Next-to-leading order QCD predictions for $A^0Z^0$ associated production at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

Abstract

We present the calculations of the complete next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD corrections (including supersymmetric QCD) to the inclusive total cross sections of the associated production processes $pp\to A^0Z^0+X$ in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Both the dimensional regularization scheme and the dimensional reduction scheme are used to organize the calculations which yield the same NLO rates. The NLO correction can either enhance or reduce the total cross sections, but it generally efficiently reduces the dependence of the total cross sections on the renormalization/factorization scale. We also examine the uncertainty of the total cross sections due to the parton distribution function uncertainties.

53 pages, 20 figures; the alpha_s in Eq.(70) is now evaluated at M_SUSY scale, not the μ_r scale; numerical results updated, typos corrected; version to appear in PRD