Measurement of the Inclusive Z Cross Section via Decays to Tau Pairs in pp Collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV

TL;DR

This paper reports a measurement of the inclusive Z boson production cross section via tau lepton decays in proton-proton collisions at 7 TeV, using CMS data, and finds results consistent with theoretical predictions and previous measurements.

Contribution

First measurement of Z to tau tau cross section in multiple final states at 7 TeV with CMS, demonstrating the detector's capability and confirming Standard Model predictions.

Findings

Measured cross section: 1.00 +/- 0.05 (stat) +/- 0.08 (syst) +/- 0.04 (lumi) nb

Reconstruction efficiency for hadronic tau decays determined with 7% precision

Results agree with NNLO QCD predictions and previous e+e-, mu+mu- measurements

Abstract

A measurement of inclusive Z to tau^+ tau^- production in pp collisions is presented, in the final states mu+hadrons, e+hadrons, e+mu, and mu+mu. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The measured cross section is sigma(pp to Z) B(Z to tau^+ tau^-) = 1.00 +/- 0.05 (stat.) +/- 0.08 (syst.) +/-0.04 (lumi.) nb, which is in good agreement with the next-to-next-to-leading order QCD prediction and with previous measurements in the Z to e^+e^- and mu^+ mu^- channels. The reconstruction efficiency for hadronic tau decays is determined with a precision of 7%.