Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Quarks”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 253 records · Page 14

Proton isovector helicity PDF at NNLO and the twist-3 moment $\tilde{d}$ 2 from lattice QCD at physical quark masses

We present a lattice quantum chromodynamics calculation of the 𝑥-dependent isovector quark helicity parton distribution function (PDF) of the proton in the large momentum effective theory (LaMET) framework. Through operator product expansion (OPE) we also extract the $\tilde{d}$ 2 moment of the twist-3 PDF 𝑔 𝑇 ⁡(𝑥) for the first time in the $\overline{MS}$ scheme, which is proportional to the average color Lorentz force experienced by the quark in the proton. This calculation is performed on a lattice of spacing 𝑎 =0.076 fm at physical quark masses. The quasi-PDF matrix elements are measured in proton states boosted to momenta 𝑃 𝑧 ={0,0.25,1.02,1.53} GeV. We first extract the lowest few helicity PDF moments from the renormalization-group (RG) invariant ratios of the matrix elements with OPE. Combined with the matrix elements relevant for 𝑔 𝑇 ⁡(𝑥), we obtain $\tilde{d}$$^{u-d}_2$⁡(2 GeV) =0.0024⁢(46) at next-to-leading order in $\overline{MS}$. Then, the helicity quasi-PDF matrix elements are renormalized in the hybrid scheme with linear renormalon resummation and Fourier transformed to the 𝑥-space after an asymptotic extrapolation. The quasi-PDF is perturbatively matched to the $\overline{MS}$ PDF with RG and threshold resummations at next-to-leading power and next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic accuracies. After resummations, we determine the PDF in the region 𝑥 ∈[0.25,0.75]. The end-point regions are then parametrized, combined with the LaMET prediction at moderate 𝑥, and fitted to the short-distance matrix elements in coordinate space.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Charmed hadron production in an improved quark coalescence model

Here, we study the production of charmed hadrons $D^0$ and $Λ^+_c$ in relativistic heavy ion collisions using the charm quark coalescence. Besides taking into consideration changing hadron sizes in a hot dense medium, which results in an enhanced coalescence probability for charm quarks of very low transverse momenta, we also include the collective flow effect on heavier resonances, which leads to a shift of massive charmed resonances to larger transverse momenta. Including the conversion of charm quarks not undergoing coalescence to hadrons by independent fragmentation, we obtain a good description of the measured yield ratio $Λ^+_c/D^0$ as a function of transverse momentum in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$ = 200 GeV by the STAR Collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Quark spin and orbital angular momentum from proton generalized parton distributions

Here, we calculate the leading-twist helicity-dependent generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of the proton at finite skewness in the Nambu–Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). From these (and previously calculated helicity-independent GPDs) we obtain the spin decomposition of the proton, including predictions for quark intrinsic spin and orbital angular momentum. The inclusion of multiple species of diquarks is found to have a significant effect on the flavor decomposition, and resolving the internal structure of these dynamical diquark correlations proves essential for the mechanical stability of the proton. At a scale of Q 2 = 4 GeV 2 we find that the up and down quarks carry an intrinsic spin and orbital angular momentum of S u = 0.534, S d = -0.214, L u = -0.189, and L d = 0.210 , whereas the gluons have a total angular momentum of J g = 0.151 . The down quark is therefore found to carry almost no total angular momentum due to cancellations between spin and orbital contributions. Comparisons are made between these spin decomposition results and lattice QCD calculations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Testing the impact of electromagnetic fields on the directed flow of constituent quarks in heavy-ion collisions

It has been proposed that strong electromagnetic fields produced in the early stages of heavy-ion collisions can lead to splitting of the rapidity-odd directed flow of positive and negative hadrons. For light hadrons, the interpretation of such measurements is complicated by the low magnitude of directed flow as well as by ambiguities arising from transported quarks. To overcome these complications, we propose measurements using only hadrons carrying produced quarks (u¯, d¯, s s¯ ). Here, we discuss how to identify the kinematics where such hadrons are produced via the coalescence mechanism and therefore their flow is the sum of the flow of their constituent quarks. With this sum rule verified for certain combinations of hadrons, the expected systematic violation of this rule with increasing electric charge can be measured, which could be a consequence of the electromagnetic fields produced in the collisions. Our approach can be tested with the high statistics data from Phase II of the Beam Energy Scan program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Light-quark connected intermediate-window contributions to the muon 𝑔 − 2 hadronic vacuum polarization from lattice QCD

