Measurements of electroweak precision observables at future electron-positron colliders, such as the CEPC, FCC-ee, and ILC, will be sensitive to physics at multi-TeV scales. To achieve this sensitivity, precise predictions for the Standard Model expectations of these observables are needed, including corrections at the three- and four-loop level. In this article, results are presented for the calculation of a subset of three-loop mixed electroweak-QCD corrections, stemming from diagrams with a gluon exchange and two closed fermion loops. The numerical impact of these corrections is illustrated for a number of applications: the prediction of the W-boson mass from the Fermi constant, the effective weak mixing angle, and the partial and total widths of the Z boson. Two alternative renormalization schemes for the top-quark mass are considered, on-shell and $\overline{\mbox{MS}}$.
In this proceeding, we highlight the computation of leading fermionic three-loop corrections to electroweak precision observables (EWPOs) accomplished recently. We summarize the numerical analysis and provide an outlook.
We present the results from a calculation of the full electroweak two-loop fermionic contributions to the effective leptonic mixing angle of the $Z$ boson, $\sin^2θ_{eff}$, in the Standard Model. On-shell renormalization and analytic calculations are performed for the three-point vertex functions at zero external momenta, whereas irreducible three-point integrals for non-vanishing external momenta are evaluated semi-analytically applying two different methods. Comparisons with a previous calculation show complete agreement.
We investigate the effect of fermionic electroweak multiplet dark matter models on the stability of the electroweak vacuum using two-loop renormalization group equations (RGEs) and one-loop matching conditions. Such a treatment is crucial to obtain reliable conclusions, compared with one-loop RGEs and tree-level matching conditions. In addition, we find that the requirement of perturbativity up to the Planck scale would give strong and almost mass-independent constraints on the Yukawa couplings in the dark sector. We also evaluate these models via the idea of finite naturalness for the Higgs m…
We give some details of the recently completed calculation of the full two-loop fermionic corrections to the effective leptonic weak mixing angle. Among others, we describe the C++ library DiaGen/IdSolver, which was used to reduce the two-loop light fermion vertex diagrams to linear combinations of master integrals with rational function coefficients.
We show that, unlike mass matrices, the fermionic gauge currents of the Standard Model exhibit, at the quantum level, remarkable SU(2)_f flavor properties at the observed values of the mixing angles. They accommodate all measured mixing for three families of quarks, and, for neutrinos, maximal theta_{23}, quark-lepton complementarity tan(2 theta_c)=1/2 <--> \tan (2 theta_{12})=2, and a not so small sin^2(2 theta_{13}) = .267 within the present 90% c.l. interval of the T2K experiment.
We discuss the next to the leading order (NLO) electroweak radiative corrections to the $e^- e^+ \rightarrow f^- f^+ (γ)$ cross section asymmetry, for polarized and unpolarized beam scenario. The left-right and forward-backward amplitudes, with and without radiative corrections, are evaluated and compared for various kinematics. The hard bremsstrahlung is included for arbitrary energy cuts. The radiative corrections are shown to be significant and having a non-trivial dependency on the kinematic conditions. The calculations are relevant for the ultra-precise low-energy experiment Belle~II plan…
Improved predictions for the Z-boson decay width and the hadronic Z-peak cross-section within the Standard Model are presented, based on a complete calculation of electroweak two-loop corrections with closed fermion loops. Compared to previous partial results, the predictions for the Z width and hadronic cross-section shift by about 0.6 MeV and 0.004 nb, respectively. Compact parametrization formulae are provided, which approximate the full results to better than 4 ppm.
We investigate catalysis of electroweak baryogenesis by fermionic Higgs portal dark matter using a two Higgs doublet model augmented by vector-like fermions. The lightest neutral fermion mass eigenstate provides a viable dark matter candidate in the presence of a stabilizing symmetry Z_2 or gauged U(1)_D symmetry. Allowing for a non-vanishing CP-violating phase in the lowest-dimension Higgs portal dark matter interactions allows generation of the observed dark matter relic density while evading direct detection bounds. The same phase provides a source for electroweak baryogenesis. We show that…
We present the first calculation of the two-loop electroweak fermionic correction to the flavour-dependent effective weak-mixing angle for bottom quarks, sin^2 theta_{eff}^{b anti-b}. For the evaluation of the missing two-loop vertex diagrams, two methods are employed, one based on a semi-numerical Bernstein-Tkachov algorithm and the second on asymptotic expansions in the large top-quark mass. A third method based on dispersion relations is used for checking the basic loop integrals. We find that for small Higgs-boson mass values, M_H ~ 100 GeV, the correction is sizable, of order O(10^{-4}).
