Modified perturbation theory approach for tt-bar production and decay

The modified perturbation theory (MPT), based on direct expansion of probabilities instead of amplitudes, allows one to avoid divergences in the phase-space integrals resulting from production and decay of unstable particles. In the present paper the range of applicability of MPT is determined numerically in the case of the process $e^+e^- \to (\gamma,Z) \to t\bar t \to W^{+}b:W^{-}\bar b$. It is shown that with the complete expansion in powers of the coupling constant (without Dyson resummation) MPT operates best at the energies located near the maximum of the cross-section and slightly above the maximum. In this region the MPT expansion within the next-to-leading order considerably exceeds in accuracy well-known DPA approach.Comment: LaTeX, 11 pages, 3 eps figure

OMS-bar scheme of UV renormalization in the presence of unstable fundamental particles

A generalization of the on-mass-shell scheme of UV renormalization (the OMS-bar scheme) to the case of presence of unstable fundamental particles (like W and Z bosons) is proposed. Its basic ingredients are as follows: (i) the renormalized mass coincides with a real part of the position of the complex pole of the corresponding propagator, (ii) the imaginary part of the on-shell self-energy coincides with the imaginary part of the complex pole position. The latter property implies the gauge-invariance of the imaginary part of the on-shell self-energy in the OMS-bar scheme and its connection with the lifetime of an unstable particle. Starting with the three-loops this connection becomes nontrivial.Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX, no figures. 3 references are added, 2 misprints are corrected, minor changes in the tex

Elimination of Threshold Singularities in the Relation Between On-Shell and Pole Widths

In a previous communication by two of us, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 1373 (1998), the gauge-dependent deviations of the on-shell mass and total decay width from their gauge-independent pole counterparts were investigated at leading order for the Higgs boson of the Standard Model. In the case of the widths, the deviation was found to diverge at unphysical thresholds, m_H = 2 root{xi_V} m_V (V = W,Z), in the R_xi gauge. In this Brief Report, we demonstrate that these unphysical threshold singularities are properly eliminated if a recently proposed definition of wave-function renormalization for unstable particles is invoked.Comment: 8 pages (Latex), 1 figure (Postscript

MHV Vertices and Scattering Amplitudes in Gauge Theory

The generic googly amplitudes in gauge theory are computed by using the Cachazo-Svrcek-Witten approach to perturbative calculation in gauge theory and the results are in agreement with the previously well-known ones. Within this approach we also discuss the parity transformation, charge conjugation and the dual Ward identity. We also extend this calculation to include fermions and the googly amplitudes with a single quark-anti-quark pair are obtained correctly from fermionic MHV vertices. At the end we briefly discuss the possible extension of this approach to gravity.Comment: Latex file, 38 pages, 15 figures; v2, minor changes, references added; v2, minor changes, 2 references adde

MHV Vertices and Fermionic Scattering Amplitudes in Gauge Theory with Quarks and Gluinos

The Cachazo-Svrcek-Witten approach to perturbative gauge theory is extended to gauge theories with quarks and gluinos. All googly amplitudes with quark-antiquark pairs and gluinos are computed and shown to agree with the previously known results. The computations of the non-MHV or non-googly amplitudes are also briefly discussed, in particular the purely fermionic amplitude with 3 quark-antiquark pairs.Comment: 41 pages, 21 figures; v2, minor changes, references added;v3, 2 important additions, references adde