We present a lattice-QCD calculation of the light-quark connected contribution to window observables associated with the leading-order hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, $a^{HVP,LO}_μ$. We employ the MILC Collaboration’s isospin-symmetric QCD gauge-field ensembles, which contain four flavors of dynamical highly improved staggered quarks with four lattice spacings between $a ≈ 0.06-0.15$ fm and close-to-physical quark masses. We consider several effective-field-theory-based schemes for finite volume and other lattice corrections and combine the results via Bayesian model averaging to obtain robust estimates of the associated systematic uncertainties. After unblinding, our final results for the intermediate and "W2" windows are $a^{U,W}_μ$(conn) = 206.6(1.0) x 10 -10 and $a^{U,W2}_μ$ (conn) = 100.7(3.2) x 10 -10 , respectively

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Finite naturalness and quark-lepton unification

We study the implications of finite naturalness in Pati-Salam models where SU⁢(3)C is embedded in SU(4). For the minimal realization at low scale of quark-lepton unification, which employs the inverse seesaw for neutrino masses, we find that radiative corrections to the Higgs boson mass are at least δm$^{2}_{ℎ}$/m$^{2}_{ℎ}$ ~O⁡(104). The one-loop contributions to the Higgs mass are suppressed by four powers of the hypercharge gauge coupling. We find that for the vector leptoquarks the naively leading part of the two-loop corrections cancel. We assume the Dirac Yukawa couplings for neutrinos are equal to the up-type quark Yukawa couplings as predicted in the minimal theory for quark-lepton unification. Despite these findings, the two-loop corrections still dominate the finite naturalness bound. We mention a way to relax the lower bound on the vector leptoquark mass and have δm$^{2}_{ℎ}$/m$^{2}_{ℎ}$ ~O⁡(10 2 ).

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Data-driven estimates for light-quark-connected and strange-plus-disconnected hadronic g − 2 window quantities

A number of discrepancies have emerged between lattice computations and data-driven dispersive evaluations of the RBC/UKQCD intermediate-window-hadronic contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment. It is therefore interesting to obtain data-driven estimates for the light-quark-connected and strange-plus-disconnected components of this window quantity, allowing for a more detailed comparison between the lattice and data-driven approaches. The aim of this paper is to provide these estimates, extending the analysis to several other window quantities, including two windows designed to focus on the region in which the two-pion contribution is dominant. Clear discrepancies are observed for all light-quark-connected contributions considered, while good agreement with lattice results is found for strange-plus-disconnected contributions to the quantities for which corresponding lattice results exist. The largest of these discrepancies is that for the RBC/UKQCD intermediate window, where, as previously reported, our data-driven result, a μ W 1 , lqc = 198.9 ( 1.1 ) × 10 − 10 , is in significant tension with the results of 8 different recent lattice determinations. Our strategy is the same as recently employed in obtaining data-driven estimates for the light-quark-connected and strange-plus-disconnected components of the full leading-order hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment. Updated versions of those earlier results are also presented, for completeness. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Benton, Genessa (ORCID:0009000515763654)↗

Search for a scalar or pseudoscalar dilepton resonance produced in association with a massive vector boson or top quark-antiquark pair in multilepton events at s = 13 TeV

