Higher Moments of Heavy Quark Vacuum Polarization

We present analytical calculation of the first seven moments of the heavy quark vacuum polarization function in the three-loop order. The obtained results are compared against the asymptotic formulas following from the threshold singularities. We also discuss the $\mu$ dependence of the moments within the BLM procedure.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX, no figures, sprocl.sty provided (To appear in the Proceedings of the Second Workshop on Continuous Advances in QCD, Minneapolis, U.S.A., March 1996). Postscript also available at ftp://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/ttp96-22/ttp96-22.ps or at http://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/cgi-bin/preprints

Mass Corrections to the Vector Current Correlator

Three-loop QCD corrections to the vector current correlator are considered. The large momentum procedure is applied in order to evaluate mass corrections up to order $(m^2/q^2)^6$. The inclusion of the first seven terms to the ratio $R=\sigma(e^+e^- \to hadrons)/\sigma(e^+e^- \to \mu^+\mu^-)$ leads to reliable predictions from the high energy region down to relatively close to threshold.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX, 11 postscript figures. The complete paper, including figures, is also available via anonymous ftp at ftp://ttpux2.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/ , or via www at http://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/cgi-bin/preprints

Double Bubble Corrections to Heavy Quark Production

Second order ${\cal O}(\alpha_s^2)$ corrections to the heavy quark production cross-section due to massless quarks and coloured scalars are calculated for all energies above threshold. Based on the method introduced in this letter also the gauge non-invariant second order corrections due to the pure gluonic selfenergy insertion and a certain class of ${\cal{O}}(\alpha_s^3)$ and ${\cal{O}}(\alpha_s^4)$ corrections are determined. For the special choice of the gauge parameter, $\xi=4$, the leading threshold and high energy behaviour of the pure second order gluonic corrections to the cross-section are governed by the gluonic self energy insertion.Comment: 9 pages, latex, 17 figures, the complete postscript file of this preprint, including figures, is available via anonymous ftp at ftp://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/ttp96-04/ttp96-04.ps (129.13.102.139) or via www at http://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/cgi-bin/preprints

Recent progress in computing four-loop massive correlators

We report about recent progress in computing four-loop massive correlators. The expansion of these correlators in the external momentum leads to vacuum integrals. The calculation of these vacuum integrals can be used to determine Taylor expansion coefficients of the vacuum polarization function and decoupling functions in perturbative Quantum chromodynamics. New results at four-loop order for the lowest Taylor expansion coefficient of the vacuum polarization function and for the decoupling relation are presented.Comment: 4 pages, talk given at the 12th International Conference on Quantum Chromodynamics, Montpellier, 4-8th July 200

Heavy Quark Vacuum Polarisation to Three Loops

The real and imaginary part of the vacuum polarisation function $\Pi(q^2)$ induced by a massive quark is calculated in perturbative QCD up to order $\alpha_s^2$. The method is described and the results are presented. This extends the calculation by K\"all\'en and Sabry from two to three loops.Comment: 10 pages, Latex, figures in a separate file. The complete paper, including figures, is also available via anonymous ftp at ftp://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/ , or via www at http://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/cgi-bin/preprints

Quartic Mass Corrections to RhadR_{had}

The influence of nonvanishing quark masses on the total cross section in electron positron collisions and on the $Z$ decay rate is calculated. The corrections are expanded in $m^2/s$ and \as. Methods similar to those applied for the quadratic mass terms allow to derive the corrections of order \as m^4/s^2 and \as^2m^4/s^2. Coefficients which depend logarithmically on $m^2/s$ and which cannot be absorbed in a running quark mass arise in order \as^2. The implications of these results on electron positron annihilation cross sections at LEP and at lower energies in particular between the charm and the bottom threshold and for energies several GeV above the $b\bar b$ threshold are discussed.Comment: 17 pages, LaTex (uses epsf.sty, figures appended as uuencoded ps- and eps-files). A complete postscript file, including figures, is available via anonymous ftp at ttpux2.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de (129.13.102.139) as /pub/ttp94-08/ttp94-08.ps, Local preprint# TTP94-0

QCD Decoupling at Four Loops

We present the matching condition for the strong coupling contant alpha_s at a heavy quark threshold to four loops in the modified minimal subtraction scheme. Our results lead to further decrease of the theoretical uncertainty of the evolution of the strong coupling constant through heavy quark thresholds. Using a low energy theorem we furthermore derive the effective coupling of the Higgs boson to gluons (induced by a virtual heavy quark) in four- and (partially) through five-loop approximation.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures, the complete paper is also available via the www at http://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/Preprints

Four-loop moments of the heavy quark vacuum polarization function in perturbative QCD

New results at four-loop order in perturbative QCD for the first two Taylor coefficients of the heavy quark vacuum polarization function are presented. They can be used to perform a precise determination of the charm- and bottom-quark mass. Implications for the value of the quark masses are briefly discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 13 figures; final version accepted for publication in the journa

Adler Function, DIS sum rules and Crewther Relations

The current status of the Adler function and two closely related Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS) sum rules, namely, the Bjorken sum rule for polarized DIS and the Gross-Llewellyn Smith sum rule are briefly reviewed. A new result is presented: an analytical calculation of the coefficient function of the latter sum rule in a generic gauge theory in order O(alpha_s^4). It is demonstrated that the corresponding Crewther relation allows to fix two of three colour structures in the O(alpha_s^4) contribution to the singlet part of the Adler function.Comment: Talk presented at 10-th DESY Workshop on Elementary Particle Theory: Loops and Legs in Quantum Field Theory, W\"orlitz, Germany, 25-30 April 201

Adler Function, Sum Rules and Crewther Relation of Order O(alpha_s^4): the Singlet Case

The analytic result for the singlet part of the Adler function of the vector current in a general gauge theory is presented in five-loop approximation. Comparing this result with the corresponding singlet part of the Gross-Llewellyn Smith sum rule [1], we successfully demonstrate the validity of the generalized Crewther relation for the singlet part. This provides a non-trivial test of both our calculations and the generalized Crewther relation. Combining the result with the already available non-singlet part of the Adler function [2,3] we arrive at the complete ${\cal O}(\alpha_s^4)$ expression for the Adler function and, as a direct consequence, at the complete ${\cal O}(\alpha_s^4)$ correction to the $e^+ e^-$ annihilation into hadrons in a general gauge theory.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Final published versio