The underlying event activity in proton-proton collisions at forward pseudorapidity (-6.6 < eta < -5.2) is studied with the CMS detector at the LHC, using a novel observable: the ratio of the forward energy density, dE/d(eta), for events with a charged-particle jet produced at central pseudorapidity (abs(eta[jet]) < 2) to the forward energy density for inclusive events. This forward energy density ratio is measured as a function of the central jet transverse momentum, pt, at three different pp centre-of-mass energies (sqrt(s) = 0.9, 2.76, and 7 TeV). In addition, the sqrt(s) evolution of the forward energy density is studied in inclusive events and in events with a central jet. The results are compared to those of Monte Carlo event generators for pp collisions and are discussed in terms of the underlying event. Whereas the dependence of the forward energy density ratio on jet pt at each sqrt(s) separately can be well reproduced by some models, all models fail to simultaneously describe the increase of the forward energy density with sqrt(s) in both inclusive events and in events with a central jet.
A measurement is presented of the inelastic proton-proton cross section at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV. Using the CMS detector at the LHC, the inelastic cross section is measured through two independent methods based on information from (i) forward calorimetry (for pseudorapidity 3 < abs(eta) < 5), in collisions where at least one proton loses more than 5E-6 of its longitudinal momentum, and (ii) the central tracker (abs(eta) < 2.4), in collisions containing an interaction vertex with more than 1, 2, or 3 tracks with transverse momenta pT > 200 MeV. The measurements cover a large fraction of the inelastic cross section for particle production over about 9 units of pseudorapidity and down to small transverse momenta. The results are compared with those of other experiments, and with models used to describe high-energy hadronic interactions.
The cross section for dijet production in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV is presented as a function of xi, a variable that approximates the fractional momentum loss of the scattered proton in single-diffractive events. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of 2.7 inverse nanobarns collected with the CMS detector at the LHC at low instantaneous luminosities, and uses events with jet transverse momentum of at least 20 GeV. The dijet cross section results are compared to the predictions of diffractive and nondiffractive models. The low-xi data show a significant contribution from diffractive dijet production, observed for the first time at the LHC. The associated rapidity gap survival probability is estimated.
Characteristics of multi-particle production in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$=7 TeV are studied as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity, $N_{ch}$. The produced particles are separated into two classes: those belonging to jets and those belonging to the underlying event. Charged particles are measured with pseudorapidity |η|<2.4 and transverse momentum $p_T$ > 0.25 GeV/c. Jets are reconstructed from charged-particles only and required to have $p_T$ > 5 GeV/c. The distributions of jet $p_T$, average $p_T$ of charged particles belonging to the underlying event or to jets, jet rates, and jet shapes are presented as functions of $N_{ch}$ and compared to the predictions of the PYTHIA and HERWIG event generators. Predictions without multi-parton interactions fail completely to describe the $N_{ch}$-dependence observed in the data. For increasing $N_{ch}$, PYTHIA systematically predicts higher jet rates and harder $p_T$ spectra than seen in the data, whereas HERWIG shows the opposite trends. At the highest multiplicity, the data–model agreement is worse for most observables, indicating the need for further tuning and/or new model ingredients.
A study of proton-proton collisions in which two b hadrons are produced in association with a Z boson is reported. The collisions were recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC, for an integrated luminosity of 5.2 inverse femtobarns. The b hadrons are identified by means of displaced secondary vertices, without the use of reconstructed jets, permitting the study of b-hadron pair production at small angular separation. Differential cross sections are presented as a function of the angular separation of the b hadrons and the Z boson. In addition, inclusive measurements are presented. For both the inclusive and differential studies, different ranges of Z boson momentum are considered, and each measurement is compared to the predictions from different event generators at leading-order and next-to-leading-order accuracy.
Measurements of event shapes and azimuthal correlations are presented for events where a Z boson is produced in association with jets in proton-proton collisions. The data collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 inverse femtobarns. The analysis provides a test of predictions from perturbative QCD for a process that represents a substantial background to many physics channels. Results are presented as a function of jet multiplicity, for inclusive Z boson production and for Z bosons with transverse momenta greater than 150 GeV, and compared to predictions from Monte Carlo event generators that include leading-order multiparton matrix-element (with up to four hard partons in the final state) and next-to-leading-order simulations of Z + 1-jet events. The experimental results are corrected for detector effects, and can be compared directly with other QCD models.
The hadronic final states observed with the ALEPH detector at LEP in ${\rm e}^ + {\rm e}^-$ annihilation
Exclusive production of π and K meson pairs in two photon collisions is measured with ALEPH data collected between 1992 and 2000. Cross-sections are presented as a function of cos θ ∗ and invariant mass, for | cos θ ∗ |<0.6 and invariant masses between 2.0 and 6.0 GeV/ c 2 (2.25 and 4.0 GeV/ c 2 ) for pions (kaons). The shape of the distributions are found to be well described by QCD predictions but the data have a significantly higher normalization.
The inclusive production of the omega(782) vector meson in hadronic Z decays is measured and compared to model predictions. The analysis is based on 4 million hadronic Z decays recorded by the ALEPH detector between 1991 and 1995. The production rate for x_p = p_meson/p_beam > 0.05 is measured in the omega -> pi^+ pi^- pi^0 decay mode and found to be 0.585 +- 0.019_stat +- 0.033_sys per event. Inclusive eta meson production is also measured in the same decay channel for x_p > 0.10, obtaining 0.355 +- 0.011_stat +- 0.024_sys per event. The branching ratio for omega -> mu^+ mu^- is investigated. A total of 18.1 +- 5.9 events are observed, from which the muonic branching ratio is measured for the first time to be BR(omega -> mu^+ mu^-) = (9.0 +- 2.9_stat +- 1.1_sys)*10^-5.
Pseudorapidity (eta) distributions of charged particles produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV are measured in the ranges abs(eta) < 2.2 and 5.3 < abs(eta) < 6.4 covered by the CMS and TOTEM detectors, respectively. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 45 inverse microbarns. Measurements are presented for three event categories. The most inclusive category is sensitive to 91-96% of the total inelastic proton-proton cross section. The other two categories are disjoint subsets of the inclusive sample that are either enhanced or depleted in single diffractive dissociation events. The data are compared to models used to describe high-energy hadronic interactions. None of the models considered provide a consistent description of the measured distributions.
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