Measurements of differential cross sections and search for the electroweak production of two Z bosons produced in association with jets

This analysis reports measurements of differential cross sections for the production of two Z bosons in association with jets in pp collisions and a search for the electroweak production of two Z bosons in association with two jets at $\sqrt{s}=13~\mathrm{TeV}$. The analysis is based on a data sample collected with the CMS detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $35.9~\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. The measurements are performed in the leptonic decay modes $\mathrm{ZZ}\to\ell\ell\ell'\ell'$, where $\ell,\ell' = e, \mu$. The differential cross section as a function of the jet multiplicity, the transverse momentum and pseudorapidity of the leading and subleading jets, as well as the invariant mass of the two leading jets and their pseudorapidity separation are presented. The measured differential cross sections are compared to theoretical predictions. The electroweak production (EW) of two Z bosons in association with two jets is measured with an observed (expected) significance of 2.7 (1.6) standard deviations. A fiducial cross section for the electroweak production is measured to be $\sigma_{\textrm{EW}} = 0.40^{+0.21}_{-0.16} \textrm{(stat)} ^{+0.13}_{-0.09} \textrm{(syst)}~\textrm{fb}$, in agreement with the standard model prediction. Limits on anomalous quartic gauge couplings are derived in terms of the effective field theory operators T0, T1, T2, T8 and T9.