A search for beyond the standard model spin-0 bosons, ϕ , that decay into pairs of electrons, muons, or tau leptons is presented. The search targets the associated production of such bosons with a W or Z gauge boson, or a top quark-antiquark pair, and uses events with three or four charged leptons, including hadronically decaying tau leptons. The proton-proton collision data set used in the analysis was collected at the LHC from 2016 to 2018 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb - 1 . The observations are consistent with the predictions from standard model processes. Upper limits are placed on the product of cross sections and branching fractions of such new particles over the mass range of 15 to 350 GeV with scalar, pseudoscalar, or Higgs-boson-like couplings, as well as on the product of coupling parameters and branching fractions. Several model-dependent exclusion limits are also presented. For a Higgs-boson-like ϕ model, limits are set on the mixing angle of the Higgs boson with the ϕ boson. For the associated production of a ϕ boson with a top quark-antiquark pair, limits are set on the coupling to top quarks. Finally, limits are set for the first time on a fermiophilic dilaton-like model with scalar couplings and a fermiophilic axion-like model with pseudoscalar couplings.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Role of the chiral anomaly in polarized deeply inelastic scattering. III. Wess-Zumino-Witten contributions and chiral Ward identities for finite quark mass

We extend our prior results on the worldline computation of the axial vector-vector-vector (AVV) triangle anomaly in polarized deeply inelastic scattering (DIS) to the finite mass case by computing in addition the pseudoscalar-vector-vector (PVV) triangle graph. For the well-studied QED case, we show explicitly how the off-forward AVV pole exactly cancels an identical PVV pole. We then demonstrate the dramatic difference in QCD due to the chiral condensate, which qualitatively modifies anomalous Ward identities. As in the massless case, the anomaly pole in QCD is canceled by the dynamics of a primordial isosinglet pseudoscalar η ¯ -meson, whose Wess-Zumino-Witten coupling to the topological charge density shifts the pole to the physical η ′ mass, with the finite quark mass contribution differing by O ( 10 % ) from the Witten-Veneziano formula. We obtain a compact analytic expression for the finite mass corrections to Shore and Veneziano’s result that the proton’s net quark helicity Δ Σ ∝ χ QCD ′ | m = 0 ( 0 ) , the forward slope of the topological susceptibility in the chiral limit, and show they are of the order of a few percentages. Our prior prediction that the polarized DIS structure function g 1 is quenched by sphaleronlike topological transitions at small x is unaffected by quark mass effects. Our results illustrate how worldline computations of anomalous processes, in synergy with lattice computations and nonet chiral perturbation theory, can uncover novel nonperturbative features of QCD at the Electron-Ion Collider. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Probing the Quark Orbital Angular Momentum at Electron-Ion Colliders Using Exclusive π 0 Production

We propose to detect signals from quark orbital angular momentum (OAM) through exclusive π 0 production in electron- (longitudinally polarized) proton collisions. Our analysis demonstrates that the sin 2 ϕ azimuthal angular correlation between the transverse momentum of the scattered electron and the recoil proton serves as a sensitive probe of quark OAM. Additionally, we present a numerical estimate of the asymmetry associated with this correlation for the kinematics accessible at the Electron-Ion Colliders in the U.S. and China. This study aims to pave the way for the first experimental study of quark OAM in relation to the Jaffe-Manohar spin sum rule. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Search for production of four top quarks in final states with same-sign or multiple leptons in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ ${TeV}$

