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Abstract We compute the one-loop corrections to gg → $$t\overline{t }H$$ up to order $$\mathcal{O}\left({\epsilon }^{2}\right)$$ in the dimensional-regularization parameter. We apply the projector method to compute polarized amplitudes, which generalize massless helicity amplitudes to the massive case. We employ a semi-numerical strategy to evaluate the scattering amplitudes. We express the form factors through scalar integrals analytically, and obtain separately integration by parts reduction identities in compact form. We integrate numerically the corresponding master integrals with an enhanced implementation of the Auxiliary Mass Flow algorithm. Using a numerical fit method, we concatenate the analytic and the numeric results to obtain fast and reliable evaluation of the scattering amplitude. This approach improves numerical stability and evaluation time. Our results are implemented in the Mathematica package TTH.

The ATLAS and CMS collaborations at the LHC have recently announced evidence for the rare Higgs boson decay into a Z boson and a photon. We analyze the interference between the process gg→H→Zγ induced by loops of heavy particles, which is by far the dominant contribution to the signal, and the continuum gg→Zγ QCD background process mediated by light quark loops. This interference modifies the event yield, the resonance line-shape and the apparent mass of the Higgs boson. We calculate the radiative corrections to this interference beyond the leading-order approximation in perturbative QCD and find that, while differing numerically from the corresponding effects on the more studied gg→γγ signal, they are generally rather small. As such, they do not impact significantly the interpretation of the present measurements of the H→Zγ decay mode.

Abstract In this paper we consider signal-background interference effects in Higgs-mediated diphoton production at the LHC. After reviewing earlier works that show how to use these effects to constrain the Higgs boson total decay width, we provide predictions beyond NLO accuracy for the interference and related observables, and study the impact of QCD radiative corrections on the Higgs width determination. In particular, we use the so-called soft-virtual approximation to estimate interference effects at NNLO in QCD. The inclusion of these effects reduces the NNLO prediction for the total Higgs cross-section in the diphoton channel by about 1.7%. We study in detail the impact of QCD corrections on the Higgs-boson line-shape and its implications for the Higgs boson width extraction. In particular, we find that the shift of the Higgs resonance peak arising from interference effects gets reduced by about 30% with respect to the NLO prediction. Assuming an experimental resolution of about 150 $$\textrm{MeV}$$ MeV on interference-induced modifications of the Higgs-boson line-shape, our NNLO analysis shows that one could constrain the Higgs-boson total width to about 10–20 times its Standard Model value.

Abstract We compute mixed QCD-electroweak corrections to the neutral-current Drell-Yan production of a pair of massless leptons in the high invariant mass region. Our computation is fully differential with respect to the final state particles. At relatively low values of the dilepton invariant mass, m ℓℓ ∼ 200 GeV, we find unexpectedly large mixed QCD-electroweak corrections at the level of −1%. At higher invariant masses, m ℓℓ ∼ 1 TeV, we observe that these corrections can be well approximated by the product of QCD and electroweak corrections. Hence, thanks to the well-known Sudakov enhancement of the latter, they increase at large invariant mass and reach e.g. −3% at m ℓℓ = 3 TeV. Finally, we note that the inclusion of mixed corrections reduces the theoretical uncertainty related to the choice of electroweak input parameters to below the percent level.

Abstract The analytical expressions of the mixed QCD-EW corrections to on-shell Z boson inclusive production cross section at hadron colliders are presented, together with computational details. The results are given in terms of polylogarithmic functions and elliptic integrals. The impact on the prediction of the Z boson production total cross section is discussed, comparing different proton parton density sets.

Abstract We present the leading colour and light fermionic planar two-loop corrections for the production of two photons and a jet in the quark-antiquark and quark-gluon channels. In particular, we compute the interference of the two-loop amplitudes with the corresponding tree level ones, summed over colours and polarisations. Our calculation uses the latest advancements in the algorithms for integration-by-parts reduction and multivariate partial fraction decomposition to produce compact and easy-to-use results. We have implemented our results in an efficient C++ numerical code. We also provide their analytic expressions in Mathematica format.

