Theoretical predictions for Bhabha scattering at the two-loop level require the inclusion of hadronic vacuum polarization in the photon propagator. We present predictions for the contributions from reducible amplitudes which are proportional to the vacuum polarization $π(q^2)$ and from irreducible ones where the vacuum polarization appears in a loop representing vertex or box diagrams. The second case can be treated by using dispersion relations with a weight function proportional to the $R$-ratio as measured in electron-positron annihilation into hadrons and kernels that can be calculated perturbatively. We present simple analytical forms for the kernels and, using two convenient parametrizations for the function $R(s)$, numerical results for the quantities of interest. As a cross check we evaluate the corresponding corrections resulting from light and heavy lepton loops and we find perfect agreement with previous calculations. For the hadronic correction our result are in good agreement with a previous evaluation.
Recent developments in the calculation of the NNLO corrections to the Bhabha scattering differential cross section in pure QED are briefly reviewed and discussed.
We obtain a simple relation between massless and massive scattering amplitudes in gauge theories in the limit where all kinematic invariants are large compared to particle masses. We use this relation to derive the two-loop QED corrections to large-angle Bhabha scattering.
We present a set of scalar master integrals (MIs) needed for a complete treatment of massive two-loop corrections to Bhabha scattering in QED, including integrals with arbitrary fermionic loops. The status of analytical solutions for the MIs is reviewed and examples of some methods to solve MIs analytically are worked out in more detail. Analytical results for the pole terms in epsilon of so far unknown box MIs with five internal lines are given.
We briefly review the status of the calculation of next-to-next-to-leading order corrections to large angle Bhabha scattering in pure QED. In particular, we focus on the analytic calculation of the two-loop virtual corrections involving a heavy-flavor fermion loop, which was recently completed. We conclude by assessing the numerical impact of these corrections on the Bhabha scattering cross section at colliders operating at a center of mass energy of 1 GeV and at the future ILC.
Virtual hadronic contributions to the Bhabha process at the NNLO level are discussed. They are substantial for predictions with per mil accuracy. The studies of heavy fermion and hadron corrections complete the calculation of Bhabha virtual effects at the NNLO level.
We calculate the two-loop virtual, UV renormalized corrections at order α^4 (N_F=1) in QED to the Bhabha scattering differential cross section, for arbitrary values of the squared c.m. energy s and momentum transfer t, and on-shell electrons and positrons of finite mass m. The calculation is carried out within the dimensional regularization scheme; the remaining IR divergences appear as polar singularities in (D-4). The result is presented in terms of 1- and 2-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms, of maximum weight 3.
In this paper we present a numerical implementation of the one-loop QED corrections to the hard-bremsstrahlung process e- e+ \to e- e+ gamma. These corrections can be included in the Monte Carlo event generators employed for simulating Bhabha scattering events at low-energy high-luminosity electron-positron colliders. The calculation is performed by employing the reduction method developed by Ossola, Papadopoulos and Pittau. Our results are implemented in a modular code for the numerical evaluation of the scattering amplitudes for any given phase-space point. In a similar way, we also evaluate…
Recently, we evaluated the virtual cross-section for Bhabha scattering in pure QED, up to corrections of order alpha^4 (N_F =1). This calculation is valid for arbitrary values of the squared center of mass energy s and momentum transfer t; the electron and positron mass m was considered a finite, non vanishing quantity. In the present work, we supplement the previous calculation by considering the contribution of the soft photon emission diagrams to the differential cross-section, up to and including terms of order alpha^4 (N_F=1). Adding the contribution of the real corrections to the renorma…
In the context of pure QED, we obtain analytic expressions for the contributions to the Bhabha scattering differential cross section at order alpha^4 which originate from the interference of two-loop photonic vertices with tree-level diagrams and from the interference of one-loop photonic diagrams amongst themselves. The ultraviolet renormalization is carried out. The IR-divergent soft-photon emission corrections are evaluated and added to the virtual cross section. The cross section obtained in this manner is valid for on-shell electrons and positrons of finite mass, and for arbitrary values …
