M T2-reconstructed invisible momenta as spin analizers, and an application to top polarization

Abstract

Full event reconstruction is known to be challenging in cases with more than one undetected final-state particle, such as pair production of two states each decaying semi-invisibly. On the other hand, full event reconstruction would allow to access angular distributions sensitive to the spin fractions of the decaying particles, thereby dissecting their production mechanism. We explore this possibility in the case of Standard-Model production followed by a leptonic decay of both W bosons, implying two undetected final-state neutrinos. We estimate the t and momentum vectors event by event using information extracted from the kinematic variable M T2. The faithfulness of the estimated momenta to the true momenta is then tested in observables sensitive to top polarization and spin correlations. Our method thereby provides a novel approach towards the evaluation of these observables, and towards testing production beyond the level of the total cross section. While our discussion is confined to production as a benchmark, the method is applicable to any process whose decay topology allows to construct M T2. © 2014 The Author(s).