Search

We discuss new physics in top-quark interactions, using an effective-field-theory approach. We consider top-quark decay, single top production, and top-quark pair production. We identify 15 dimension-six operators that contribute to these processes, and we compute the deviation from the standard model induced by these operators. The results provide a systematic way of searching for (or obtaining bounds on) physics beyond the standard model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computations at next-to-leading order in the Standard Model offer new technical challenges in the presence of higher dimensional operators. We introduce a framework that, starting from the top-quark effective field theory at dimension six, allows one to make predictions for cross sections as well as distributions in a fully automatic way. As an application, we present the first complete results at next-toleading order in QCD for flavor-changing neutral interactions including parton shower effects, for tZ, th, tγ associated production at the LHC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]