Searches for Exotic Physics using Top Quarks Kenneth Johns, Venkat Kaushik, Xiaowen Lei, Matt Leone*, Finn O’Grady, Jason Veatch * Elliott Cheu student

Achievements Made significant contributions to four related but distinct physics searches Search for resonances using boosted top jets (ATL-COM-PHYS-2011-1692) Search for resonances using resolved top jets (ATL-COM-PHYS-2011-1392) Measurement of the production differential cross section (ATL-COM-PHYS-2011-1356) Measurement of the production total cross section (ATL-COM-PHYS-2011-104) Produced first U. Arizona Ph.D. using ATLAS data Xiaowen Lei – now U. Arizona postdoc on D0 Venkat Kaushik named MET liason to the Top Physics Group

Physics Our specific contributions Boosted resonances Cut flow comparisons Mass spectra with jet, electron and muon systematic uncertainties Limit setting Resolved resonances Mass spectra using kinematic fitter Differential production cross section Unfolding optimization among different algorithms (SVD, MI, …) Binning algorithm for mass spectrum to minimize migration Mass spectra for cross section Total production cross section Top likelihood variable optimization

Physics Searches for resonances with resolved and boosted top

Physics Total and differential production cross section

Service and Upgrade R&D We continue to hold responsibility for several critical DQA (Data Quality Assessment) items Online and offline CSC monitoring Online and offline HLT Jet monitoring Online and offline HLT MET monitoring CSC data-driven calibration We continue to play a major role in pushing Micromegas (MM) detectors for a Phase 1 muon upgrade Test beam participation and data analysis Successful testing of “C-Card” for MM DAQ at CERN Development of MM front-end card using BNL peak finding ASIC We are developing a ROD-like SPU card for use in a Phase 1 LAr Calorimeter upgrade – Digital triggering @ L1

Service and Upgrade R&D CSC and HLT Jet DQA Atlas Muon and LAr Readout Upgrade R&D C-Card SPU Card