Using dispersion relations, we derive the complete virtual QED contributions to Bhabha scattering due to vacuum polarization effects in photon propagation. We apply our result to hadronic corrections and to heavy lepton and top quark loop insertions. We give the first complete estimate of their net numerical effects for both small and large angle scattering at typical beam energies of meson factories, LEP, and the ILC. The effects turn out to be smaller, in most cases, than those corresponding to electron loop insertions, but stay, with amounts of typically one per mille, of relevance for prec…
A new Monte Carlo event generator for wide angle Bhabha scattering and muon pair production in $e^+e^-$ collisions is described. The program includes complete one-loop electroweak corrections, and QED radiative corrections. The O($α$) QED correction uses the exact matrix element. Higher order QED corrections are included in an improved soft photon approximation with exponentiation of initial state radiation. Events are generated in the full phase space of the final state including explicit mass effects in the region of collinear mass singularities. The program is intended for centre of mass en…
A new Monte Carlo model is proposed for radiative corrections to Bhabha scattering by extending QEDPS developed for multi-photon emission in muon pair production in $e^+e^-$ annihilation. This is the QED version of the model known as parton shower in QCD. The main difference between muon pair production and Bhabha scattering is that the latter cross section shows the singularity of $1/t^2$. A shower algorithm is constructed on the radiator formalism modified in a suitable form for this singularity. Some results of the model are presented and compared with $O(α)$ corrections.
In this paper we present the master integrals necessary for the analytic calculation of the box diagrams with one electron loop (N_{F}=1) entering in the 2-loop (α^3) QED virtual corrections to the Bhabha scattering amplitude of the electron. We consider on-shell electrons and positrons of finite mass m, arbitrary squared c.m. energy s, and momentum transfer t; both UV and soft IR divergences are regulated within the continuous D-dimensional regularization scheme. After a brief overview of the method employed in the calculation, we give the results, for s and t in the Euclidean region, in term…
Effects of vacuum polarization by hadronic and heavy-fermion insertions were the last unknown two-loop QED corrections to high-energy Bhabha scattering and have been first announced in \cite{Actis:2007fs}. Here we describe the corrections in detail and explore their numerical influence. The hadronic contributions to the virtual O(alpha^2) QED corrections to the Bhabha-scattering cross-section are evaluated using dispersion relations and computing the convolution of hadronic data with perturbatively calculated kernel functions. The technique of dispersion integrals is also employed to derive th…
Soft and virtual loop photonic contributions to the second order next-to-leading QED radiative corrections to Bhabha scattering are calculated with help of the renormalization group approach. The results are in agreement with earlier calculations, where other methods were used. Scale dependence and the present theoretical accuracy of Bhabha cross section description are discussed.
We evaluate the two-loop QED corrections to the Bhabha scattering cross section which involve the vacuum polarization by heavy fermions of arbitrary mass m_f >> m_e. The results are valid for generic values of the Mandelstam invariants s,t,u >> m_e^2.
All scalar master integrals (MIs) for massive 2-loop QED Bhabha scattering are identified. The 2- and 3-point MIs have been calculated in terms of harmonic polylogarithms with the differential equation method. The calculation of 4-point MIs is underway. We sketch some alternative methods which help to solve (mainly) singularities of some MIs.
We define a complete set of scalar master integrals (MIs) for massive 2-loop QED Bhabha scattering. Among others, there are thirty three 2-loop box type MIs. Five of them have been published in (semi-)analytical form, one is determined here, the rest remains to be calculated. Further, the last four so far unknown 2-loop 3-point MIs are identified and also computed here.
We review the status of the calculation of next-to-next-to-leading order corrections to large angle Bhabha scattering in pure QED. After discussing the electron-loop and photonic corrections, we focus on the recently calculated two-loop virtual corrections involving a heavy-flavor fermion loop. We conclude by assessing the numerical impact of these corrections on the Bhabha scattering cross section at colliders operating at a center of mass energy of about 1-GeV.
