Measurements of top quark asymmetries

Nils Faltermann

arxiv: 2602.12719 · v2 · submitted 2026-02-13 · ✦ hep-ex

Measurements of top quark asymmetries

Nils Faltermann This is my paper

Pith reviewed 2026-05-15 22:31 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification ✦ hep-ex

keywords top quark asymmetryLHCATLASCMSstandard modeltop-antitop productioncharge asymmetryparticle physics measurements

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The pith

Top quark asymmetries at the LHC probe subtle differences in top quark and antiquark production according to the standard model.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

This paper summarizes the latest measurements of top quark asymmetries from the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the LHC. These asymmetries arise from predicted differences in how top quarks and their antiparticles are produced or decay. A sympathetic reader would care because such measurements test the standard model at a precision level and could indicate new physics if deviations are found. The contribution compiles and presents the experimental results on charge asymmetries and related observables from recent LHC data.

Core claim

The study of top quark asymmetries at the LHC provides an excellent opportunity to probe subtle differences in the production of top quarks and antiquarks made by the standard model of particle physics. In this contribution, the latest experimental results on this topic by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations are summarized.

What carries the argument

Top quark asymmetry observables in top-antitop pair production, which measure charge or kinematic differences between top quarks and antiquarks.

Load-bearing premise

The summarized results from ATLAS and CMS accurately capture the underlying physics without unaccounted systematic biases or incomplete data coverage.

What would settle it

A measured asymmetry value that lies outside the standard model prediction by more than the combined experimental and theoretical uncertainties reported in the ATLAS and CMS results.

read the original abstract

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Desk Editor's Note private letter to a colleague

This is a summary of already-published ATLAS and CMS results on top quark asymmetries with no new measurements or analysis.

read the letter

This paper is a summary of already published results from ATLAS and CMS on top quark asymmetries. Nothing new is measured or derived here. It does a reasonable job of bringing together the latest numbers on charge asymmetry and forward-backward asymmetry in top pair production at the LHC. Having them in one short contribution can make it easier to see the current experimental status at a glance. The author has selected the most recent publications and presented them in a clear way. The main limitation is that it relies entirely on the original papers for data and error analysis. There is no independent verification or new combination of results. The motivation stated in the abstract is the usual one for this area of study and does not represent fresh thinking. If the original measurements have any unaccounted biases, this summary would carry them forward without comment. Citations are to the proper sources, and there are no equations or derivations that could introduce problems. The work is straightforward and honest in what it sets out to do. This kind of overview is mainly for people who want a quick update on top asymmetry measurements without reading several separate papers. Experts in the field will already know these results and may not find much value. I would not bring this to a reading group because there is no new content to engage with. I would not cite it in my own papers. It does not seem important enough or original enough to send for peer review; a conference proceeding might be the right home for it, but not a journal article requiring refereeing.

Referee Report

0 major / 1 minor

Summary. The manuscript summarizes recent experimental results from the ATLAS and CMS collaborations on top-quark charge and forward-backward asymmetries at the LHC, motivated by their potential to probe subtle differences between top-quark and top-antiquark production in the Standard Model.

Significance. As a concise compilation of already-published measurements, the paper offers a useful overview of the current experimental status on top asymmetries for the community. Its value is primarily in consolidation rather than new data or analysis; if the referenced ATLAS and CMS results hold, it correctly frames the measurements as standard tests of SM production mechanisms.

minor comments (1)

The abstract states the motivation clearly but does not specify the center-of-mass energies or the exact asymmetry observables (e.g., charge asymmetry A_C or forward-backward asymmetry A_FB) covered in the summarized results; adding one sentence would improve context for readers.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

0 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for the positive review, the recognition of the manuscript's value as a concise compilation of published ATLAS and CMS results, and the recommendation to accept. The paper is intended solely as an overview of existing measurements testing Standard Model predictions for top-quark asymmetries.

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No significant circularity; external results summary

full rationale

The manuscript is a conference-style summary of published ATLAS and CMS results on top-quark charge and forward-backward asymmetries. It introduces no new equations, fits, predictions, or derivations. All load-bearing content consists of citations to independent external measurements, with the central motivation being a standard field statement that does not reduce to any self-defined input or self-citation chain. The paper is therefore self-contained against external benchmarks.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 0 axioms · 0 invented entities

The paper is an experimental summary and does not introduce new parameters, axioms, or entities beyond standard particle physics.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 5313 in / 892 out tokens · 51264 ms · 2026-05-15T22:31:11.768690+00:00 · methodology

discussion (0)

Lean theorems connected to this paper

Citations machine-checked in the Pith Canon. Every link opens the source theorem in the public Lean library.

IndisputableMonolith/Cost/FunctionalEquation.lean washburn_uniqueness_aczel unclear

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unclear
Relation between the paper passage and the cited Recognition theorem.

The charge asymmetry is defined as A_C^{tt} = N(Δ|y_tt|>0) - N(Δ|y_tt|<0) / ... with Δ|y_tt| = |y_t| - |y_tbar|
IndisputableMonolith/Foundation/AlexanderDuality.lean alexander_duality_circle_linking unclear

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unclear
Relation between the paper passage and the cited Recognition theorem.

No significant deviations from the SM prediction was observed... differential result with respect to the invariant mass of the tt system

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