arXiv subjects

B. D. Pecjak

Publications and source records attributed to B. D. Pecjak.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2011

RG-improved single-particle inclusive cross sections and forward-backward asymmetry in $t\bar t$ production at hadron colliders

We use techniques from soft-collinear effective theory (SCET) to derive renormalization-group improved predictions for single-particle inclusive (1PI) observables in top-quark pair production at hadron colliders. In particular, we study the top-quark transverse-momentum and rapidity distributions, the forward-backward asymmetry at the Tevatron, and the total cross section at NLO+NNLL order in resummed perturbation theory and at approximate NNLO in fixed order. We also perform a detailed analysis of power corrections to the leading terms in the threshold expansion of the partonic hard-scattering kernels. We conclude that, although the threshold expansion in 1PI kinematics is susceptible to numerically significant power corrections, its predictions for the total cross section are in good agreement with those obtained by integrating the top-pair invariant-mass distribution in pair invariant-mass kinematics, as long as a certain set of subleading terms appearing naturally within the SCET formalism is included.

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arXiv2010

Top-Quark Pair Production Beyond Next-to-Leading Order

We report on recent calculations of the differential cross section for top-quark pair production at hadron colliders. The results are differential with respect to the top-pair invariant mass and to the partonic scattering angle. In these calculations, which were carried out by employing soft-collinear effective theory techniques, we resummed threshold logarithms up to next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic order. Starting from the differential cross section, it is possible to obtain theoretical predictions for the invariant-mass distribution and the total cross section. We summarize here our results for these observables, and we compare them with the results obtained from different calculational methods.

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arXiv2010

Infrared Singularities and Soft Gluon Resummation with Massive Partons

Infrared divergences of QCD scattering amplitudes can be derived from an anomalous dimension matrix, which is also an essential ingredient for the resummation of large logarithms due to soft gluon emissions. We report a recent analytical calculation of the anomalous dimension matrix with both massless and massive partons at two-loop level, which describes the two-loop infrared singularities of any scattering amplitudes with an arbitrary number of massless and massive partons, and also enables soft gluon resummation at next-to-next-to-leading-logarithmic order. As an application, we calculate the infrared poles in the q qbar -> t tbar and gg -> t tbar scattering amplitudes at two-loop order.

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arXiv2010

Flavor Physics in the Quark Sector

One of the major challenges of particle physics has been to gain an in-depth understanding of the role of quark flavor and measurements and theoretical interpretations of their results have advanced tremendously: apart from masses and quantum numbers of flavor particles, there now exist detailed measurements of the characteristics of their interactions allowing stringent tests of Standard Model predictions. Among the most interesting phenomena of flavor physics is the violation of the CP symmetry that has been subtle and difficult to explore. Till early 1990s observations of CP violation were confined to neutral $K$ mesons, but since then a large number of CP-violating processes have been studied in detail in neutral $B$ mesons. In parallel, measurements of the couplings of the heavy quarks and the dynamics for their decays in large samples of $K, D$, and $B$ mesons have been greatly improved in accuracy and the results are being used as probes in the search for deviations from the Standard Model. In the near future, there will be a transition from the current to a new generation of experiments, thus a review of the status of quark flavor physics is timely. This report summarizes the results of the current generation of experiments that is about to be completed and it confronts these results with the theoretical understanding of the field.

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arXiv2009

NNLO corrections to B --> X_u l nu and the determination of |V_ub|

We study the impact of next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD corrections on partial decay rates in B --> X_u l nu decays, at leading-order in the 1/m_b expansion for shape-function kinematics. These corrections are implemented within a modified form of the BLNP framework, which allows for arbitrary variations of the jet scale mu_i \sim 1.5 GeV. Our analysis includes a detailed comparison between resummed and fixed-order perturbation theory, and between the complete NNLO results and those obtained in the large-$β_0$ approximation. For the default choice mu_i=1.5 GeV used in current extractions of |V_ub| within the BLNP framework, the NNLO corrections induce significant downward shifts in the central values of partial decay rates with cuts on the hadronic variable P_+, the hadronic invariant mass, and the lepton energy. At the same time, perturbative uncertainties are reduced, especially those at the jet scale, which are the dominant ones at next-to-leading order (NLO). For higher values of mu_i and in fixed-order perturbation theory, the shifts between NLO and NNLO are more moderate. We combine our new results with known power-suppressed terms in order to illustrate the implications of our analysis on the determination of |V_ub| from inclusive decays.

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arXiv2008

NNLO corrections to B --> X_u l nu in the shape-function region

The inclusive decay B --> X_u l nu is of much interest because of its potential to constrain the CKM element |V_ub|. Experimental cuts required to suppress charm background restrict measurements of this decay to the shape-function region, where the hadronic final state carries a large energy but only a moderate invariant mass. In this kinematic region, the differential decay distributions satisfy a factorization formula of the form $H \cdot J \otimes S$, where S is the non-perturbative shape function, and the object $H \cdot J$ is a perturbatively calculable hard-scattering kernel. In this paper we present the calculation of the hard function H at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in perturbation theory. Combined with the known NNLO result for the jet function J, this completes the perturbative part of the NNLO calculation for this process.

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arXiv2007

Analyzing B_s - bar B_s mixing: Non-perturbative contributions to bag parameters from sum rules

We use QCD sum rules to compute matrix elements of the Delta B=2 operators appearing in the heavy-quark expansion of the width difference of the B_s mass eigenstates. Our analysis includes the leading-order operators Q and Q_S, as well as the subleading operators R_2 and R_3, which appear at next-to-leading order in the 1/m_b expansion. We conclude that the violation of the factorization approximation for these matrix elements due to non-perturbative vacuum condensates is as low as 1-2%.

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arXiv2006

Can $B -> X_c \ell ν$ help us extract |V_{ub}| ?

We study radiative corrections to $\bar{B} \to X_c \ell \barν_\ell$ decays assuming the power counting $m_c \sim \sqrt{Λ_QCD m_b}$ for the charm-quark mass. Concentrating on the shape-function region, we use effective field-theory methods to calculate the hadronic tensor at NLO accuracy. From this we deduce a shape-function independent relation between partially integrated $\bar{B} \to X_c\ell\barν_\ell$ and $\bar{B} \to X_u \ell \barν_\ell$ spectra to leading power in $1/m_b$, including first-order corrections in the strong coupling constant. This may provide an independent cross-check on the determination of the CKM element |V_{ub}|.

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arXiv2006

Shape Functions from B -> X_c \ell ν

We study inclusive semi-leptonic (B -> X_c \ell ν) decay using the power counting m_c ~ \sqrt{Lambda_{QCD} m_b}. Assuming this scaling for the charm-quark mass, the decay kinematics can be chosen to access the shape-function region even in b -> c transitions. To apply effective field theory methods in this region we extend SCET to describe massive collinear quarks. We calculate the tree-level decay rate, including O(Lambda_{QCD}/m_b) power corrections, and show that it factorizes into a convolution of jet and shape functions. We identify a certain kinematical variable whose decay spectrum is proportional to the universal leading-order shape function familiar from b -> u decay, and speculate as to whether information about this shape function can be extracted from data on b -> c decay.

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arXiv2005

Power corrections to B\to X_u l ν(X_sγ) decay spectra in the "shape-function" region

Using soft-collinear effective theory (SCET), we examine the 1/m_b corrections to the factorization formulas for inclusive semi-leptonic B decays in the endpoint region, where the hadronic final state consists of a single jet. At tree level, we find a new contribution from four-quark operators that was previously assumed absent. Beyond tree level many sub-leading shape-functions are needed to correctly describe the decay process.

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