Measurement of W and Z boson production cross sections

TL;DR

This paper reports measurements of W and Z boson production cross sections at Fermilab Tevatron, providing precise experimental data that tests Standard Model predictions and determines the W boson width.

Contribution

First measurement of W and Z boson production cross sections in pbar-p collisions at 1.8 TeV with detailed uncertainties and derived W boson width.

Findings

Measured cross sections for W and Z bosons with uncertainties.

Calculated the ratio of W to Z production cross sections.

Determined the W boson width consistent with the Standard Model.

Abstract

DO has measured the inclusive production cross section of W and Z bosons in a sample of 13 pb$^{-1}$ of data collected at the Fermilab Tevatron. The cross sections, multiplied by their leptonic branching fractions, for production in pbar-p collisions at sqrt{s}=1.8 TeV are sigma_W*B(W->e nu) = 2.36+-0.02+-0.08+-0.13 nb, sigma_W*B(W->mu nu) = 2.09+-0.06+-0.22+-0.11 nb, sigma_Z*B(Z->e+ e-) = 0.218+-0.008+-0.008+-0.012 nb, and sigma_Z*B(Z->mu+ mu-) = 0.178+-0.022+-0.021+-0.009 nb, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic; the third reflects the uncertainty in the integrated luminosity. For the combined electron and muon analyses, we find sigma_W*B(W->l mu)/sigma_Z*B(Z->l+ l-) = 10.90+-0.52. Assuming standard model couplings, we use this result to determine the width of the W boson, and obtain Gamma(W) = 2.044+-0.097 GeV.