Search for New Physics in e mu X Data at D0 Using Sleuth: A Quasi-Model-Independent Search Strategy for New Physics

We present a quasi-model-independent search for the physics responsible for electroweak symmetry breaking. We define final states to be studied, and construct a rule that identifies a set of relevant variables for any particular final state. A new algorithm ("Sleuth") searches for regions of excess in those variables and quantifies the significance of any detected excess. After demonstrating the sensitivity of the method, we apply it to the semi-inclusive channel e mu X collected in 108 pb^-1 of ppbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV at the D0 experiment during 1992-1996 at the Fermilab Tevatron. We find no evidence of new high p_T physics in this sample.Comment: 23 pages, 12 figures. Submitted to Physical Review

Search for single top quark production at D0 using neural networks

We present a search for electroweak production of single top quarks in ~90 pb^-1 of data collected with the DZero detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. Using arrays of neural networks to separate signals from backgrounds, we set upper limits on the cross sections of 17 pb for the s-channel process ppbar->tb+X, and 22 pb for the t-channel process ppbar->tqb+X, both at the 95% confidence level

Search for narrow t(t)over-bar resonances in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.8 TeV

A search for narrow resonances that decay into t (t) over bar pairs has been performed using 130 pb(-1) of data in the lepton + jets channel collected by the DO detector in p (p) over bar collisions at roots=1.8 TeV. There is no significant deviation observed from the standard-model predictions at a top-quark mass of 175 GeV/c(2). We therefore present upper limits at the 95% confidence level on the product of the production cross section and branching fraction to t (t) over bar for narrow resonances as a function of the resonance mass M-X. These limits are used to exclude the existence of a leptophobic top-color particle with mass M-X<560 GeV/c(2), using a theoretical cross section for a width Gamma(X)=0.012M(X)

Improved measurement of the top quark mass.

The standard model of particle physics contains parameters—such as particle masses—whose origins are still unknown and which cannot be predicted, but whose values are constrained through their interactions. In particular, the masses of the top quark (Mt) and W boson (MW)1 constrain the mass of the long-hypothesized, but thus far not observed, Higgs boson. A precise measurement of Mt can therefore indicate where to look for the Higgs, and indeed whether the hypothesis of a standard model Higgs is consistent with experimental data. As top quarks are produced in pairs and decay in only about 10-24 s into various final states, reconstructing their masses from their decay products is very challenging. Here we report a technique that extracts more information from each top-quark event and yields a greatly improved precision (of 5.3 GeV/c2) when compared to previous measurements2. When our new result is combined with our published measurement in a complementary decay mode3 and with the only other measurements available2, the new world average for Mt becomes4 178.0 4.3 GeV/c2. As a result, the most likely Higgs mass increases from the experimentally excluded5 value6 of 96 to 117 GeV/c2, which is beyond current experimental sensitivity. The upper limit on the Higgs mass at the 95% confidence level is raised from 219 to 251 GeV/c2