Past exam of the particle physics course of the University of Oxford / 2016 / 1 / 2

At the parton level, the dominant valence reactions are $e^{-}u\to {\nu }_{e}d$ through W boson exchange and $e^{+}d\to {\bar{\nu }}_{e}u$ through W boson exchange. The first also acts on $c$, while the second acts on $s$ with the appropriate Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix factors; crossing supplies the antiquark reactions. The lines in the figure show fermion number flow; the Positron and antineutrino arrows point opposite to their momenta.

For unpolarized beams, the leading charged current cross sections, suppressing Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix factors, have the formHere each parton distribution function is evaluated at $(x,Q^2)$. The proton has two valence up quarks and one valence down quark; moreover, its valence contribution in the Positron reaction carries the chiral angular factor $(1-y{)}^2$. Both effects favour $e^{-}p$. Increasing $Q^2$ at fixed collider energy enforces $x\ge Q^2/s$, progressively suppressing the sea relative to the valence quarks; large $y$ further suppresses the Positron valence term. There is no universal factor of two valid at every $(x,y)$.

The escaping neutrino prevents direct reconstruction from a scattered charged lepton. Instead use the Jacquet-Blondel reconstruction. With the $+z$ axis along the proton beam, measure the complete hadronic final state and formThese relations follow from four-momentum conservation, with the unobserved neutrino transverse momentum opposite to the measured hadronic sum. A nearly hermetic hadronic calorimeter, supplemented by tracking detectors, must measure jets, their energies and their directions. Forward losses, initial-state radiation and small $y_h$ cause significant reconstruction uncertainties.