Project

Differential cross section measurement of top quark-pair production in association with a Z boson in proton-proton collisions at 13.6 TeV with the CMS experiment during LHC Run 3 operation.

Code
01D27823
Duration
01 November 2023 → 31 October 2027
Funding
Regional and community funding: Special Research Fund
Promotor
Research disciplines
  • Natural sciences
    • Experimental particle physics
Keywords
CMS experiment Top quark physics Cross section measurement
 
Project description

the standard model (SM) is a theoretical model of elementary particles and their fundamental interactions which aims to grasp the phenomena of nature at a fundamental level . However the SM is known to be incomplete as it fails to provide an explanation to several observed phenomena in particle physics. The SM is generally considered to be an effective field theory (EFT), a low‐energy approximation of a more fundamental beyond standard model (BSM) theory. A well‐established framework for probing BSM physics is that of effective field theory interpretation. The impact of EFT operators can be probed with a variety of experimental observables with increased sensitivity to rare top quark process production. The potential to constrain EFT parameters with a differential measurement of top quark‐antiquark pair production in association with a Z boson have been studied in the literature in detail. The inclusion of observables based on reconstructed top quark properties for EFT constrains using a ttZ differential cross section however has not yet been done within the CMS collaboration. This research proposal aims to be a first CMS differential cross section measurement of top quark‐antiquark pair production in association with a Z boson using 13.6 TeV proton-proton collision data at the CMS experiment during LHC Run 3 operation that include top quark reconstructed properties. This will be followed up by a search for new top quark interactions to derive EFT parameter constrains.