Detecting a Light Stop from Top Decays at the Tevatron

Abstract

We study the possibility of discovering or excluding a light top squark (stop) based on top quark decays in the t-tbar events produced at the Fermilab Tevatron. In particular, we consider the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model with the sparticle spectrum m_{chi^+_1}+m_b, M_W+m_{chi^0_1}+m_b > m_{stop} > m_{chi^0_1}+m_c, where chi^0_1 is the lightest neutralino and chi^+_1 is the lightest chargino, so that t -> stop chi^0_1 and stop -> c chi^0_1. All other sparticle masses are assumed to be heavier than m_t. Such a spectrum seeks to explain the experimental values of alpha_s(M_Z^2), R_b and A_{LR} obtained from LEP/SLC data. We find that the prospect to observe a light stop via this channel at the Tevatron is very promising.