arXiv subjects

Chiara Savoini

Publications and source records attributed to Chiara Savoini.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Two-loop QCD amplitudes for $t\bar{t}W$ production at the LHC in the leading-colour approximation

We present a numerical computation of the two-loop QCD scattering amplitudes for the production of a top-antitop quark pair in association with a $W$ boson ($t\bar{t}W$) at the LHC in the generalised leading-colour approximation, retaining the exact dependence on the top-quark and $W$-boson masses. Rather than pursuing a fully analytic calculation, we employ a hybrid framework that combines numerical evaluation with strong algebraic and analytic control, allowing ultraviolet and infrared singularities as well as large intermediate cancellations to be treated exactly. This is achieved by expressing the finite remainder in terms of a set of special functions with rational coefficients. The special functions are evaluated numerically by solving differential equations through power-series expansions, while the values of the rational coefficients are reconstructed, point by point, from finite-field evaluations. The calculation is performed in the 't Hooft-Veltman scheme and validated against an independent implementation in conventional dimensional regularisation employing a substantially different computational strategy. We finally provide the colour- and polarisation-summed hard functions evaluated on the phase-space grid used in a previous computation of the next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD corrections to the $t\bar{t}W$ cross section.

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arXiv2026

Next-to-next-to-leading order event generation for $t\bar{t}H$ production with approximate two-loop amplitude

We study Higgs-boson production in association with a top-quark pair ($t\bar{t}H$) at hadron colliders and present the first matching of next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD corrections to parton showers using the MiNNLOPS method. For the two-loop amplitude, we employ two established approximations, based on the soft Higgs-boson and high-energy limits, respectively. For the first time, we also construct the latter in full colour and propose a pointwise combination of the two approximations across phase space. By assigning a conservative uncertainty estimate, which remains well below the perturbative uncertainties, we ensure robust and reliable differential predictions, explicitly validated at the one-loop level. Apart from the two-loop amplitude, all remaining ingredients of the MiNNLOPS calculation are included exactly. After thorough validation, we present a series of phenomenological results illustrating the impact of NNLO corrections and parton-shower effects. We consider fiducial predictions for the Higgs-boson decay into photons and include off-shell top-quark decays with tree-level spin correlations in both the dilepton and semileptonic channels. Our $t\bar{t}H$ MiNNLOPS generator is publicly available within the POWHEG framework.

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arXiv2026

NNLO QCD predictions for $t\bar t W$ production at hadron colliders

The production of a top-antitop quark pair in association with a $W$ boson constitutes one of the heaviest final states currently studied at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Measurements of its production rate have consistently exceeded Standard Model predictions. Owing to the complexity of the two-loop amplitudes entering the double-virtual correction, next-to-next-to-leading-order (NNLO) QCD calculations for this process have so far employed dynamical approximations for the two-loop contribution. We present NNLO QCD predictions based, for the first time, on a direct computation of the required two-loop amplitudes in the generalised leading-colour limit.

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arXiv2026

Non-factorisable electroweak virtual corrections to single-resonant processes

We consider electroweak (EW) virtual corrections to $2\to 2$ fermion scattering processes mediated by a vector boson $V$ ($V=W^\pm,Z$) in the pole approximation. As is well known, the computation can be organised into factorisable and non-factorisable contributions. The factorisable corrections can be computed by evaluating the (polarised) EW form factor of the vector boson at the relevant perturbative order. The non-factorisable corrections are instead driven by soft-photon exchanges between the initial- and final-state fermions and/or the resonance. We perform an explicit two-loop computation to show that, once the heavy degrees of freedom are properly decoupled, such non-factorisable corrections can be expressed as an iteration of the one-loop result, plus a new contribution due to (light) fermion loops. The final two-loop result, which can be expected on general grounds from soft-photon factorisation, is shown to hold exactly in dimensional regularisation and is peculiar to the exchange of a single resonance. We discuss its extension to all perturbative orders.

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arXiv2025

NNLO QCD predictions for $Wγγ$ production at the LHC

Triboson production processes play a crucial role in probing the electroweak sector of the Standard Model, as they involve quartic gauge-boson couplings already at the tree level. With these measurements entering the precision era at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), accurate theoretical predictions become indispensable. We present the computation of the next-to-next-to-leading-order (NNLO) QCD radiative corrections to the production of a $W$ boson in association with two photons ($Wγγ$) at the LHC. The calculation is exact, except for the finite part of the two-loop contribution, which is included in the leading-colour approximation. Predictions for the fiducial cross section and selected kinematic distributions are provided at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, under standard experimental selection cuts. In line with observations for other multiboson processes involving direct photons, we find sizable NNLO corrections that enhance the next-to-leading-order predictions by about $23\%$, with residual perturbative uncertainties that can be roughly estimated to be at the $5\%$ level.

