Walter T. Giele

Higher-order corrections to jet cross sections in hadron colliders

We describe a general method of calculating the fully differential cross section for the production of jets at next-to-leading order in a hadron collider. This method is based on a “crossing” of next-to-leading order calculations with all partons in the final state. The method introduces universal crossing functions that allow a modular approach to next-to-leading order calculations for any process with initial state partons. These techniques are applied to the production of jets in association with a vector boson including all decay correlations of the final state observables.

Full one-loop amplitudes from tree amplitudes

We establish an efficient polynomial-complexity algorithm for one-loop calculations, based on generalized D-dimensional unitarity. It allows automated computations of both cut-constructible and rational parts of one-loop scattering amplitudes from on-shell tree amplitudes. We illustrate the method by (re)-computing all four-, five- and six-gluon scattering amplitudes in QCD at one-loop.

A numerical unitarity formalism for evaluating one-loop amplitudes

Recent progress in unitarity techniques for one-loop scattering amplitudes makes a numerical implementation of this method possible. We present a 4-dimensional unitarity method for calculating the cut-constructible part of amplitudes and implement the method in a numerical procedure. Our technique can be applied to any one-loop scattering amplitude and offers the possibility that one-loop calculations can be performed in an automatic fashion, as tree-level amplitudes are currently done. Instead of individual Feynman diagrams, the ingredients for our one-loop evaluation are tree-level amplitudes, which are often already known. To study the practicality of this method we evaluate the cut-constructible part of the 4, 5 and 6 gluon one-loop amplitudes numerically, using the analytically known 4, 5 and 6 gluon tree-level amplitudes. Comparisons with analytic answers are performed to ascertain the numerical accuracy of the method.

Masses, fermions and generalized D-dimensional unitarity

We extend the generalized D-dimensional unitarity method for numerical evaluation of one-loop amplitudes by incorporating massive particles. The issues related to extending the spinor algebra to higher dimensions, treatment of external self-energy diagrams and mass renormalization are discussed within the context of the D-dimensional unitarity method. To validate our approach, we calculate in QCD the one-loop scattering amplitudes of a massive quark pair with up to three additional gluons for arbitrary spin states of the external quarks and gluons.

On the Numerical Evaluation of One-Loop Amplitudes: The Gluonic Case

We develop an algorithm of polynomial complexity for evaluating one-loop amplitudes with an arbitrary number of external particles. The algorithm is implemented in the Rocket program. Starting from particle vertices given by Feynman rules, tree amplitudes are constructed using recursive relations. The tree amplitudes are then used to build one-loop amplitudes using an integer dimension on-shell cut method. As a first application we considered only three and four gluon vertices calculating the pure gluonic one-loop amplitudes for arbitrary external helicity or polarization states. We compare our numerical results to analytical results in the literature, analyze the time behavior of the algorithm and the accuracy of the results, and give explicit results for fixed phase space points for up to twenty external gluons.

On the production of a W and jets at hadron colliders

Abstract In this paper the evaluation of matrix elements for a vector boson decaying into n partons ( n ⩽ 6) is presented. For this purpose recursive techniques and Weyl-van der Waerden spinor calculus are used. By appropriately crossing partons the amplitudes can be used to describe the production of a W and jets. The four-jet case is of particular interest as background to interesting physics signals. Numerical results are given for present and future accelerator energies. Also the signal versus background question for top quark search is briefly discussed.

A Proposal for a standard interface between Monte Carlo tools and one-loop programs

Many highly developed Monte Carlo tools for the evaluation of cross sections based on tree matrix elements exist and are used by experimental collaborations in high energy physics. As the evaluation of one-loop matrix elements has recently been undergoing enormous progress, the combination of one-loop matrix elements with existing Monte Carlo tools is on the horizon. This would lead to phenomenological predictions at the next-to-leading order level. This note summarises the discussion of the next-to-leading order multi-leg (NLM) working group on this issue which has been taking place during the workshop on Physics at TeV Colliders at Les Houches, France, in June 2009. The result is a proposal for a standard interface between Monte Carlo tools and one-loop matrix element programs. Dedicated to the memory of, and in tribute to, Thomas Binoth, who led the effort to develop this proposal for Les Houches 2009. Thomas led the discussions, set up the subgroups, collected the contributions, and wrote and edited this paper. He made a promise that the paper would be on the arXiv the first week of January, and we are faithfully fulfilling his promise. In his honour, we would like to call this the Binoth Les Houches Accord.

A calculational formalism for one-loop integrals

We construct a specific formalism for calculating the one-loop virtual corrections for standard model processes with an arbitrary number of external legs. The procedure explicitly separates the infrared and ultraviolet divergences analytically from the finite one-loop contributions, which can then be evaluated numerically using recursion relations. Using the formalism outlined in this paper, we are in position to construct the next-to-leading order corrections to a variety of multi-leg QCD processes such as multi-jet production and vector-boson(s) plus multi-jet production at hadron colliders. The final limiting factor on the number of particles will be the available computer power.

One-loop amplitudes for W+3 jet production in hadron collisions

We employ the recently developed method of generalized D-dimensional unitarity to compute one-loop virtual corrections to all scattering amplitudes relevant for the production of a W boson in association with three jets in hadronic collisions, treating all quarks as massless.

Implications of hadron collider observables on parton distribution function uncertainties

Standard parton distribution function sets do not have rigorously quantified uncertainties. In recent years it has become apparent that these uncertainties play an important role in the interpretation of hadron collider data. In this paper, using the framework of statistical inference, we illustrate a technique that can be used to efficiently propagate the uncertainties to new observables, assess the compatibility of new data with an initial fit, and, in case the compatibility is good, include the new data in the fit. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}