Study of $t\overline{t}$ Production in $p\overline{p}$ Collisions Using Total Transverse Energy

We analyze a sample of $W+\mathrm{jet}$ events collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) in $p\overline{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.8\mathrm{}$ TeV to study $t\overline{t}$ production. We employ a simple kinematical variable $\mathcal{H}$, defined as the scalar sum of the transverse energies of the lepton, neutrino, and jets. For events with a $W$ boson and four or more jets, the shape of the $\mathcal{H}$ distribution deviates by 3.8 standard deviations from that expected from known backgrounds to $t\overline{t}$ production. However, this distribution agrees well with a linear combination of background and $t\overline{t}$ events, the agreement being best for a top mass of 180 GeV/${\mathit{c}}^2$.