Measurement of three-jet differential cross sections d sigma-3jet / d M-3jet in p anti-p collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV

TL;DR

This paper reports the first measurement of three-jet differential cross sections in proton-antiproton collisions at 1.96 TeV, testing perturbative QCD predictions and constraining proton parton distribution functions.

Contribution

It provides the inaugural measurement of three-jet differential cross sections at Tevatron energies, enabling validation of NLO QCD calculations and refinement of proton PDFs.

Findings

Data agree with NLO QCD predictions within uncertainties.

Results discriminate between different proton parton distribution functions.

Measurement covers various rapidity and transverse momentum regions.

Abstract

We present the first measurement of the inclusive three-jet differential cross section as a function of the invariant mass of the three jets with the largest transverse momenta in an event in p anti-p collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV. The measurement is made in different rapidity regions and for different jet transverse momentum requirements and is based on a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.7 fb^{-1} collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The results are used to test the three-jet matrix elements in perturbative QCD calculations at next-to-leading order in the strong coupling constant. The data allow discrimination between parametrizations of the parton distribution functions of the proton.