Measurement of the Cross Section for Prompt Diphoton Production inpp¯Collisions ats=1.96 TeV

We report a measurement of the rate of prompt diphoton production in pp collisions at 1.96 TeV using a data sample of 207 pb 1 collected with the upgraded Collider Detector at Fermilab. The background from nonprompt sources is determined using a statistical method based on differences in the electromagnetic showers. The cross section is measured as a function of the diphoton mass, the transverse momentum of the diphoton system, and the azimuthal angle between the two photons and is found to be consistent with perturbative QCD predictions. © 2005 The American Physical Society.