The standard model (SM) production of four top quarks ($\text {t} {}{\overline{\text {t}}} \text {t} {}{\overline{\text {t}}} $) in proton–proton collisions is studied by the CMS Collaboration. The data sample, collected during the 2016–2018 data taking of the LHC, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 137$\,\text {fb}^{-1}$ at a center-of-mass energy of 13$\,\text {TeV}$. The events are required to contain two same-sign charged leptons (electrons or muons) or at least three leptons, and jets. The observed and expected significances for the $\text {t} {}{\overline{\text {t}}} \text {t} {}{\overline{\text {t}}} $ signal are respectively 2.6 and 2.7 standard deviations, and the $\text {t} {}{\overline{\text {t}}} \text {t} {}{\overline{\text {t}}} $ cross section is measured to be $12.6^{+5.8}_{-5.2}\,\text {fb} $. The results are used to constrain the Yukawa coupling of the top quark to the Higgs boson, $y_{\text {t}}$, yielding a limit of $|y_{\text {t}}/y_{\text {t}}^{\mathrm {SM}} | < 1.7$ at $95\%$ confidence level, where $y_{\text {t}}^{\mathrm {SM}}$ is the SM value of $y_{\text {t}}$. They are also used to constrain the oblique parameter of the Higgs boson in an effective field theory framework, $\hat{H}<0.12$. Limits are set on the production of a heavy scalar or pseudoscalar boson in Type-II two-Higgs-doublet and simplified dark matter models, with exclusion limits reaching 350–470$\,\text {GeV}$ and 350–550$\,\text {GeV}$ for scalar and pseudoscalar bosons, respectively. Upper bounds are also set on couplings of the top quark to new light particles.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement of $\mathrm{t\bar t}$ normalised multi-differential cross sections in pp collisions at $\sqrt s=13$ TeV, and simultaneous determination of the strong coupling strength, top quark pole mass, and parton distribution functions

Normalised multi-differential cross sections for top quark pair ($\mathrm{t\overline{t}}$) production are measured in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV using events containing two oppositely charged leptons. The analysed data were recorded with the CMS detector in 2016 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The double-differential $\mathrm{t\overline{t}}$ cross section is measured as a function of the kinematic properties of the top quark and of the $\mathrm{t\overline{t}}$ system at parton level in the full phase space. A triple-differential measurement is performed as a function of the invariant mass and rapidity of the $\mathrm{t\overline{t}}$ system and the multiplicity of additional jets at particle level. The data are compared to predictions of Monte Carlo event generators that complement next-to-leading-order (NLO) quantum chromodynamics (QCD) calculations with parton showers. Together with a fixed-order NLO QCD calculation, the triple-differential measurement is used to extract values of the strong coupling strength $\alpha_S$ and the top quark pole mass ($m_\mathrm{T}^\text{pole}$) using several sets of parton distribution functions (PDFs). Furthermore, a simultaneous fit of the PDFs, $\alpha_S$, and $m_\mathrm{T}^\text{pole}$ is performed at NLO, demonstrating that the new data have significant impact on the gluon PDF, and at the same time allow an accurate determination of $\alpha_S$ and $m_\mathrm{T}^\text{pole}$.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for a scalar partner of the top quark in the all-hadronic $t{\bar{t}}$ plus missing transverse momentum final state at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for direct pair production of scalar partners of the top quark (top squarks or scalar third-generation up-type leptoquarks) in the all-hadronic $t{\bar{t}}$ plus missing transverse momentum final state is presented. The analysis of 139 $\hbox {fb}^{-1}$ of ${\sqrt{s}=13}$ TeV proton–proton collision data collected using the ATLAS detector at the LHC yields no significant excess over the Standard Model background expectation. To interpret the results, a supersymmetric model is used where the top squark decays via ${\tilde{t}} \rightarrow t^{(*)} {\tilde{\chi }}^0_1$ t ~ → t ( * ) χ ~ 1 0 , with $t^{(*)}$ t ( * ) denoting an on-shell (off-shell) top quark and ${\tilde{\chi }}^0_1$ χ ~ 1 0 the lightest neutralino. Three specific event selections are optimised for the following scenarios. In the scenario where $m_{{\tilde{t}}}> m_t+m_{{\tilde{\chi }}^0_1}$ m t ~ > m t + m χ ~ 1 0 , top squark masses are excluded in the range 400–1250 GeV for ${\tilde{\chi }}^0_1$ χ ~ 1 0 masses below 200 GeV at 95% confidence level. In the situation where $m_{{\tilde{t}}}\sim m_t+m_{{\tilde{\chi }}^0_1}$ m t ~ ~ m t + m χ ~ 1 0 , top squark masses in the range 300–630 GeV are excluded, while in the case where $m_{{\tilde{t}}}< m_W+m_b+m_{{\tilde{\chi }}^0_1}$ m t ~ < m W + m b + m χ ~ 1 0 (with $m_{{\tilde{t}}}-m_{{\tilde{\chi }}^0_1}\ge 5$ m t ~ - m χ ~ 1 0 ≥ 5 GeV), considered for the first time in an ATLAS all-hadronic search, top squark masses in the range 300–660 GeV are excluded. Limits are also set for scalar third-generation up-type leptoquarks, excluding leptoquarks with masses below 1240 GeV when considering only leptoquark decays into a top quark and a neutrino.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement of the Higgs boson production rate in association with top quarks in final states with electrons, muons, and hadronically decaying tau leptons at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV

