A measurement of the $Z(\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-)$+jet production cross-section in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV is presented. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of $1.0\,\text{fb}^{-1}$ recorded by the LHCb experiment. Results are shown with two jet transverse momentum thresholds, 10 and 20 GeV, for both the overall cross-section within the fiducial volume, and for six differential cross-section measurements. The fiducial volume requires that both the jet and the muons from the Z boson decay are produced in the forward direction ($2.0<\eta<4.5$). The results show good agreement with theoretical predictions at the second-order expansion in the coupling of the strong interaction.

The production of Z bosons in pPb collisions at sqrt(s[NN]) = 5.02 TeV is studied by the CMS experiment via the electron and muon decay channels. The inclusive cross section is compared to pp collision predictions, and found to scale with the number of elementary nucleon-nucleon collisions. The differential cross sections as a function of the Z boson rapidity and transverse momentum are measured. Though they are found to be consistent within uncertainty with theoretical predictions both with and without nuclear effects, the forward-backward asymmetry suggests the presence of nuclear effects at large rapidities. These results provide new data for constraining nuclear parton distribution functions.

A precision measurement of the $Z$ boson production cross-section at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV in the forward region is presented, using $pp$ collision data collected by the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.1 fb$^{-1}$. The production cross-section is measured using $Z\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-$ events within the fiducial region defined as pseudorapidity $2.0<\eta<4.5$ and transverse momentum $p_{T}>20$ GeV/$c$ for both muons and dimuon invariant mass $60<M_{\mu\mu}<120$ GeV/$c^2$. The integrated cross-section is determined to be $\sigma (Z \rightarrow \mu^+ \mu^-)$ = 196.4 $\pm$ 0.2 $\pm$ 1.6 $\pm$ 3.9~pb, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the luminosity determination. The measured results are in agreement with theoretical predictions within uncertainties.

Measurements of the differential and double-differential Drell-Yan cross sections in the dielectron and dimuon channels are presented. They are based on proton-proton collision data at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 inverse femtobarns. The measured inclusive cross section in the Z peak region (60-120 GeV), obtained from the combination of the dielectron and dimuon channels, is 1138 +/- 8 (exp) +/- 25 (theo) +/- 30 (lumi) pb, where the statistical uncertainty is negligible. The differential cross section d(sigma)/d(m) in the dilepton mass range 15 to 2000 GeV is measured and corrected to the full phase space. The double-differential cross section d2(sigma)/d(m)d(abs(y)) is also measured over the mass range 20 to 1500 GeV and absolute dilepton rapidity from 0 to 2.4. In addition, the ratios of the normalized differential cross sections measured at sqrt(s) = 7 and 8 TeV are presented. These measurements are compared to the predictions of perturbative QCD at next-to-leading and next-to-next-to-leading (NNLO) orders using various sets of parton distribution functions (PDFs). The results agree with the NNLO theoretical predictions computed with FEWZ 3.1 using the CT10 NNLO and NNPDF2.1 NNLO PDFs. The measured double-differential cross section and ratio of normalized differential cross sections are sufficiently precise to constrain the proton PDFs.

A measurement of the cross-section for pp$ \rightarrow$Z$ \rightarrow$e$^+$e$^-$ is presented using data at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.94 fb$^{-1}$. The process is measured within the kinematic acceptance $p_{\mathrm{T}}&gt;20$GeV/$c$ and $2&lt;\eta&lt;4.5$ for the daughter electrons and dielectron invariant mass in the range 60-120 GeV/$c^2$. The cross-section is determined to be $$\sigma(pp \rightarrow Z \rightarrow e^+ e^- )=76.0\pm0.8\pm2.0\pm2.6{\rm pb}$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic and the third is the uncertainty in the luminosity. The measurement is performed as a function of Z rapidity and as a function of an angular variable which is closely related to the Z transverse momentum. The results are compared with previous LHCb measurements and with theoretical predictions from QCD.

A measurement of the production cross-section for $Z$ bosons that decay to muons is presented. The data were recorded by the LHCb detector during $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb$^{-1}$. The cross-section is measured for muons in the pseudorapidity range $2.0 < \eta < 4.5$ with transverse momenta $p_{T} > 20$ GeV/c. The dimuon mass is restricted to $60 < M_{\mu^{+}\mu^{-}} < 120$ GeV/c$^{2}$. The measured cross-section is $$\sigma_{Z\rightarrow\mu^{+}\mu^{-}} = (76.0 \pm 0.3 \pm 0.5 \pm 1.0 \pm 1.3) \, \text{pb}$$ where the uncertainties are due to the sample size, systematic effects, the beam energy and the luminosity. This result is in good agreement with theoretical predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics. The cross-section is also measured differentially as a function of kinematic variables of the $Z$ boson. Ratios of the production cross-sections of electroweak bosons are presented using updated LHCb measurements of $W$ boson production. A precise test of the Standard Model is provided by the measurement of the ratio $$\frac{\sigma_{W^{+}\rightarrow\mu^{+}\nu_{\mu}} + \sigma_{W^{-}\rightarrow\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu}}}{\sigma_{Z\rightarrow\mu^{+}\mu^{-}}} = 20.63\pm0.09\pm0.12\pm0.05,$$ where the uncertainty due to luminosity cancels.

