Measurement of Dijet Cross Sections in Proton-Proton Collisions at 7 TeV Center-of-Mass Energy Using the ATLAS Detector

Dijet production is measured in proton-proton collisions with a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV at the LHC. Double-differential dijet cross sections are presented as functions of the dijet mass and rapidity separation of the two highest-transverse-momentum jets in an event. The data sample collected in 2011 by the ATLAS detector is considered, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.5 fb-1. Jets are defined using the anti-kt algorithm, with two choices of the jet radius parameter, R=0.4 and R=0.6. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order (NLO) perturbative calculations, as well as NLO Monte Carlo generator predictions. In both cases, electroweak effects are accounted for. A method for the quantitative comparison of theory predictions with data is presented, employing a frequentist technique. This allows for strong statements on which sets of parton distribution functions best describe the data. A theory of quark compositeness modeled by contact interactions is confronted by the unfolded data using the CLs technique, an example of the versatility of the measurement.