Prospects for early top anti-top resonance searches in ATLAS

TL;DR

This paper introduces three new top quark reconstruction methods for ATLAS, significantly improving detection efficiency across a wide mass range and enhancing early search capabilities for top anti-top resonances.

Contribution

The paper develops and evaluates three novel reconstruction schemes that outperform previous methods in top anti-top resonance searches at the LHC.

Findings

Enhanced reconstruction efficiency over a broad mass range

Potential to extend the mass reach of early ATLAS searches

Improved detection of top anti-top signatures in lepton + jets final states

Abstract

Searches for signatures of new physics in top anti-top events at the LHC require efficient reconstruction of top quarks with a broad range of transverse momenta. Three new reconstruction schemes are developed to deal with the large variety of top decay topologies. Their performance on the lepton + jets final state is evaluated using a detailed simulation of signal and background processes. Compared to previous ATLAS studies, a much improved reconstruction efficiency is found over a large top anti-top invariant mass range. As a consequence, even in the earliest phase of the experiment, ATLAS is expected to significantly extend the mass reach of existing searches.