A measurement of the production cross-section of Z bosons in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV is presented using dimuon and dielectron final states in LHCb data. The cross-section is measured for leptons with pseudorapidities in the range $2.0 < \eta < 4.5$, transverse momenta $p_\text{T} > 20$ GeV and dilepton invariant mass in the range $60<m(\ell\ell)<120$ GeV. The integrated cross-section from averaging the two final states is \begin{equation*}\sigma_{\text{Z}}^{\ell\ell} = 194.3 \pm 0.9 \pm 3.3 \pm 7.6\text{ pb,}\end{equation*} where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is due to systematic effects, and the third is due to the luminosity determination. In addition, differential cross-sections are measured as functions of the Z boson rapidity, transverse momentum and the angular variable $\phi^*_\eta$.

Measurements of the differential and double-differential Drell-Yan cross sections are presented using an integrated luminosity of 4.5(4.8) inverse femtobarns in the dimuon (dielectron) channel of proton-proton collision data recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV. The measured inclusive cross section in the Z-peak region (60-120 GeV) is $\sigma(\ell \ell)$ = 986.4 +/- 0.6 (stat.) +/- 5.9 (exp. syst.) +/- 21.7 (th. syst.) +/- 21.7 (lum.) pb for the combination of the dimuon and dielectron channels. Differential cross sections $d\sigma/dm$ for the dimuon, dielectron, and combined channels are measured in the mass range 15 to 1500 GeV and corrected to the full phase space. Results are also presented for the measurement of the double-differential cross section $d^2\sigma/dm d |y|$ in the dimuon channel over the mass range 20 to 1500 GeV and absolute dimuon rapidity from 0 to 2.4. These measurements are compared to the predictions of perturbative QCD calculations at next-to-leading and next-to-next-to-leading orders using various sets of parton distribution functions.

Rapidity distributions are presented for events containing either a Z boson or a photon with a single jet in proton-proton collisions produced at the CERN LHC. The data, collected with the CMS detector at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV, correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 inverse femtobarns. The individual rapidity distributions of the boson and the jet are consistent within 5% with expectations from perturbative QCD. However, QCD predictions for the sum and the difference in rapidities of the two final-state objects show discrepancies with CMS data. In particular, next-to-leading-order QCD calculations, and two common Monte Carlo event generators using different methods to match matrix-element partons with parton showers, appear inconsistent with the data as well as with each other.

Measurements are presented of electroweak boson production using data from $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 8\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of $2.0\mathrm{\,fb}^{-1}$ recorded with the LHCb detector. The bosons are identified in the $W\rightarrow\mu\nu$ and $Z\rightarrow\mu^{+}\mu^{-}$ decay channels. The cross-sections are measured for muons in the pseudorapidity range $2.0 < \eta < 4.5$, with transverse momenta $p_{\rm T} > 20{\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V\!/}c}$ and, in the case of the $Z$ boson, a dimuon mass within $60 < M_{\mu^{+}\mu^{-}} < 120{\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V\!/}c^{2}}$. The results are \begin{align*} \sigma_{W^{+}\rightarrow\mu^{+}\nu} &= 1093.6 \pm 2.1 \pm 7.2 \pm 10.9 \pm 12.7{\rm \,pb} \, , \sigma_{W^{-}\rightarrow\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}} &= \phantom{0}818.4 \pm 1.9 \pm 5.0 \pm \phantom{0}7.0 \pm \phantom{0}9.5{\rm \,pb} \, , \sigma_{Z\rightarrow\mu^{+}\mu^{-}} &= \phantom{00}95.0 \pm 0.3 \pm 0.7 \pm \phantom{0}1.1 \pm \phantom{0}1.1{\rm \,pb} \, , \end{align*} where the first uncertainties are statistical, the second are systematic, the third are due to the knowledge of the LHC beam energy and the fourth are due to the luminosity determination. The evolution of the $W$ and $Z$ boson cross-sections with centre-of-mass energy is studied using previously reported measurements with $1.0\mathrm{\,fb}^{-1}$ of data at $7\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$. Differential distributions are also presented. Results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.

The production of a Z boson, decaying to two charged leptons, in association with jets in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV is measured. Data recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC are used that correspond to an integrated luminosity of 2.19 fb$^{-1}$. The cross section is measured as a function of the jet multiplicity and its dependence on the transverse momentum of the Z boson, the jet kinematic variables (transverse momentum and rapidity), the scalar sum of the jet momenta, which quantifies the hadronic activity, and the balance in transverse momentum between the reconstructed jet recoil and the Z boson. The measurements are compared with predictions from four different calculations. The first two merge matrix elements with different parton multiplicities in the final state and parton showering, one of which includes one-loop corrections. The third is a fixed-order calculation with next-to-next-to-leading order accuracy for the process with a Z boson and one parton in the final state. The fourth combines the fully differential next-to-next-to-leading order calculation with next-to-next-to-leading logarithm resummation and parton showering.

