Speaker
Mr
Sarmad Masood Shaheen
(CMS)
Description
A search for the production of a single top quark in association with a Z boson is presented, both to identify the expected standard model (SM) process and to search for flavour changing neutral current (FCNC) interactions. The data sample corresponds
to an integrated luminosity of √19.7 fb−1 recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC
in proton-proton collisions at s = 8 TeV. Final states with three leptons, electrons or
muons and at least one jet are investigated. A moderate excess of events compatible
with SM tZq production is observed, and the corresponding cross section is measured
to be σ ( pp → tZq → νb + − q ) = 10^+8.2_− 7.0 fb with a significance of 2.4 standard deviations. No presence of FCNC production of tZ(q) is observed. Exclusion limits at
95% confidence level on the branching fractions of a top quark decaying to a Z boson
and an up or a charm quark are found to be Br(t→Zu)<0.022% and Br(t →Zc)<0.049%, respectively.
Primary author
Mr
Leggat Duncan
(Institute of High Energy Physics)
Co-author
Mr
Sarmad Masood Shaheen
(CMS)
