# Measurement of the $W \to e \nu$ and $Z/\gamma^* \to e^+e^-$ Production Cross Sections at Mid-rapidity in Proton-Proton Collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 500 GeV

Abstract : We report measurements of the charge-separated $W^{+(-)} \to e^{+(-)} + \nu_e(\bar{\nu}_e)$ and $Z/\gamma^* \to e^+e^-$ production cross sections at mid-rapidity in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 500 GeV. These results are based on 13.2 pb$^{-1}$ of data recorded in 2009 by the STAR detector at RHIC. Production cross sections for W bosons that decay via the $e \nu$ channel were measured to be $\sigma(pp \to W^+ X) \cdot BR(W^+ \to e^+ \nu_e)$ = 117.3 \pm 5.9(stat) \pm 6.2(syst) \pm 15.2(lumi) pb, and $\sigma(pp \to W^- X) \cdot BR(W^- \to e^- \bar{\nu}_e)$ = 43.3 \pm 4.6(stat) \pm 3.4(syst) \pm 5.6(lumi) pb. For $Z/\gamma^*$ production, $\sigma(pp \to Z/\gamma^* X) \cdot BR(Z/\gamma^* \to e^+ e^-)$ = 7.7 \pm 2.1(stat) $^{+0.5}_{-0.9}$(syst) \pm 1.0(lumi) pb for di-lepton invariant masses $m_{e^+e^-}$ between 70 and 110 GeV/$c^2$. First measurements of the W cross section ratio, $\sigma(pp \to W^+ X) / \sigma(pp \to W^- X)$, at $\sqrt{s}$ = 500 GeV are also reported. Theoretical predictions, calculated using recent parton distribution functions, are found to agree with the measured cross sections.
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Journal articles
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http://hal.in2p3.fr/in2p3-00651670
Contributor : Sylvie Flores <>
Submitted on : Wednesday, December 14, 2011 - 8:14:36 AM
Last modification on : Friday, November 27, 2020 - 10:46:03 PM

### Citation

G. Agakishiev, M. M. Aggarwal, Z. Ahammed, A. V. Alakhverdyants, I. Alekseev, et al.. Measurement of the $W \to e \nu$ and $Z/\gamma^* \to e^+e^-$ Production Cross Sections at Mid-rapidity in Proton-Proton Collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 500 GeV. Physical Review D, American Physical Society, 2012, 85, pp.092010. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevD.85.092010⟩. ⟨in2p3-00651670⟩

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