The Drell-Yan process at NNLL′+NNLO using rapidity dependent jet vetoes

A bstract We present results for the Drell-Yan process pp → Z / γ ∗ + X → l + l − + X in the presence of the rapidity dependent jet vetoes TBj T Bj and TCj T Cj . These observables provide a tighter veto at central rapidities than at forward rapidities. Our predictions contain a resummation of large logarithms of the veto scale over the hard scale, matched to fixed order in perturbation theory; we present results at both NLL ′ +NLO and NNLL ′ +NNLO. Uncertainty estimates are provided that contain both resummation and fixed-order uncertainties; we find that using a standard profile scale variation procedure for the former seems to underestimate the uncertainty, particularly at NLL ′ +NLO. Consequently, we modify the procedure to avoid cancellation of scale variations between partonic channels, and verify that the uncertainties from this method are reasonable using a simplified version of the Theory Nuisance Parameter (TNP) method. We then find that the uncertainty decreases going from the NLL ′ +NLO to the NNLL ′ +NNLO predictions, and obtain an uncertainty at the level of 1 − 3% in the NNLL ′ +NNLO predictions when the veto scale is of 𝒪(10 GeV).