Comparison of top quark hadronization and decay rates

The relative rates of top quark hadronization and decay are investigated for the reaction e+e- → tanti t. A simple model is used in which hadronization becomes important when the top quarks are separated from one another by more than a distance Λ-1, of order 1 fm. In this model, hadronization occurs before decay for any center-of-mass energy √s which satisfies s≥4mt2 [1+(200 MeV/Λ)2 (mt/m0)6 (1-w)4(1+2w)2], where m0 = [16√2 π(0.2 GeV)/GF]1/3 = 107 GeV and w = MW2/mt2. This energy is just above threshold for mt = 100 GeV but for mt = 150 GeV increases to 700 GeV. (orig.)