Detectingt-quark pairs atp¯pcolliders using transverse dilepton masses and jets

Abstract

Hadronic $t\overline{t}$ production with semileptonic decays of either or both $t$ and $\overline{t}$ quarks gives distinctive transverse-momentum correlations of electrons (or muons) and neutrinos. Multiple semileptonic modes of the $t\to b\to c\to s$ decay cascades are statistically quite probable, but explicit calculations show that they scarcely affect the $e\nu$ correlations. Opposite-sign dileptons, coming mainly from primary semileptonic decays of $t$ and $\overline{t}$ together, have correlations that also reflect the $t$-quark mass, but less decisively than the $e\nu$ correlations. Events with large missing $p_T$ and no identified leptons are also expected, at a rate comparable to high-$p_T$ charged leptons. Distinctive broad jet signatures are also expected for all these events, with specific correlations of the trigger lepton and jet momenta.