Isolated Photons in Deep Inelastic Scattering

Photon radiation at large transverse momenta at colliders is a detailed probe of hard interaction dynamics. The isolated photon production cross section in deep inelastic scattering was measured recently by the ZEUS experiment, and found to be considerably larger than theoretical predictions obtained with widely used event generators. To investigate this discrepancy, we perform a dedicated parton-level calculation of this observable, including contributions from fragmentation and large-angle radiation. Our results are in good agreement with all aspects of the experimental measurement.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Two-Loop Quark and Gluon Form Factors in Dimensional Regularisation

We compute the two-loop corrections to the massless quark form factor $\gamma^* \to q\bar q$ and gluon form factor $H\to gg$ to all orders in the dimensional regularisation parameter $\epsilon=(4-d)/2$. The two-loop contributions to the form factors are reduced to linear combinations of master integrals, which are computed in a closed form, expressed as $\Gamma$-functions and generalised hypergeometric functions of unit argument. Using the newly developed HypExp-package, these can be expanded to any desired order, yielding Laurent expansions in $\epsilon$. We provide expansions of the form factors to order $\epsilon^2$, as required for ultraviolet renormalisation and infrared factorisation of the three-loop form factors.Comment: 9 pages, latex, references update

HypExp, a Mathematica package for expanding hypergeometric functions around integer-valued parameters

We present the Mathematica package HypExp which allows to expand hypergeometric functions $_JF_{J-1}$ around integer parameters to arbitrary order. At this, we apply two methods, the first one being based on an integral representation, the second one on the nested sums approach. The expansion works for both symbolic argument $z$ and unit argument. We also implemented new classes of integrals that appear in the first method and that are, in part, yet unknown to Mathematica.Comment: 33 pages, latex, 2 figures, the package can be downloaded from http://krone.physik.unizh.ch/~maitreda/HypExp/, minor changes, works now under Window

Two-Loop QCD Corrections to the Heavy-to-Light Quark Decay

We present an analytic expression for the two-loop QCD corrections to the decay process b -> u W^*, where b and u are a massive and massless quark, respectively, while W^* is an off-shell charged weak boson. Since the W-boson can subsequently decay in a lepton anti-neutrino pair, the results of this paper are a first step towards a fully analytic computation of differential distributions for the semileptonic decay of a b-quark. The latter partonic process plays a crucial role in the study of inclusive semileptonic charmless decays of B-mesons. The three independent form factors characterizing the b W u vertex are provided in form of a Laurent series in (d-4), where d is the space-time dimension. The coefficients in the series are expressed in terms of Harmonic Polylogarithms of maximal weight 4, and are functions of the invariant mass of the leptonic decay products of the W-boson.Comment: 27 pages, 3 figures, References added, version published on JHE

Recent Longitudinal Spin Asymmetry Measurements for Inclusive Jet Production at STAR

We present measurements of the longitudinal spin asymmetry, $A_{LL}$, for the inclusive jet signal at STAR. The data presented here are mid-rapidity jets in the transverse momentum range of $5<pT<35$ GeV/c and come from polarized proton-proton collisions at center of mass energies of $\sqrt{s}=200$ GeV. We compare our measured $A_{LL}$ values to predictions derived from various parameterizations of the polarized gluon distribution function. The results are shown to provide significant constraints for allowable gluon parameterizations within the measurement's kinematic Bjorken-x range of $0.03<x<0.3$.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, to appear in PANIC 2008 Proceedings, Nuclear Physics A special issu

NNLO QCD corrections to event shape variables in electron positron annihilation

Precision studies of QCD at electron-positron colliders are based on measurements of event shapes and jet rates. To match the high experimental accuracy, theoretical predictions to next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in QCD are needed for a reliable interpretation of the data. We report the first calculation of NNLO corrections O(alpha_s^3) to three-jet production and related event shapes, and discuss their phenomenological impact.Comment: Contributed to 2007 Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics, Manchester, England 19-25 July 200

Master Integrals for Fermionic Contributions to Massless Three-Loop Form Factors

In this letter we continue the calculation of master integrals for massless three-loop form factors by giving analytical results for those integrals which are relevant for the fermionic contributions proportional to N_F^2, N_F*N, and N_F/N. Working in dimensional regularisation, we express one of the integrals in a closed form which is exact to all orders in epsilon, containing Gamma-functions and hypergeometric functions of unit argument. In all other cases we derive multiple Mellin-Barnes representations from which the coefficients of the Laurent expansion in epsilon are extracted in an analytical form. To obtain the finite part of the three-loop quark and gluon form factors, all coefficients through transcendentality six in the Riemann zeta-function have to be included.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure. References added and updated. Appendix on evaluation of Mellin-Barnes integrals added. Version to appear in PL

The two-loop five-particle amplitude in N=8\mathcal{N}=8 supergravity

We compute for the first time the two-loop five-particle amplitude in $\mathcal{N}=8$ supergravity. Starting from the known integrand, we perform an integration-by-parts reduction and express the answer in terms of uniform weight master integrals. The latter are known to evaluate to non-planar pentagon functions, described by a 31-letter symbol alphabet. We express the final result for the amplitude in terms of uniform weight four symbols, multiplied by a small set of rational factors. The amplitude satisfies the expected factorization properties when one external graviton becomes soft, and when two external gravitons become collinear. We verify that the soft divergences of the amplitude exponentiate, and extract the finite remainder function. The latter depends on fewer rational factors, and is independent of one of the symbol letters. By analyzing identities involving rational factors and symbols we find a remarkably compact representation in terms of a single seed function, summed over all permutations of external particles. Finally, we work out the multi-Regge limit, and present explicitly the leading logarithmic terms in the limit. The full symbol of the IR-subtracted hard function is provided as an ancillary file.Comment: 22 pages, 1 figure, 8 ancillary file

Boolean versus continuous dynamics on simple two-gene modules

We investigate the dynamical behavior of simple modules composed of two genes with two or three regulating connections. Continuous dynamics for mRNA and protein concentrations is compared to a Boolean model for gene activity. Using a generalized method, we study within a single framework different continuous models and different types of regulatory functions, and establish conditions under which the system can display stable oscillations. These conditions concern the time scales, the degree of cooperativity of the regulating interactions, and the signs of the interactions. Not all models that show oscillations under Boolean dynamics can have oscillations under continuous dynamics, and vice versa.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figure

Antenna subtraction with hadronic initial states

The antenna subtraction method for the computation of higher order corrections to jet observables and exclusive cross sections at collider experiments is extended to include hadronic initial states. In addition to the already known antenna subtraction with both radiators in the final state (final-final antennae), we introduce antenna subtractions with one or two radiators in the initial state (initial-final or initial-initial antennae). For those, we derive the phase space factorization and discuss the allowed phase space mappings at NLO and NNLO. We present integrated forms for all antenna functions relevant to NLO calculations, and describe the construction of the full antenna subtraction terms at NLO on two examples. The extension of the formalism to NNLO is outlined.Comment: 33 pages, 3 figure