Search for pair production of heavy vector-like quarks decaying to high-$p_{\text{T}}$ $W$ bosons and $b$ quarks in the lepton-plus-jets final state in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for heavy vector-like quarks decaying to W bosons and b quarks in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV, setting mass limits around 1.1 to 1.35 TeV with no significant excess observed.

Contribution

First search to set mass limits on vector-like T and B quarks in the lepton-plus-jets final state at 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector.

Findings

No significant deviation from the Standard Model.

Lower mass limits for T quark are 1350 GeV (assuming 100% Wb decay).

Lower mass limits for B quark are 1250 GeV (assuming 100% Wt decay).

Abstract

A search is presented for the pair production of heavy vector-like $T$ and $B$ quarks, primarily targeting the $T$ quark decays to a $W$ boson and a $b$-quark. The search is based on $36.1$ fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV recorded in 2015 and 2016 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Data are analysed in the lepton-plus-jets final state, including at least one $b$-tagged jet and a large-radius jet identified as originating from the hadronic decay of a high-momentum $W$ boson. No significant deviation from the Standard Model expectation is observed in the reconstructed $T$ mass distribution. The observed 95% confidence level lower limit on the $T$ mass are 1350 GeV assuming 100% branching ratio to $Wb$. In the SU(2) singlet scenario, the lower mass limit is 1170 GeV. This search is also sensitive to a heavy vector-like $B$ quark decaying to $Wt$ and other final states. The results are thus reinterpreted to provide a 95% confidence level lower limit on the $B$ quark mass at 1250 GeV assuming 100% branching ratio to $Wt$; in the SU(2) singlet scenario, the limit is 1080 GeV. Mass limits on both $T$ and $B$ production are also set as a function of the decay branching ratios. The 100% branching ratio limits are found to be applicable to heavy vector-like $Y$ and $X$ production that decay to $Wb$ and $Wt$, respectively.