Generalization of the BLM procedure and its scales in any order of pQCD

The Brodsky--Lepage--Mackenzie procedure is sequentially and unambiguously extended to any fixed order of perturbative QCD beyond the so called ``large--\beta_0 approximation''. As a result of this procedure, the obtained perturbation series looks like a continued-fraction representation. A subsequent generalization of this procedure is developed, in order to optimize the convergence of the final series, along the lines of the Fastest Convergence Prescription. This generalized BLM procedure is applied to the Adler D function and also to R_{e^+e^-} in QCD at N$^3$LO. A further extension of the sequential BLM is presented which makes use of additional parameters to optimize the convergence of the power-series at any fixed order of expansion.Comment: 24 pages, JHEP3, 4 figures are enclosed as eps-file, final version to be published in JHE

Strange quark mass from Finite Energy QCD sum rules to five loops

The strange quark mass is determined from a new QCD Finite Energy Sum Rule (FESR) optimized to reduce considerably the systematic uncertainties arising from the hadronic resonance sector. As a result, the main uncertainty in this determination is due to the value of $\Lambda_{QCD}$. The correlator of axial-vector divergences is used in perturbative QCD to five-loop order, including quark and gluon condensate contributions, in the framework of both Fixed Order (FOPT), and Contour Improved Perturbation Theory (CIPT). The latter exhibits very good convergence, leading to a remarkably stable result in the very wide range $s_0 = 1.0 - 4.0 {GeV}^2$, where $s_0$ is the radius of the integration contour in the complex energy (squared) plane. The value of the strange quark mass in this framework at a scale of 2 GeV is $m_s(2 {GeV}) = 95 \pm 5 (111 \pm 6) {MeV}$ for $\Lambda_{QCD} = 420 (330) {MeV}$, respectively.Comment: Additional comments added at the end of the Conclusions, and one extra reference is given. A note added in proof uses the most recent determination of Lambda_QCD from ALEPH to narrow down the predictio

Renormalization of the Fayet-Iliopoulos Term in Softly Broken SUSY Gauge Theories

It is shown that renormalization of the Fayet-Iliopoulos term in a softly broken SUSY gauge theory, in full analogy with all the other soft terms renormalizations, is completely defined in a rigid or an unbroken theory. However, contrary to the other soft renormalizations, there is no simple differential operator that acts on the renormalization functions of a rigid theory and allows one to get the renormalization of the F-I term. One needs an analysis of the superfield diagrams and some additional diagram calculations in components. The method is illustrated by the four loop calculation of some part of renormalization proportional to the soft scalar masses and the soft triple couplings.Comment: Latex2e, 14 pages, uses axodraw.sty. References adde

1/N_c and 1/n preasymptotic corrections to Current-Current correlators

We obtain the corrections in $1/n$ and in $1/\ln n$ ($n$ is the principal quantum number of the bound state) of the decay constants of scalar and pseudoscalar currents in two and four dimensions in the large $N_c$. We obtain them from the operator product expansion provided a model for the large $n$ mass spectrum is given. In the two-dimensional case the spectrum is known and the corrections obtained in this paper are model independent. We confirm these results by confronting them with the numerical solution of the 't Hooft model. We also consider a model at finite $N_c$ and obtain the associated decay constants that are consistent with perturbation theory. This example shows that that the inclusion of perturbative corrections, or finite $N_c$ effects, to the OPE does not constrain the slope of the Regge trajectories, which remain a free parameter for each different channel.Comment: 29 pages, 11 figures. Two references adde

Standard Model Higgs-Boson Branching Ratios with Uncertainties

We present an update of the branching ratios for Higgs-boson decays in the Standard Model. We list results for all relevant branching ratios together with corresponding uncertainties resulting from input parameters and missing higher-order corrections. As sources of parametric uncertainties we include the masses of the charm, bottom, and top quarks as well as the QCD coupling constant. We compare our results with other predictions in the literature.Comment: 32 pages, 4 figures, contribution to LHC Higgs Cross Section Working Group https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/LHCPhysics/CrossSections, theoretical uncertainties for H->\mu\mu{} added, version to appear in European Physical Journal