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arXiv2025

State-of-the-art cross sections for ttH: NNLO predictions matched with NNLL resummation and EW corrections

We present new, state-of-the-art predictions for the associated production of the SM Higgs boson with top quarks, computed in accordance with the recommendations of the LHC Higgs Working Group. The NNLO QCD predictions, derived through suitable approximations of the two-loop virtual contribution, are supplemented with soft-gluon resummation up to NNLL accuracy. Two distinct resummation frameworks are employed - one based on direct QCD and the other on soft-collinear effective theory - and their features are compared in detail. These results are further combined with the complete-NLO corrections, yielding the most precise SM predictions for this process to date. The relevant sources of theoretical uncertainties are thoroughly estimated and discussed.

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arXiv2025

Towards NNLO QCD predictions for off-shell top-quark pair production and decays

We consider QCD radiative corrections to $W^+W^-b {\bar b}$ production with leptonic decays and massive bottom quarks at the LHC. We perform an exact next-to-leading order (NLO) calculation within the $q_T$-subtraction formalism and validate it against an independent computation in the dipole subtraction scheme. Non-resonant and off-shell effects related to the top quarks and the leptonic decays of the $W^\pm$ bosons are consistently included. We also consider the approximation in which the real-emission contribution is computed exactly while the virtual is evaluated in the double-pole approximation (DPA), which formally requires the inclusion of both factorisable and non-factorisable corrections. We evaluate such contributions and show that the DPA performs remarkably well at both the inclusive and differential levels. We then extend our calculation to the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO). All tree-level and one-loop amplitudes are evaluated exactly, while the missing two-loop virtual contribution is estimated using the DPA. The factorisable two-loop corrections are explicitly computed by relying on available results for the polarised two-loop on-shell top-quark pair production amplitudes and the corresponding top-quark decays. The non-factorisable contributions are inferred by exploiting the cancellation of logarithmic singularities in the $Γ_t\to 0$ limit through an on-shell matching procedure. The NNLO corrections for the inclusive cross section are found to increase the NLO prediction by approximately $11\%$, with a numerical uncertainty that is conservatively estimated to be below the $2\%$ level $\unicode{x2013}$ significantly smaller than the $5\%$ residual perturbative uncertainties.

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arXiv2025

Precise predictions for $t \bar t H$ production at the LHC: inclusive cross section and differential distributions

We present the first fully differential next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD calculation for the production of a top-antitop quark pair in association with a Higgs boson ($t \bar t H$) at hadron colliders. The computation is exact, except for the finite part of the two-loop virtual contribution, which we estimate using two different methods that yield consistent results within their respective uncertainties. The first method relies on a soft-Higgs factorisation formula that we develop up to the three-loop order. The second is based on a high-energy expansion in the small top-mass limit. Combining the newly computed corrections with the complete set of next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD+EW results provides the most advanced perturbative prediction currently available at the LHC for both inclusive and differential $t \bar t H$ cross sections. The uncertainties due to the missing exact two-loop contribution are conservatively estimated to be at the percent level, both for the total cross section and for most of the differential distributions, and therefore subleading compared to the residual perturbative uncertainties.

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arXiv2024

Exploring slicing variables for jet processes

We consider the class of inclusive hadron collider processes in which one or more energetic jets are produced, possibly accompanied by colourless particles. We provide a general formulation of a slicing scheme for this class of processes, by identifying the various contributions that need to be computed up to next-to-leading order (NLO) in QCD perturbation theory. We focus on two novel observables, the one-jet resolution variable $ΔE_t$ and the $n$-jet resolution variable $k_{T}^{\mathrm{ness}}$, and explicitly compute all the ingredients needed to carry out NLO computations using these variables. We contrast the behaviour of these variables when the slicing parameter becomes small. In the case of $k_{T}^{\mathrm{ness}}$ we also present results for the hadroproduction of multiple jets.

