Search for Maximal Flavor Violating Scalars in Same-Charge Lepton Pairs in p anti-p Collisions at s**(1/2) =1.96 TeV

Models of Maximal Flavor Violation (MxFV) in elementary particle physics may contain a least one new scalar SU(2) doublet field Phi_FV (eta0, eta+) that couples the first and third generation quarks (q_1, q_3) via a Lagrangian term L_FV =csi_13 Phi_FV q_1 q_3. These models have a distinctive signature of same-charge top-quark pairs and evade flavor-changing limits from meson mixing measurements. Data corresponding to 2 fb-1 collected by the CDF II detector in p anti-p collisions at s**(1/2) 1.96 TeV are analyzed for evidence of the MxFV signature. For a neutral scalar eta0 with m_eta0 =200 GeV/c2 and coupling Phi_13 =_1 ~ 11 signal events are expected over a background of 2.1 +/- 1.8 events. Three events are observed in the data, consistent with background expectations, and limits are set on the coupling Phi_13 for m_eta0 =180 - 300 GeV/c2.