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Lorenzo Magnea

Publications and source records attributed to Lorenzo Magnea.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2010

All-order results for infrared and collinear singularities in massless gauge theories

We review recent results concerning the all-order structure of infrared and collinear divergences in massless gauge theory amplitudes. While the exponentiation of these divergences for nonabelian gauge theories has been understood for a long time, in the past couple of years we have begun to unravel the all-order structure of the anomalous dimensions that build up the perturbative exponent. In the large-Nc limit, all infrared and collinear divergences are determined by just three functions; one of them, the cusp anomalous dimension, plays a key role also for non-planar contributions. Indeed, all infrared and collinear divergences of massless gauge theory amplitudes with any number of hard partons may be captured by a surprisingly simple expression constructed as a sum over color dipoles. Potential corrections to this expression, correlating four or more hard partons at three loops or beyond, are tightly constrained and are currently under study.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2009

Infrared singularities in QCD amplitudes

We review recent progress in determining the infrared singularity structure of on-shell scattering amplitudes in massless gauge theories. We present a simple ansatz where soft singularities of any scattering amplitude of massless partons, to any loop order, are written as a sum over colour dipoles, governed by the cusp anomalous dimension. We explain how this formula was obtained, as the simplest solution to a newly-derived set of equations constraining the singularity structure to all orders. We emphasize the physical ideas underlying this derivation: the factorization of soft and collinear modes, the special properties of soft gluon interactions, and the notion of the cusp anomaly. Finally, we briefly discuss potential multi-loop contributions going beyond the sum-over-dipoles formula, which cannot be excluded at present.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2009

Factorization constraints for soft anomalous dimensions in QCD scattering amplitudes

We study the factorization of soft and collinear singularities in dimensionally-regularized fixed-angle scattering amplitudes in massless gauge theories. Our factorization is based on replacing the hard massless partons by light-like Wilson lines, and defining gauge-invariant jet and soft functions in dimensional regularization. In this scheme the factorized amplitude admits a powerful symmetry: it is invariant under rescaling of individual Wilson-line velocities. This symmetry is broken by cusp singularities in both the soft and the eikonal jet functions. We show that the cancellation of these cusp anomalies in any multi-leg amplitude imposes all-order constraints on the kinematic dependence of the corresponding soft anomalous dimension, relating it to the cusp anomalous dimension. For amplitudes with two or three hard partons the solution is unique: the constraints fully determine the kinematic dependence of the soft function. For amplitudes with four or more hard partons we present a minimal solution where the soft anomalous dimension is a sum over colour dipoles, multiplied by the cusp anomalous dimension. In this case additional contributions to the soft anomalous dimension at three loops or beyond are not excluded, but they are constrained to be functions of conformal cross ratios of kinematic variables.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

Universal structure of subleading infrared poles in gauge theory amplitudes

We study the origin of subleading soft and collinear poles of form factors and amplitudes in dimensionally-regulated massless gauge theories. In the case of form factors of fundamental fields, these poles originate from a single function of the coupling, denoted G(alpha_s), depending on both the spin and gauge quantum numbers of the field. We relate G(alpha_s) to gauge-theory matrix elements involving the gluon field strength. We then show that G(alpha_s) is the sum of three terms: a universal eikonal anomalous dimension, a universal non-eikonal contribution, given by the coefficient B_delta (alpha_s) of delta(1 - z) in the collinear evolution kernel, and a process-dependent short-distance coefficient function, which does not contribute to infrared poles. Using general results on the factorization of soft and collinear singularities in fixed-angle massless gauge theory amplitudes, we conclude that all such singularities are captured by the eikonal approximation, supplemented only by the knowledge of B_delta (alpha_s). We explore the consequences of our results for conformal gauge theories, where in particular we find a simple exact relation between the form factor and the cusp anomalous dimension.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

On next-to-eikonal corrections to threshold resummation for the Drell-Yan and DIS cross sections

We study corrections suppressed by one power of the soft gluon energy to the resummation of threshold logarithms for the Drell-Yan cross section and for Deep Inelastic structure functions. While no general factorization theorem is known for these next-to-eikonal (NE) corrections, it is conjectured that at least a subset will exponentiate, along with the logarithms arising at leading power. Here we develop some general tools to study NE logarithms, and we construct an ansatz for threshold resummation that includes various sources of NE corrections, implementing in this context the improved collinear evolution recently proposed by Dokshitzer, Marchesini and Salam (DMS). We compare our ansatz to existing exact results at two and three loops, finding evidence for the exponentiation of leading NE logarithms and confirming the predictivity of DMS evolution.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

All-order results for soft and collinear gluons

I briefly review some general features and some recent developments concerning the resummation of long-distance singularities in QCD and in more general non-abelian gauge theories. I emphasize the field-theoretical tools of the trade, and focus mostly on the exponentiation of infrared and collinear divergences in amplitudes, which underlies the resummation of large logarithms in the corresponding cross sections. I then describe some recent results concerning the conformal limit, notably the case of N = 4 superymmetric Yang-Mills theory

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

Analytical studies for non-perturbative QCD of jets at hadron colliders

Inspired by the success of analytical models for non-perturbative effects, used to investigate event shape variables at LEP and HERA, we apply them to a study of jets at hadron colliders such as the Tevatron and the LHC. We find that simple analytical estimates are able to shed considerable light on issues that could previously be tackled only through Monte-Carlo simulations, for example the role of different non-perturbative effects in various jet algorithms. In this context, we also provide testable numerical results for the commonly studied inclusive-jet $p_t$ distribution, and we introduce new observables that could be employed to verify our calculations.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2007

Non-perturbative QCD effects in jets at hadron colliders

We discuss non-perturbative QCD contributions to jet observables, computing their dependence on the jet radius R, and on the colour and transverse momentum of the parton initiating the jet. We show, using analytic QCD models of power corrections as well as Monte Carlo simulations, that hadronisation corrections grow at small values of R, behaving as 1/R, while underlying event contributions grow with the jet area as R^2. We highlight the connection between hadronisation corrections to jets and those for event shapes in e^+e^- and DIS; we note the limited dependence of our results on the choice of jet algorithm; finally, we propose several measurements in the context of which to test or implement our predictions. The results presented here reinforce the motivation for the use of a range of R values, as well as a plurality of infrared-safe jet algorithms, in precision jet studies at hadron colliders.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2007

Power corrections for jets at hadron colliders

We discuss non-perturbative QCD corrections to jet distributions in hadron collisions, focussing on hadronisation and underlying event contributions. Using soft gluon resummation and Monte-Carlo modelling we show that hadronisation dominates at small values of the jet radius R, behaving as 1/R, while underlying event corrections grow with the jet area. This provides a handle to disentangle them and parametrize them in terms of measurable QCD parameters, which might enjoy a degree of universality.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2006

Refining threshold resummations

We describe some recent refinements of the techniques of threshold resummation, with emphasis on the usefulness of dimensional regularization when applied to nonabelian exponentiation. Threshold resummation is now under theoretical control for DIS and electroweak annihilation cross sections all the way to the fourth tower of logarithms and up to corrections suppressed by powers of the threshold variable.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2006

Angularities and other shapes

I discuss soft-gluon resummation and power corrections for event shape distributions, mostly in e+ e- annihilation. I consider specifically the thrust, the C parameter, and the class of angularities, and show how factorization techniques and dressed gluon exponentiation lead to predictive models of power corrections that are firmly grounded in perturbative QCD. The scaling rule for the shape function for angularities is derived as an example. Finally, I make a few remarks on possible generalizations to hadron collisions, and on their relevance to LHC studies.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2006

Two-loop Euler-Heisenberg effective actions from charged open strings

We present the multiloop partition function of open bosonic string theory in the presence of a constant gauge field strength, and discuss its low-energy limit. The result is written in terms of twisted determinants and differentials on higher-genus Riemann surfaces, for which we provide an explicit representation in the Schottky parametrization. In the field theory limit, we recover from the string formula the two-loop Euler-Heisenberg effective action for adjoint scalars minimally coupled to the background gauge field.

hep-th↗
arXiv2005

Soft-gluon resummation effects on parton distributions

We gauge the impact of soft-gluon resummation on quark distributions by performing a simple fit of Deep Inelastic Scattering structure function data using next-to-leading order (NLO) and next-to-leading-logarithmic (NLL)-resummed coefficient functions. We make use of NuTeV charged-current data, as well as New Muon Collaboration (NMC) and Bologna-CERN-Dubna-Munich-Saclay (BCDMS) neutral-current results, which probe large values of x. Our results suggest that the inclusion of resummation effects in global fits of parton distributions is both feasible and desirable, in order to achieve at large x the accuracy goals of the LHC physics program.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2005

Threshold resummation for electroweak annihilation from DIS data

We show that higher-order coefficients required to perform threshold resummation for electroweak annihilation processes, such as Drell-Yan or Higgs production via gluon fusion, can be computed using perturbative results derived in Deep Inelastic Scattering. As an example, we compute the three-loop coefficient D_3, generating most of the fourth tower of threshold logarithms for the Drell-Yan cross section in the MSbar scheme, using the recent three-loop results for splitting functions and for the quark form factor, as well as a class of exponentiating two-loop contributions to the Drell-Yan process.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2005

Impact of large-x resummation on parton distribution functions

We investigate the effect of large-x resummation on parton distributions by performing a fit of Deep Inelastic Scattering data from the NuTeV, BCDMS and NMC collaborations, using NLO and NLL soft-resummed coefficient functions. Our results show that soft resummation has a visible impact on quark densities at large x. Resummed parton fits would therefore be needed whenever high precision is required for cross sections evaluated near partonic threshold.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2004

Scaling of Power Corrections for Angularities from Dressed Gluon Exponentiation

We study power corrections to a recently introduced family of event shapes, the class of angularities, within the formalism of dressed gluon exponentiation (DGE). We find that the universal scaling rule for the leading power corrections deduced from resummation also holds when taking renormalon enhancements into account. The scaling is due to boost invariance of eikonal dynamics in the two-jet limit, which we recover in the context of DGE. Furthermore, dressed gluon exponentiation provides an ansatz for non-leading power corrections that violate the scaling. These non-leading corrections are further suppressed by non-integer powers of the hard scale.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2003

Exponentiation at partonic threshold for the Drell-Yan cross section

The techniques leading to the resummation of threshold logarithms in the Drell-Yan cross section and other processes can be used to show that also terms independent on the Mellin variable N exponentiate. Comparison with explicit two-loop calculations shows that within this class of terms the exponentiation of the one-loop result together with the running of the coupling is the dominant effect at two loops.

hep-ph↗