Search for Right-Handed $W$ Bosons and Heavy $W^{\prime }$ in $p\bar{p}$ Collisions at $\sqrt{s}=$1.8 TeV

Abstract

We report on a search for right-handed $W$ bosons ($W_R$). We used data collected with the DØ detector at the Fermilab Tevatron $p\bar{p}$ collider at $\sqrt{s}=$1.8 TeV to search for $W_R$ decays into an electron and a massive right-handed neutrino $W_R^{\pm }\to e^{\pm }{N}_R$. Using the inclusive electron data, we set mass limits independent of the $N_R$ decay: $m_{W_R}>650$ GeV/c${}^2$ and $m_{W_R}>720$ GeV/c${}^2$ at the 95% confidence level, valid for $m_{N_R}<1/2m_{W_R}$ and $m_{N_R}\ll m_{W_R}$ respectively. The latter also represents a new lower limit on the mass of a heavy left-handed $W$ boson ($W^{\prime }$) decaying into $e\nu$. In addition, limits on $m_{W_R}$ valid for larger values of the $N_R$ mass are obtained assuming that $N_R$ decays to an electron and two jets.

15 pages, 5 figures (in UUencoded postscript file which will follow) uses preprint,epsf,eqsecnum,aps,floats,revtex Submitted to Physical Review Letters