Electroweak and QCD aspects in vector boson plus jets associated production with CMS

Total and differential cross sections of vector bosons produced in association with jets are studied at center-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 and 13 TeV with the CMS experiment at the LHC. Differential distributions as function of a broad range of kinematic observables are measured and compared to the theoretical predictions. Final states with a vector boson and jets can also be used to study electroweak initiated processes, such as production of the Z boson accompanied by a pair of energetic jets with large invariant mass. The cross section of this electroweak process is measured and the additional hadronic activity of events in a signal-enriched region is studied within the expected rapidity gap region.