Abstract.
A search for single top quark production is performed in \(e^{\pm}p\) collisions at HERA. The search exploits data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 118.3 pb-1. A model for the anomalous production of top quarks in a flavour changing neutral current process involving a \(tu\gamma\) coupling is investigated. Decays of top quarks into a b quark and a W boson are considered in the leptonic and the hadronic decay channels of the W. Both a cut-based analysis and a multivariate likelihood analysis are performed to discriminate anomalous top quark production from Standard Model background processes. In the leptonic channel, 5 events are found while 1.31 \(\pm\) 0.22 events are expected from the Standard Model background. In the hadronic channel, no excess above the expectation for Standard Model processes is found. These observations lead to a cross section \(\sigma (ep \rightarrow e t X) = 0.29 ^{ + 0.15}_{-0.14} \ {\rm pb}\) at \(\sqrt{s} = 319 \ {\rm GeV}\). Alternatively, assuming that the observed events are due to a statistical fluctuation, upper limits of 0.55 pb on the anomalous top production cross section and of 0.27 on the \(tu\gamma\) coupling \(\kappa_{tu\gamma}\) are established at the 95% confidence level.
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Received: 16 October 2003, Published online: 29 January 2004
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The H1 Collaboration. Search for single top quark production in ep collisions at HERA. Eur. Phys. J. C 33, 9–22 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s2003-01588-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s2003-01588-2