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arXiv2024

Associated production of a $W$ boson and massive bottom quarks at next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD

We present the first calculation for the hadroproduction of a $W$ boson in association with a massive bottom ($b$) quark-antiquark pair at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in QCD perturbation theory. We exploit the hierarchy between the $b$ quark mass and the characteristic energy scale of the process to obtain a reliable analytic expression for the two-loop virtual amplitude with three massive legs, starting from the corresponding result available for massless bottom quarks. The use of massive $b$ quarks avoids the ambiguities associated with the correct flavour assignment in massless calculations, paving the way to a more realistic comparison with experimental data. We present phenomenological results considering proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=13.6$ TeV for inclusive $Wb \bar b$ production and within a fiducial region relevant for the associated production of a $W$ boson and a Higgs boson decaying into a $b \bar b$ pair, for which $Wb \bar b$ production represents one of the most relevant backgrounds. We find that the NNLO corrections are substantial and that their inclusion is mandatory to obtain reliable predictions.

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arXiv2023

Precise predictions for the associated production of a $W$ boson with a top-antitop quark pair at the LHC

The production of a top-antitop quark pair in association with a $W$ boson ($t\bar tW$) is one of the heaviest signatures currently probed at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Since the first observation reported in 2015 the corresponding rates have been found to be consistently higher than the Standard Model predictions, which are based on next-to-leading order~(NLO) calculations in the QCD and electroweak (EW) interactions. We present the first next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD computation of $t\bar tW$ production at hadron colliders. The calculation is exact, except for the finite part of the two-loop virtual corrections, which is estimated using two different approaches that lead to consistent results within their uncertainties. We combine the newly computed NNLO QCD corrections with the complete NLO QCD+EW results, thus obtaining the most advanced perturbative prediction available to date for the \ttW inclusive cross section. The tension with the latest ATLAS and CMS results remains at the $1σ-2σ$ level.

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arXiv2023

Higgs boson production in association with a top-antitop quark pair in next-to-next-to leading order QCD

The associated production of a Higgs boson with a top-antitop quark pair is a crucial process at the LHC since it allows for a direct measurement of the top-quark Yukawa coupling. We present the computation of the radiative corrections to this process at the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in QCD perturbation theory. This is the very first computation for a $2 \to 3$ process with massive coloured particles at this perturbative order. We develop a soft Higgs boson approximation for loop amplitudes, which enables us to reliably quantify the impact of the yet unknown two-loop contribution. At the centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV the NNLO corrections increase the next-to-leading order result for the total cross section by about 4% and lead to a significant reduction of perturbative uncertainties.

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arXiv2022

Effective transverse momentum in multiple jet production at hadron colliders

We consider the class of inclusive hadron collider processes in which several energetic jets are produced, possibly accompanied by colourless particles (such as Higgs boson(s), vector boson(s) with their leptonic decays, and so forth). We propose a new variable that smoothly captures the $N+1$ to $N$-jet transition. This variable, that we dub $k_T^{\rm ness}$, represents an effective transverse momentum controlling the singularities of the $N+1$-jet cross section when the additional jet is unresolved. The $k_T^{\rm ness}$ variable offers novel opportunities to perform higher-order calculations in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) by using non-local subtraction schemes. We study the singular behavior of the $N+1$-jet cross section as $k_T^{\rm ness}\to 0$ and, as a phenomenological application, we use the ensuing results to evaluate next-to-leading order corrections to $H$+jet and $Z$+2 jet production at the LHC. We show that $k_T^{\rm ness}$ performs extremely well as a resolution variable and appears to be very stable with respect to hadronization and multiple-parton interactions.

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arXiv2021

Mixed QCD-EW corrections to $\boldsymbol{pp\!\to\!\ellν_\ell\!+\!X}$ at the LHC

We consider the hadroproduction of a massive charged lepton plus the corresponding neutrino through the Drell-Yan mechanism. We present a new computation of the mixed QCD-EW corrections to this process. The cancellation of soft and collinear singularities is achieved by using a formulation of the $q_T$ subtraction formalism derived from the next-to-next-to-leading order QCD calculation for heavy-quark production. For the first time, all the real and virtual contributions due to initial- and final-state radiation are consistently included without any approximation, except for the finite part of the two-loop virtual correction, which is computed in the pole approximation and suitably improved through a reweighting procedure. We demonstrate that our calculation is reliable in both on-shell and off-shell regions, thereby providing the first prediction of the mixed QCD-EW corrections in the entire region of the lepton transverse momentum. The computed corrections are in qualitative agreement with what we obtain in a factorised approach of QCD and EW corrections. At large values of the lepton $p_T$, the mixed QCD-EW corrections are negative and increase in size, to about $-20\%$ with respect to the next-to-leading order QCD result at $p_T=500\,$GeV.

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