Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-20-2009
Abstract
Fully reconstructed t over(t, ̄) → W+ b W- over(b, ̄) → ℓ ν q over(q, ̄)′ b over(b, ̄) events are used to determine the fractions of right-handed (f+) and longitudinally polarized (f0) W bosons produced in top-quark decays. The helicity fractions are sensitive to the couplings and the Dirac structure of the Wtb vertex. This Letter reports measurements of the W-boson helicity fractions from two different methods using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.9 fb- 1 of p over(p, ̄) collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV collected by the CDF II detector operating at the Fermilab Tevatron. Combining the results from the two methods, we find f0 = 0.62 ± 0.10 (stat) ± 0.05 (syst) under the assumption that f+ = 0, and f+ = - 0.04 ± 0.04 (stat) ± 0.03 (syst) with f0 fixed to the theoretically expected value of 0.70. Model-independent fits are also performed and simultaneously determine f0 = 0.66 ± 0.16 (stat) ± 0.05 (syst) and f+ = - 0.03 ± 0.06 (stat) ± 0.03 (syst). All these results are consistent with standard model expectations. © 2009 Elsevier B.V.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
First Page
160
Last Page
167
Recommended Citation
Aaltonen, T., Adelman, J., Akimoto, T., Álvarez González, B., Amerio, S., Amidei, D., Anastassov, A., Annovi, A., Antos, J., Apollinari, G., Apresyan, A., Arisawa, T., Artikov, A., Ashmanskas, W., Attal, A., Aurisano, A., Azfar, F., Badgett, W., Barbaro-Galtieri, A., Barnes, V., Barnett, B., Barria, P., Bartsch, V., Bauer, G., Beauchemin, P., Bedeschi, F., Beecher, D., & Behari, S. (2009). Measurement of W-boson helicity fractions in top-quark decays using cos θ*. Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics, 674 (3), 160-167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2009.02.040