We present a detailed examination of electron spectra from $\overline{p}p$ collider events which are characteristic of the decay of $\tilde{W}$, the superpartner of the $W$ boson. The events studied are those with a single electron and no associated charged particles or jets. Such events can arise from the sequential decay $W\to \tilde{W}\tilde{\gamma }\to e\overline{\nu }\tilde{\gamma }\tilde{\gamma }$, where $\tilde{\gamma }$ denotes a photino. For electron energies less than 30 GeV, the background from direct-$W$-decay electrons is manageably small. The other source of electrons in this energy range—sequential decays of the form $W\to l{\overline{\nu }}_l\to e\overline{\nu }{\nu }_l{\overline{\nu }}_l$, where $l$ is a heavy lepton or $\tau$—is also treated. We find that $\tilde{W}$ decay provides a substantial excess of single electrons if the $\tilde{W}$ mass is less than 50 GeV. It does not seem possible, however, to distinguish between a $\tilde{W}$ and a heavy lepton of the same mass on the basis of these spectra.

• Received 11 July 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.29.67