Measurement of multi-differential cross sections for the production of a Z boson in association with jets in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13~\mathrm{TeV}$

A study of the production of Z bosons in association with jets in proton-proton ($\mathrm{p}\mathrm{p}$) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $13~\mathrm{TeV}$ is presented. This study that involves Z bosons decaying either to two electrons or muons. The differential cross sections in data recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC, correspond to an integrated luminosity of $35.9~\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ are measured as a function of the transverse momentum ($p_\mathrm{T}$) of the $Z$ boson and the transverse momentum and rapidities of five jets with largest $p_\mathrm{T}$. The jet multiplicity distribution is measured for up to eight jets. The scalar sum of the jet $p_\mathrm{T}$ which quantifies the hadronic activity in the event, is also studied. The measurements are unfolded to the stable particle level and compared with predictions from several Monte Carlo event generators, as well as with expectations at leading and next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.