Single-Top Cross Section Measurements at ATLAS

TL;DR

This paper discusses measurements of single-top quark production cross sections at ATLAS, aiming to test the Standard Model, measure |V_tb| precisely, and search for new physics through anomalous couplings.

Contribution

It presents methods to optimize event selection for single-top production and assesses the potential for precise cross section measurements at ATLAS.

Findings

Expected to measure major contributions to the cross section

Provides a test of the Standard Model predictions

Searches for anomalous couplings and new physics evidence

Abstract

The single-top production cross section is one third that of the top-pair production cross section at the LHC. During the first year of data taking, the determination of the major contributions to the total single-top cross section should be achievable. Comparisons between the measured cross sections and the theoretical predictions will provide a crucial test of the standard model. These measurements should also lead to a direct measurement of |V_tb| with a precision at the level of a few percent. In addition, they will probe for new physics via the search for evidence of anomalous couplings to the top quark and measurements of additional bosonic contributions to single-top production. Methods developed to optimize the selection of single-top events in the three production channels are presented and the potential for the cross section measurements is established.