W. Beenakker

SQUARK AND GLUINO PRODUCTION AT HADRON COLLIDERS

We have determined the theoretical predictions for the cross-sections of squark and gluino production at p¯ p and pp colliders (Tevatron and LHC) in next-to-leading order of supersymmetric QCD. By reducing the dependence on the renormalization/factorization scale considerably, the theoretically predicted values for the cross-sections are much more stable if these higher-order corrections are implemented. If squarks and gluinos are discovered, this improved stability translates into a reduced error on the masses, as extracted experimentally from the size of the production cross-sections. The cross-sections increase significantly if the next-to-leading order corrections are included at a renormalization/factorization scale near the average mass of the produced massive particles. This rise results in improved lower bounds on squark and gluino masses. By contrast, the shape of the transverse-momentum and rapidity distributions remains nearly unchanged when the next-to-leading order corrections are included.

Higgs radiation off top quarks at the Tevatron and the LHC.

Higgs bosons can be searched for in the channels pp macro/pp-->tt macro H + X at the Fermilab Tevatron and the Cern Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We have calculated the QCD corrections to these processes in the standard model at next-to-leading order. The higher-order corrections reduce the renormalization and factorization scale dependence considerably and stabilize the theoretical predictions for the cross sections. At the central scale mu = (2m(t)+M(H))/2 the properly defined K factors are slightly below unity for the Tevatron (K approximately 0.8) and slightly above unity for the LHC (K approximately 1.2).

Stop production at hadron colliders

Abstract Stop particles are expected to be the lightest squarks in supersymmetric theories and the search for these particles is an important experimental task. We therefore present the cross sections for the production processes p p /pp → t 1 t 1 and t 2 t 2 at Tevatron and LHC energies in next-to-leading order supersymmetric QCD. The corrections stabilize the theoretical predictions for the cross sections, and they are positive, thus raising the cross sections to values above the leading-order predictions. Mixed t 1 t 2 / t 1 t 2 pairs can only be generated in higher orders at strongly suppressed rates.

Squark and gluino hadroproduction

We review the theoretical status of squark and gluino hadroproduction and provide numerical predictions for all squark and gluino pair-production processes at the Tevatron and at the LHC, with a particular emphasis on proton–proton collisions at 7 TeV. Our predictions include next-to-leading order supersymmetric QCD corrections and the resummation of soft gluon emission at next-to-leading-logarithmic accuracy. We discuss the impact of the higher-order corrections on total cross-sections, and provide an estimate of the theoretical uncertainty due to scale variation and the parton distribution functions.

Soft-gluon resummation for squark and gluino hadroproduction

We consider the resummation of soft gluon emission for squark and gluino hadroproduction at next-to-leading-logarithmic (NLL) accuracy in the framework of the minimal supersymmetric standard model. We present analytical results for squark-squark and squark-gluino production and provide numerical predictions for all squark and gluino pair-production processes at the Tevatron and at the LHC. The size of the soft-gluon corrections and the reduction in the scale uncertainty are most significant for processes involving gluino production. At the LHC, where the sensitivity to squark and gluino masses ranges up to 3 TeV, the corrections due to NLL resummation over and above the NLO predictions can be as high as 35% in the case of gluino-pair production, whereas at the Tevatron, the NLL corrections are close to 40% for squark-gluino final states with sparticle masses around 500 GeV.

QCD corrections to heavy quark production in hadron-hadron collisions

We investigate the QCD corrections to the cross section and single-particle inclusive differential distributions for p + p → Q(Q) + X where Q and Q are heavy quarks. We calculate the order α S corrections to the parton reaction q + q → Q + Q which involves the computation of the virtual gluon contributions and the soft and hard contributions from the reaction q + q → Q + Q + g. The contributions from the channels g + q(q) → Q + Q + q(q) are also calculated. Including the order α S corrections to g + g → Q + Q from our previous paper, we give exact results for the order α 3 S cross sections and single-particle inclusive differential distributions for the production of t and b quarks in pp collisions at energies presently available at the CERN SppS and the Fermilab tevatron. Results for future pp colliders are also presented. Finally we compare the results of the simple approximations to the order α S corrections with the exact results.

