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The Nuclotron-base Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) is under construction at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), with commissioning of the facility expected in late 2022. The Multi-Purpose Detector (MPD) has been designed to operate at NICA and its components are currently in production. The detector is expected to be ready for data taking with the first beams from NICA. This document provides an overview of the landscape of the investigation of the QCD phase diagram in the region of maximum baryonic density, where NICA and MPD will be able to provide significant and unique input. It also provides a detailed description of the MPD set-up, including its various subsystems as well as its support and computing infrastructures. Selected performance studies for particular physics measurements at MPD are presented and discussed in the context of existing data and theoretical expectations., Comment: 53 pages, 68 figures, submitted as a Review article to EPJA

The STAR Beam Energy Scan program has found a difference in the global polarization of $\Lambda$s and $\bar{\Lambda}$s produced in $Au+Au$ collisions. This difference is larger for lower center of mass collision energies. In this work we show that a two-component source, consisting of a high density core and a lower density corona, can describe quantitatively the $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ polarization as a function of collision energy., Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures

We use the spinor helicity formalism to calculate the cross section for production of three partons of a given polarization in Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS) off proton and nucleus targets at small Bjorken x. The target proton or nucleus is treated as a classical color field (shock wave) from which the produced partons scatter multiple times. We reported our result for the final expression for the production cross section and studied the azimuthal angular correlations of the produced partons in [1]. Here we provide the full details of the calculation of the production cross section using the spinor helicity methods., Comment: 26 pages, 24 figures

There has been growing evidence that the infrared enhancement of the form factors defining the full quark-gluon vertex plays an important role in realizing a dynamical breakdown of chiral symmetry in quantum chromodynamics, leading to the observed spectrum and properties of hadrons. Both the lattice and the Schwinger-Dyson communities have begun to calculate these form factors in various kinematical regimes of momenta involved. A natural consistency check for these studies is that they should match onto the perturbative predictions in the ultraviolet, where non-perturbative effects mellow down. In this article, we carry out a numerical analysis of the one-loop result for all the form factors of the quark-gluon vertex. Interestingly, even the one-loop results qualitatively encode most of the infrared enhancement features expected of their non-perturbative counter parts. We analyze various kinematical configurations of momenta: symmetric, on-shell and asymptotic. The on-shell limit enables us to compute anomalous chromomagnetic moment of quarks. The asymptotic results have implications for the multiplicative renormalizability of the quark propagator and its connection with the Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin transformations, allowing us to analyze and compare various Ans$\ddot{a}$tze proposed so far., Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures

By reducing energy density, low-energy sweeteners (LES) might be expected to reduce energy intake (EI) and body weight (BW). To assess the totality of the evidence testing the null hypothesis that LES exposure (versus sugars or unsweetened alternatives) has no effect on EI or BW, we conducted a systematic review of relevant studies in animals and humans consuming LES with ad libitum access to food energy. In 62 of 90 animal studies exposure to LES did not affect or decreased BW. Of 28 reporting increased BW, 19 compared LES with glucose exposure using a specific 'learning' paradigm. Twelve prospective cohort studies in humans reported inconsistent associations between LES use and body mass index (-0.002 kg m(-2) per year, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.009 to 0.005). Meta-analysis of short-term randomized controlled trials (129 comparisons) showed reduced total EI for LES versus sugar-sweetened food or beverage consumption before an ad libitum meal (-94 kcal, 95% CI -122 to -66), with no difference versus water (-2 kcal, 95% CI -30 to 26). This was consistent with EI results from sustained intervention randomized controlled trials (10 comparisons). Meta-analysis of sustained intervention randomized controlled trials (4 weeks to 40 months) showed that consumption of LES versus sugar led to relatively reduced BW (nine comparisons; -1.35 kg, 95% CI -2.28 to -0.42), and a similar relative reduction in BW versus water (three comparisons; -1.24 kg, 95% CI -2.22 to -0.26). Most animal studies did not mimic LES consumption by humans, and reverse causation may influence the results of prospective cohort studies. The preponderance of evidence from all human randomized controlled trials indicates that LES do not increase EI or BW, whether compared with caloric or non-caloric (for example, water) control conditions. Overall, the balance of evidence indicates that use of LES in place of sugar, in children and adults, leads to reduced EI and BW, and possibly also when compared w

We allocated 76 men scheduled for radical retropubic prostatectomy to peri-operative lidocaine 2% or saline 0.9%: a pre-operative 0.075 ml.kg-1 intravenous bolus; an intra-operative intravenous infusion at 0.075 ml.kg-1.h-1; and 24 hours' postoperative subcutaneous infusion at 0.075 ml.kg-1.h-1. Lidocaine reduced the postoperative hospital stay by a mean (95% CI) of 1.3 (0.3-2.4) days, p = 0.017, from a mean (SD) of 4.6 (3.2) days with saline. Lidocaine reduced pain at rest during the first 24 postoperative hours by a mean (95% CI) of 1.8 (0.7-2.9) mm.h-1, p = 0.001. Lidocaine reduced 24-h morphine consumption by a mean (95% CI) of 13.9 (2.2-25.7) mg, p = 0.021, from a mean (SD) of 52.3 (26.9) mg with saline. There were no differences in other outcomes.Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Anaesthesia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.

