171 research outputs found
An Analytic Result for the Two-Loop Hexagon Wilson Loop in N = 4 SYM
In the planar N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, the conformal symmetry
constrains multi-loop n-edged Wilson loops to be basically given in terms of
the one-loop n-edged Wilson loop, augmented, for n greater than 6, by a
function of conformally invariant cross ratios. We identify a class of
kinematics for which the Wilson loop exhibits exact Regge factorisation and
which leave invariant the analytic form of the multi-loop n-edged Wilson loop.
In those kinematics, the analytic result for the Wilson loop is the same as in
general kinematics, although the computation is remarkably simplified with
respect to general kinematics. Using the simplest of those kinematics, we have
performed the first analytic computation of the two-loop six-edged Wilson loop
in general kinematics.Comment: 17 pages. Extended discussion on how the QMRK limit is taken. Version
accepted by JHEP. A text file containing the Mathematica code with the
analytic expression for the 6-point remainder function is include
Loop lessons from Wilson loops in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory
N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory exhibits a rather surprising duality of
Wilson-loop vacuum expectation values and scattering amplitudes. In this paper,
we investigate this correspondence at the diagram level. We find that one-loop
triangles, one-loop boxes, and two-loop diagonal boxes can be cast as simple
one- and two- parametric integrals over a single propagator in configuration
space. We observe that the two-loop Wilson-loop "hard-diagram" corresponds to a
four-loop hexagon Feynman diagram. Guided by the diagrammatic correspondence of
the configuration-space propagator and loop Feynman diagrams, we derive Feynman
parameterizations of complicated planar and non-planar Feynman diagrams which
simplify their evaluation. For illustration, we compute numerically a four-loop
hexagon scalar Feynman diagram.Comment: 20 pages, many figures. Two references added. Published versio
Electroweak Physics
The results of high precision weak neutral current (WNC), Z-pole, and high
energy collider electroweak experiments have been the primary prediction and
test of electroweak unification. The electroweak program is briefly reviewed
from a historical perspective. Current changes, anomalies, and things to watch
are summarized, and the implications for the standard model and beyond
discussed.Comment: 12 pages, invited talk presented at the Conference on the
Intersections of Particle and Nuclear Physics (CIPANP 2003), New York, May
200
Hepta-Cuts of Two-Loop Scattering Amplitudes
We present a method for the computation of hepta-cuts of two loop scattering
amplitudes. Four dimensional unitarity cuts are used to factorise the integrand
onto the product of six tree-level amplitudes evaluated at complex momentum
values. Using Gram matrix constraints we derive a general parameterisation of
the integrand which can be computed using polynomial fitting techniques. The
resulting expression is further reduced to master integrals using conventional
integration by parts methods. We consider both planar and non-planar topologies
for 2 to 2 scattering processes and apply the method to compute hepta-cut
contributions to gluon-gluon scattering in Yang-Mills theory with adjoint
fermions and scalars.Comment: 37 pages, 6 figures. version 2 : minor updates, published versio
Two-Loop Correction to Bhabha Scattering
We present the two-loop virtual QED corrections to e^+ e^- to mu^+ mu^- and
Bhabha scattering in dimensional regularization. The results are expressed in
terms of polylogarithms. The form of the infrared divergences agrees with
previous expectations. These results are a crucial ingredient in the complete
next-to-next-to-leading order QED corrections to these processes. A future
application will be to reduce theoretical uncertainties associated with
luminosity measurements at e^+ e^- colliders. The calculation also tests
methods that may be applied to analogous QCD processes.Comment: Latex, 22 pages, 1 figur
Emotional stress as a trigger of myasthenic crisis and concomitant takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a case report
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular junction post-synaptic autoimmune disorder. Myasthenic crisis is characterized by respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a rare clinical syndrome defined as a profound but reversible left ventricular dysfunction in the absence of coronary artery disease.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a unique case of a 60-year-old Hispanic woman with myasthenia gravis who developed takotsubo cardiomyopathy and concomitant myasthenic crisis that appear to have been triggered by a stressful life event. On admission, she presented with severe mid-sternal chest pain and shortness of breath shortly after a personally significant stressful life event. A pertinent neurological examination showed bilateral facial weakness and right ptosis. The left ventriculogram showed apical ballooning with hyperdynamic proximal segments with sparing of the apex. Her troponin I level was elevated, while cardiac catheterization revealed no significant coronary artery disease. The findings were consistent with takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Shortly after cardiac catheterization, she developed bilateral ophthalmoparesis and significant bulbar and respiratory muscle weakness. Forced vital capacity values were persistently less than 1 L. The patient developed respiratory failure and required endotracheal intubation. After plasmapheresis and corticosteroid treatment, her clinical course improved with successful extubation. A normal left ventricle chamber size and a normal ejection fraction were noted by an echocardiogram repeated 10 months later.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the first reported case of the simultaneous triggering of both takotsubo cardiomyopathy and myasthenic crisis by the physiologic consequences of a state of severe emotional stress. We hypothesize that the mechanism underlying the rare association of takotsubo cardiomyopathy with myasthenic crisis involves excessive endogenous glucocorticoid release, a high-catecholamine state, or a combination of both. We advocate careful cardiac monitoring of myasthenia gravis patients during acute emotional or physical stress, as there is potential risk of developing takotsubo cardiomyopathy.</p
High-precision QCD at hadron colliders: electroweak gauge boson rapidity distributions at NNLO
We compute the rapidity distributions of W and Z bosons produced at the
Tevatron and the LHC through next-to-next-to leading order in QCD. Our results
demonstrate remarkable stability with respect to variations of the
factorization and renormalization scales for all values of rapidity accessible
in current and future experiments. These processes are therefore
``gold-plated'': current theoretical knowledge yields QCD predictions accurate
to better than one percent. These results strengthen the proposal to use W and
Z production to determine parton-parton luminosities and constrain parton
distribution functions at the LHC. For example, LHC data should easily be able
to distinguish the central parton distribution fit obtained by MRST from that
obtained by Alekhin.Comment: 47 pages, 17 figures. Minor typos, 1 reference correcte
Eikonal methods applied to gravitational scattering amplitudes
We apply factorization and eikonal methods from gauge theories to scattering
amplitudes in gravity. We hypothesize that these amplitudes factor into an
IR-divergent soft function and an IR-finite hard function, with the former
given by the expectation value of a product of gravitational Wilson line
operators. Using this approach, we show that the IR-divergent part of the
n-graviton scattering amplitude is given by the exponential of the one-loop IR
divergence, as originally discovered by Weinberg, with no additional subleading
IR-divergent contributions in dimensional regularization.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures; v2: title change and minor rewording (published
version); v3: typos corrected in eqs.(3.2),(4.1
Isolating a light Higgs boson from the di-photon background at the LHC
We compute the QCD corrections to the gluon fusion subprocess gg to gamma
gamma, which forms an important component of the background to the search for a
light Higgs boson at the LHC. We study the dependence of the improved pp to
gamma gamma X background calculation on the factorization and renormalization
scales, on various choices for photon isolation cuts, and on the rapidities of
the photons. We also investigate ways to enhance the statistical significance
of the Higgs signal in the di-photon channel.Comment: Additional reference included, 17 pages, 16 figure files, revte
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