Differential Drell-Yan measurements and Z/top-pair cross section ratios

Precision measurements of the Drell-Yan production of W and Z bosons at the LHC provide a benchmark of our understanding of perturbative QCD and electroweak processes and probe the proton structure in a unique way. The ATLAS collaboration performed a precision Z/gamma* measurement at a center of mass energy of 8 TeV in the di-lepton mass range up to the TeV scale. These are performed double-differentially in dilepton mass and rapidity or dilepton mass and rapidity separation. The measurements are compared to state-of-the-art theory calculations and are found to bring strong constraints on the high x partons and the poorly constrained photon content of the proton. Z cross sections are also measured at a center-of-mass energies of 8TeV and 13TeV, and cross-section ratios to the top-quark pair production have been derived. This ratio measurement leads to a cancellation of several systematic effects and allows therefore for a high precision comparison to the theory predictions.