Measurement of $W$ boson angular distributions in events with high transverse momentum jets at $\sqrt{s}=$ 8 TeV using the ATLAS detector

TL;DR

This paper measures the angular distribution of W bosons in high transverse momentum jet events at 8 TeV using ATLAS data, focusing on real W emission contributions and comparing results to theoretical models.

Contribution

First measurement of W boson angular distributions in high pT jet events at 8 TeV, highlighting real W emission effects and testing theoretical predictions.

Findings

Real W emission contributions are significant at small angular separations.

Data agree with some theoretical models within uncertainties.

Provides new insights into W + jets processes at high energies.

Abstract

The $W$ boson angular distribution in events with high transverse momentum jets is measured using data collected by the ATLAS experiment from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=$ 8 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$. The focus is on the contributions to $W$ + jets processes from real $W$ emission, which is achieved by studying events where a muon is observed close to a high transverse momentum jet. At small angular separations, these contributions are expected to be large. Various theoretical models of this process are compared to the data in terms of the absolute cross-section and the angular distributions of the muon from the leptonic $W$ decay.