Top quark spin correlations and polarization at the LHC: Standard model predictions and effects of anomalous top chromo moments

A number of top-spin observables are computed within the Standard Model (SM), at next-to-leading order in the strong and weak gauge couplings for hadronic top-quark anti-quark (t (t) over bar) production and decay at the LHC for center-of-mass energies 7 and 8 TeV. For dileptonic final states we consider the azimuthal angle correlation, the helicity correlation, and the opening angle distribution; for lepton plus jets final states we determine distributions and asymmetries that trace a longitudinal and transverse polarization, respectively, of the t and (t) over bar samples. The QCD-induced transverse polarization of the top quarks leads to an asymmetry of about 8% that should be detectable with existing data. In addition, we investigate the effects of a non-zero chromo-magnetic and chromo-electric dipole moment of the top quark on these and other top-spin observables and associated asymmetries. These observables allow to disentangle the contributions from the real and imaginary parts of these moments. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.