We propose a method to determine the running of $α_{QED}$ from the measurement of small-angle Bhabha scattering. The method is suited to high statistics experiments at $e^{+} e^{-}$ colliders, which are equipped with luminometers in the appropriate angular region. We present a new simulation code predicting small-angle Bhabha scattering. A detailed description of this idea can be found in A.B. Arbuzov, D. Haidt, C. Matteuzzi, M. Paganoni and L. Trentadue, The running of the electromagnetic coupling alpha in small-angle Bhabha scattering, Eur. Phys. J. C34, 267 (2004).
We describe in detail the calculation of the two-loop corrections to the QED Bhabha scattering cross section due to the vacuum polarization by heavy fermions. Our approach eliminates one mass scale from the most challenging part of the calculation and allows us to obtain the corrections in a closed analytical form. The result is valid for arbitrary values of the heavy fermion mass and the Mandelstam invariants, as long as s,t,u >> m_e^2.
We present the two-loop virtual QED corrections to e^+ e^- to mu^+ mu^- and Bhabha scattering in dimensional regularization. The results are expressed in terms of polylogarithms. The form of the infrared divergences agrees with previous expectations. These results are a crucial ingredient in the complete next-to-next-to-leading order QED corrections to these processes. A future application will be to reduce theoretical uncertainties associated with luminosity measurements at e^+ e^- colliders. The calculation also tests methods that may be applied to analogous QCD processes.
One- and two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms, HPLs and GPLs, appear in calculations of multi-loop integrals. We discuss them in the context of analytical solutions for two-loop master integrals in the case of massive Bhabha scattering in QED. For the GPLs we discuss analytical representations, conformal transformations, and also their transformations corresponding to relations between master integrals in the s- and t-channel.
We derive the two-loop corrections to Bhabha scattering from heavy fermions using dispersion relations. The double-box contributions are expressed by three kernel functions. Convoluting the perturbative kernels with fermionic threshold functions or with hadronic data allows to determine numerical results for small electron mass m_e, combined with arbitrary values of the fermion mass m_f in the loop, $m_e^2<<s,t,m_f^2$, or with hadronic insertions. We present numerical results for m_f = m_μ, m_τ, m_{top} at typical small- and large-angle kinematics ranging from 1 GeV to 500 GeV.
The lowest order QED radiative corrections to the radiative large angle Bhabha scattering process in the region where all kinematic invariants are large compared to the electron mass are considered. We show that the leading logarithmic corrections do not factorize before the Born cross section, contrary to the picture assumed in the renormalization group approach. The leading and non leading contributions for typical kinematics of the hard process at the energy of the $Φ$ factory are estimated.
Analitical calculations have been used to describe the calorimeter event selection in small-angle electron-positron scattering at LEP1. The first-order QED correction to the Born cross-section has been derived with leading log and the next-to-leading log approximations. The second- and the third-order corrections were computed with leading accuracy. The present analytical results are illustated by Tabeles and compared with the corresponding results obtained with the Monte Carlo generator BHLUMI.
