Search for New Particles Leading to Z+jets Final States in $p\bar{p}$ Collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV

Understand

We present the results of a search for new particles that lead to a \Z boson plus jets in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV using the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF II).

• A data sample with a luminosity of 1.06 \ifb\ collected using \Z boson decays to $ee$ and $\mu\mu$ is used.
• We describe a completely data-based method to predict the dominant background from standard-model \Z+jet events.
• This method can be similarly applied to other analyses requiring background predictions in multi-jet environments, as shown when validating the method by predicting the background from $W$+jets in \ttbar production.