Z' discovery potential at the LHC in the minimal B-L extension of the Standard Model

We present the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) discovery potential in the $Z'$ sector of a $U(1)_{B-L}$ enlarged Standard Model (that also includes three heavy Majorana neutrinos and an additional Higgs boson) for $\sqrt{s}=7$, 10 and 14 TeV centre-of-mass (CM) energies, considering both the $Z'_{B-L}\rightarrow e^+e^-$ and $Z'_{B-L}\rightarrow \mu^+\mu^-$ decay channels. The comparison of the (irreducible) backgrounds with the expected backgrounds for the D$\O$ experiment at the Tevatron validates our simulation. We propose an alternative analysis that has the potential to improve the D$\O$ sensitivity. Electrons provide a higher sensitivity to smaller couplings at small $Z'_{B-L}$ boson masses than do muons. The resolutions achievable may allow the $Z'_{B-L}$ boson width to be measured at smaller masses in the case of electrons in the final state. The run of the LHC at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV, assuming at most $\int \mathcal{L} \sim 1$ fb$^{-1}$, will be able to give similar results to those that will be available soon at the Tevatron in the lower mass region, and to extend them for a heavier $M_{Z'}$.