NLO QCD corrections to t anti-t H production in hadron collisions

The Higgs boson H of the Standard Model can be searched for in the channels p pbar / pp -> t tbar H + X at the Tevatron and the LHC. The cross sections for these processes and the final-state distributions of the Higgs boson and top quarks are presented at next-to-leading order QCD. To calculate these QCD corrections, a special calculational technique for pentagon diagrams has been developed and the dipole subtraction formalism has been adopted for massive particles. The impact of the corrections on the total cross sections is characterized by K factors, the ratios of the cross sections in next-to-leading order over leading order QCD. At the central scale mu_0 = (2 m_t + M_H)/2 the K factors are found to be slightly below unity for the Tevatron (K \sim 0.8) and slightly above unity for the LHC (K \sim 1.2). Including the corrections significantly stabilizes the theoretical predictions for total cross sections and for the distributions in rapidity and transverse momentum of the Higgs boson and top quarks.The Higgs boson H of the Standard Model can be searched for in the channels p pbar / pp ->t tbar H + X at the Tevatron and the LHC. The cross sections for these processes and the final-state distributions of the Higgs boson and top quarks are presented at next-to-leading order QCD. To calculate these QCD corrections, a special calculational technique for pentagon diagrams has been developed and the dipole subtraction formalism has been adopted for massive particles. The impact of the corrections on the total cross sections is characterized by K factors, the ratios of the cross sections in next-to-leading order over leading order QCD. At the central scale mu_0 = (2 m_t + M_H)/2 the K factors are found to be slightly below unity for the Tevatron (K \sim 0.8) and slightly above unity for the LHC (K \sim 1.2). Including the corrections significantly stabilizes the theoretical predictions for total cross sections and for the distributions in rapidity and transverse momentum of the Higgs boson and top quarks.

NLO QCD corrections to production in hadron collisions

The Higgs boson H of the Standard Model can be searched for in the channels p pbar / pp -> t tbar H + X at the Tevatron and the LHC. The cross sections for these processes and the final-state distributions of the Higgs boson and top quarks are presented at next-to-leading order QCD. To calculate these QCD corrections, a special calculational technique for pentagon diagrams has been developed and the dipole subtraction formalism has been adopted for massive particles. The impact of the corrections on the total cross sections is characterized by K factors, the ratios of the cross sections in next-to-leading order over leading order QCD. At the central scale mu_0 = (2 m_t + M_H)/2 the K factors are found to be slightly below unity for the Tevatron (K \sim 0.8) and slightly above unity for the LHC (K \sim 1.2). Including the corrections significantly stabilizes the theoretical predictions for total cross sections and for the distributions in rapidity and transverse momentum of the Higgs boson and top quarks.The Higgs boson H of the Standard Model can be searched for in the channels p pbar / pp ->t tbar H + X at the Tevatron and the LHC. The cross sections for these processes and the final-state distributions of the Higgs boson and top quarks are presented at next-to-leading order QCD. To calculate these QCD corrections, a special calculational technique for pentagon diagrams has been developed and the dipole subtraction formalism has been adopted for massive particles. The impact of the corrections on the total cross sections is characterized by K factors, the ratios of the cross sections in next-to-leading order over leading order QCD. At the central scale mu_0 = (2 m_t + M_H)/2 the K factors are found to be slightly below unity for the Tevatron (K \sim 0.8) and slightly above unity for the LHC (K \sim 1.2). Including the corrections significantly stabilizes the theoretical predictions for total cross sections and for the distributions in rapidity and transverse momentum of the Higgs boson and top quarks.

Supersymmetric top and bottom squark production at hadron colliders

The scalar partners of top and bottom quarks are expected to be the lightest squarks in supersymmetric theories, with potentially large cross sections at hadron colliders. We present predictions for the production of top and bottom squarks at the Tevatron and the LHC, including next-to-leading order corrections in supersymmetric QCD and the resummation of soft gluon emission at next-to-leading-logarithmic accuracy. We discuss the impact of the higher-order corrections on total cross sections and transverse-momentum distributions, and provide an estimate of the theoretical uncertainty due to scale variation and the parton distribution functions.

Electroweak radiative corrections to e+e− → W+W−

The cross section for e+e− → W+W− with arbitrary polarizations of the leptons and bosons is calculated in the standard electroweak model including the complete one-loop virtual and soft-photon bremsstrahlung corrections. The relevant analytic results are listed and the influence of the radiative corrections on the unpolarized cross section is discussed. We find moderate corrections at LEP II energies. The corrections increase continuously with energy up to − 50% of the Born cross section at 1 TeV.