Decays of the Lightest Top Squark

Abstract

We analyze higher order decay modes of the lightest top squark $\tilde{t}_1$ in the Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM), where the lightest SUSY particle (LSP) is assumed to be the neutralino $χ_1^0$. For small $\tilde{t}_1$ masses accessible at LEP2 and the Tevatron, we show that the four-body decay mode into the LSP, a bottom quark and two massless fermions, $\tilde{t}_1 \ra b χ_1^0 f\bar{f}'$, can dominate in a wide range of the MSSM parameter space over the loop-induced decay into a charm quark and the LSP, $\tilde{t}_1 \ra c χ_1^0$. This result might affect the experimental searches on this particle, since only the later signal has been considered so far.

21 pages with 4 figures, Latex. Typo corrected and references updated. To appear in Phys. Rev. D