This paper presents a measurement of the double-differential cross section for the Drell-Yan $Z/\gamma^{*} \rightarrow \ell^{+} \ell^{-}$ and photon-induced $\gamma\gamma \rightarrow \ell^{+} \ell^{-}$ processes where $\ell$ is an electron or muon. The measurement is performed for invariant masses of the lepton pairs, $m_{\ell\ell}$, between 116 GeV and 1500 GeV, using a sample of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of pp collisions data at centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2012. The data are presented double differentially in invariant mass and absolute dilepton rapidity as well as in invariant mass and absolute pseudorapidity separation of the lepton pair. The single-differential cross section as a function of $m_{\ell\ell}$ is also reported. The electron and muon channel measurements are combined and a total experimental precision of better than 1% is achieved at low $m_{\ell\ell}$. A comparison to next-to-next-to-leading order perturbative QCD predictions using several recent parton distribution functions and including next-to-leading order electroweak effects indicates the potential of the data to constrain parton distribution functions. In particular, a large impact of the data on the photon PDF is demonstrated.
The combined Born-level single-differential cross section as a function of invariant mass. The measurements are listed together with the statistical and systematic uncertainties. The systematic uncertainties are separated into one uncorrelated, 35 correlated sources and the luminosity uncertainty. The sign of the uncertainty corresponds to a one standard deviation upward shift of the uncertainty source, where +/- means "+" and -/+ means "-".
The combined Born-level double-differential cross section as a function of invariant mass and absolute rapidity. The measurements are listed together with the statistical and systematic uncertainties. The systematic uncertainties are separated into one uncorrelated, 35 correlated sources and the luminosity uncertainty. The sign of the uncertainty corresponds to a one standard deviation upward shift of the uncertainty source, where +/- means "+" and -/+ means "-".
The combined Born-level double-differential cross section as a function of invariant mass and absolute pseudorapidity separation of the leptons. The measurements are listed together with the statistical and systematic uncertainties. The systematic uncertainties are separated into one uncorrelated, 35 correlated sources and the luminosity uncertainty. The sign of the uncertainty corresponds to a one standard deviation upward shift of the uncertainty source, where +/- means "+" and -/+ means "-".
A search is conducted for non-resonant new phenomena in dielectron and dimuon final states, originating from either contact interactions or large extra spatial dimensions. The LHC 2012 proton-proton collision dataset recorded by the ATLAS detector is used, corresponding to 20 fb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV. The dilepton invariant mass spectrum is a discriminating variable in both searches, with the contact interaction search additionally utilizing the dilepton forward-backward asymmetry. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectation are observed. Lower limits are set on the $\ell\ell q q$ contact interaction scale $\Lambda$ between 15.4 TeV and 26.3 TeV, at the 95% credibility level. For large extra spatial dimensions, lower limits are set on the string scale $M_{S}$ between 3.2 TeV to 5.0 TeV.
Reconstructed dielectron mass distributions for data and the SM background estimate.
Reconstructed dimuon mass distributions for data and the SM background estimate.
Reconstructed $\cos\theta^*$ distributions for data and the SM background estimate in the dielectron channel.
The differential cross section for the process $Z/\gamma^*\rightarrow ll$ ($l=e,\mu$) as a function of dilepton invariant mass is measured in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=$ 7 TeV at the LHC using the ATLAS detector. The measurement is performed in the $e$ and $\mu$ channels for invariant masses between 26 GeV and 66 GeV using an integrated luminosity of 1.6 fb$^{-1}$ collected in 2011 and these measurements are combined. The analysis is extended to invariant masses as low as 12 GeV in the muon channel using 35 pb$^{-1}$ of data collected in 2010. The cross sections are determined within fiducial acceptance regions and corrections to extrapolate the measurements to the full kinematic range are provided. Next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD predictions provide a significantly better description of the results than next-to-leading-order QCD calculations, unless the latter are matched to a parton shower calculation.
The nominal electron-channel differential Born-level fiducial cross section. The statistical and systematic uncertainties are given for each invariant mass bin. The luminosity uncertainty 1.8% is not included.
The systematic uncertainties of the nominal electron-channel cross-section measurement. Some sources of uncertainty have both correlated and uncorrelated components. Correlated uncertainties arise from the uncertainty in the electroweak background contributions delta(e.w.)_cor, from corrections to the Monte Carlo modelling of the Z/gamma* pT spectra, delta(pTrw)_cor, the electron identification efficiency, delta(id)_cor1 and delta(id)_cor2, the reconstruction efficiency, delta(rec)_cor, and from the Geant4 simulation, delta(geant4)_cor. Uncorrelated uncertainties arise from the isolation and trigger efficiency corrections, delta(trig) and delta(iso) respectively, unfolding uncertainties, delta(res)_unf, and the statistical precision of the signal Monte Carlo, delta(MC). The electron identification efficiency uncertainties have several components other than the two largest correlated parts above. These additional components are all combined into a single uncorrelated error source delta(id)_unc. The uncertainty on the normalisation of the multijet background is given by delta(multijet). The luminosity uncertainty 1.8% is not included.
The nominal muon-channel differential Born-level fiducial cross section. The statistical, systematic, and total uncertainties are given for each invariant mass bin. The luminosity uncertainty 1.8% is not included.
