Measurement of bottom production in proton-antiproton collisions at 1.8 TeV using muon impact parameters.

Abstract

The inclusive cross section for bottom quark production in proton-antiproton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 1.8 TeV is measured at the Fermilab Tevatron. Bottom enriched muon samples are used to measure the bottom fraction using a new technique based on the muon impact parameter distribution. Muon samples with minimum transverse momenta of 10, 15 and 20 GeV/c are used to measure the inclusive bottom cross sections above minimum quark transverse momenta of 15, 25 and 35 GeV/c. Bottom fractions of 0.310, 0.383 and 0.270 are found in the 10, 15 and 20 GeV/c muon samples. These bottom fractions are combined with other experimental efficiencies and acceptances to measure bottom cross sections of 584.0 $-$ 119.1 + 117.4 nb, 98.5 $-$ 16.6 + 17.6 nb and 17.5 $-$ 4.0 + 4.1 nb for minimum bottom quark transverse momentum above 15, 25 and 35 GeV/c. The first two results are in agreement with previous measurements, and the last result is the first measurement at the Collider Detector at Fermilab of a bottom cross section for transverse momenta greater than 35 GeV/c.