Dr. Karolos Potamianos

Abstract:

We present the first signature-based search for delayed photons using an exclusive photon plus missing transverse energy final state. Events are reconstructed in a data sample from the CDF II detector corresponding to $6.3 \text{fb}^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity from $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV proton-antiproton collisions. Candidate events are selected if they contain a photon with an arrival time in the detector larger than expected from a promptly-produced photon. The mean number of events from standard model sources predicted by the data-driven background model based on the photon timing distribution is $286 \pm 24$. A total of 322 events are observed. A $p$-value of 12% is obtained, showing consistency of the data with standard model predictions.

Abstract:

We report a measurement of the differential cross section, dσ/d(cos θt), for top-quark-pair production as a function of the top-quark production angle in proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV. This measurement is performed using data collected with the CDF II detector at the Tevatron, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.4/fb. We employ the Legendre polynomials to characterize the shape of the differential cross section at the parton level. The observed Legendre coefficients are in good agreement with the prediction of the next-to-leading-order standard-model calculation, with the exception of an excess linear-term coefficient, a1 = 0.40 +- 0.12, compared to the standard-model prediction of a1 = 0.15^{+0.07}_{-0.03}.

Abstract:

We present a measurement of the ratio of the top-quark branching fractions R=B(t→Wb)/B(t→Wq), where q represents quarks of type b, s, or d, in the final state with a lepton and hadronic jets. The measurement uses √s=1.96 TeV proton-antiproton collision data from 8.7 fb-1 of integrated luminosity collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab during Run II of the Tevatron. We simultaneously measure R=0.94±0.09 (stat+syst) and the tt̄ production cross section σtt̄=7. 5±1.0 (stat+syst) pb. The magnitude of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element, |Vtb|=0.97±0.05 (stat+syst) is extracted assuming three generations of quarks, and a lower limit of |V tb|>0.89 at 95% credibility level is set. © 2013 American Physical Society.

Abstract:

We present a search for a standard model Higgs boson decaying to two $W$ bosons that decay to leptons using the full data set collected with the CDF II detector in $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV $p\bar{p}$ collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.7 fb${}^{-1}$. We obtain no evidence for production of a standard model Higgs boson with mass between 110 and 200 GeV/$c^2$, and place upper limits on the production cross section within this range. We exclude standard model Higgs boson production at the 95% confidence level in the mass range between 149 and 172 GeV/$c^2$, while expecting to exclude, in the absence of signal, the range between 155 and 175 GeV/$c^2$. We also interpret the search in terms of standard model Higgs boson production in the presence of a fourth generation of fermions and within the context of a fermiophobic Higgs boson model. For the specific case of a standard model-like Higgs boson in the presence of fourth-generation fermions, we exclude at the 95% confidence level Higgs boson production in the mass range between 124 and 200 GeV/$c^2$, while expecting to exclude, in the absence of signal, the range between 124 and 221 GeV/$c^2$.

Abstract:

We present a search for chargino-neutralino associated production using like electric charge dilepton events collected by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron in proton-antiproton collisions at √s=1.96 TeV. One lepton is identified as the hadronic decay of a tau lepton, while the other is an electron or muon. In data corresponding to 6.0 fb-1 of integrated luminosity, we obtain good agreement with standard model predictions and set limits on the chargino-neutralino production cross section for simplified gravity- and gauge-mediated models. As an example, assuming that the chargino and neutralino decays to taus dominate, in the simplified gauge-mediated model we exclude cross sections greater than 300 fb at 95% credibility level for chargino and neutralino masses of 225 GeV/c2. This analysis is the first to extend the LHC searches for electroweak supersymmetric production of gauginos to high tanâ¡β and slepton next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle scenarios. © 2013 American Physical Society.