This Letter reports a measurement of the high-mass Drell-Yan differential cross-section in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV at the LHC. Based on an integrated luminosity of 4.9 /fb, the differential cross-section in the Z/gamma* to e+e- channel is measured with the ATLAS detector as a function of the invariant mass, Mee, in the range 116 < Mee < 1500 GeV, for a fiducial region in which both the electron and the positron have transverse momentum pT > 25 GeV and pseudorapidity eta < 2.5. A comparison is made to various event generators and to the predictions of perturbative QCD calculations at next-to-next-to-leading order.
Measured differential cross sections as a function of the di-electron mass for DY production at the Born and dressed levels.
A measurement of angular correlations in Drell-Yan lepton pairs via the phistar observable is presented. This variable probes the same physics as the Z/gamma* boson transverse momentum with a better experimental resolution. The Z/gamma*->e+e- and Z/gamma*->mu+mu- decays produced in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV are used. The data were collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb-1. Normalised differential cross sections as a function of phistar are measured separately for electron and muon decay channels. These channels are then combined for improved accuracy. The cross section is also measured double differentially as a function of phistar for three independent bins of the Z boson rapidity. The results are compared to QCD calculations and to predictions from different Monte Carlo event generators. The data are reasonably well described, in all measured Z boson rapidity regions, by resummed QCD predictions combined with fixed-order perturbative QCD calculations. Some of the Monte Carlo event generators are also able to describe the data. The measurement precision is typically better by one order of magnitude than present theoretical uncertainties.
The measured PHI* distributions for the dielectron events corrected back to the born level. The distributions are normalised to unity inidividually for each abs(yrap) bin and channel.
The measured PHI* distributions for the dielectron events corrected back to the dress level. The distributions are normalised to unity inidividually for each abs(yrap) bin and channel.
The measured PHI* distributions for the dielectron events corrected back to the bare particle level. The distributions are normalised to unity inidividually for each abs(yrap) bin and channel.
A search for non-resonant new phenomena, originating from either contact interactions or large extra spatial dimensions, has been carried out using events with two isolated electrons or muons. These events, produced at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, were recorded by the ATLAS detector. The data sample, collected throughout 2011, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.9 and 5.0 fb-1 in the e+e- and mu+mu- channels, respectively. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectation are observed. Using a Bayesian approach, 95% confidence limit lower limits ranging from 9.0 to 13.9 TeV are placed on the energy scale of llqq contact interactions in the left-left isoscalar model. Lower limits ranging from 2.4 to 3.9 TeV are also set on the string scale in large extra dimension models. After combination of these limits with results from a similar search in the diphoton channel, slightly more stringent limits are obtained.
Expected and observed numbers of events in the dielectron channel for the contact interactions search region. The yields are normalized to the Z peak control region and include predictions for SM backgrounds as well as for SM+CI with different CI scales for constructive (LAMBDA-) and destructive (LAMBDA+) interference. The errors quoted originate from both systematic uncertainties and limited MC statistics.
Expected and observed numbers of events in the dimuon channel for the contact interactions search region. The yields are normalized to the Z peak control region and include predictions for SM backgrounds as well as for SM+CI with different CI scales for constructive (LAMBDA-) and destructive (LAMBDA+) interference. The errors quoted originate from both systematic uncertainties and limited MC statistics.
Expected and observed 95% C.L. lower limits on the contact interaction energy scale LAMBDA for the dielectron and dimuon channels, as well as for the combination of those channels. Results are provided for constructive and destruc- tive interference as well as different choices of flat priors.
The ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is used to search for high-mass resonances decaying to an electron-positron pair or a muon-antimuon pair. The search is sensitive to heavy neutral Z' gauge bosons, Randall-Sundrum gravitons, Z* bosons, techni-mesons, Kaluza-Klein Z/gamma bosons, and bosons predicted by Torsion models. Results are presented based on an analysis of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.9/fb in the dielectron channel and 5.0/fb in the dimuon channel. A Z' boson with Standard Model-like couplings is excluded at 95 percent confidence level for masses below 2.22 TeV. A Randall-Sundrum graviton with coupling k/Mbar = 0.1 is excluded at 95 percent confidence level for masses below 2.16 TeV. Limits on the other models are also presented, including Technicolor and Minimal Z' Models.
Expected and observed number of events in the dielectron channel. The errors quoted include both statistical and systematic uncertainties.
Expected and observed number of events in the dimuon channel. The errors quoted include both statistical and systematic uncertainties.
Observed and predicted dielectron invariant mass (m_ee) distribution in the search region. The bin width is constant in log(m_ee).
A measurement of the Z/gamma* transverse momentum (p_T^Z)) distribution in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV is presented using Z/gamma*->e+e- and Z/gamma*->mu+mu- decays collected with the ATLAS detector in data sets with integrated luminosities of 35 pb^-1 and 40 pb^-1, respectively. The normalized differential cross sections are measured separately for electron and muon decay channels as well as for their combination up to p_T^Z of 350 GeV for invariant dilepton masses 66 GeV<m_ll<116 GeV. The measurement is compared to predictions of perturbative QCD and various event generators. The prediction of resummed QCD combined with fixed order perturbative QCD is found to be in good agreement with the data.
The measured normalized differential fiducial cross sections for the E+ E- decay channel for the three different treatments of QED final state radiation.
The measured normalized differential fiducial cross sections for the MU+ MU- decay channel for the three different treatments of QED final state radiation.
The combined measured normalized differential fiducial and acceptance corrected cross sections for the combined E+ E- and MU+ MU- decay channels. The second DSYS error for the corrected cross section is the uncertainty on the acceptance correction.