Analyzing new neutral gauge bosons at the LHC using third generation fermions

This thesis reports on techniques and the corresponding phenomenology for distinguishing between models in the analysis of new neutral gauge boson production at the LHC. Specifically, third generation final states are reviewed and determined to be effective channels for analysis. Transverse momentum cuts of pxf > 0.3 Mz> to hadronic final states are employed to reduce QCD backgrounds and distinguish t and b signals. An analysis of the ratio of the t and b cross sections to the fi cross section, within an invariant mass window of 0.965 Mz> < < 1.035 Mz>, is performed. For final state fermion detection efficiencies of = 0.96, et = 0.10, and e*, = 0.50, most models considered can be distinguished by at least one standard deviation for Mz> = 1500 GeV, with 10 fb_1 integrated luminosity. Furthermore, the ratio of the t to cross sections is analyzed and used to understand models with preferential couplings to third generation particles in the lepton family. Assuming an efficiency of er = 0.2, generation universality can be determined up to approximately a 5% uncertainty for a 1000 GeV Z' with 10 fb_1 integrated luminosity.