Speaker
Karri DiPetrillo
(H)
Description
Measurements are presented of the production cross section for a Z boson in association with jets in $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV pp collisions. Data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 3.16 $fb^{-1}$ collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015. Inclusive and differential cross sections are measured for events in which a Z boson decays to electrons or muons, and is produced in association with one or more jets in the kinematic range of $ p_T (jet) > 30$ GeV and rapidity $|y (jet) | < 2.5$. The fiducial production cross sections for Z Bosons with inclusive zero to seven jets have been measured with a precision ranging from $3\%$ to $20\%$, respectively. Ratios of cross sections for successive jet multiplicities are presented as well as cross sections as a function of jet pT for $Z+1$ jet events, leading jet pT for $Z+\ge1,2,3,4$ jet events, leading jet rapidity for $Z+\ge1$ jet events, $H_T$, $\Delta\phi_{jj}$, and $m_{jj}$. Observed cross sections are compared to predictions from several Monte Carlo generators based on leading-order and next-to-leading-order matrix elements interfaced with parton shower and hadronization models, as well as to next-to-leading order and next-to-next-to-leading order fixed-order predictions. Agreement within uncertainties is observed between measured cross sections and predictions. Presented results provide essential input for the further optimization of Monte Carlo generators for Z+jet production, and constitute a powerful test of perturbative QCD.
Primary author
Karri DiPetrillo
(H)
