Search for high-mass states with one lepton plus missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for high-mass charged bosons decaying to leptons and neutrinos in proton-proton collisions at 7 TeV, setting mass exclusion limits up to around 1.5 TeV.

Contribution

First search for W' and W* bosons at 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector, establishing new mass exclusion limits based on early LHC data.

Findings

No excess observed beyond standard model predictions.

Excluded W' masses below 1.49 TeV at 95% CL.

Excluded W* masses below 1.47 TeV at 95% CL.

Abstract

The ATLAS detector is used to search for high-mass states, such as heavy charged gauge bosons (W', W*) decaying to a charged lepton (electron or muon) and a neutrino. Results are presented based on the analysis of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 pb-1. No excess beyond standard model expectations is observed. A W' with sequential standard model couplings is excluded at 95% confidence level for masses below 1.49 TeV, and a W*(charged chiral boson) for masses below 1.47 TeV.