Abstract
Searches for top quark-associated physics such as \( t\overline{t}W \) or \( t\overline{t}H \) in final states with multiple leptons require a careful accounting of expected backgrounds due to the lack of reconstructible resonances. We demonstrate that the rare top quark decays t → ℓ′νbℓℓ and t → qq′bℓℓ, when a soft lepton is not detected, can contribute a non-negligible background to such searches. Simulations in the LHC experiments typically do not account for such decays and as such backgrounds to such searches may be underestimated.
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Onyisi, P., Webb, A. Impact of rare decays t → ℓ′νbℓℓ and t → qq′bℓℓ on searches for top-associated physics. J. High Energ. Phys. 2018, 156 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP02(2018)156
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP02(2018)156