Search for flavor-changing neutral currents in top quark decays at ATLAS

Abstract

ATLAS results are presented on a search for flavor-changing neutral currents (FCNC) in top quark decays at the LHC. Events are searched for where a pair of top quarks is produced and one decays through the Standard Model t → Wb mode while the other decays through the FCNC mode t → qZ. Leptonic final states are used in which both the W– and Z-bosons decay leptonically, yielding final states with three leptons and two jets. The observed events are consistent with the expected backgrounds from Drell-Yan and diboson production and a limit on the FCNC branching ratio of top quarks to qZ is set.