Measurement of Spin Correlation in t(t)over-bar Production Using a Matrix Element Approach

We determine the fraction of t (t) over bar events with spin correlation, assuming that the spin of the top quark is either correlated with the spin of the top antiquark as predicted by the standard model or is uncorrelated. For the first time we use a matrix-element-based approach to study t (t) over bar spin correlation. We use t (t) over bar -> W(+)bW(-)(b) over bar -> l(+)nu bl(-)(nu) over bar(b) over bar final states produced in p (p) over bar collisions at a center- of- mass energy root s = 1: 96 TeV, where l denotes an electron or a muon. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5: 4 fb(-1) and were collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The result agrees with the standard model prediction. We exclude the hypothesis that the spins of the t (t) over bar are uncorrelated at the 97.7% C.L.