NLO QCD predictions for W+1 jet and W+2 jet production with at least one b jet at the 7 TeV LHC

TL;DR

This paper provides next-to-leading order QCD predictions for W boson production with one or two jets including at least one b-jet at the 7 TeV LHC, offering detailed cross sections and uncertainty analyses.

Contribution

It presents the first comprehensive NLO QCD calculations for W+jets with b-jets at the LHC in the five-flavor scheme, including both exclusive and inclusive cross sections.

Findings

NLO predictions reduce theoretical uncertainties.

Cross sections for W+1 and W+2 jets with b-jets are provided.

Uncertainty analysis includes scale, PDF, alpha_s, and bottom-quark mass variations.

Abstract

We calculate the production of a W boson in association with up to two jets including at least one b-jet to next-to-leading order (NLO) in QCD at the CERN Large Hadron Collider with 7 TeV center-of-mass energy. Both exclusive and inclusive event cross section and b-jet cross sections are presented. The calculation is performed consistently in the five-flavor-number scheme where both q anti-q' and bq (q =\= b) initiated parton level processes are included at NLO QCD. We study the residual theoretical uncertainties of the NLO predictions due to the renormalization and factorization scale dependence, to the uncertainty from the parton distribution functions, and to the values of alpha_s and the bottom-quark mass.