Analytical method is applied for description of the small angle Bhabha scattering at LEP1. Inclusive event selection for asymmetrical wide-narrow circular detectors is considered. The QED correction to the Born cross-section is calculated with leading and next-to-leading accuracy in the second order of perturbation theory and with leading one --- in the third order. All contributions in the second order due to photonic radiative corrections and pair production are calculated starting from essential Feynman diagrams. The third order correction is computed by means of electron structure function…
A critical subject in fully differential QED calculations originates from numerical instabilities due to small fermion masses that act as regulators of collinear singularities. At next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) a major challenge is therefore to find a stable implementation of numerically delicate real-virtual matrix elements. In the case of Bhabha scattering this has so far prevented the development of a fixed-order Monte Carlo at NNLO accuracy. In this paper we present a new method for stabilising the real-virtual matrix element. It is based on the expansion for soft photon energies inc…
Recent developments in the computation of two-loop master integrals for massive Bhabha scattering are briefly reviewed. We apply a method based on expansions of exact Mellin-Barnes representations and evaluate all planar four-point master integrals in the approximation of small electron mass at fixed scattering angle for the one-flavor case. The same technique is employed to derive and evaluate also all two-loop masters generated by additional fermion flavors. The approximation is sufficient for the determination of QED two-loop corrections for Bhabha scattering in the kinematics planned to be…
Virtual fermionic N_f = 1 and N_f = 2 contributions to Bhabha scattering are combined with realistic real corrections at next-to-next-to-leading order in QED. The virtual corrections are determined by the package bha_nnlo_hf, and real corrections with the Monte Carlo generators Bhagen-1Ph, Helac-Phegas and Ekhara. Numerical results are discussed at the energies of and with realistic cuts used at the Phi factory DAFNE, at the B factories PEP-II and KEK, and at the charm/tau factory BEPC II. We compare these complete calculations with the approximate ones realized in the generator BabaYaga@NLO u…
The luminosity measurement at the projected International Linear $e^+e^-$ Collider ILC is planned to be performed with forward Bhabha scattering with an accuracy of the order of $10^{-4}$. A theoretical prediction of the differential cross-section has to include one-loop weak corrections, with leading higher order terms, and the complete two-loop QED corrections. Here, we present the weak part and the virtual one-loop photonic corrections. For the photonic corrections, the expansions in $ε= (4-d)/2$ are derived with inclusion of the terms of order $ε$ in order to match the two-loop accuracy. F…
We investigate the effect of Lorentz-violating terms on Bhabha scattering in two distinct cases correspondent to vectorial and axial nonminimal couplings in QED. In both cases, we find significant modifications with respect to the usual relativistic result. Our results reveal an anisotropy of the differential cross section which imply new constraints on the possible Lorentz violating terms.
We provide an exact calculation of next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) massive corrections to Bhabha scattering in QED, relevant for precision luminosity monitoring at meson factories. Using realistic reference event selections, exact numerical results for leptonic and hadronic corrections are given and compared with the corresponding approximate predictions of the event generator BabaYaga@NLO. It is shown that the NNLO massive corrections are necessary for luminosity measurements with per mille precision. At the same time they are found to be well accounted for in the generator at an accurac…
We analytically evaluate the master integrals for the second type of planar contributions to the massive two-loop Bhabha scattering in QED using differential equa- tions with canonical bases. We obtain results in terms of multiple polylogarithms for all the master integrals but one, for which we derive a compact result in terms of elliptic mul- tiple polylogarithms. As a byproduct, we also provide a compact analytic result in terms of elliptic multiple polylogarithms for an integral belonging to the first family of planar Bhabha integrals, whose computation in terms of polylogarithms was addre…
We report on a high-precision calculation of the Bhabha process in Quantum Electrodynamics, of interest for precise luminosity determination of electron-positron colliders involved in R measurements in the region of hadronic resonances. The calculation is based on the matching of exact next-to-leading order corrections with a Parton Shower algorithm. The accuracy of the approach is demonstrated in comparison with existing independent calculations and through a detailed analysis of the main components of theoretical uncertainty, including two-loop corrections, hadronic vacuum polarization and l…
QED processes at electron-positron colliders are considerd. We present differential cross-sections for large-angle Bhabha scattering, annihilation into muons and photons. Radiative corrections in the first order are taken into account exactly. Leading logarithmic contributions are calculated in all orders by means of the structure-function method. An accuracy of the calculation can be estimated about 0.2%.
The accurate knowledge of luminosity at e^+ e^- flavour factories requires the precision calculation of the Bhabha cross section at large scattering angles. In order to achieve a theoretical accuracy at the 0.1% level, the relevant effect of QED radiative corrections is taken into account in the framework of the Parton Shower method, which allows exclusive event generation. On this scheme, a Monte Carlo event generator (BABAYAGA) is developed for data analysis. To test the reliability of the approach, a benchmark calculation, including exact O(alpha) corrections and higher-order leading logari…
We report on a high-precision calculation of the Bhabha process in QED, of interest for precise luminosity determination of low-energy electron-positron colliders. The calculation is based on the matching of exact next-to-leading order corrections with a Parton Shower algorithm. The structure of the algorithm (implemented in an improved version of the event generator BABAYAGA) is illustrated, with a discussion on the resulting theoretical uncertainty, of the order of 0.1 %.
