Measurement of the $ZZ$ production cross section in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV using the $ZZ\to\ell^{-}\ell^{+}\ell^{\prime -}\ell^{\prime +}$ and $ZZ\to\ell^{-}\ell^{+}\nu\bar{\nu}$ channels with the ATLAS detector

TL;DR

This paper reports a measurement of the ZZ production cross section at 8 TeV using ATLAS data, comparing results with Standard Model predictions and setting limits on anomalous couplings.

Contribution

First measurement of ZZ production cross section in specific channels at 8 TeV with detailed differential analysis and limits on anomalous couplings.

Findings

Measured total ZZ cross section as 7.3 pb with uncertainties.

Results are consistent with Standard Model predictions.

Set limits on anomalous neutral triple gauge couplings.

Abstract

A measurement of the $ZZ$ production in the $\ell^{-}\ell^{+}\ell^{\prime -}\ell^{\prime +}$ and $\ell^{-}\ell^{+}\nu\bar{\nu}$ channels $(\ell = e, \mu)$ in proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the ATLAS experiment in 2012 is presented. The fiducial cross sections for $ZZ\to\ell^{-}\ell^{+}\ell^{\prime -}\ell^{\prime +}$ and $ZZ\to \ell^{-}\ell^{+}\nu\bar{\nu}$ are measured in selected phase-space regions. The total cross section for $ZZ$ events produced with both $Z$ bosons in the mass range 66 to 116 GeV is measured from the combination of the two channels to be $7.3\pm0.4\textrm{(stat)}\pm0.3\textrm{(syst)}\pm0.2\textrm{(lumi)}$ pb, which is consistent with the Standard Model prediction of $6.6^{+0.7}_{-0.6}$ pb. The differential cross sections in bins of various kinematic variables are presented. The differential event yield as a function of the transverse momentum of the leading $Z$ boson is used to set limits on anomalous neutral triple gauge boson couplings in $ZZ$ production.