Heavy-quark production at Fermilab Tevatron Collider energies

Journal Article · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Physical Review (Section) D: Particles and Fields; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.40.3600· OSTI ID:7273868

Sarcevic, I; Carruthers, P; Gao, Q ^[1]

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1. Physics Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 (US)

We propose a way to test structure functions at low {ital x} by measuring the heavy-quark cross section at Fermilab Tevatron Collider energies. We show that the QCD calculation (through order {alpha}{sub {ital s}}{sup 3}) of the total cross section for the bottom- and top-quark pair cross section is very sensitive to the choice of the structure function at Collider energies. Comparison with the experimental data indicates that some choices of the structure functions seem to be preferred by the data. We illustrate how measurements of the bottom-quark pair cross section at Tevatron Collider energies should be able to make a clear distinction between different choices of the structure functions, therefore providing valuable information about the gluon structure function at low {ital x}. We find that the bottom-quark cross section at Collider energies is dominated by the {ital gg} initial subprocess, while the top-quark cross section is dominated by the contribution from the {ital qq} subprocess at low energies. At Tevatron energies this contribution becomes 30%, while the rest is due to the {ital gg} initial subprocess. We show that the ratio of the cross section calculated through order {alpha}{sub {ital s}}{sup 3} to the one calculated through the order {alpha}{sub {ital s}}{sup 2}, the so-called {ital K} factor, is of order 3 for the bottom-quark cross section and of order 2 for the top-quark cross section at Tevatron energies. We also show that the theoretical uncertainty due to the choice of the structure function has a significant effect on the experimental lower limit of the top-quark mass.

• OSTI ID: 7273868
• Journal Information: Physical Review (Section) D: Particles and Fields; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review (Section) D: Particles and Fields; (USA) Vol. 40:11; ISSN PRVDA; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

645103* -- High Energy Physics-- Particle Interactions & Properties-Experimental-- Strong Interactions & Baryon & Meson Properties
645400 -- High Energy Physics-- Field Theory
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ACCELERATORS
BOSONS
COUPLING CONSTANTS
CROSS SECTIONS
CYCLIC ACCELERATORS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMILAB TEVATRON
FERMIONS
FIELD THEORIES
FUNCTIONS
GLUONS
MASS
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
PARTONS
POSTULATED PARTICLES
QUANTUM CHROMODYNAMICS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
QUARKS
STRUCTURE FUNCTIONS
SYNCHROTRONS
TOP PARTICLES
TOTAL CROSS SECTIONS