Signals ofW±andZ0production in hadronic collisions as predicted by quantum-chromodynamics perturbation theory

We point out that the observation of high-$p_T$ charged leptons ${\mu }^{\pm }$ in high-energy $\mathrm{pp}$, $\overline{p}p$ collisions can provide a clean way for detecting $W^{\pm }$ and $Z^0$, including the determination of their masses. The calculations are done within the Weinberg-Salam model using the generalization of the Drell-Yan formula for $W^{\pm }$,$Z^0$ production to first order in quark-gluon couplings in asymptotically free quantum chromodynamics. We present the expressions and curves for various differential cross sections in the reactions $(pp,\overline{p}p)\to W^{+}+X$, $W^{+}\to {\mu }^{+}\nu$; $(pp,\overline{p}p)\to W^{+}+\mathrm{jet}+X$, $W^{+}\to {\mu }^{+}\nu$; and $(pp,\overline{p}p)\to (Z^0,\gamma )+X$, $(Z^0,\gamma )\to {\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$ for c.m. energy range $\sqrt{s}=100-800\mathrm{}$ GeV. Different forms for scale violation of the structure functions are incorporated and compared with the case when they are absent. Implications of the results for the detection of intermediate vector bosons $W^{\pm }$ and $Z^0$ are discussed.