The b-bbar Production Cross Section and Angular Correlations in p-pbar Collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV

TL;DR

This paper reports measurements of b-bbar production cross sections and angular correlations at the Fermilab Tevatron, showing agreement in shape with QCD predictions but higher than predicted in magnitude.

Contribution

First measurement of b-bbar production cross section and angular correlations at 1.8 TeV p-pbar collisions using the D0 detector.

Findings

Measured cross section exceeds QCD central predictions.

Angular correlations match QCD shape predictions.

Results support the validity of NLO QCD in heavy flavor production.

Abstract

We present measurements of the b-bbar production cross section and angular correlations using the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron p-pbar Collider operating at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV. The b quark production cross section for |y(b)|<1.0 and p_T(b)>6 GeV/c is extracted from single muon and dimuon data samples. The results agree in shape with the next-to-leading order QCD calculation of heavy flavor production but are greater than the central values of these predictions. The angular correlations between b and bbar quarks, measured from the azimuthal opening angle between their decay muons, also agree in shape with the next-to-leading order QCD prediction.