Testing quark mixing in minimal left-right symmetric models with b-tags at the LHC

Motivated by a hint in a CMS search for right-handed W-bosons in eejj final states, we propose an experimental test of quark-mixing matrices in a general left-right symmetric model, based on counting the numbers of b-tags from right-handed W-boson hadronic decays. We find that, with our test, differences between left- and right-handed quark-mixing matrices could be detected at the LHC with root s = 14 TeV. With an integrated luminosity of about 20/fb, our test is sensitive to right-handed quark-mixing angles as small as about 30 degrees and with 3000/fb, our test's sensitivity improves to right-handed mixing angles as small as about 7.5 degrees. Our test's sensitivity might be further enhanced by tuning b-tagging efficiency against purity. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.