Precision W-boson and top-quark mass determinations at a muon collider

Abstract

Precise determinations of the masses of the $W$ boson and of the top quark could stringently test the radiative structure of the Standard Model (SM) or provide evidence for new physics. We analyze the excellent prospects at a muon collider for measuring $M_W$ and $m_t$ in the $W^+W^-$ and $t\bar t$ threshold regions. With an integrated luminosity of 10 (100) fb$^{-1}$, the $W$-boson mass could be measured to a precision of 20 (6) MeV, and the top-quark mass to a precision of 200 (70) MeV, provided that theoretical and experimental systematics are understood. A measurement of $Δm_t=200$ MeV for fixed $M_W$ would constrain a 100 GeV SM Higgs mass within about $\pm 2$ GeV, while $ΔM_W=6$ MeV for fixed $m_t$ would constrain $m_h$ to about $\pm 10$ GeV.

27 pages, 11 figures, postscript file available via anonymous ftp://ucdhep.ucdavis.edu/han/mumu/mwmt.ps