Next-to-leading order QCD corrections to top quark spin correlations at hadron colliders: the reactions $q{\bar q}\to t{\bar t}(g)$

Abstract

Future hadron collider experiments are expected to record large to huge samples of $t\bar t$ events. The analysis of these data with respect to $t\bar t$ spin-spin correlations requires precise predictions of the production of these quark pairs in a general spin configuration. Therefore we have computed, at next-to-leading order (NLO) in the QCD coupling, the spin density matrices describing $t\bar t$ production by quark antiquark annihilation, which is the dominant production process at the Tevatron. Moreover we have computed the strength of the $t\bar t$ spin correlation at NLO, using various spin quantization axes.