The Ratio of Dimensionless Jet Cross Sections at the Tevatron

TL;DR

This paper investigates the ratio of dimensionless jet cross sections at the Tevatron to reduce uncertainties in experimental and theoretical measurements, enabling precise tests of next-to-leading order QCD and revealing discrepancies in current predictions.

Contribution

It introduces the use of cross section ratios to minimize uncertainties, providing a new method for testing QCD predictions with high precision.

Findings

Ratios reduce experimental and theoretical uncertainties significantly.

Preliminary results show deviations from simple QCD predictions.

Differences observed between DØ and CDF measurements at small jet x_T.

Abstract

Several sources, both experimental and theoretical, subject inclusive jet cross section measurements to large uncertainties. On the experimental side, the energy scale contributes between 10% and 30% uncertainties. On the theoretical side, choice of parton distribution function introduces a 20% variation in the prediction; freedom in renormalization scale provides another uncertainty of up to 30%. The ratio of inclusive jet cross sections reduces the uncertainty from these major sources, permitting a very precise test of next-to-leading order QCD. The preliminary results from D\O and CDF differ from simple QCD predictions in normalization and differ from each other at small values of jet $x_T$.