Top pair invariant mass distribution: a window on new physics

TL;DR

This paper investigates the potential of measuring the top-antitop invariant mass distribution to improve top mass measurements and to detect new heavy s-channel resonances, providing tools and methods for such analyses.

Contribution

It offers a detailed assessment of prediction accuracy for the invariant mass distribution and introduces a model-independent approach to search for heavy resonances.

Findings

Accurate predictions enable top mass measurements in the low invariant mass region.

A simple three-step analysis framework for resonance searches is proposed.

Monte Carlo tools are provided for experimental implementation.

Abstract

We explore in detail the physics potential of a measurement of the ttbar invariant mass distribution. First, we assess the accuracy of the best available predictions for this observable and find that in the low invariant mass region, the shape is very well predicted and could be used to perform a top mass measurement. Second, we study the effects of a heavy s-channel resonance on the ttbar invariant mass distribution, in a model independent way. We provide the necessary Monte Carlo tools to perform the search and outline a simple three-step analysis.