One-loop radiative corrections to the charged Higgs coupling to two fermions and to the charged Higgs fermionic decay are studied. A renormalization scheme is proposed including the definition of the parameter $\tanβ$ through the coupling of the CP-odd Higgs boson to a charged lepton pair. Loops including top and bottom quarks and squarks are considered using the unitary gauge. Large corrections to the coupling are found when there is a substantial mixing in the squark mass matrix, but these corrections are suprress in the decay rate. Interesting applications to rare processes are discussed.
We present a systematic determination of the order hbar fermionic energy shift when an electroweak string is perturbed. We show that the combined effect of zero modes, bound states and continuum states is to lower the total fermionic ground state energy of the string when the Higgs instability of the string is excited. The effect of the Dirac sea is thus to destabilise the string. However, this effect can be offset by populating positive energy states. Fermions enhance the stability of an electroweak string with sufficiently populated fermionic bound states.
The result for the Higgs-dependent electroweak two-loop bosonic contributions to the effective leptonic mixing angle of the $Z$-boson in the Standard Model is presented. Together with the previously calculated fermionic contributions it yields the complete dependence of $\sin^2θ_{\rm eff}$ on the Higgs-boson mass $M_H$. Compared to the fermionic contributions, the bosonic contributions are found to be smaller and have the opposite sign, compensating part of the fermionic contributions.
Extensions of the Standard Model often come with additional, possibly electroweakly charged Higgs states, the prototypal example being the Two-Higgs-Doublet Model. While collider phenomenology does not exclude the possibility for some of these new scalar fields to be light, it is relatively natural to consider masses in the multi-TeV range, in which case the only remaining light Higgs boson automatically receives SM-like properties. The appearance of a hierarchy between the new-physics states and the electroweak scale then leads to sizable electroweak corrections, e. g. in the decays of the he…
We consider two-loop leading and next-to-leading logarithmic virtual corrections to arbitrary processes with external massless fermions in the electroweak Standard Model at energies well above the electroweak scale. Using the sector-decomposition method and alternatively the strategy of regions we calculate the mass singularities that arise as logarithms of Q^2/MW^2, where Q is the energy scale of the considered process, and 1/εpoles in D=4-2εdimensions, to one- and two-loop next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy. The derivations are performed within the complete electroweak theory with spontane…
We consider a model with a gauge singlet Dirac fermion as a cold dark matter candidate. The dark matter particle communicates with the Standard Model via a gauge singlet scalar mediator that couples to the Higgs. The scalar mediator also serves to create a tree-level barrier in the scalar potential which leads to a strongly first order electroweak phase transition as required for Electroweak Baryogenesis. We find a large number of models that can account for all the dark matter and provide a strong phase transition while avoiding constraints from dark matter direct detection, electroweak preci…
We present the minimal model of electroweak baryogenesis induced by fermions. The model consists of an extension of the Standard Model with one electroweak singlet fermion and one pair of vector like doublet fermions with renormalizable couplings to the Higgs. A strong first order phase transition is radiatively induced by the singlet-doublet fermions, while the origin of the baryon asymmetry is due to asymmetric reflection of the same set of fermions on the expanding electroweak bubble wall. The singlet-doublet fermions are stabilized at the electroweak scale by chiral symmetries and the Higg…
Future electroweak precision measurements in the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) project would significantly improve the precision of electroweak oblique parameters. We evaluate the expected precision through global fits, and study the corresponding sensitivity to weakly interacting fermionic dark matter. Three models with electroweak multiplets in the dark sector are investigated as illuminating examples. We find that the CEPC data can probe up to TeV scales and explore some regions where direct detection cannot reach, especially when the models respect the custodial symmetry.
