Measurement of the helicity of W bosons in top quark decays

CDF Collaboration

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

52 Scopus citations

Abstract

We use the transverse momentum spectrum of leptons in the decay chain t→bW with W→lv to measure the helicity of the W bosons in the top quark rest frame. Our measurement uses a tt̄ sample isolated in 106±4pb-1 of data collected in pp̄ collisions at √s=1.8TeV with the CDF detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. Assuming a standard V-A weak decay, we find that the fraction of W's with zero helicity in the top rest frame is F0=0.91±0.37(stat)±0.13(syst), consistent with the standard model prediction of F0=0.70 for a top mass of 175GeV/c2.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)216-221
Number of pages6
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume84
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2000

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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