Measurement of the production cross section for Z/gamma* in association with jets in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract

Results are presented on the production of jets of particles in association with a Z/gamma* boson, in proton-proton collisions at root s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector. The analysis includes the full 2010 data set, collected with a low rate of multiple proton-proton collisions in the accelerator, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 pb(-1). Inclusive jet cross sections in Z/gamma* events, with Z/gamma* decaying into electron or muon pairs, are measured for jets with transverse momentum p(T) > 30 GeV and jet rapidity vertical bar y vertical bar < 4.4. The measurements are compared to next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations, and to predictions from different Monte Carlo generators implementing leading-order matrix elements supplemented by parton showers.