Vector bosons in new phenomena searches
T. Nunnemann · 2007
The production of the weak bosons, W and Z, is one of the dominant background contributions in searches for new phenomena and the Higgs boson at hadron colliders. In particular, their production with associated jets generates nal state topologies which resemble those of many signal processes, including the production of leptoquarks, of scalar quarks and gluinos in supersymmetric models, and of the Higgs boson via WH and ZH. Therefore, an accurate description of vector boson production, based both on precision data and phenomenological modelling, is required. First, the phenomenology of vector boson production at hadron colliders is reviewed including a discussion on the simulation of these processes. After summarizing the experimental data on total and dierential cross sections for inclusive W and Z boson production obtained at the Tevatron, measurements of their associated production with jets are presented in detail and compared to QCD predictions. Finally, the relevance of W=Z + jets production as main background in searches for new phenomena and the Higgs boson is discussed. Using several exemplary searches both in nal states with leptons and jets and with missing transverse momentum and jets, emphasis is put on reviewing methods to estimate and reject this background contribution.