Looking for signals of New Physics in the Top quark samples with the CDF detector

TL;DR

This paper reviews the CDF experiment's efforts over twelve years to detect new physics signals in top quark samples, including searches for resonant states, heavy top-like quarks, and anomalous decay properties, testing the Standard Model's limits.

Contribution

It presents the first comprehensive analysis of top quark data from CDF aimed at discovering new physics phenomena beyond the Standard Model.

Findings

Limits set on new resonant states decaying to tt-bar

Constraints on heavy Top-like quark existence

Measurements of W boson helicity fractions in top decays

Abstract

Twelve years after the discovery of the Top quark, the CDF detector has collected large samples of tt-bar events with integrated luminosities up to 1-1.7 fb^-1, where we are able to probe our knowledge of the Standard Model Top quark. This article will focuss on those analysis results dedicated to find new physics in the Top quark production: measurement of relative fractions of Top pair production mechanisms, searches for a massive resonant state decaying to tt-bar pairs as well as a heavy Top-like quark decaying as the Standard Model Top quark. Besides its production, the Top quark decay is also an interesting probe to find Physics Beyond the Standard Model by measuring possibly anomalous values of the helicity fractions of the W boson in the decay t-->W(-->l+v_l)b by searching for flavour changing neutral current decays t-->Zq or by testing the Top quark charge to be +2/3 or -4/3.