Accurate QCD predictions for new variables to study dilepton transverse momentum

Abstract

We report on the computation of the angle-between-leptons distribution in Drell-Yan processes. More precisely we study the recently introduced variable phi*, which provides us with a more accurate probe of the low Q_T domain of Z boson production at hadron colliders. Our theoretical prediction is obtained by matching a next-to-next-to leading logarithmic (NNLL) resummation to a fixed order calculation at next-to-leading order (NLO). We find that the result significantly differs from a pure fixed order calculation in a wide range of the observable we are interested in, clearly indicating the need for resummation. We also perform a first comparison to the measurement by the D0 collaboration, finding good agreement between theory and experiment.

Talk given at the XIX International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects (DIS 2011), April 11-15, 2011; Newport News, Virginia, USA

References in corpus (4)

• Drell-Yan production at small q_T, transverse parton distributions and the collinear anomaly
• A Novel Technique for Studying the Z Boson Transverse Momentum Distribution at Hadron Colliders
• Azimuthal decorrelations between QCD jets at all orders
• QCD predictions for new variables to study dilepton transverse momenta at hadron colliders