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Using the W Boson as a Standard Candle to Reach the Top: Calibrating Energy-Correlator-Based Top Mass Measurements

Jack Holguin1,2, Ian Moult3, Aditya Pathak4, Massimiliano Procura5, Robert Schöfbeck6, and Dennis Schwarz6

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 231903 – Published 13 June, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/j4sp-fcmd

Abstract

The top quark mass is a key parameter of the standard model, yet measuring it precisely at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is challenging. Inspired by the use of standard candles in cosmology, we propose a novel energy correlator-based observable, which directly accesses the dimensionless quantity mt/mW. We perform a Monte Carlo study to demonstrate the feasibility of the top mass extraction from Run 2, 3, and High-Luminosity LHC datasets. Our resulting mt can be defined in a well-controlled short-distance mass scheme and exhibits remarkably small uncertainties from nonperturbative effects, as well as insensitivity to parton distribution functions, outlining a roadmap for a record precision measurement at the LHC.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 231903– Published 13 June, 2025
  • Received 20 December 2023
  • Revised 9 April 2025
  • Accepted 16 May 2025
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