Maximizing the spin correlation of top quark pairs produced at the large hadron collider

The measurement of top quark spin correlation is an important tool for precise studies of top quark interactions. In this Letter I construct a quantization axis maximizing the spin correlation at the LHC within the Standard Model. Using this axis a spin correlation of 48% or even more, on applying additional cuts, can be reached. This represents a significant improvement compared to the helicity bases studied thus far. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.