We present a complete calculation of the contributions to the effective leptonic weak mixing angle, sin^2theta_eff, generated by closed fermion loops at the two-loop level of the electroweak interactions. This quantity is the source of the most stringent bound on the mass, M_H, of the only undiscovered particle of the Standard Model, the Higgs boson. The size of the corrections with respect to known partial results varies between -4*10^-5 and -8*10^-5 for a realistic range of M_H from 100 to 300 GeV. This translates into a shift of the predicted (from sin^2theta_eff alone) central value of M_H…
Future electron-position colliders, such as CEPC and FCC-ee, have the capability to dramatically improve the experimental precision for W and Z-boson masses and couplings. This would enable indirect probes of physics beyond the Standard Model at multi-TeV scales. For this purpose, one must complement the experimental measurements with equally precise calculations for the theoretical predictions of these quantities within the Standard Model, including three-loop electroweak corrections. This article reports on the calculation of a subset of these corrections, stemming from diagrams with three c…
The two-loop electroweak corrections to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, generated by fermionic loops, are calculated. An interesting role of the top quark in the anomaly cancellation is observed. New corrections, including terms of order $G_μαm_t^2$, are computed and a class of diagrams previously thought to vanish are found to be important. The total fermionic correction is $-(23\pm 3) \times 10^{-11}$ which decreases the electroweak effects on $g-2$, predicted from one-loop calculations, by 12\%. We give an updated theoretical prediction for $g-2$ of the muon.
Recently, the calculation of fermionic electroweak two-loop corrections to the total width of the Z boson and hadronic Z-peak cross-section in the Standard Model has been presented in arXiv:1310.2256, where "fermionic" refers to diagrams with closed fermion loops. Here, these results are complemented by presenting contributions of the same order for the Z-boson partial widths, which are the last missing pieces for a complete description of Z-pole physics at the fermionic two-loop order. The definition of the relevant observables and the calculational techniques are described in detail. Numeric…
We present the constraints on the parameter space of the Lee-Wick Standard Model coming from electroweak precision observables. The model predicts a large positive S and a negative T. We show that it is possible to find some regions in parameter space with a fermionic state as light as 2.4-3.5 TeV. We also propose a simple extension of the model including a fourth generation. In this case it is possible to pass the electroweak constraints with Lee-Wick fermionic masses of order 0.4-1.5 TeV and Lee-Wick gauge masses of order 3 TeV.
The Large N expansion in gauge models with an NJL mechanism is discussed in view of the resulting fermionic mass matrix. A hidden symmetry model is introduced.
Naturalness demands that the quadratic divergence of the one-loop top contribution to the Higgs mass be cancelled at a scale below 1 TeV. This can be achieved by introducing a fermionic (spin-1/2) top partner, as in, for example, Little Higgs models. In this paper, we study the phenomenology of a simple model realizing this mechanism. We present the current bounds on the model from precision electroweak fits, flavor physics, and direct searches at the LHC. The lower bound on the top partner mass from precision electroweak data is approximately 500 GeV, while the LHC bound with 5/fb of data at …
We present the dominant two-loop ${\rm O}\left(G_F^2M_H^4\right)$ electroweak corrections to the fermi\-onic decay widths of a high-mass Higgs boson in the Standard Model. The corrections are negative and quite significant, and are larger in magnitude than the one-loop electroweak corrections for $M_H\gsim 400\ {\rm GeV}$. This indicates the onset of a breakdown of perturbation theory in the Higgs sector of the Standard Model at this surprisingly low value of the Higgs-boson mass.
The full $\mathcal{O}(α)$ electroweak radiative corrections to $t \bar{t} γ$ and $e^-e^+γ$ productions at the International Linear Collider (ILC) are presented in this paper. The computation is performed with the help of GRACE-Loop system. In the physical results, we discuss on the cross section, electroweak corrections, and the top quark forward-backward asymmetry ($A_{FB}$) which are the function of the center-of-mass energy.
We have calculated the complete electroweak O(alpha) radiative corrections to the single Higgs-boson production processes e+ e- --> nu_l anti-nu_l H (l=e,mu,tau) in the electroweak Standard Model. Initial-state radiation beyond O(alpha) is included in the structure-function approach. The calculation of the corrections is briefly described, and numerical results are presented for the total cross section. In the G_mu scheme, the bulk of the corrections is due to initial-state radiation, which affects the cross section at the level of -7% at high energies and even more in the ZH threshold region.…
The complete two-loop electroweak fermionic corrections to the effective leptonic weak mixing angle, sin^2(theta_eff), are now available. Here we shortly present the methods applied and illustrate the implications on indirect prediction for the Higgs boson mass within the standard model.
