Distributions of transverse momentum $p_T^{ll}$ and the angular variable $\phi^*_\eta$ of Drell--Yan lepton pairs are measured in 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Measurements in electron-pair and muon-pair final states are corrected for detector effects and combined. Compared to previous measurements in proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV, these new measurements benefit from a larger data sample and improved control of systematic uncertainties. Measurements are performed in bins of lepton-pair mass above, around and below the Z-boson mass peak. The data are compared to predictions from perturbative and resummed QCD calculations. For values of $\phi^*_\eta < 1$ the predictions from the Monte Carlo generator ResBos are generally consistent with the data within the theoretical uncertainties. However, at larger values of $\phi^*_\eta$ this is not generally the case. Monte Carlo generators based on the parton-shower approach are unable to describe the data over the full range of $p_T^{ll}$ and the fixed-order prediction of DYNNLO falls below the data at high values of $p_T^{ll}$. ResBos and the parton-shower Monte Carlo generators provide a much better description of the evolution of the $\phi^*_\eta$ and $p_T^{ll}$ distributions as a function of lepton-pair mass and rapidity.

This Letter reports a measurement of the exclusive $\gamma\gamma\rightarrow \ell^+\ell^- (\ell=e, \mu)$ cross-section in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, based on an integrated luminosity of $4.6$ fb$^{-1}$. For the electron or muon pairs satisfying exclusive selection criteria, a fit to the dilepton acoplanarity distribution is used to extract the fiducial cross-sections. The cross-section in the electron channel is determined to be $\sigma_{\gamma\gamma\rightarrow e^+e^-}^{\mathrm{excl.}} = 0.428 \pm 0.035 (\mathrm{stat.}) \pm 0.018 (\mathrm{syst.})$ pb for a phase-space region with invariant mass of the electron pairs greater than 24 GeV, in which both electrons have transverse momentum $p_\mathrm{T}>12$ GeV and pseudorapidity $|\eta|<2.4$. For muon pairs with invariant mass greater than 20 GeV, muon transverse momentum $p_\mathrm{T}>10$ GeV and pseudorapidity $|\eta|<2.4$, the cross-section is determined to be $\sigma_{\gamma\gamma\rightarrow \mu^+\mu^- }^{\mathrm{excl.}} = 0.628 \pm 0.032 (\mathrm{stat.}) \pm 0.021 (\mathrm{syst.})$ pb. When proton absorptive effects due to the finite size of the proton are taken into account in the theory calculation, the measured cross-sections are found to be consistent with the theory prediction.

The production of $Z$ bosons with one or two isolated high-energy photons is studied using $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV. The analyses use a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the ATLAS detector during the 2012 LHC data taking. The $Z\gamma$ and $Z\gamma\gamma$ production cross sections are measured with leptonic ($e^{+}e^{-}$, $\mu^{+}\mu^{-}$, $\nu\bar{\nu}$) decays of the $Z$ boson, in extended fiducial regions defined in terms of the lepton and photon acceptance. They are then compared to cross-section predictions from the Standard Model, where the sources of the photons are radiation off initial-state quarks and radiative $Z$-boson decay to charged leptons, and from fragmentation of final-state quarks and gluons into photons. The yields of events with photon transverse energy $E_T >$ 250 GeV from $\ell^{+}\ell^{-}\gamma$ events and with $E_T >$ 400 GeV from $\nu\bar{\nu}\gamma$ events are used to search for anomalous triple gauge-boson couplings $ZZ\gamma$ and $Z\gamma\gamma$. The yields of events with diphoton invariant mass $m_{\gamma\gamma} >$ 200 GeV from $\ell^{+}\ell^{-}\gamma\gamma$ events and with $m_{\gamma\gamma} > $ 300 GeV from $\nu\bar{\nu}\gamma\gamma$ events are used to search for anomalous quartic gauge-boson couplings $ZZ\gamma\gamma$ and $Z\gamma\gamma\gamma$. No deviations from Standard Model predictions are observed and limits are placed on parameters used to describe anomalous triple and quartic gauge-boson couplings.

