Measurement of the ZZ cross-section in e+e- interactions at 183-189 GeV

TL;DR

This paper reports measurements of on-shell ZZ production cross-sections at 182.6 and 188.6 GeV using DELPHI data, confirming consistency with Standard Model predictions across multiple final states.

Contribution

First precise measurement of ZZ production cross-sections at these energies in various final states, validating Standard Model predictions.

Findings

Measured cross-sections agree with Standard Model expectations.

Results are consistent across different decay channels.

Provides data for testing electroweak theory at high energies.

Abstract

Measurements of on-shell ZZ production are described, using data collected by DELPHI in 1997 and 1998, at centre-of-mass energies sqrt(s) = 182.6 GeV and 188.6 GeV respectively. Results obtained in each of the final states q qbar q qbar, mu+mu- q qbar, e+e- q qbar, nu nubar q qbar, l+l-l+l-, and nu nubar l+l- are presented. The measured cross-sections for on-shell ZZ production via the tree-level doubly-resonant graphs (NC02) are: sigma_{NC02}(182.6 GeV) = 0.38 +- 0.18 (stat) +- 0.04 (syst) pb, sigma_{NC02}(188.6 GeV) = 0.60 +- 0.13 (stat) +- 0.07 (syst) pb. They are consistent with the Standard Model expectations of 0.25 pb and 0.65 pb at each energy.