Measurement of the production cross section for Z/𝛾^* in association with jets in $pp$ collisions at √s=7  TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results are presented on the production of jets of particles in association with a Z/𝛾^* boson, in proton-proton collisions at √s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector. The analysis includes the full 2010 data set, collected with a low rate of multiple proton-proton collisions in the accelerator, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 pb⁻¹. Inclusive jet cross sections in Z/𝛾^* events, with Z/𝛾^* decaying into electron or muon pairs, are measured for jets with transverse momentum 𝑝_𝑇>30 GeV and jet rapidity $|𝑦|<4.4$. The measurements are compared to next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations, and to predictions from different Monte Carlo generators implementing leading-order matrix elements supplemented by parton showers.