Threshold corrections to rapidity distributions of Z and W^\pm bosons beyond N^2 LO at hadron colliders

Threshold enhanced perturbative QCD corrections to rapidity distributions of $Z$ and $W^\pm$ bosons at hadron colliders are presented using the Sudakov resummed cross sections at N${}^3$LO level. We have used renormalisation group invariance and the mass factorisation theorem that these hard scattering cross sections satisfy to construct the QCD amplitudes. We show that these higher order threshold QCD corrections stabilise the theoretical predictions for vector boson production at the LHC under variations of both renormalisation and factorisation scales.Comment: 17 pages, 8 eps figures. This paper is dedicated to the memory of W.L.G.A.M. van Neerve

Soft spectator scattering in the nucleon form factors at large Q2Q^2 within the SCET approach

The proton form factors at large momentum transfer are dominated by two contributions which are associated with the hard and soft rescattering respectively. Motivated by a very active experimental form factor program at intermediate values of momentum transfers, $Q^{2}\sim 5-15 \text{GeV}^{2}$, where an understanding in terms of only a hard rescattering mechanism cannot yet be expected, we investigate in this work the soft rescattering contribution using soft collinear effective theory (SCET). Within such description, the form factor is characterized, besides the hard scale $Q^2$, by a semi-hard scale $Q \Lambda$, which arises due to presence of soft spectators, with virtuality $\Lambda^2$ ($\Lambda \sim 0.5$ GeV), such that $Q^{2}\gg Q\Lambda\gg \Lambda^{2}$. We show that in this case a two-step factorization can be successfully carried out using the SCET approach. In a first step (SCET$_I$), we perform the leading order matching of the QCD electromagnetic current onto the relevant SCET$_I$ operators and perform a resummation of large logarithms using renormalization group equations. We then discuss the further matching onto a SCET$_{II}$ framework, and propose the complete factorization formula for the Dirac form factor, accounting for both hard and soft contributions. We also present a qualitative discussion of the phenomenological consequences of this new framework.Comment: 33 pages, 19 figures; typos corrected, text improved. Version to appear in Phys.Rev.

A simple shower and matching algorithm

We present a simple formalism for parton-shower Markov chains. As a first step towards more complete uncertainty bands, we incorporate a comprehensive exploration of the ambiguities inherent in such calculations. To reduce this uncertainty, we then introduce a matching formalism which allows a generated event sample to simultaneously reproduce any infrared safe distribution calculated at leading or next-to-leading order in perturbation theory, up to sub-leading corrections. To enable a more universal definition of perturbative calculations, we also propose a more general definition of the hadronization cutoff. Finally, we present an implementation of some of these ideas for final-state gluon showers, in a code dubbed VINCIA.Comment: 32 pages, 6 figure

Jets in Effective Theory: Summing Phase Space Logs

We demonstrate how to resum phase space logarithms in the Sterman-Weinberg (SW) dijet decay rate within the context of Soft Collinear Effective theory (SCET). An operator basis corresponding to two and three jet events is defined in SCET and renormalized. We obtain the RGE of the two and three jet operators and run the operators from the scale $\mu^2 = Q^2$ to the phase space scale $\mu^2_\delta = \delta^2 Q^2$. This phase space scale, where $\delta$ is the cone half angle of the jet, defines the angular region of the jet. At $\mu^2_{\delta}$ we determine the mixing of the three and two jet operators. We combine these results with the running of the two jet shape function, which we run down to an energy cut scale $\mu^2_{\beta}$. This defines the resumed SW dijet decay rate in the context of SCET. The approach outlined here demonstrates how to establish a jet definition in the context of SCET. This allows a program of systematically improving the theoretical precision of jet phenomenology to be carried out.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures, V2: Typos fixed, writing clarified, detail on PSRG added. Matching onto jet definition changed to taking place at collinear scal

Sum rule for a difference of proton and neutron total photoproduction cross-sections

Starting from very high energy inelastic electron-nucleon scattering with a production of a hadronic state $X$ to be moved closely to the direction of the initial nucleon, then utilizing analytic properties of parts of forward virtual Compton scattering amplitudes on proton and neutron, one obtains the relation between nucleon form factors and a difference of proton and neutron differential electroproduction cross-sections. In particular, for the case of small transferred momenta, one finally derives sum rule, relating Dirac proton mean square radius and anomalous magnetic moments of proton and neutron to the integral over a difference of the total proton and neutron photoproduction cross-sections.Comment: LaTeX2e, 7 pages, 1 eps figure (revised version

Vacuum polarization radiative correction to the parity violating electron scattering on heavy nuclei

The effect of vacuum polarization on the parity violating asymmetry in the elastic electron-nucleus scattering is considered. Calculations are performed in the high-energy approximation with an exact account for the electric field of the nucleus. It is shown that the radiative correction to the parity violating asymmetry is logarithmically enhanced and the value of the correction is about -1%.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, REVTex

Bremsstrahlung and pair production processes at low energies, multi-differential cross section and polarization phenomena

Radiative electron-proton scattering is studied in peripheral kinematics, where the scattered electron and photon move close to the direction of the initial electron. Even in the case of unpolarized initial electron the photon may have a definite polarization. The differential cross sections with longitudinally or transversal polarized initial electron are calculated. The same phenomena are considered for the production of an electron-positron pair by the photon, where the final positron (electron) can be also polarized. Differential distributions for the case of polarized initial photon are given. Both cases of unscreened and completely screened atomic targets are considered.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure

Charge-odd correlation of lepton and pion pair production in electron-proton scattering

Charge-odd correlation of the charged pair components produced at electron-proton scattering can measure three current correlation averaged by proton state. In general these type correlation can be described by 14 structure functions. We restrict here by consideration of inclusive distributions of a pair components, which is the light-cone projection of the relevant hadronic tensor. Besides we consider the point-like approximation for proton and pion. Numerical estimations show that charge-odd effects can be measured in exclusive ep -> 2 pi X experiments.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure