Search for Physics Beyond the Standard Model in Z + MET + Jets events at the LHC

This paper presents a new approach for physics beyond the Standard Model searches in final states with a $Z$ boson, jets and missing transverse energy. The Jet-$Z$ Balance method is introduced and used to estimate the total background expected in the signal region directly from the data. First results with a data sample collected with the CMS detector at the LHC are presented. The size of the data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of~34\,pb${}^{-1}$. In the absence of any significant excess beyond the SM expectation, upper limits are set on two benchmark scenarios and further information is provided to allow testing the exclusion of specific models of physics beyond the SM.