Resummation of non-global QCD observables

We discuss issues related to the resummation of non-global observables in QCD, those that are sensitive to radiation in only a part of phase space. Examples of such observables are certain single-hemisphere event shapes in e+e- and DIS. Compared to global observables (those sensitive to all emissions, e.g. the e+e- thrust) a new class of single-logarithmic terms arises. These have been neglected in recent calculations in the literature. For a whole set of single hemisphere e+e- and DIS event shapes, we analytically evaluate the first such term, at order alpha_s^2, and give numerical results for the resummation of these terms in the large-Nc limit.Comment: 10 page

A novel subtraction scheme for double-real radiation at NNLO

A general subtraction scheme, STRIPPER (SecToR Improved Phase sPacE for real Radiation), is derived for the evaluation of next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD contributions from double-real radiation to processes with at least two particles in the final state at leading order. The result is a Laurent expansion in the parameter of dimensional regularization, the coefficients of which should be evaluated by numerical Monte Carlo integration. The two main ideas are a two-level decomposition of the phase space, the second one factorizing the singular limits of amplitudes, and a suitable parameterization of the kinematics allowing for derivation of subtraction and integrated subtraction terms from eikonal factors and splitting functions without non-trivial analytic integration.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, matches published version, includes new name for the scheme, extended discussion of massless final states, and some new reference

An NNLO subtraction formalism in hadron collisions and its application to Higgs boson production at the LHC

We consider higher-order QCD corrections to the production of colourless high-mass systems (lepton pairs, vector bosons, Higgs bosons,...) in hadron collisions. We propose a new formulation of the subtraction method to numerically compute arbitrary infrared-safe observables for this class of processes. To cancel the infrared divergences, we exploit the universal behaviour of the associated transverse-momentum (q_T) distributions in the small-q_T region. The method is illustrated in general terms up to the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in QCD perturbation theory. As a first explicit application, we study Higgs boson production through gluon fusion. Our calculation is implemented in a parton level Monte Carlo program that includes the decay of the Higgs boson in two photons. We present selected numerical results at the LHC.Comment: References adde

Steps towards NNLO QCD calculations: collinear factorization at O(\alpha_S^2)

I consider the singular behaviour of tree-level QCD amplitudes when the momenta of three partons become simultaneously parallel and I discuss the universal factorization formula that controls the singularities of the multiparton matrix elements in this collinear limit.Comment: 3 pages, 1 eps figure, talk given at the DIS99 Workshop, Zeuthen, Germany, April 19-23, 199

Azimuthal asymmetries in QCD hard scattering: infrared safe but divergent

We consider high-mass systems of two or more particles that are produced by QCD hard scattering in hadronic collisions. We examine the azimuthal correlations between the system and one of its particles. We point out that the perturbative QCD computation of such azimuthal correlations and asymmetries can lead to divergent results at fixed perturbative orders. The fixed-order divergences affect basic (and infrared safe) quantities such as the total cross section at fixed (and arbitrary) values of the azimuthal-correlation angle $\varphi$. Examples of processes with fixed-order divergences are heavy-quark pair production, associated production of vector bosons and jets, dijet and diboson production. A noticeable exception is the production of high-mass lepton pairs through the Drell--Yan mechanism of quark-antiquark annihilation. However, even in the Drell--Yan process, fixed-order divergences arise in the computation of QED radiative corrections. We specify general conditions that produce the divergences by discussing their physical origin in fixed-order computations. We show lowest-order illustrative results for $\cos(n\varphi)$ asymmetries (with $n=1,2,4,6$) in top-quark pair production and associated production of a vector boson and a jet at the LHC. The divergences are removed by a proper all-order resummation procedure of the perturbative contributions. Resummation leads to azimuthal asymmetries that are finite and computable. We present first quantitative results of such a resummed computation for the $\cos(2\varphi)$ asymmetry in top-quark pair production at the LHC.Comment: 43 pages, 5 eps figure

Transverse-momentum resummation for heavy-quark hadroproduction

We consider the production of a pair of heavy quarks ($Q{\bar Q}$) in hadronic collisions. When the transverse momentum $q_T$ of the heavy-quark pair is much smaller than its invariant mass, the QCD perturbative expansion is affected by large logarithmic terms that must be resummed to all-orders. This behavior is well known from the simpler case of hadroproduction of colourless high-mass systems, such as vector or Higgs boson(s). In the case of $Q{\bar Q}$ production, the final-state heavy quarks carry colour charge and are responsible for additional soft radiation (through direct emission and interferences with initial-state radiation) that complicates the evaluation of the logarithmically-enhanced terms in the small-$q_T$ region. We present the all-order resummation structure of the logarithmic contributions, which includes colour flow evolution factors due to soft wide-angle radiation. Resummation is performed at the completely differential level with respect to the kinematical variables of the produced heavy quarks. Soft-parton radiation produces azimuthal correlations that are fully taken into account by the resummation formalism. These azimuthal correlations are entangled with those that are produced by initial-state collinear radiation. We present explicit analytical results up to next-to-leading order and next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy.Comment: Some comments expanded and references added. Version published on NP

Universality of non-leading logarithmic contributions in transverse-momentum distributions

We consider the resummation of the logarithmic contributions to the region of small transverse momenta in the distributions of high-mass systems (lepton pairs, vector bosons, Higgs particles, ....) produced in hadron collisions. We point out that the resummation formulae that are usually used to compute the distributions in perturbative QCD involve process-dependent form factors and coefficient functions. We present a new universal form of the resummed distribution, in which the dependence on the process is embodied in a single perturbative factor. The new form simplifies the calculation of non-leading logarithms at higher perturbative orders. It can also be useful to systematically implement process-independent non-perturbative effects in transverse-momentum distributions. We also comment on the dependence of these distributions on the factorization and renormalization scales.Comment: misprints corrected in Eqs. (6), (7) and (12), results unchange

Problems in resumming interjet energy flows with k_t clustering

We consider the energy flow into gaps between hard jets. It was previously believed that the accuracy of resummed predictions for such observables can be improved by employing the $k_t$ clustering procedure to define the gap energy in terms of a sum of energies of soft jets (rather than individual hadrons) in the gap. This significantly reduces the sensitivity to correlated soft large-angle radiation (non-global leading logs), numerically calculable only in the large $N_c$ limit. While this is the case, as we demonstrate here, the use of $k_t$ clustering spoils the straightforward single-gluon Sudakov exponentiation that multiplies the non-global resummation. We carry out an ${\mathcal{O}}(\alpha_s^2)$ calculation of the leading single-logarithmic terms and identify the piece that is omitted by straightforward exponentiation. We compare our results with the full ${\mathcal{O}} (\alpha_s^2)$ result from the program EVENT2 to confirm our conclusions. For $e^{+}e^{-} \to 2$ jets and DIS (1+1) jets one can numerically resum these additional contributions as we show, but for dijet photoproduction and hadron-hadron processes further studies are needed.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Higgs production in hadron collisions: soft and virtual QCD corrections at NNLO

We consider QCD corrections to Higgs boson production through gluon-gluon fusion in hadron collisions. Using the recently evaluated two-loop amplitude for this process and the corresponding factorization formulae for soft-gluon bremsstrahlung at O(alpha_s^2), we compute the soft and virtual contributions to the NNLO cross section. We also discuss soft-gluon resummation at next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy. Numerical results for Higgs boson production at the LHC are presented.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures included. One note and one reference adde