Measurement of the WZ production cross section in pp collisions at sqrt{s} = 7 and 8 TeV and search for anomalous triple gauge couplings at sqrt{s} = 8 TeV

TL;DR

This paper reports precise measurements of the WZ production cross section at 7 and 8 TeV proton-proton collisions, compares results with Standard Model predictions, and searches for signs of anomalous triple gauge couplings.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed measurement of WZ cross sections at these energies and sets limits on anomalous gauge couplings using CMS data.

Findings

Measured WZ cross sections at 7 and 8 TeV consistent with Standard Model.

Differential cross sections analyzed with respect to Z boson and jet kinematics.

Constraints placed on anomalous triple gauge couplings.

Abstract

The WZ production cross section is measured by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in proton-proton collision data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 4.9 inverse femtobarns collected at sqrt(s)= 7 TeV, and 19.6 inverse femtobarns at sqrt(s)= 8 TeV. The measurements are performed using the fully-leptonic WZ decay modes with electrons and muons in the final state. The measured cross sections for 71 < m[Z] < 111 GeV are sigma(pp to WZ; sqrt(s)= 7 TeV) = 20.14 +/- 1.32 (stat) +/- 1.13 (syst) +/- 0.44 (lumi) pb and sigma(pp to WZ; sqrt(s)= 8 TeV) = 24.09 +/- 0.87 (stat) +/- 1.62 (syst) +/- 0.63 (lumi) pb. Differential cross sections with respect to the Z boson pt, the leading jet pt, and the number of jets are obtained using the sqrt(s)= 8 TeV data. The results are consistent with standard model predictions and constraints on anomalous triple gauge couplings are obtained.