Measurement of ZZ production in pp collisions at √ = 7 TeV and limits on anomalous ZZZ and ZZγ couplings with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the ZZ production cross section in proton-proton collisions at √ = 7 TeV using data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider is presented. In a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb-1 collected in 2011, events are selected that are consistent either with two Z bosons decaying to electrons or muons or with one Z boson decaying to electrons or muons and a second Z boson decaying to neutrinos. The ZZ → ℓ + ℓ - ℓ ′+ ℓ ′- and ZZ → ℓ + ℓ - ℓv̄v cross sections are measured in restricted phase-space regions. These results are then used to derive the total cross section for ZZ events produced with both Z bosons in the mass range 66 to 116 GeV, σZZtot = 6.7 ± 0.7 (stat.) -0.3+0.4 (stat.) ± 0.3 (lumi.) pb, which is consistent with the Standard Model prediction of 5.89-0.18+0.22 pb calculated at next-to-leading order in QCD. The normalized differential cross sections in bins of various kinematic variables are presented. Finally, the differential event yield as a function of the transverse momentum of the leading Z boson is used to set limits on anomalous neutral triple gauge boson couplings in ZZ production. © 2013 Cern for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration.

Duke Scholars

Author Mark C. Kruse Physics

Author Alfred T. Goshaw Physics

Author Ayana T. Arce Physics

Author Ashutosh V. Kotwal Physics

Author Seog Oh Physics