Abstract: We study the underlying event in proton-antiproton collisions by examining the behavior of charged particles produced in association with a large transverse momentum jet (similar to 2: 2 fb(-1)) or with a Drell-Yan lepton pair (similar to 2.7 fb(-1)) in the Z-boson mass region [70 < M(pair) < 110 GeV/c(2)] as measured by CDF at 1.96 TeV center-of-mass energy. We use the direction of the lepton pair or the leading jet in each event to define regions of eta-phi space that are sensitive to the modeling of the underlying event. The data are corrected to the particle level to remove detector effects and are then compared with several QCD Monte Carlo models.

Abstract: We report measurements of the polarization of W bosons from top-quark decays using 2.7 fb(-1) of p (p) over bar collisions collected by the CDF II detector. Assuming a top-quark mass of 175 GeV/c(2), three measurements are performed. A simultaneous measurement of the fraction of longitudinal (f(0)) and right-handed (f(0)) W bosons yields the model- independent results f(0) =0. 88 +/- 0.11(stat) +/- 0.06(syst) and f(+) = 0.15 +/- 0.07(stat) +/- 0.06(syst) with a correlation coefficient of -0.59. A measurement of f(0) [f(+)] constraining f(+) [f(0)] to its standard model value of 0.0 [0.7] yields f(0) 0.70 + 0.07(stat) +/- 0.04(syst) [f(+) – 0.01 +/- 0.02(stat) +/- 0.05(syst)]. All these results are consistent with standard model expectations. We achieve the single most precise measurements of f(0) for both the model- independent and modeldependent determinations.

Abstract: We report a measurement of the ratio of the t (t) over bar to Z/gamma* production cross sections in root s = 1.96 TeV p (p) over bar collisions using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 4.6 fb(-1), collected by the CDF II detector. The t (t) over bar cross section ratio is measured using two complementary methods, a b-jet tagging measurement and a topological approach. By multiplying the ratios by the well-known theoretical Z/gamma* -> ll cross section predicted by the standard model, the extracted t (t) over bar cross sections are effectively insensitive to the uncertainty on luminosity. A best linear unbiased estimate is used to combine both measurements with the result sigma(t (t) over bar) = 7.70 +/- 0.52 pb, for a top-quark mass of 172.5 GeV/c(2).

Abstract: This Letter describes the current most precise measurement of the W boson pair production cross section and most sensitive test of anomalous WW gamma and WWZ couplings in p (p) over bar collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. The WW candidates are reconstructed from decays containing two charged leptons and two neutrinos. Using data collected by the CDF II detector from 3: 6 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity, a total of 654 candidate events are observed with an expected background of 320 +/- 47 events. The measured cross section is sigma(p (p) over bar -> W+W- +X) = 12.1 +/- 0.9(stat)(-1.4)(+1.6)(syst) pb, which is in good agreement with the standard model prediction. The same data sample is used to place constraints on anomalous WW gamma and WWZ couplings.

Abstract: We report a search for single top quark production with the CDF II detector using 2: 1 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity of p (p) over bar collisions at root s = 1.96 TeV. The data selected consist of events characterized by large energy imbalance in the transverse plane and hadronic jets, and no identified electrons and muons, so the sample is enriched in W -> tau nu decays. In order to suppress backgrounds, additional kinematic and topological requirements are imposed through a neural network, and at least one of the jets must be identified as a b quark jet. We measure an excess of signal-like events in agreement with the standard model prediction, but inconsistent with a model without single top quark production by 2.1 standard deviations (sigma), with a median expected sensitivity of 1.4 sigma. Assuming a top quark mass of 175 GeV/c(2) and ascribing the excess to single top quark production, the cross section is measured to be 4.9(-2.2)(+2.5) (stat + syst) pb, consistent with measurements performed in independent data sets and with the standard model prediction.