A next-to-next-to-leading order calculation of soft-virtual cross sections

We compute the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) soft and virtual QCD corrections for the partonic cross section of colourless-final state processes in hadronic collisions. The results are valid to all orders in the dimensional regularization parameter \ep. The dependence of the results on a particular process is given through finite contributions to the one and two-loop amplitudes. To evaluate the accuracy of the soft-virtual approximation we compare it with the full NNLO result for Drell-Yan and Higgs boson production via gluon fusion. We also provide a universal expression for the hard coefficient needed to perform threshold resummation up to next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic (NNLL) accuracy.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figure

Subtraction terms at NNLO

Perturbative calculations at next-to-next-to-leading order for multi-particle final states require a method to cancel infrared singularities. I discuss the subtraction method at NNLO. As a concrete example I consider the leading-colour contributions to e+ e- --> 2 jets. This is the simplest example which exhibits all essential features. For this example, explicit subtraction terms are given, which approximate the four-parton and three-parton final states in all double and single unresolved limits, such that the subtracted matrix elements can be integrated numerically.Comment: 41 page

Subtraction Terms for Hadronic Production Processes at Next-to-Next-to-Leading Order

I describe a subtraction scheme for the next-to-next-to-leading order calculation of single inclusive production at hadron colliders. Such processes include Drell-Yan, W^{+/-}, Z and Higgs Boson production. The key to such a calculation is a treatment of initial state radiation which preserves the production characteristics, such as the rapidity distribution, of the process involved. The method builds upon the Dipole Formalism and, with proper modifications, could be applied to deep inelastic scattering and e^+ e^- annihilation to hadrons.Comment: 4 page

A simple shower and matching algorithm

We present a simple formalism for parton-shower Markov chains. As a first step towards more complete uncertainty bands, we incorporate a comprehensive exploration of the ambiguities inherent in such calculations. To reduce this uncertainty, we then introduce a matching formalism which allows a generated event sample to simultaneously reproduce any infrared safe distribution calculated at leading or next-to-leading order in perturbation theory, up to sub-leading corrections. To enable a more universal definition of perturbative calculations, we also propose a more general definition of the hadronization cutoff. Finally, we present an implementation of some of these ideas for final-state gluon showers, in a code dubbed VINCIA.Comment: 32 pages, 6 figure

Observation of heteronuclear atomic Efimov resonances

The Efimov effect represents a cornerstone in few-body physics. Building on the recent experimental observation with ultracold atoms, we report the first experimental signature of Efimov physics in a heteronuclear system. A mixture of $^{41}$K and $^{87}$Rb atoms was cooled to few hundred nanoKelvins and stored in an optical dipole trap. Exploiting a broad interspecies Feshbach resonance, the losses due to three-body collisions were studied as a function of the interspecies scattering length. We observe an enhancement of the three-body collisions for three distinct values of the interspecies scattering lengths, both positive and negative. We attribute the two features at negative scattering length to the existence of two kind of Efimov trimers, namely KKRb and KRbRb.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Latest measurements of beauty quark production at HERA

The latest results of beauty quark production measurements at HERA are presented. New measurements have been obtained both in the photoproduction and the deep inelastic scattering regimes. The results were compared with the NLO QCD calculations.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures. Talk presented at the 31st International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP02), Amsterdam, The Netherlands, July 24-31, 200

Molecular Research on Platelet Activity in Health and Disease 2.0

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Nuclear charm and bottom production: a comparison among high energy approaches

We calculate the nucleon and nuclear photoproduction cross sections for heavy quarks within the $k_{\perp}$-factorization formalism, considering the current high energy approaches which include nuclear and saturation effects. Our results demonstrate that a future experimental analysis of this process would allow to constraint the QCD dynamics at high energies.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures. Version to be published in Eur. Phys. J.

Jet measurements at DO using a KT algorithm

DO has implemented and calibrated a KT jet algorithm for the first time in a ppbar collider. We present two results based on 1992-1996 data which were recently published: the subjet multiplicity in quark and gluon jets and the central inclusive jet cross section. The measured ratio between subjet multiplicities in gluon and quark jets is consistent with theoretical predictions and previous experimental values. NLO pQCD predictions of the KT inclusive jet cross section agree with the DO measurement, although marginally in the low pT range. We also present a preliminary measurement of thrust cross sections, which indicates the need to include higher than alpha_s^3 terms and resumation in the theoretical calculations.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, presented at the High-Energy Physics International Conference in Quantum Chromodynamics, Montpellier, France, July 2-9th 2002. To be published in Nuclear Physics

Next-to-leading order jet distributions for Higgs boson production via weak-boson fusion

The weak-boson fusion process is expected to provide crucial information on Higgs boson couplings at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. The achievable statistical accuracy demands comparison with next-to-leading order QCD calculations, which are presented here in the form of a fully flexible parton Monte Carlo program. QCD corrections are determined for jet distributions and are shown to be modest, of order 5 to 10% in most cases, but reaching 30% occasionally. Remaining scale uncertainties range from order 5% or less for distributions to below +-2% for the Higgs boson cross section in typical weak-boson fusion search regions.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure