Measurement of the W+W- production cross section and search for anomalous WWγ and WWZ couplings in pp̅ collisions at √s=1.96 TeV

Abstract

This Letter describes the current most precise measurement of the W boson pair production cross section and most sensitive test of anomalous WWγ and WWZ couplings in pp̅ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. The WW candidates are reconstructed from decays containing two charged leptons and two neutrinos. Using data collected by the CDF II detector from 3.6 fb-1 of integrated luminosity, a total of 654 candidate events are observed with an expected background of 320±47 events. The measured cross section is σ(pp̅ →W+W-+X)=12.1±0.9(stat)-1.4+1.6(syst) pb, which is in good agreement with the standard model prediction. The same data sample is used to place constraints on anomalous WWγ and WWZ couplings.