Measurement of the production cross section for a W boson in association with a charm quark in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

The CMS collaboration Tumasyan, Armen ; Adam, Wolfgang ; Andrejkovic, Janik Walter ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 84 (2024) 27, 2024.
Inspire Record 2685711 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.141611

The strange quark content of the proton is probed through the measurement of the production cross section for a W boson and a charm (c) quark in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The W bosons are identified through their leptonic decays to an electron or a muon, and a neutrino. Charm jets are tagged using the presence of a muon or a secondary vertex inside the jet. The W+c production cross section and the cross section ratio $R^\pm_\text{c}$ = $\sigma$(W$^+$+$\bar{\text{c}}$) / $\sigma$(W$^-$+$\text{c}$) are measured inclusively and differentially as functions of the transverse momentum and the pseudorapidity of the lepton originating from the W boson decay. The precision of the measurements is improved with respect to previous studies, reaching 1% in $R^\pm_\text{c}$. The precision of the measurements is improved with respect to previous studies, reaching 1% in $R^\pm_\text{c}$ = 0.950 $\pm$ 0.005 (stat) $\pm$ 0.010 (syst). The measurements are compared with theoretical predictions up to next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.

13 data tables

Particle level efficiency*acceptance correction factors and cross section measurements for the four channels (W decay to muon or electron and charm identification via muon or secondary vertex inside a jet). The combined measurement is shown in the last row.

Parton level efficiency*acceptance correction factors and cross section measurements for the four channels (W decay to muon or electron and charm identification via muon or secondary vertex inside a jet). The combined measurement is shown in the last row.

Inclusive cross section predictions at QCD NLO accuracy from MCFM using different PDF sets

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Measurements of the associated production of a W boson and a charm quark in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV

The CMS collaboration Tumasyan, Armen ; Adam, Wolfgang ; Bergauer, Thomas ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 82 (2022) 1094, 2022.
Inspire Record 1982672 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.114364

Measurements of the associated production of a W boson and a charm (c) quark in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV are reported. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the CMS detector at the LHC. The W bosons are identified through their leptonic decays to an electron or a muon, and a neutrino. Charm quark jets are selected using distinctive signatures of charm hadron decays. The product of the cross section and branching fraction $\sigma$(pp $\to$ W + c + X) $\mathcal{B}$(W $\to$$\ell\nu$), where $\ell$ = e or $\mu$, and the cross section ratio $\sigma$(pp $\to$ W$^+$ + c + X) / $\sigma$(pp $\to$ W$^-$ + $\mathrm{\bar{c}}$ + X) are measured inclusively and differentially as functions of the pseudorapidity and of the transverse momentum of the lepton from the W boson decay. The results are compared with theoretical predictions. The impact of these measurements on the determination of the strange quark distribution is assessed.

6 data tables

Signal yields after background subtraction, efficiency*acceptance correction factors, and cross section measurements for the four channels (W decay to muon or electron and charm identification via muon or secondary vertex inside a jet).

Measured production cross sections $\sigma(W^+ + \overline{c})$, $\sigma(W^- + c)$ and their ratio.

Measured diferential cross sections $\sigma(W^- + c) + \sigma(W^+ + \overline{c})$ as a function of the absolute value of the pseudorapidity of the lepton from the W decay.

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