Measurement of the W Boson Mass at the Tevatron

Abstract

Over the past four decades, the standard model of electroweak interactions has achieved tremendous success in describing the experimental data. One of the key observables is the mass MW of the W boson. The experimental measurements, including MW, have reached a level of precision that tests the theory at the quantum loop level, providing indirect constraints on the hypothetical Higgs boson and other new physics. Improved measurements of MW are driven by new data from Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron ([Formula: see text] collider at [Formula: see text] TeV). We discuss the techniques used for measuring MW at hadron colliders, summarize the measurements from Run I of the Tevatron, and review the state of the art of the Run II analyses, which are based on significantly larger data sets collected with upgraded detectors. We discuss the constraints on the Higgs boson, and conclude with a discussion of the ultimate precision in MW that can be expected from Run II.