Scalar production and decay to top quarks including interference effects at NLO in QCD in an EFT approach

Understand

Scalar and pseudo-scalar resonances decaying to top quarks are common predictions in several scenarios beyond the standard model (SM) and are extensively searched for by LHC experiments.

• Challenges on the experimental side require optimising the strategy based on accurate predictions.
• Firstly, QCD corrections are known to be large both for the SM QCD background and for the pure signal scalar production.
• Secondly, leading order and approximate next-to-leading order (NLO) calculations indicate that the interference between signal and background is large and drastically changes the lineshape of the signal, from a simple peak to a peak-dip structure.