The progress in the evaluation of the muon decay lifetime is reviewed. The electroweak bosonic corrections are given together with the respective shift of the W boson mass. After inclusion of the recently corrected fermionic contributions, this requires an updated fitting formula for the prediction of MW.
A precise theoretical description of W- and Z-boson production in the resonance region is essential for the correct interpretation of high-precision measurements of the W-boson mass and the effective weak mixing angle. Currently, the largest unknown fixed-order contribution is given by the mixed QCD-electroweak corrections of $\mathcal{O}(α_sα)$. We argue, using the framework of the pole expansion for the NNLO QCD-electroweak corrections established in a previous paper, that the numerically dominant corrections arise from the combination of large QCD corrections to the production with the larg…
We extend the Standard Model (SM) by adding a pair of fermionic SU(2)-doublets with opposite hypercharge and a fermionic SU(2)-triplet with zero hypercharge. We impose a discrete Z_2-symmetry that distinguishes the SM fermions from the new ones. Then, gauge invariance allows for two renormalizable Yukawa couplings between the new fermions and the SM Higgs field, as well as for direct masses for the doublet (M_D) and the triplet (M_T). After electroweak symmetry breaking, this model contains, in addition to SM particles, two charged Dirac fermions and a set of three neutral Majorana fermions, t…
We compute the one-loop dispersion relations at finite temperature for quarks, charged leptons and neutrinos in the Minimal Standard Model. The dispersion relations are calculated in two different plasma situations: for a vacuum expectation value $\upsilon$ of the Higgs field $\upsilon \neq 0$ (broken electroweak symmetry) and for $\upsilon=0$ (unbroken electroweak symmetry). The flavour and chiral non-degeneracy of the quasi-particle spectrum is studied. Numerical results show that the thermal effective masses for fermions in the broken phase have a smaller value than those in the unbroken ph…
The "non-linear" self-consistent theory of classical fields in the electroweak model is proposed. Homogeneous boson ground state solutions in the GSW model at the presence of a non-zero extended fermionic charge densities are reviewed and fully reinterpreted to make the theory with non-zero charge densities fruitful. Consequences of charge density fluctuations are proposed.
In this work we present a common framework for neutrino mass and dark matter. Specifically, we work with a local $\mathcal{B-L}$ extension of the standard model which has three right-handed neutrinos, $n_{R_{i}}$, and some extra scalars, $Φ$, $ϕ_{i}$ besides the standard model fields. The $n_{R_{i}}$'s have non-standard $\mathcal{B-L}$ quantum numbers and thus these couple to different scalars. This model has the attractive property that an almost automatic $Z_2$ symmetry acting only on a fermionic field, $n_{R3}$, is present. Taking advantage of this $Z_2$ symmetry, we study both the neutrino…
We study the processes $pp \to t\bar{t}Z$ and $pp \to tZj$ in the framework of Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT), employing conventional cut-and-count as well as machine learning techniques to take advantage of kinematic information in complex final states involving multiple leptons and $b$ jets. We explore the projected sensitivity for two SMEFT operators, $\mathcal{O}_{tZ}$ and $\mathcal{O}_{tW}$, that induce electroweak dipole moment interactions for top quarks, through direct searches in these electroweak top production processes at the HL-LHC. New physics modifications to domi…
We present the complete NLO electroweak contribution of $\mathcal{O}(α^2_s α)$ to the production of diagonal squark--anti-squark pairs in proton--proton collisions. Compared to the lowest-order $\mathcal{O}(α_sα+ α^2)$ electroweak terms, the NLO contributions are also significant. We discuss the LO and NLO electroweak effects in cross sections and distributions at the LHC for the production of squarks different from top squarks, in various supersymmetric benchmark scenarios.
