$V^{\prime }Z$ and $V^{\prime }W$ Production as Tests of Heavy Gauge Boson Couplings at Future Hadron Colliders

Abstract

We point out that the production cross section of $pp\to V^{\prime }V$, with $V^{\prime }=W^{\prime },Z^{\prime }$ and $V=W,Z$ is a useful diagnostic of $V^{\prime }$ gauge couplings at future hadron colliders. For $M_{Z^{\prime }}\simeq 1$ TeV it would allow determination of combinations of $Z^{\prime }$ gauge couplings to the quarks to around 10 percent. An analysis of the extraction of gauge couplings from the complementary tests: forward-backward asymmetry, rare decays $pp\to V^{\prime }\to f_1{\bar{f}}_{2}V$, and the production cross section $pp\to V^{\prime }V$ is given in a model-independent framework. Four ratios of charges are needed to characterize a general gauge theory with an additional family-independent $U_1^{\prime }$ factor. We show that there are four functions of these ratios observable at hadron colliders, but for projected SSC and LHC luminosities only two combinations can be extracted. These yield a significant discrimination between interesting GUT-motivated models. Clean tests of whether a new $W^{\prime }$ couples to right-handed currents, of the ratio $g_R/g_L$ of gauge couplings, and of the non-abelian vertex in left-right symmetric models are described.

Comments: 27 pages, 14 figures (not included), PHYZZX and TABLES, UPR-0514T