The rate for Higgs (${\mathrm{H}} $) bosons production in association with either one (${\mathrm{t}} {\mathrm{H}} $) or two (${\mathrm{t}} {{\overline{{{\mathrm{t}}}}}} {\mathrm{H}} $) top quarks is measured in final states containing multiple electrons, muons, or tau leptons decaying to hadrons and a neutrino, using proton–proton collisions recorded at a center-of-mass energy of $13\,\text {Te}\text {V} $ by the CMS experiment. The analyzed data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 137$\,\text {fb}^{-1}$. The analysis is aimed at events that contain ${\mathrm{H}} \rightarrow {\mathrm{W}} {\mathrm{W}} $, ${\mathrm{H}} \rightarrow {\tau } {\tau } $, or ${\mathrm{H}} \rightarrow {\mathrm{Z}} {\mathrm{Z}} $ decays and each of the top quark(s) decays either to lepton+jets or all-jet channels. Sensitivity to signal is maximized by including ten signatures in the analysis, depending on the lepton multiplicity. The separation among ${\mathrm{t}} {\mathrm{H}} $, ${\mathrm{t}} {{\overline{{{\mathrm{t}}}}}} {\mathrm{H}} $, and the backgrounds is enhanced through machine-learning techniques and matrix-element methods. The measured production rates for the ${\mathrm{t}} {{\overline{{{\mathrm{t}}}}}} {\mathrm{H}} $ and ${\mathrm{t}} {\mathrm{H}} $ signals correspond to $0.92 \pm 0.19\,\text {(stat)} ^{+0.17}_{-0.13}\,\text {(syst)} $ and $5.7 \pm 2.7\,\text {(stat)} \pm 3.0\,\text {(syst)} $ of their respective standard model (SM) expectations. The corresponding observed (expected) significance amounts to 4.7 (5.2) standard deviations for ${\mathrm{t}} {{\overline{{{\mathrm{t}}}}}} {\mathrm{H}} $, and to 1.4 (0.3) for ${\mathrm{t}} {\mathrm{H}} $ production. Assuming that the Higgs boson coupling to the tau lepton is equal in strength to its expectation in the SM, the coupling $y_{{\mathrm{t}}}$ of the Higgs boson to the top quark divided by its SM expectation, $\kappa _{{\mathrm{t}}}=y_{{\mathrm{t}}}/y_{{\mathrm{t}}}^{\mathrm {SM}}$, is constrained to be within $-0.9< \kappa _{{\mathrm{t}}}< -0.7$ or $0.7< \kappa _{{\mathrm{t}}}< 1.1$, at 95% confidence level. This result is the most sensitive measurement of the ${\mathrm{t}} {{\overline{{{\mathrm{t}}}}}} {\mathrm{H}} $ production rate to date.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Combined searches for the production of supersymmetric top quark partners in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13\,\text {Te}\text {V} $

