Multivariate searches for single top quark production with the D0 detector

We present a search for electroweak production of single top quarks in the s-channel (p (p) over bar -> t (b) over bar +X) and t-channel (p (p) over bar -> tq (b) over bar +X) modes. We have analyzed 230 pb(-1) of data collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of root s=1.96 TeV. No evidence for a single top quark signal is found. We set 95% confidence level upper limits on the production cross sections, based on binned likelihoods formed from a neural network output. The observed (expected) limits are 6.4 pb (4.5 pb) in the s-channel and 5.0 pb (5.8 pb) in the t-channel.

Measurement of the top quark mass in the dilepton channel

We present a measurement of the top quark mass in the dilepton channel based on approximately 370 pb(-1) of data collected by the DO experiment during Run R of the Fermilab Tevatron collider. We employ two different methods to extract the top quark mass. We show that both methods yield consistent results using ensemble tests of events generated with the DO Monte Carlo simulation. We combine the results from the two methods to obtain a top quark mass m(t) = 178.1 +/- 8.2 GeV. The statistical uncertainty is 6.7 GeV and the systematic uncertainty is 4.8 GeV. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long- and medium-range components of the nuclear force in quark-model based calculations

Quark-model descriptions of the nucleon-nucleon interaction contain two main ingredients, a quark-exchange mechanism for the short-range repulsion and meson exchanges for the medium- and long-range parts of the interaction. We point out the special role played by higher partial waves, and in particular the (1)F(3), as a very sensitive probe for the meson-exchange pan employed in these interaction models. In particular, we show that the presently available models fail to provide a reasonable description of higher partial waves and indicate the reasons for this shortcoming.

Quark clustering and chiral symmetry breaking in nuclear matter

Chiral symmetry breaking at finite baryon density is usually discussed in the context of quark matter, i.e. a system of deconfined quarks. Many systems like stable nuclei and neutron stars however have quarks confined within nucleons. In this paper we construct a Fermi sea of three-quark nucleon clusters and investigate the change of the quark condensate as a function of baryon density. We study the effect of quark clustering on the in-medium quark condensate and compare results with the traditional approach of modeling hadronic matter in terms of a Fermi sea of deconfined quarks.

Local duality and charge symmetry violation in quark distributions

We use local quark-hadron duality to calculate the nucleon structure function as seen by neutrino and muon beams. Our result indicates a possible signal of charge symmetry violation at the parton level in the very large x region.

Exchange terms in the quark-meson coupling model

In this talk we report on recent progress in implementing exchange terms in the quark-meson coupling model. Exchange effects are related to the Pauli exclusion principle. We discuss exchange effects at the nucleon level and at the quark level. We also address the incorporation of chiral symmetry and Delta degrees of freedom in the model.

Quark condensates and high density quark matter

We consider a Coulomb gauge quark model which includes an explicit construct for a nontrivial vacuum structure in QCD. The dynamics is described by a Hamiltonain that contains a linearly rising confining potential and longitudinal and transverse Coulomb-type interactions. The Coulomb potential gives rise to ultraviolate divergences which are non-perturbatively renormalized by adding appropriate counter terms to the Hamiltonian. The equation of state for u and d quark matter at zero temperature is derived in the Hartree-Fock approximation.

Experimental discrimination between charge 2e/3 top quark and charge 4e/3 exotic quark production scenarios

We present the first experimental discrimination between the 2e/3 and 4e/3 top quark electric charge scenarios, using top quark pairs (t (t) over bar) produced in p (p) over bar collisions at root s =1.96 TeV by the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We use 370 pb(-1) of data collected by the D0 experiment and select events with at least one high transverse momentum electron or muon, high transverse energy imbalance, and four or more jets. We discriminate between b- and (b) over bar -quark jets by using the charge and momenta of tracks within the jet cones. The data are consistent with the expected electric charge, |q|=2e/3. We exclude, at the 92% C.L., that the sample is solely due to the production of exotic quark pairs Q (Q) over bar with |q|=4e/3. We place an upper limit on the fraction of Q (Q) over bar pairs rho < 0.80 at the 90% C.L.

Testing the quark cluster model in nucleon-nucleon scattering

The description of the short-range part of the nucleon-nucleon forces in terms of quark degrees of freedom is tested against experimental observables. We consider, for this purpose, a model where the short-range part of the forces is given by the quark cluster model and the long- and medium-range forces by well established meson exchanges. The investigation is performed using different quark cluster models coming from different sets of quark-quark interactions. The predictions of this model are compared not only with the phase shifts but also directly with the experimental observables. Agreement with the existing pp and np world set of data is poor. This suggests that the current description of the nucleon-nucleon interaction, at short distances, in the framework of the nonrelativistic quark models, is at present only qualitative.

Quark distributions in a medium

We derive the formal expressions needed to discuss the change of the twist-two parton distribution functions when a hadron is placed in a medium with relativistic scalar and vector mean fields. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nucleon flavor asymmetry in a statistical quark model

A statistical model of linear-confined quarks is applied to obtain the flavor asymmetry of the nucleon sea. The model parametrization is fixed by the experimental available data, where a temperature parameter is used to fit the Gottfried sum rule violation. Results are presented for the ratios of light quark and antiquark distributions, d/u and (d) over bar/(u) over bar.

Search for the lightest scalar top quark in events with two leptons in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

Data collected by the do detector at a p (p) over bar center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider have been used to search for pair production of the lightest supersymmetric partner of the top quark decaying into bl (nu) over tilde. The search is performed in the ll' = e mu and mu mu final states. No evidence for this process has been found in data samples of approximately 400 pb(-1). The domain in the [M((t) over tilde (1)), M((nu) over tilde)] plane excluded at the 95% C.L. is substantially extended by this search. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of the t(t)over-bar production cross section and top quark mass extraction using dilepton events in p(p)over-bar collisions

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Measurement of the t-channel single top quark production cross section

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)