We study a classically scale-invariant model with an electroweak singlet complex scalar mediator together with an anomaly free set of two fermionic dark matters. We introduce $U(1)_X$ gauge symmetry with a new charge $X$ in the dark sector in order to stabilize the mass of the scalar singlet with a new gauge boson. Our conformally invariant scalar potential generates the electroweak symmetry breaking via the Coleman-Weinberg mechanism, and the new scalar singlet acquires its mass through radiative corrections of the fermionic dark matters and the new gauge boson as well as of the SM particles.…
We revisit the extraction of the triple electroweak gauge boson couplings from the Large Hadron Collider Run I data on the $W^+W^-$ and $W^\pm Z$ productions when the analysis also contains additional operators that modify the couplings of the gauge bosons to light quarks and the gauge boson self-energies. We work in the framework of effective Lagrangians where we consider dimension-six operators and perform a global fit to consistently take into account the bounds on these additional operators originating from the electroweak precision data. We show that the constraints on the Wilson coeffici…
By using the GRACE-Loop system, we calculate the full $\mathcal{O}(α)$ electroweak radiative corrections to the process $e^+e^- \rightarrow e^+e^- γ$, which is important for future investigations at the International Linear Collider (ILC). With the GRACE-Loop system, the calculations are checked numerically by three consistency tests: ultraviolet finiteness, infrared finiteness, and gauge-parameter independence. The results show good numerical stability when quadruple precision is used. In the phenomenological results, we find that the electroweak corrections to the total cross section range f…
We calculate the dominant ${\rm O}\left(G_F^2M_H^4\right)$ two-loop electroweak corrections to the fermi\-onic decay widths of a heavy Higgs boson in the Standard Model. Use of the Goldstone-boson equivalence theorem reduces the problem to one involving only the physical Higgs boson $H$ and the Goldstone bosons $w^\pm$ and $z$ of the unbroken theory. The two-loop corrections are opposite in sign to the one-loop electroweak corrections, exceed the one-loop corrections in magnitude for $M_H>1114\ {\rm GeV}$, and increase in relative magnitude as $M_H^2$ for larger values of $M_H$. We conclude th…
We present a fermionic dark matter model mediated by the hidden gauge boson. We assume the QED-like hidden sector which consists of a Dirac fermion and U(1)$_X$ gauge symmetry, and introduce an additional scalar electroweak doublet field with the U(1)$_X$ charge as a mediator. The hidden U(1)$_X$ symmetry is spontaneously broken by the electroweak symmetry breaking and there exists a massive extra neutral gauge boson in this model which is the mediator between the hidden and visible sectors. Due to the U(1)$_X$ charge, the additional scalar doublet does not couple to the Standard Model fermion…
The electroweak sector of the Standard Model can be formulated in a way similar to Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT), but extended by a singlet scalar. The resulting effective field theory (EFT) is called Higgs-Electroweak Chiral Lagrangian (EWCh$\mathcal{L}$) and is the most general approach to new physics in the Higgs sector. It solely assumes the pattern of symmetry breaking leading to the three electroweak Goldstone bosons (i.e. massive $W$ and $Z$) and the existence of a Higgs-like scalar particle. The power counting of the EWCh$\mathcal{L}$ is given by a generalization of the momentum ex…
We calculate the two--loop electroweak corrections to the fermionic decay width of the Higgs boson at leading order in $m_{H}$. The sum of one--loop and two--loop radiative corrections turns out to be at 6% level over the whole range of $m_{H}$ where the perturbation theory is supposed to be a sensible approximation. We show that the perturbative approach breaks down at $m_{H} \sim$ 1.4 TeV, and address the question of its relevance beyond this limit.
We present a new mechanism for solving the fermionic masses and mixing hierarchies of the standard model through a minimal symmetry $\mathcal{Z}_2 \times \mathcal{Z}_5$. The mechanism is also capable of explaining the neutrino masses and mixing parameters. The phenomenological bounds arising from kaon mixing are also derived on the parameter space of the model.
We study the role of fermionic resonances in realistic composite Higgs models. We consider the low energy effective description of a model in which the Higgs arises as the pseudo-Goldstone boson of an SO(5)/SO(4) global symmetry breaking pattern. Assuming that only fermionic resonances are present below the cut-off of our effective theory, we perform a detailed analysis of the electroweak constraints on such a model. This includes the exact one-loop calculation of the T parameter and the anomalous Zbb coupling for arbitrary new fermions and couplings. Other relevant observables, like b to s ga…
Precise predictions for an $e^+e^-\rightarrow t\bar{t}$ cross section are presented at an energy region from 400 GeV to 800 GeV. Cross sections are estimated including the beam-polarization effects with full $\mathcal{O}(α)$, and also with effects of the initial-state photon emission. A radiator technique is used for the initial-state photon emission up to two-loop order. A weak correction is defined as the full electroweak corrections without the initial-state photonic corrections. As a result, it is obtained that the total cross section of a top quark pair-production receives the weak correc…
We calculate the energy of electroweak sphalerons including one-loop fermionic corrections. This calculation has previously been done by adding the correction to the tree-level sphaleron and interpreting the resulting energy as the 1-loop energy. However, in this paper we calculate the energy by doing a full renormalisation of the parameters on 1-loop-level and redetermining the sphaleron configuration using the full energy functional. When comparing the final result with the tree-level solution we find that the 1-loop calculation will only cause small deviations of the sphaleron energy.
