Optimal use of Information for Measuring $M_t$ in Lepton+jets $t\bar{t}$ Events

Abstract

We present a novel approach that is being developed at DZero for extracting information from data through a direct comparison of all measured variables in an event with a matrix element that describes the entire production process. The method is exemplified in the extraction of the mass of the top quark in top-antitop events in the lepton+jets final state. Monte Carlo studies suggest that an improvement of about a factor of two in statistical uncertainty on the mass of the top quark can be achieved relative to previously published work for the same channel. Preliminary results from the re-analysis provide a reduction in the statistical uncertainty of almost a factor of 1.6, corresponding to an effective factor of 2.4 increase in the size of the data sample.