Top-Quark Pair Production Beyond Next-to-Leading Order

We report on recent calculations of the differential cross section for top-quark pair production at hadron colliders. The results are differential with respect to the top-pair invariant mass and to the partonic scattering angle. In these calculations, which were carried out by employing soft-collinear effective theory techniques, we resummed threshold logarithms up to next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic order. Starting from the differential cross section, it is possible to obtain theoretical predictions for the invariant-mass distribution and the total cross section. We summarize here our results for these observables, and we compare them with the results obtained from different calculational methods.Comment: Talk presented at Loops and Legs in Quantum Field Theory 2010, Woerlitz, Germany, April 25-30, 2010. 6 page

Sum rule estimate of the subleading non-perturbative contributions to B s –B¯sB¯s mixing.

We use QCD sum rules to compute the matrix elements of the ΔB=2 operators appearing in the heavy-quark expansion of the width difference of the B s mass eigenstates. The main focus of our analysis is on the subleading operators R 2 and R 3, which appear at next-to-leading order in the 1/m b expansion. The matrix elements of these operators are already essential for precise phenomenology, but their calculation in lattice QCD is lacking and the values given here provide a first estimate of their values. We conclude that the violation of the factorization approximation for these matrix elements due to non-perturbative vacuum condensates is as low as 1–2%

NNLO corrections to B¯→Xuℓν¯ℓ and the determination of |V ub |.

We study the impact of next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD corrections on partial decay rates in B --> X_u l nu decays, at leading-order in the 1/m_b expansion for shape-function kinematics. These corrections are implemented within a modified form of the BLNP framework, which allows for arbitrary variations of the jet scale mu_i \sim 1.5 GeV. Our analysis includes a detailed comparison between resummed and fixed-order perturbation theory, and between the complete NNLO results and those obtained in the large-$\beta_0$ approximation. For the default choice mu_i=1.5 GeV used in current extractions of |V_ub| within the BLNP framework, the NNLO corrections induce significant downward shifts in the central values of partial decay rates with cuts on the hadronic variable P_+, the hadronic invariant mass, and the lepton energy. At the same time, perturbative uncertainties are reduced, especially those at the jet scale, which are the dominant ones at next-to-leading order (NLO). For higher values of mu_i and in fixed-order perturbation theory, the shifts between NLO and NNLO are more moderate. We combine our new results with known power-suppressed terms in order to illustrate the implications of our analysis on the determination of |V_ub| from inclusive decays.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figure

QCD radiative corrections for h→bb¯ in the standard model dimension-6 effective field theory

We calculate the O(αs) QCD corrections to the inclusive h→bb¯ decay rate in the dimension-6 standard model effective field theory (SMEFT). The QCD corrections multiplying the dimension-6 Wilson coefficients which alter the hbb¯-vertex at tree-level are proportional to the standard model (SM) ones, so next-to-leading order results can be obtained through a simple rescaling of the tree-level decay rate. On the other hand, contributions from the operators QbG and QHG, which alter the gbb¯-vertex and introduce a hgg-vertex respectively, enter at O(αs) and induce sizeable corrections which are unrelated to the SM ones and cannot be anticipated through a renormalization-group analysis. We present compact analytic results for these contributions, which we recommend to be included in future phenomenological studies

NNLL resummation for the associated production of a top pair and a Higgs boson at the LHC

We study the resummation of soft gluon emission corrections to the production of a top-antitop pair in association with a Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider. Starting from a soft-gluon resummation formula derived in previous work, we develop a bespoke parton-level Monte Carlo program which can be used to calculate the total cross section along with differential distributions. We use this tool to study the phenomenological impact of the resummation to next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic (NNLL) accuracy, finding that these corrections increase the total cross section and the differential distributions with respect to NLO calculations of the same observables

Associated production of a top pair and a W boson at next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy

We consider soft gluon emission corrections to the production of a top-antitop pair in association with a W boson at the Large Hadron Collider. We obtain a soft-gluon resummation formula for this production process which is valid up to next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy. We evaluate the soft gluon resummation formula in Mellin space by means of an in-house parton level Monte Carlo code which allows us to obtain predictions for the total cross section as well as for several differential distributions. We study the impact of the soft-gluon resummation corrections in comparison to fixed order calculations

Shape functions from anti-B --> X(c)l anti-nu(l)

We study inclusive semi-leptonic (B -> X_c \ell \nu) decay using the power counting m_c ~ \sqrt{Lambda_{QCD} m_b}. Assuming this scaling for the charm-quark mass, the decay kinematics can be chosen to access the shape-function region even in b -> c transitions. To apply effective field theory methods in this region we extend SCET to describe massive collinear quarks. We calculate the tree-level decay rate, including O(Lambda_{QCD}/m_b) power corrections, and show that it factorizes into a convolution of jet and shape functions. We identify a certain kinematical variable whose decay spectrum is proportional to the universal leading-order shape function familiar from b -> u decay, and speculate as to whether information about this shape function can be extracted from data on b -> c decay.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figure, version to appear in PR

Can anti-B --> X(c) l anti-nu l help us extract |V(ub)|?

We study radiative corrections to $\bar{B} \to X_c \ell \bar{\nu}_\ell$ decays assuming the power counting $m_c \sim \sqrt{\Lambda_QCD m_b}$ for the charm-quark mass. Concentrating on the shape-function region, we use effective field-theory methods to calculate the hadronic tensor at NLO accuracy. From this we deduce a shape-function independent relation between partially integrated $\bar{B} \to X_c\ell\bar{\nu}_\ell$ and $\bar{B} \to X_u \ell \bar{\nu}_\ell$ spectra to leading power in $1/m_b$, including first-order corrections in the strong coupling constant. This may provide an independent cross-check on the determination of the CKM element |V_{ub}|.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figures, comparison with OPE in Sec.3 and references [26-28] added, section 5 (discussion/plots) reorganized, version to be published in JHE

Power corrections to anti-B --> X(u) l anti-nu (X(s) gamma) decay spectra in the 'shape-function' region

Using soft-collinear effective theory (SCET), we examine the 1/m_b corrections to the factorization formulas for inclusive semi-leptonic B decays in the endpoint region, where the hadronic final state consists of a single jet. At tree level, we find a new contribution from four-quark operators that was previously assumed absent. Beyond tree level many sub-leading shape-functions are needed to correctly describe the decay process.Comment: 34 pages, v2: journal versio

Flavor physics in the quark sector.

In the past decade, one of the major challenges of particle physics has been to gain an in-depth understanding of the role of quark flavor. In this time frame, measurements and the theoretical interpretation of their results have advanced tremendously. A much broader understanding of flavor particles has been achieved; apart from their masses and quantum numbers, there now exist detailed measurements of the characteristics of their interactions allowing stringent tests of Standard Model predictions. Among the most interesting phenomena of flavor physics is the violation of the CP symmetry that has been subtle and difficult to explore. In the past, observations of CP violation were confined to neutral K mesons, but since the early 1990s, a large number of CP-violating processes have been studied in detail in neutral B mesons. In parallel, measurements of the couplings of the heavy quarks and the dynamics for their decays in large samples of K,D, and B mesons have been greatly improved in accuracy and the results are being used as probes in the search for deviations from the Standard Model. In the near future, there will be a transition from the current to a new generation of experiments; thus a review of the status of quark flavor physics is timely. This report is the result of the work of physicists attending the 5th CKM workshop, hosted by the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, September 9–13, 2008. It summarizes the results of the current generation of experiments that are about to be completed and it confronts these results with the theoretical understanding of the field which has greatly improved in the past decade