Four-quark final state in $W$ -pair production: Case of signal and background

Abstract

We discuss theoretical predictions for $W$ -pair production and decay at LEP2 and higher energies in a form suitable for comparison with raw data. We present a practical framework for calculating uncertainties of predictions given by the KORALW and grc4f Monte Carlo programs. As an example we use observables in the $s\bar s c \bar c$ decay channel: the total four-quark (four-jet) cross section and two-quark/jet invariant-mass distribution and cross section, in the case when the other two may escape detection. Effects of QED bremsstrahlung, effective couplings, running $W$ and $Z$ widths, Coulomb interaction and the complete tree level set of diagrams are discussed. We also revisit the question of technical precision of the new version 1.21 of the KORALW Monte Carlo code as well as of version 1.2(26) of the grc4f one. Finally we find predictions of the two programs to have an overall physical uncertainty of 2%. As a side result we show, on the example of an $s\bar s$ invariant mass distribution, the strong interplay of spin correlations and detector cut-offs in the case of four-fermion final states.