Measurement of event-shape observables in $$Z \rightarrow \ell ^{+} \ell ^{-}$$ events in pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s}=7$$ TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC
Event-shape observables measured using charged particles in inclusive Z-boson events are presented, using the electron and muon decay modes of the Z bosons. The measurements are based on an integrated luminosity of 1.1 fb -1 of proton–proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy $$\sqrt{s}=7$$ TeV . Charged-particle distributions, excluding the lepton–antilepton pair from the Z-boson decay, are measured in different ranges of transverse momentum of the Z boson. Distributions include multiplicity, scalar sum of transverse momenta, beam thrust, transverse thrust, spherocity, and F-parameter, which are in particular sensitive to properties of the underlying event at small values of the Z-boson transverse momentum. The measured observables are compared with predictions from Pythia 8, Sherpa , and Herwig 7. Furthermore, all three Monte Carlo generators provide predictions that are in better agreement with the data at high Z-boson transverse momenta than at low Z-boson transverse momenta, and for the observables that are less sensitive to the number of charged particles in the event.