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Extraction of the width of the W boson from a measurement of the ratio of the W and Z cross sections

Thesis/Dissertation ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/756635· OSTI ID:756635
 [1]
  1. Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Fermilab
This dissertation reports on measurements of inclusive cross sections times branching fractions into electrons for W and Z bosons produced in p$$\bar{p}$$ collisions at √s = 1.8 TeV. From an integrated luminosity of 84.5 pb-1 recorded in 1994--1995 by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron, the cross sections are measured to be σp$$\bar{p}$$ → W + X ∙ B(W → ev) = 2,310 ± 10 (stat) ± 50 (Syst) ± 100 (lum) pb and σ(p$$\bar{p}$$ → Z + X) ∙ B(Z → ee) = 221 ± 3 (stat) ± 4 (Syst) ± 10 (lum) pb. The cross section ratio R is determined to be σ(p$$\bar{p}$$ → W + X) ∙ B(W → ev)/σ(p$$\bar{p}$$ → Z + X) ∙ B(Z → ee) = 10.43 ± 0.15 (stat) ± 0.20 (syst) ± 0.10 (NLO)Λ and R is used to determine B(W → ev) = 0.1044 ± 0.0015 (stat) ± 0.0020 (syst) ± 0.0017 (theory) ± 0.0010 (NLO), Λ and , Λ w = 2.169 ± 0.031 (stat) ± 0.042 (syst) ± 0.041 (theory) ± 0.022 (NLO) GeV. The latter is used to set a 95% confidence level upper limit on the partial decay width of the W boson into non-standard model final states ΛΛwinvΛ of 0.213 GeV.
Research Organization:
Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER)
OSTI ID:
756635
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English