A combination of searches for top squark pair production using proton–proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13$\,\text {Te}\text {V}$ at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137$\,\text {fb}^{-1}$ collected by the CMS experiment, is presented. Signatures with at least 2 jets and large missing transverse momentum are categorized into events with 0, 1, or 2 leptons. New results for regions of parameter space where the kinematical properties of top squark pair production and top quark pair production are very similar are presented. Depending on the model, the combined result excludes a top squark mass up to 1325$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$ for a massless neutralino, and a neutralino mass up to 700$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$ for a top squark mass of 1150$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$. Top squarks with masses from 145 to 295$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$, for neutralino masses from 0 to 100$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$, with a mass difference between the top squark and the neutralino in a window of 30$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$ around the mass of the top quark, are excluded for the first time with CMS data. The results of theses searches are also interpreted in an alternative signal model of dark matter production via a spin-0 mediator in association with a top quark pair. Upper limits are set on the cross section for mediator particle masses of up to 420$\,\text {Ge}\text {V}$.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Direct constraint on the Higgs–charm coupling from a search for Higgs boson decays into charm quarks with the ATLAS detector

A search for the Higgs boson decaying into a pair of charm quarks is presented. The analysis uses proton–proton collisions to target the production of a Higgs boson in association with a leptonically decaying W or Z boson. The dataset delivered by the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb -1 . Flavour-tagging algorithms are used to identify jets originating from the hadronisation of charm quarks. The analysis method is validated with the simultaneous measurement of WW, WZ and ZZ production, with observed (expected) significances of 2.6 (2.2) standard deviations above the background-only prediction for the $(W/Z)Z( → c\bar{c})$ process and 3.8 (4.6) standard deviations for the $(W/Z)W(→cq)$ process. The $(W/Z)Z( → c\bar{c})$ search yields an observed (expected) upper limit of 26 (31) times the predicted Standard Model cross-section times branching fraction for a Higgs boson with a mass of 125 GeV, corresponding to an observed (expected) constraint on the charm Yukawa coupling modifier |$k_c$| < 8.5 (12.4), at the 95% confidence level. A combination with the ATLAS $(W/Z)H,H → b\bar{b}$ analysis is performed, allowing the ratio $k_c/k_b$ to be constrained to less than 4.5 at the 95% confidence level, smaller than the ratio of the b- and c-quark masses, and therefore determines the Higgs-charm coupling to be weaker than the Higgs-bottom coupling at the 95% confidence level.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurements of the associated production of a W boson and a charm quark in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = $\mathrm{8 TeV}$

Measurements of the associated production of a W boson and a charm (c) quark in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8TeV are reported. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb -1 collected by the CMS detector at the LHC. The W bosons are identified through their leptonic decays to an electron or a muon, and a neutrino. Charm quark jets are selected using distinctive signatures of charm hadron decays. The product of the cross section and branching fraction σ(pp → W + c + X)β(W →ℓv), where ℓ = e or μ, and the cross section ratio σ(pp → W + + $\bar{c}$ + X)/σ(pp → W - + c + X) are measured in a fiducial volume and differentially as functions of the pseudorapidity and of the transverse momentum of the lepton from the W boson decay. The results are compared with theoretical predictions. The impact of these measurements on the determination of the strange quark distribution is assessed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Leveraging on-shell interference to search for FCNCs of the top quark and the Z boson

Abstract Flavour-changing-neutral currents (FCNCs) involving the top quark are highly suppressed within the Standard Model (SM). Hence, any signal in current or planned future collider experiments would constitute a clear manifestation of physics beyond the SM. We propose a novel, interference-based strategy to search for top-quark FCNCs involving the Z boson that has the potential to complement traditional search strategies due to a more favourable luminosity scaling. The strategy leverages on-shell interference between the FCNC and SM decay of the top quark into hadronic final states. We estimate the feasibility of the most promising case of anomalous tZc couplings using Monte Carlo simulations and a simplified detector simulation. We consider the main background processes and discriminate the signal from the background with a deep neural network that is parametrised in the value of the anomalous tZc coupling. We present sensitivity projections for the HL-LHC and the FCC-hh. We find an expected 95% CL upper limit of $${\mathcal {B}}_{\textrm{excl}}(t\rightarrow Zc) = 6.4 \times 10^{-5}$$ B excl ( t → Z c ) = 6.4 × 10 - 5 for the HL-LHC. In general, we conclude that the interference-based approach has the potential to provide both competitive and complementary constraints to traditional multi-lepton searches and other strategies that have been proposed to search for tZc FCNCs.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