Theoretical uncertainties for measurements of alpha_s from electroweak observables

One of the most precise measurements of the strong coupling constant alpha_s(MZ) is obtained in the context of global analyses of precision electroweak data. This article reviews the sensitivity of different electroweak observables to alpha_s and describes the perturbative uncertainties related to missing higher orders. The complete renormalisation scale dependence for the relevant observables is calculated at next-to-next-to-leading order and a new method is presented to determine the corresponding perturbative uncertainty for measurements of alpha_s based on these observables.Comment: v4: Revised version with new tables and figure

Scale setting for alpha_s beyond leading order

We present a general procedure for incorporating higher-order information into the scale-setting prescription of Brodsky, Lepage and Mackenzie. In particular, we show how to apply this prescription when the leading coefficient or coefficients in a series in the strong coupling alpha_s are anomalously small and the original prescription can give an unphysical scale. We give a general method for computing an optimum scale numerically, within dimensional regularization, and in cases when the coefficients of a series are known. We apply it to the heavy quark mass and energy renormalization in lattice NRQCD, and to a variety of known series. Among the latter, we find significant corrections to the scales for the ratio of e+e- to hadrons over muons, the ratio of the quark pole to MSbar mass, the semi-leptonic B-meson decay width, and the top decay width. Scales for the latter two decay widths, expressed in terms of MSbar masses, increase by factors of five and thirteen, respectively, substantially reducing the size of radiative corrections.Comment: 39 pages, 15 figures, 5 tables, LaTeX2

Nonperturbative Effects from the Resummation of Perturbation Theory

Using the general argument in Borel resummation of perturbation theory that links the divergent perturbation theory to the nonperturbative effect we argue that the nonperturbative effect associated with the perturbation theory should have a branch cut only along the positive real axis in the complex coupling plane. The component in the weak coupling expansion of the nonperturbative amplitude, which usually includes the leading term in the weak coupling expansion, that gives rise to the branch cut can be calculated in principle from the perturbation theory combined with some exactly calculable properties of the nonperturbative effect. The realization of this mechanism is demonstrated in the double well potential and the two-dimensional O(N) nonlinear sigma model. In these models the leading term in weak coupling of the nonperturbative effect can be obtained with good accuracy from the first terms of the perturbation theory. Applying this mechanism to the infrared renormalon induced nonperturbative effect in QCD, we suggest some of the QCD condensate effects can be calculated in principle from the perturbation theory.Comment: 21 Pages, 1 Figure; To appear in Phys Rev

Contour-improved versus fixed-order perturbation theory in hadronic tau decays

The hadronic decay rate of the tau lepton serves as one of the most precise determinations of the QCD coupling alpha_s. The dominant theoretical source of uncertainty at present resides in the seeming disparity of two approaches to improving the perturbative expansion with the help of the renormalisation group, namely fixed-order and contour-improved perturbation theory. In this work it is demonstrated that in fact both approaches yield compatible results. However, the fixed-order series is found to oscillate around the contour-improved result with an oscillation frequency of approximately six perturbative orders, approaching it until about the 30th order, after which the expansion reveals its asymptotic nature. Additionally, the renormalisation scale and scheme dependencies of the perturbative series for the tau hadronic width are investigated in detail.Comment: 20 pages, 5 eps-figures; discussion on scale and scheme dependence added as compared to published journal version JHEP 09 (2005) 05

Associated production of charged Higgs bosons and top quarks with POWHEG

The associated production of charged Higgs bosons and top quarks at hadron colliders is an important discovery channel to establish the existence of a non-minimal Higgs sector. Here, we present details of a next-to-leading order (NLO) calculation of this process using the Catani-Seymour dipole formalism and describe its implementation in POWHEG, which allows to match NLO calculations to parton showers. Numerical predictions are presented using the PYTHIA parton shower and are compared to those obtained previously at fixed order, to a leading order calculation matched to the PYTHIA parton shower, and to a different NLO calculation matched to the HERWIG parton shower with MC@NLO. We also present numerical predictions and theoretical uncertainties for various Two Higgs Doublet Models at the Tevatron and LHC.Comment: 36 page