Study of events containing Z-Bosons for a better understanding of the CMS Detector and measurement of inclusive and differential cross-sections for the production of Z-Bosons in proton-proton collisions at 7 TeV centre of mass energy at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Roger Wolf
• Subject Area: Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields
• Term: from 2010 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 175501272

The standard model of particle physics is one of the best understood theories of modern science,which allows to predict very characteristic features of particle physics with highest precision. Despite of its successes it is an effective theory leaving many fundamental questions unanswered: One of themost important open questions is the one for the origin of mass of the fundamental constituents ofmatter, as well as the connection between particle physics and the cosmos and early states of theuniverse. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Nuclear Research Center CERN hasbeen built to address theses questions. There, protons are brought to collision at center of massenergies between 7 and 14 tera electron-volt (TeV). This is the largest center of mass energy everreached so far to study the collisions of elementary particles under laboratory conditions. CMS is oneof the detectors to investigate these collisions. Events containing Z bosons are very well suited formeasurements with first data at the LHC. In the decay channel in two muons they leave clearsignatures in all components of the detector and are relatively easy to reconstruct. They are thereforewell suited to arrive at a better understanding of the CMS detector during the startup of data taking. Allnecessary ingredients for a measurement of inclusive and differential cross section measurementsmay be obtained from the data itself without help of the simulation. In the context of the introducedresearch project events containing Z bosons shall be investigated exploring first data. These studiesshall lead to first measurements of the production of Z bosons at the LHC, which is one of themilestones on the quest for more complex measurements like the production of top quarks or thesearch for the Higgs boson or physics beyond the SM.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Switzerland, USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Markus Klute