Search for heavy resonances decaying to top quarks

TL;DR

This paper reviews CMS searches for heavy particles decaying into top quarks, focusing on models with enhanced couplings to third-generation quarks, using 8 TeV LHC data from 2012.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of experimental searches for heavy resonances decaying to top quarks conducted by CMS at 8 TeV.

Findings

No significant excess observed over Standard Model predictions.

Constraints set on masses of hypothetical heavy gauge bosons.

Improved event reconstruction techniques for top quark final states.

Abstract

In many models of physics beyond the Standard Model the coupling of new states to third generation quarks is enhanced. A review is presented of searches by the CMS collaboration for heavy particles decaying to final states involving top quarks. This includes searches for heavy gauge bosons and excited states. Several final states originating from the top quark decays are considered and the event reconstruction is optimised accordingly. The analyses presented use data collected with the CMS experiment during the year 2012 at the LHC, in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV.