Messung der Eigenschaften des Top-Quarks und Suche nach neuer Physik im Top-Sektor
Final Report Abstract
The top quark, discovered in 1995 by the CDF and DØ experiments at the Fermilab proton-anti-proton collider Tevatron is the member of the known families of quarks most recently discovered. Today both experiments have recorded 6 fb−1 of integrated luminosity at a center-of-mass energy √s = 1.96 TeV. The large number of events produced allows detailed scrutiny of the top quark properties. During this research project I have been a member of the DØ Collaboration at the Tevatron working with Bonn University. Most of the time I was based at the Fermi National Laboratory (Fermilab) in Batavia, Illinois, USA. In this research project the properties of the top quark were investigated in great detail using data sets of 1 fb−1. The question that had to be answered in this research project was, if the top quark is indeed the particle as predicted by the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics or if the top quark is connected to new physics beyond. I worked on measurements of the top pair production cross section, cross section ratios, the top quark mass, top anti-top spin correlations and also performed a search for supersymmetric charged Higgs bosons in top quark decays. All results agreed with the prediction of the SM and there was no hint for physics beyond. During the time of the research project, I served as a representative of the DØ Top Group for Monte Carlo simulations. Furthermore, I was awarded with an Advanced Research Fellowship of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) of the United Kingdom (“Advanced Fellowship Award”). Recently I was awarded with a Royal Society University Research Fellowship.