We consider an Electroweak string in the background of a uniform distribution of cold fermionic matter. As a consequence of the fermion number non-conservation in the Weinberg-Salam model, the string produces a long-range magnetic field.
We present the full $\mathcal{O}(α)$ electroweak radiative corrections to the process $e^+e^- \rightarrow t \bar{t} γ$ at the International Linear Collider (ILC). The computation is performed with the help of the GRACE-Loop system. We present the total cross-section and the top quark forward-backward asymmetry ($A_{FB}$) as a function of the center-of-mass energy and compare them with the process $e^+e^- \rightarrow t \bar{t}$. We find that the value of $A_{FB}$ in $t \bar{t} γ$ production is larger than $A_{FB}$ in $t\bar{t}$ production. It is an important result for the measurement of the to…
We study an effective field theory which includes the Standard Model extended by a Dark Sector consisting of two fermionic $SU(2)_{L}$-doublets. A $Z_2$ parity guarantees that, after electroweak symmetry breaking, the lightest neutral particle is stable, acting as a WIMP. The dark sector interacts with the Higgs and gauge bosons through renormalizable and non-renormalizable $d=5$ operators. We find that a WIMP with a mass around the electroweak scale, i.e. accessible at the LHC, is consistent with collider and astrophysical data only when non-trivial magnetic dipole interactions with the gauge…
We present a full one-loop calculation of the electroweak corrections to the partial decay widths of the fermionic modes of sfermions Γ(\sfermion \to f'χ). The main technical points of the renormalization are presented, and the main features of the results are discussed.
Recently the two-loop next-to-leading logarithmic (NLL) virtual corrections to arbitrary processes with massless external fermions have been calculated. Within the spontaneously broken electroweak theory the one- and two-loop mass singularities have been derived to NLL accuracy and expressed as universal correction factors depending only on the quantum numbers of the external particles. This talk summarizes the results for massless fermionic processes and presents new aspects arising in the extension of the corresponding loop calculations to massive external fermions. As a preliminary result, …
In model independent way we consider the possibility of the existence of fermion-antifermion, fermion-fermion bound states which appear due to $γ, Z^0(W^{\pm}$-bosons and scalar, pseudoscalars exchanges including radiative corrections. Our consideration includes the case where at least one particle in the bound state is Majorana fermion or scalar.This paper considers various types of bound states of particles contained in various extensions of the Glashow-Weinberg -Salam model. We calculate long-range forces induced by photonic, gluonic and fermionic loop corrections in scalar (pseudoscalar) e…
We discuss the stabilization of the scalar sector, including the radion, in the gauge model with one universal extra dimension, within Higgs and Higgsless scenarios. The stabilization occurs at the one-loop level, through the fermionic contribution to the effective potential; in the Higgs case, for stabilization to take place the bosonic contribution must be balanced by the fermionic one, hence the scales of these two cannot differ too much. However, there is no need for (softly broken) supersymmetry to achieve the stabilization - it can be arranged for a reasonably wide range of couplings and…
We calculate renormalization constants Z_H, Z_w, the Higgs and W-boson mass and tadpole counterterms in the on-mass-shell renormalization scheme to two loops in the heavy-Higgs-boson limit m_H >> M_W. Explicit analytic formulae are presented for the two-loop integrals with masses, which are not known in the literature. As an application, the analytic expression for the two-loop leading correction to the fermionic Higgs boson width is obtained.
The current status of electroweak precision tests after the discovery of the Higgs boson is reviewed, both from a phenomenological and from a theoretical point of view. Predictions for all Z-pole quantities are now available at the complete fermionic two-loop order within the Standard Model. The calculation of these corrections is described based on the example of the total Z-boson width. Finally, an outlook on the experimental improvements and theoretical challenges for a future high-luminosity e+e- collider is given.
