly to the Tevatron forward-backward asymmetry A_FB, both NNLO QCD and NLO EW corrections to A_C are found to be significant. The inclusion of higher-order corrections reduces the r…
Recent LHC results concerning full jet-quenching in PbPb collisions have been presented in terms of a jet asymmetry parameter, measuring the imbalance between the transverse momenta of leading and subleading jets. We examine the potential sensitivity of this distribution to fluctuations from the heavy-ion background. Our results suggest that a detailed estimate of the true fluctuations would be of benefit in extracting quantitative information about jet quenching. We also find that the apparent impact of fluctuations on the jet asymmetry distribution can depend significantly on the choice of l…
We review the most popular models proposed to explain the anomalous forward-backward asymmetry in t tbar production at the Tevatron. We discuss their viability in view of recent LHC data. We summarise their predictions for charge asymmetries at the LHC.
The Higgs-top coupling plays a central role in the hierarchy problem and the vacuum stability of the Standard Model (SM). We propose a central-edge asymmetry ($A_{CE}$) to probe the CP violating Higgs-top coupling in dileptonic channel of $t\bar{t}h(\to b\bar{b})$ production at the LHC. We demonstrate that the CP-violating Higgs-top coupling can affect the central-edge asymmetry through distorting $Δy_{\ell^+\ell^-}$ distribution because of the contribution of new top charge asymmetric term. Since $Δy_{\ell^+\ell^-}$ distribution is frame-independent and has a good discrimination even in boost…
The description of the heavy meson production at large energies and forward rapidities at the LHC is fundamental to derive realistic predictions of the prompt atmospheric neutrino flux at the IceCube Observatory. In particular, the prompt tau neutrino flux is determined by the decay of $D_s$ mesons produced in cosmic ray - air interactions at high energies and large values of the Feynman - $x_F$ variable. Recent data from the LHCb Collaboration indicate a production asymmetry for $D_s^+$ and $D_s^-$ mesons, which cannot be explained in terms of the standard modelling of the hadronization proce…
The charge asymmetry in hadronic top-antitop-quark production is a powerful test observable of perturbative quantum chromodynamics. Since its origin in terms of Feynman diagrams is distinct from charge-symmetric top-antitop production, probing the charge asymmetry provides complementary information to cross section measurements. Furthermore, asymmetric observables offer new ways to distinguish new physics beyond the standard model. This article summarizes prospects to investigate the top-quark charge asymmetry at the LHC in and beyond the standard model. Particular attention is given to observ…
We have studied the measurement accuracy of the forward-backward asymmetry of the $e^+e^- \rightarrow t\bar{t}$ process in the 6-jet mode at $\sqrt{s} = 500$ GeV with the ILD detector. In the analysis the vertex charges of b-jets were used to distinguish t from $\bar{t}$ in each event. The distribution of the cosine of the reconstructed polar angle of so identified t or $\bar{t}$ showed a clear forward-backward asymmetry. After the correction for charge misidentification the forward-backward asymmetry was determined to be $A^t_{FB} = 0.334 \pm 0.0079$ for 500 fb$^{-1}$ with the beam polarizati…
I review the current status of the charge asymmetry in hadronic top-quark pair production from a theory perspective. The standard-model predictions for the observables at the Tevatron and LHC are being discussed, as well as possible explanations of the Tevatron excess in terms of new physics. I give an outlook for future investigations of the top-quark charge asymmetry, focussing on novel observables at the LHC.
We present here a study on the determination of the effective weak mixing angle, $\sin^{2}θ^{lept}_{eff}$ from the measurement of the Forward-Backward Asymmetry with a high a statistical precision, 10$^{-4}$. To reach such a precision it is necessary to identify the electrons in the forward regions of the ATLAS detector. It is demonstrated that one can reach an electron-jet rejection of more than 100 with an efficiency on electron reconstruction better than 50%, by using a multivariate analysis.
