First observation of forward Z→bb¯ production in pp collisions at s=8 TeV

The decay Z -> b (b) over bar is reconstructed in pp collision data, corresponding to 2 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity, collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 8 TeV. The product of the Z production cross-section and the Z -> b (b) over bar branching fraction is measured for candidates in the fiducial region defined by two particle-level b-quark jets with pseudorapidities in the range 2.2 < eta < 4.2, with transverse momenta p(T) > 20 GeV and dijet invariant mass in the range 45 < m(jj) < 165 GeV. From a signal yield of 5462 +/- 763 Z -> b (b) over bar events, where the uncertainty is statistical, a production cross-section times branching fraction of 332 +/- 46 +/- 59 pb is obtained, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The measured significance of the signal yield is 6.0 standard deviations. This measurement represents the first observation of the Z -> b (b) over bar production in the forward region of pp collisions. (c) 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.