https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-021-09478-x
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
NLO QCD corrections to off-shell 
production at the LHC: correlations and asymmetries
1
MTA-DE Particle Physics Research Group, University of Debrecen, PBox 105, 4010, Debrecen, Hungary
2
Institute for Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology, RWTH Aachen University, 52056, Aachen, Germany
3
Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J.J. Thomson Avenue, CB3 0HE, Cambridge, UK
4
Physics Department, Florida State University, 32306-4350, Tallahassee, FL, USA
Received:
8
April
2021
Accepted:
22
July
2021
Published online:
31
July
2021
Recent discrepancies between theoretical predictions and experimental data in multi-lepton plus b-jets analyses for the 
process, as reported by the ATLAS collaboration, have indicated that more accurate theoretical predictions and high precision observables are needed to constrain numerous new physics scenarios in this channel. To this end we employ NLO QCD computations with full off-shell top quark effects included to provide theoretical predictions for the 
cross section ratio at the LHC with 
TeV. Depending on the transverse momentum cut on the b-jet we obtain 2–3% theoretical precision on 
, which should help to shed some light on new physics effects that can reveal themselves only once sufficiently precise Standard Model theoretical predictions are available. Furthermore, triggered by these discrepancies we reexamine the charge asymmetry of the top quark and its decay products in the production process. In the case of charge asymmetries, that are uniquely sensitive to the chiral nature of possible new physics in this channel, theoretical uncertainties below 15% are obtained. Additionally, the impact of the top quark decay modelling is scrutinised by explicit comparison with predictions in the narrow-width approximation.
© The Author(s) 2021
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