Jet mass distribution in Higgs/vector boson + jet events at hadron colliders with $k_t$ clustering

TL;DR

This paper provides an analytical and numerical study of jet mass distributions in Higgs/vector boson + jet events at hadron colliders, incorporating clustering effects, non-global logarithms, and non-perturbative corrections, with validation against experimental data.

Contribution

It offers the first combined analytical and Monte Carlo comparison of jet mass distributions including clustering and non-global effects at next-to-leading accuracy.

Findings

Good agreement with CMS data over a wide range.

Resummation improves theoretical predictions.

Non-perturbative effects are significant for accurate modeling.

Abstract

We address the issues of clustering and non-global logarithms for jet shapes in the process of production of a Higgs/vector boson associated with a single hard jet at hadron colliders. We perform an analytical fixed-order calculation up to second order in the coupling as well as an all-orders estimation for the specific invariant mass distribution of the highest-$p_t$ jet, for various jet algorithms. Our results are derived in the eikonal (soft) limit and are valid up to next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy. We perform a matching of the resummed distribution to next-to-leading order results from MCFM and compare our findings with the outputs of the Monte Carlo event generators Pythia 8 and Herwig 7. After accounting for non-perturbative effects we compare our results with available experimental data from the CMS collaboration for the Z + jet production. We find good agreement over a wide range of the observable.