Abstract Theoretical predictions for t t ¯ $$ \overline{t} $$ b b ¯ $$ \overline{b} $$ production are of crucial importance for t t ¯ $$ \overline{t} $$ H measurements in the H → b b ¯ $$ \overline{b} $$ channel at the LHC. To address the large uncertainties associated with the modelling of extra QCD radiation in t t ¯ $$ \overline{t} $$ b b ¯ $$ \overline{b} $$ events, in this paper we present a calculation of pp → t t ¯ $$ \overline{t} $$ b b ¯ $$ \overline{b} $$ j at NLO QCD. The behaviour of NLO corrections is analysed in a variety of observables, and to assess theoretical uncertainties we use factor- two rescalings as well as different dynamic scales. In this context, we propose a systematic alignment of dynamic scales that makes it possible to disentangle normalisation and shape uncertainties in a transparent way. Scale uncertainties at NLO are typically at the level of 20–30% in integrated cross sections, and below 10% for the shapes of distributions. The kinematics of QCD radiation is investigated in detail, including the effects of its recoil on the objects of the t t ¯ $$ \overline{t} $$ b b ¯ $$ \overline{b} $$ system. In particular, we discuss various azimuthal correlations that allow one to characterise the QCD recoil pattern in a precise and transparent way. In general, the calculation at hand provides a variety of precise benchmarks that can be used to validate the modelling of QCD radiation in t t ¯ $$ \overline{t} $$ b b ¯ $$ \overline{b} $$ generators. Moreover, as we will argue, pp → t t ¯ $$ \overline{t} $$ b b ¯ $$ \overline{b} $$ j at NLO entails information that can be used to gain insights into the perturbative convergence of the inclusive t t ¯ $$ \overline{t} $$ b b ¯ $$ \overline{b} $$ cross section beyond NLO. Based on this idea, we address the issue of the large NLO K-factor observed in σ t t ¯ b b ¯ $$ {\sigma}_{t\overline{t}b\overline{b}} $$ , and we provide evidence that supports the reduction of this K-factor through a mild adjustment of the QCD scales that are conventionally used for this process. The presented 2 → 5 NLO calculations have been carried out using OpenLoops 2 in combination with Sherpa and Munich.

Abstract We present the new version of OpenLoops, an automated generator of tree and one-loop scattering amplitudes based on the open-loop recursion. One main novelty of OpenLoops 2 is the extension of the original algorithm from NLO QCD to the full Standard Model, including electroweak (EW) corrections from gauge, Higgs and Yukawa interactions. In this context, among several new features, we discuss the systematic bookkeeping of QCD–EW interferences, a flexible implementation of the complex-mass scheme for processes with on-shell and off-shell unstable particles, a special treatment of on-shell and off-shell external photons, and efficient scale variations. The other main novelty is the implementation of the recently proposed on-the-fly reduction algorithm, which supersedes the usage of external reduction libraries for the calculation of tree–loop interferences. This new algorithm is equipped with an automated system that avoids Gram-determinant instabilities through analytic methods in combination with a new hybrid-precision approach based on a highly targeted usage of quadruple precision with minimal CPU overhead. The resulting significant speed and stability improvements are especially relevant for challenging NLO multi-leg calculations and for NNLO applications.

We present the first complete calculation of mixed QCD-electroweak corrections to the production of on-shell Z bosons in hadron collisions and their decays to massless charged leptons. Our computation is fully differential with respect to final state QCD partons and resolved photons, allowing us to compute any infra-red safe observable pertinent to the pp→Z→l+l− process in the approximation that the Z boson is on shell. Although mixed QCD-electroweak corrections are small, at about the per mill level, we observe that the interplay between QCD-QED and QCD-weak contributions is subtle and observable-dependent. It is therefore not possible to avoid computing one or the other if O(αEWαs) precision is desired.

Abstract Building on the open-loop algorithm we introduce a new method for the automated construction of one-loop amplitudes and their reduction to scalar integrals. The key idea is that the factorisation of one-loop integrands in a product of loop segments makes it possible to perform various operations on-the-fly while constructing the integrand. Reducing the integrand on-the-fly, after each segment multiplication, the construction of loop diagrams and their reduction are unified in a single numerical recursion. In this way we entirely avoid objects with high tensor rank, thereby reducing the complexity of the calculations in a drastic way. Thanks to the on-the-fly approach, which is applied also to helicity summation and for the merging of different diagrams, the speed of the original open-loop algorithm can be further augmented in a very significant way. Moreover, addressing spurious singularities of the employed reduction identities by means of simple expansions in rank-two Gram determinants, we achieve a remarkably high level of numerical stability. These features of the new algorithm, which will be made publicly available in a forthcoming release of the OpenLoops program, are particularly attractive for NLO multi-leg and NNLO real–virtual calculations.