Next-to-leading order predictions for WW + 1 jet distributions at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper provides detailed NLO QCD predictions for WW + 1 jet production at the LHC, including decay effects and third-generation quark contributions, crucial for Higgs and new physics searches.

Contribution

It presents a comprehensive NLO calculation of WW + jet production with spin correlations and quark effects, implemented in MCFM for the first time.

Findings

NLO corrections significantly affect cross section predictions.

The results improve background modeling for Higgs searches.

The calculation includes decay and spin correlation effects.

Abstract

We present numerical results for the production of a $W^+W^-$ pair in association with a jet at the LHC in QCD at next-to-leading order (NLO). We include effects of the decay of the massive vector bosons into leptons with spin correlations and contributions from the third generation of massive quarks. The calculation is performed using a semi-numerical method for the virtual corrections, and is implemented in MCFM. In addition to its importance {\it per se} as a test of the Standard Model, this process is an important background to searches for the Higgs boson and to many new physics searches. As an example, we study the impact of NLO corrections to $W^+W^-+$ jet production on the search for a Higgs boson at the LHC.