We have used YFS Monte Carlo techniques to obtain per-mil level accuracy for the Bhabha scattering cross section used in the luminosity monitor in electro-weak scattering experiments. We will describe techniques for extending these methods for use in the W production luminosity cross section for hadron colliders.
Recent improvements in the low energy e+e- annihilation data and their influence on the determination of the hadronic contribution to the running of the QED fine structure constant at m_Z are discussed. Using CMD-2 and KLOE measurements in the rho region we obtain Delta alpha(5)_had(s) = 0.02758 +/- 0.00035 at s = m_Z^2.
Recently a version of Lorentz-conserving noncommutative field theory (NCFT) has been suggested. The underlying Lie algebra of the theory is the same as that of Doplicher, Fredenhagen, and Roberts. In Lorentz-conserving NCFT the matrix parameter {theta}^{mu nu} which characterizes the canonical NCFT's is promoted to an operator {theta hat}^{mu nu} that transforms as a Lorentz tensor. In this paper, we calculate phenomenological consequences of the QED version of this theory by looking at various collider processes. In particular we calculate modifications to Moller scattering, Bhabha scattering…
Compact analytical formulae for QED radiative corrections in the processes of elastic $e-p$ scattering are obtained in the case when kinematic variables are reconstructed from the recoil proton momentum measured. Numerical analysis is presented under kinematic conditions of current experiments at JLab.
An update is described of a model independent method to determine the hadronic contribution to the QED running coupling at the Z-boson mass scale, $Δα_{\text{HAD}}(M_{Z}^{2})$. The major source of uncertainty is from the contribution of the light quark vector current correlator at zero momentum. This uncertainty is substantially reduced using recently improved lattice QCD results for this correlator. The result is $Δα_{\text{HAD}}(M_{Z}^{2})=274.13 (0.73)\, \times 10^{-4}$.
We review some recent results about the computation of mixed QCD-QED corrections beyond the leading order in perturbation theory. We start by considering the effects induced in the Altarelli-Parisi equations and the partonic distributions. In particular, we describe the computation of one-loop mixed QCD-QED and two-loop QED terms in the splitting kernels, which are relevant to account for the presence of photon distributions. In the last part, we briefly talk about the implementation of these corrections in the context of the $q_T$-subtraction/resummation formalism.
A numerical analysis of QED radiative corrections for elastic e(mu)p cattering in hadronic variables at energies of the current experiment at JLab is performed. The explicit formulas from the review of Akhundov et al. resulting from the integration over the phase space of leptonic variables plus photon are used to obtain the values of the cross sections and the radiative correction factor for unpolarized lepton-proton scattering. Our numerical results agree with the corresponding results arising from the formulas of Afanasev et al.
This work deals with the computation of electron pair correction to small angle Bhabha scattering, in order to contribute to the improvement of luminometry precision at LEP/SLC below 0.1% theoretical accuracy. The exact QED four-fermion matrix element for $e^+e^-\to e^+e^-e^+e^-$, including all diagrams and mass terms, is computed and different Feynman graph topologies are studied to quantify the error of approximate calculations present in the literature. Several numerical results, obtained by a Monte Carlo program with full matrix element, initial-state radiation via collinear structure func…
We evaluate analytically the master integrals for one of two types of planar families contributing to massive two-loop Bhabha scattering in QED. As in our previous paper, we apply a recently suggested new strategy to solve differential equations for master integrals for families of Feynman integrals. The crucial point of this strategy is to use a new basis of the master integrals where all master integrals are pure functions of uniform weight. This allows to cast the differential equations into a simple canonical form, which can straightforwardly be integrated order by order in epsilon in dime…
We present some techniques which have been developed recently or in the recent past to compute Feynman graphs beyond one-loop order. These techniques are useful to compute the three-loop splitting functions in QCD and to obtain the complete second order QED corrections to Bhabha scattering.