The production of Z bosons is studied in the dimuon and dielectron decay channels in PbPb and pp collisions at sqrt(s[NN]) = 2.76 TeV, using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The PbPb data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of about 150 inverse microbarns, while the pp data sample collected in 2013 at the same nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy has an integrated luminosity of 5.4 inverse picobarns. The Z boson yield is measured as a function of rapidity, transverse momentum, and collision centrality. The ratio of PbPb to pp yields, scaled by the number of inelastic nucleon-nucleon collisions, is found to be 1.06 +/- 0.05 (stat) +/- 0.08 (syst) in the dimuon channel and 1.02 +/- 0.08 (stat) +/- 0.15 (syst) in the dielectron channel, for centrality-integrated Z boson production. This binary collision scaling is seen to hold in the entire kinematic region studied, as expected for a colourless probe that is unaffected by the hot and dense QCD medium produced in heavy ion collisions.

Measurements of differential production cross-sections of a $Z$ boson in association with $b$-jets in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV are reported. The data analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb$^{-1}$ recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Particle-level cross-sections are determined for events with a $Z$ boson decaying into an electron or muon pair, and containing $b$-jets. For events with at least one $b$-jet, the cross-section is presented as a function of the $Z$ boson transverse momentum and rapidity, together with the inclusive $b$-jet cross-section as a function of $b$-jet transverse momentum, rapidity and angular separations between the $b$-jet and the $Z$ boson. For events with at least two $b$-jets, the cross-section is determined as a function of the invariant mass and angular separation of the two highest transverse momentum $b$-jets, and as a function of the $Z$ boson transverse momentum and rapidity. Results are compared to leading-order and next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations.

Results are presented on the production of jets of particles in association with a Z/gamma* boson, in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector. The analysis includes the full 2010 data set, collected with a low rate of multiple proton-proton collisions in the accelerator, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 pb^-1. Inclusive jet cross sections in Z/gamma* events, with Z/gamma* decaying into electron or muon pairs, are measured for jets with transverse momentum pT > 30 GeV and jet rapidity |y| < 4.4. The measurements are compared to next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations, and to predictions from different Monte Carlo generators implementing leading-order matrix elements supplemented by parton showers.

A measurement is presented of the production of Z bosons that decay into two electrons or muons in association with jets, in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data were recorded by the CMS Collaboration at the LHC with an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. The differential cross sections are measured as a function of the transverse momentum ($p_\mathrm{T}$) of the Z boson and the transverse momentum and rapidities of the five jets with largest $p_\mathrm{T}$. The jet multiplicity distribution is measured for up to eight jets. The hadronic activity in the events is estimated using the scalar sum of the $p_\mathrm{T}$ of all the jets. All measurements are unfolded to the stable particle-level and compared with predictions from various Monte Carlo event generators, as well as with expectations at leading and next-to-leading orders in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.

This paper presents a measurement of the production cross-section of a $Z$ boson in association with $b$-jets, in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.6 fb$^{-1}$. Inclusive and differential cross-sections are measured for events containing a $Z$ boson decaying into electrons or muons and produced in association with at least one or at least two $b$-jets with transverse momentum $p_\textrm{T}>$ 20 GeV and rapidity $|y| < 2.5$. Predictions from several Monte Carlo generators based on leading-order (LO) or next-to-leading-order (NLO) matrix elements interfaced with a parton-shower simulation and testing different flavour schemes for the choice of initial-state partons are compared with measured cross-sections. The 5-flavour number scheme predictions at NLO accuracy agree better with data than 4-flavour number scheme ones. The 4-flavour number scheme predictions underestimate data in events with at least one b-jet.

Measurements of fiducial cross sections for the electroweak production of two jets in association with a Z-boson are presented. The measurements are performed using 20.3 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collision data collected at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s)=8 TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The electroweak component is extracted by a fit to the dijet invariant mass distribution in a fiducial region chosen to enhance the electroweak contribution over the dominant background in which the jets are produced via the strong interaction. The electroweak cross sections measured in two fiducial regions are in good agreement with the Standard Model expectations and the background-only hypothesis is rejected with significance above the 5 sigma level. The electroweak process includes the vector boson fusion production of a Z-boson and the data are used to place limits on anomalous triple gauge boson couplings. In addition, measurements of cross sections and differential distributions for inclusive Z-boson-plus-dijet production are performed in five fiducial regions, each with different sensitivity to the electroweak contribution. The results are corrected for detector effects and compared to predictions from the SHERPA and POWHEG event generators.