Determining the Threshold Excess in Top-Quark Pair Production through a Global PDF Analysis

Abstract

We present an empirical determination of the threshold excess $\Delta$ in top-quark pair production, taking full account of correlated uncertainties with PDFs, the top-quark mass $m_t$ and the strong coupling $\alpha_s(m_Z)$. We extract $\Delta$ from a variety of differential $t\bar{t}$ cross-section measurements by ATLAS and CMS at 8 and 13 TeV, using theoretical predictions of the $t\bar{t}$ continuum up to NNLO QCD accuracy, including an estimate of missing higher order uncertainties and NLO EW corrections. At 8 TeV we see no evidence of a significant threshold excess, but at 13 TeV obtain results above the NNLO QCD $t\bar{t}$ background at just over two $\sigma$ when we combine all the available measurements. We also find evidence of a strong correlation between $\Delta$ and $m_t$, which must be taken into account if the uncertainty on any threshold excess is to be estimated reliably.