I review recent evaluations of the hadronic contributions to the muon anomalous magnetic moment (g-2)_mu and to the effective fine structure constant alpha (M_Z). A new estimate for the hadronic shift delta_alpha hadronic = 0.027782 +/- 0.000254 is presented which implies 1/alpha (M_Z) = 128.913 +/- 0.035. It is based on a recent perturbative calculation of the Adler function which includes mass effects up to three-loops in a MOM scheme and requires little ad hoc assumptions. I then discuss perspectives for possible improvements in estimations of g-2 which we expect from the Phi--factory DAPHN…
The luminosity determination of electron-positron colliders operating in the region of low-lying hadronic resonances (E_cm ~ 1-10 GeV), such as BEPC/BES, DAPHNE, KEKB, PEP-II and VEPP-2M, requires the precision calculation of the Bhabha process at large scattering angles. In order to achieve a theoretical accuracy at a few 0.1% level, the inclusion of radiative corrections is mandatory. The phenomenologically relevant effect of QED corrections is taken into account in the framework of the Parton Shower (PS) method, which is employed both for cross section calculation and event generation. To t…
We use recently evaluated radiative and nonperturbative corrections to production of heavy quarks by a vector current to give very precise theoretical calculations of the high energy ($t^{1/2}\geq \sqrt{2}$ GeV) imaginary part of the photon vacuum polarization function, ${\rm Im}Π(t)$. This allows us to improve the corresponding contributions to the muon (or any other lepton) $g-2$ anomaly and to the running QED constant on the $Z$, $\barα_{\rm QED}(M_Z)$. This decreases the error in the evaluations by a factor between two and six for the high energy contribution, and by some 50\% for the over…
I review recent estimates of the non-perturbative hadronic vacuum polarization contributions. Since these at present can only be evaluated in terms of experimental data of limited precision, the related uncertainties pose a serious limitation in our ability to make precise predictions. Besides e+e- - annihilation data also tau decay spectra can help to get better predictions. Here, it is important to account for all possible iso-spin violations in tau - decay spectra, from which e+e- cross sections may be obtained by an iso-spin rotation. The observed 10% discrepancy in the region above the rh…
A comparison of theoretical results on NNLO leptonic and hadronic corrections to Bhabha scattering with the Monte Carlo generator BabaYaga@NLO used at meson factories is given. Complete NLO virtual corrections to the $e^+e^- \to μ^+ μ^- γ$ process are discussed.
In this presentation, we describe the computation of higher-order QED effects relevant in hadronic collisions. In particular, we discuss the calculation of mixed QCD-QED one-loop contributions to the Altarelli-Parisi splittings functions, as well as the pure two-loop QED corrections. We explain how to extend the DGLAP equations to deal with new parton distributions, emphasizing the consequences of the novel corrections in the determination (and evolution) of the photon distributions.
We reevaluate the hadronic contribution to the running of the QED fine structure constant alpha(s) at s = M_Z^2. We use data from e+e- annihilation and tau decays at low energy and at the qq-bar thresholds, where resonances occur. Using so-called spectral moments and the Operator Product Expansion (OPE), it is shown that a reliable theoretical prediction of the hadronic production rate R(s) is available at relatively low energies. Its application improves significantly the precision on the hadronic vacuum polarization contribution. We obtain delta_alpha^had = (277.8 +/- 2.6) x 10^-4 yielding a…
Three-loop helicity amplitudes of four-lepton scattering in QED
Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy The University of Edinburgh（爱丁堡大学物理与天文学学院希格斯理论物理中心）；Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Liverpool（利物浦大学数学科学系）；Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universita di Padova（帕多瓦大学物理与天文系）；INFN, Sezione di Padova（意大利国家核物理研究所帕多瓦分部）
