Symmetry Breaking Involving the Top Quark

In models of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking which sensitively involve the third generation, such as top quark condensation, the effects of the new dynamics can show up experimentally in Z → bb. We compare the sensitivity of Z → bb and top quark production at the Tevatron to models of the new physics. Z → bb is a relatively more sensitive probe to new strongly coupled U(1) gauge bosons, while it is generally less sensitive a probe to new physics involving color octet gauge bosons as is top quark production itself. Nonetheless, to accomodate a significant excess in Z → bb requires choosing model parameters that may be ruled out within run I(b) at the Tevatron. 1 Electronic address: (internet) [email protected], 2 Electronic address: [email protected] –1– FERMILAB–Pub–94/231–T