Using 7.3 pb-1 of ppbar collisions collected by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron, we measure the distribution of the variable \phistar, which probes the same physical effects as the Z/gamma* boson transverse momentum, but is less susceptible to the effects of experimental resolution and efficiency. A QCD prediction is found to describe the general features of the \phistar distribution, but is unable to describe its detailed shape or dependence on boson rapidity. A prediction that includes a broadening of transverse momentum for small values of the parton momentum fraction is strongly disfavored.

We report on a CDF measurement of the total cross section and rapidity distribution, $d\sigma/dy$, for $q\bar{q}\to \gamma^{*}/Z\to e^{+}e^{-}$ events in the $Z$ boson mass region ($66<M_{ee}<116$GeV/c$^2$) produced in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$TeV with 2.1fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity. The measured cross section of $257\pm16$pb and $d\sigma/dy$ distribution are compared with Next-to-Leading-Order(NLO) and Next-to-Next-to-Leading-Order(NNLO) QCD theory predictions with CTEQ and MRST/MSTW parton distribution functions (PDFs). There is good agreement between the experimental total cross section and $d\sigma/dy$ measurements with theoretical calculations with the most recent NNLO PDFs.

The cross sections for the reactions $e^+e^- \to \phi\eta, \quad \phi\eta', \quad \rho\eta, \quad \rho\eta'$ have been measured using a data sample of 516 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+e^-$ collider. The corresponding values of the cross sections are: $1.4 \pm 0.4 \pm 0.1$ fb $(\phi\eta)$, $5.3 \pm 1.1 \pm 0.4$ fb $(\phi\eta')$, $3.1 \pm 0.5 \pm 0.1$ fb $(\rho\eta)$ and $3.3 \pm 0.6 \pm 0.2$ fb $(\rho\eta')$. The energy dependence of the cross sections is presented using Belle measurements together with those of CLEO and BaBar.

We present a measurement of the shape of the boson rapidity distribution for $p\bar{p}\to Z / \gamma^* \to e^+e^- + X$ events at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. The measurement is made for events with electron-positron mass 71 < M_ee < 111 GeV and uses 0.4 $fb^{-1}$ of data collected at the Fermilab Tevatron collider with the D0 detector. This measurement significantly reduces the uncertainties on the rapidity distribution in the forward region compared with previous measurements. Predictions of NNLO QCD are found to agree well with the data over the full rapidity range.

Data from e + e − annihilations at 29 GeV have been used to measure the production cross section and fragmentation function of η mesons. The signal is observed in the η → γγ decay channel. The fragmentation for p η >1.5 GeV/ c agrees well with the prediction of the Lund model, whereas the prediction of the Webber model lies above the data. The mean multiplicity is measured to be 〈 n η 〉=0.58±0.10 η mesons per hadronic event, of which 0.51 represents the direct production of η and η ′ mesons in the fragmentation chain.

Results are presented on an investigation of photons produced in multihadronic final states frome+e− annihilation at 35 GeV and 44 GeV center of mass energies. Scalling violation between 14 and 44 GeV is observed in inclusive photon spectra. Comparing inclusive π0 spectra with charged pion spectra it is found that the average π0 multiplicity exceeds the charged pion multiplicity scaled by factor of 0.5 by (16±5)% and (21±7)% at 35 and 44 GeV respectively. The excess can be attributed to isospin violating decays of hadrons. The η multiplicity is found to be 〈nη〈=0.64±0.09±0.06 at 35 GeV. With a significance of three standard deviations a signal from quark bremsstrahlung is observed. The measured charge asymmetry in hadronic final states, due to the interference between initial and final state radiation, ofA=−0.141±0.041 is in accord with QED expectations. An interference effect in the azimuth angle distribution of charged jets around the photon direction is observed for the first time.

The production of photons ine+e−→γ+hadrons is investigated at three centre of mass energies around 14, 22 and 34 GeV. On average, photons carry 25% of the total available energy, with a multiplicity similar to the charged multiplicity. The inclusive photon spectra are found to scale with the centre of mass energy as a function of the Feynman variablex. π0 and η mesons are reconstructed from their decay photons. The slopes of the spectra are similar to that for charged pions and approximate scaling is observed for π0 production. The mean π0 and η multiplicities are given. The observed photon yield can be fully accounted for by hadron decays and initial state radiation. However, up to one extra photon per event from other sources cannot be excluded.