Aspects of a flavor-changing W' model with right-handed couplings are addressed in this paper in light of Tevatron and LHC data. Our fit to the Tevatron top-quark forward-backward asymmetry and the tt_bar inclusive cross section includes higher-order loop effects in the effective interaction. The higher order corrections change the best fit value of the W' effective coupling strength as a function of the W' mass. The consistency of the model is checked against the shape of the tt_bar invariant mass distribution. We use these updated W' parameters to compute the expected contributions from W't …
The recent Tevatron measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry of the top quark shows an intriguing discrepancy with Standard Model expectations, particularly at large $\ttbar$ invariant masses. Measurements of this quantity are subtle at the LHC, due to its $pp$ initial state, however, one can define a forward-central-charge asymmetry which captures the physics. We study the capability of the LHC to measure this asymmetry and find that within the SM a measurement at the $5σ$ level is possible with roughly 60 fb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s} = 14$ TeV. If nature realizes a model which enhances the as…
In practice the asymmetry, which is defined based on the angular distribution of the final states in scattering or decay processes, can be utilized to scrutinize underlying dynamics in and/or beyond the standard model (BSM). As one of the possible BSM physics which might be discovered early at the LHC, extra neutral gauge bosons $Z^\prime$s are theoretical well motivated. Once $Z^\prime$s are discovered at the LHC, it is crucial to discriminate different $Z^\prime$s in various BSM. In principle such task can be accomplished by measuring the angular distribution of the final states which are pr…
Recent experimental results from the CDF collaboration which study the top forward-backward asymmetry have strengthened the case that new physics is playing a role in t-tbar production. Here we propose a set of measurements, built from the charged lepton kinematics in semileptonic and fully leptonic t-tbar events, designed to further probe the underlying causes of this asymmetry both at the Tevatron and at the LHC. Using a set of conservative reference models we find that measurements of the charged lepton asymmetry, top polarization, and t-tbar spin correlation can establish the existence of …
We propose a kinematical enhancement of the t tbar charge asymmetry at the LHC by selecting events with the t tbar centre of mass frame highly boosted along the beam axis. This kinematical selection increases the asymmetries and their significance up to a factor of two in a rather model-independent fashion. Hence, it can be a perfect complement to enhance model discrimination at the LHC.
New colour octet vectors below the TeV scale could explain the anomalous t tbar forward-backward asymmetry observed at the Tevatron experiments, while being consistent with the current LHC data. These models generally lead to four-top final states at the LHC at observable levels. We compute the four-top production cross section at the LHC in a model with a massive colour octet vector as a function its mass, its width and its coupling to the top quark. Octet masses in the vicinity of the t tbar threshold are generally excluded by present limits on the production of same-sign dileptons and trile…
The top quark forward-backward asymmetry measured at the Fermilab Tevatron collider deviates from the standard model prediction. A W^prime boson model is described, where the coupling W^prime-t-d is fixed by the tt_bar forward-backward asymmetry and total cross section at the Tevatron. We show that such a W^prime boson would be produced in association with a top quark at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), thus inducing additional tt_bar+j events. We use measurements of tt_bar+n-jet production from the LHC to constrain the allowed W^prime-t-d couplings as a function of W^prime boson mass. We…
We investigate the discovery potential of the top-quark charge asymmetry at the LHC in top-antitop production in association with a hard jet. In this process, the charge asymmetry can be accessed via two novel observables: the incline asymmetry, which probes the quark-antiquark channel, and the energy asymmetry, which gives access to the quark-gluon channel. At 8 TeV collision energy, the significance for both observables is statistically limited. With 14 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 50 inverse fb or more, an asymmetry of up to -12% can be observed with a statistical significance of mor…
The discovery of lepton number violation (LNV) at the LHC would have profound consequences for the viability of high-scale leptogenesis models. As an example, we discuss the case of observing a signal with two same-sign leptons, two jets and no missing energy. This would imply a large washout factor for the lepton number density in the early Universe, which leads to a significant constraint on any high-scale model for the generation of the observed baryon asymmetry. In a standard leptogenesis scenario, the corresponding washout factor would strongly decrease a pre-existing lepton asymmetry and…
Using the ATLAS detector, observations have been made of a centrality-dependent dijet asymmetry in the collisions of lead ions at the Large Hadron Collider. In a sample of lead-lead events with a per-nucleon center of mass energy of 2.76 TeV, selected with a minimum bias trigger, jets are reconstructed in fine-grained, longitudinally-segmented electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeters. The underlying event is measured and subtracted event-by-event, giving estimates of jet transverse energy above the ambient background. The transverse energies of dijets in opposite hemispheres is observed to be…
We propose two new observables to measure the charge asymmetry in hadronic top-quark pair production in association with a hard jet. The incline asymmetry, based on the inclination between the planes of initial- and final-state momenta, probes the charge asymmetry in the quark-antiquark channel. Compared to the hitherto investigated rapidity asymmetries, the incline asymmetry provides improved access to the partonic charge asymmetry at both the Tevatron and the LHC. The energy asymmetry, based on the energy difference between top and antitop quarks, for the first time allows us to probe the ch…
