Measurement of the Inclusive Cross Sections for W and Z Boson Production in Proton-Proton Collisions at s = 5.02 and 13 TeV

Abstract

Measurements of fiducial and total inclusive cross sections for W and Z boson production are presented in proton-proton collisions at s = 5.02 and 13 TeV. Electron and muon decay modes (ℓ = e or μ) are studied in the data collected with the CMS detector in 2017, in dedicated runs with reduced instantaneous luminosity. The data sets correspond to integrated luminosities of 298 ± 6 pb−1 at 5.02 TeV and 206 ± 5 pb−1 at 13 TeV. Measured values of the products of the total inclusive cross sections and the branching fractions at 5.02 TeV are σ(pp → W + X)B(W → ℓν) = 7300 ± 10 (stat) ± 60 (syst) ± 140 (lumi) pb, and σ(pp → Z+X)B(Z → ℓ+ℓ−) = 669 ± 2 (stat) ± 6 (syst) ± 13 (lumi) pb for the dilepton invariant mass in the range of 60–120 GeV. The corresponding results at 13 TeV are 20480 ± 10 (stat) ± 170 (syst) ± 470 (lumi) pb and 1952 ± 4 (stat) ± 18 (syst) ± 45 (lumi) pb. The measured values agree with cross section calculations at next-to-next-to-leading-order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics. Fiducial and total inclusive cross sections, ratios of cross sections of W+ and W− production as well as inclusive W and Z boson production, and ratios of these measurements at 5.02 and 13 TeV are reported. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.