We allocated 76 men scheduled for radical retropubic prostatectomy to peri-operative lidocaine 2% or saline 0.9%: a pre-operative 0.075 ml.kg(-1) intravenous bolus; an intra-operative intravenous infusion at 0.075 ml.kg(-1) .h(-1) ; and 24 hours' postoperative subcutaneous infusion at 0.075 ml.kg(-1) .h(-1) . Lidocaine reduced the postoperative hospital stay by a mean (95% CI) of 1.3 (0.3-2.4) days, p = 0.017, from a mean (SD) of 4.6 (3.2) days with saline. There were no significant differences in pain at rest or on coughing at 24 h. [corrected]. Lidocaine reduced 24-h morphine consumption by a mean (95% CI) of 13.9 (2.2-25.7) mg, p = 0.021, from a mean (SD) of 52.3 (26.9) mg with saline. There were no differences in other outcomes.

Azimuthal angular correlations between produced hadrons/jets in high energy collisions are a sensitive probe of the dynamics of QCD at small x. Here we derive the triple differential cross section for inclusive production of 3 polarized partons in DIS at small x using the spinor helicity formalism. The target proton or nucleus is described using the Color Glass Condensate (CGC) formalism. The resulting expressions are used to study azimuthal angular correlations between produced partons in order to probe the gluon structure of the target hadron or nucleus. Our analytic expressions can also be used to calculate the real part of the Next to Leading Order (NLO) corrections to di-hadron production in DIS by integrating out one of the three final state partons., Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures; version accepted for publication in Physics Letters B

By reducing energy density, low-energy sweeteners (LES) might be expected to reduce energy intake (EI) and body weight (BW). To assess the totality of the evidence testing the null hypothesis that LES exposure (versus sugars or unsweetened alternatives) has no effect on EI or BW, we conducted a systematic review of relevant studies in animals and humans consuming LES with ad libitum access to food energy. In 62 of 90 animal studies exposure to LES did not affect or decreased BW. Of 28 reporting increased BW, 19 compared LES with glucose exposure using a specific 'learning' paradigm. Twelve prospective cohort studies in humans reported inconsistent associations between LES use and body mass index (-0.002 kg m(-2) per year, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.009 to 0.005). Meta-analysis of short-term randomized controlled trials (129 comparisons) showed reduced total EI for LES versus sugar-sweetened food or beverage consumption before an ad libitum meal (-94 kcal, 95% CI -122 to -66), with no difference versus water (-2 kcal, 95% CI -30 to 26). This was consistent with EI results from sustained intervention randomized controlled trials (10 comparisons). Meta-analysis of sustained intervention randomized controlled trials (4 weeks to 40 months) showed that consumption of LES versus sugar led to relatively reduced BW (nine comparisons; -1.35 kg, 95% CI -2.28 to -0.42), and a similar relative reduction in BW versus water (three comparisons; -1.24 kg, 95% CI -2.22 to -0.26). Most animal studies did not mimic LES consumption by humans, and reverse causation may influence the results of prospective cohort studies. The preponderance of evidence from all human randomized controlled trials indicates that LES do not increase EI or BW, whether compared with caloric or non-caloric (for example, water) control conditions. Overall, the balance of evidence indicates that use of LES in place of sugar, in children and adults, leads to reduced EI and BW, and possibly also when compared w

By reducing energy density, low-energy sweeteners (LES) might be expected to reduce energy intake (EI) and body weight (BW). To assess the totality of the evidence testing the null hypothesis that LES exposure (versus sugars or unsweetened alternatives) has no effect on EI or BW, we conducted a systematic review of relevant studies in animals and humans consuming LES with ad libitum access to food energy. In 62 of 90 animal studies exposure to LES did not affect or decreased BW. Of 28 reporting increased BW, 19 compared LES with glucose exposure using a specific 'learning' paradigm. Twelve prospective cohort studies in humans reported inconsistent associations between LES use and body mass index (-0.002 kg m(-2) per year, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.009 to 0.005). Meta-analysis of short-term randomized controlled trials (129 comparisons) showed reduced total EI for LES versus sugar-sweetened food or beverage consumption before an ad libitum meal (-94 kcal, 95% CI -122 to -66), with no difference versus water (-2 kcal, 95% CI -30 to 26). This was consistent with EI results from sustained intervention randomized controlled trials (10 comparisons). Meta-analysis of sustained intervention randomized controlled trials (4 weeks to 40 months) showed that consumption of LES versus sugar led to relatively reduced BW (nine comparisons; -1.35 kg, 95% CI -2.28 to -0.42), and a similar relative reduction in BW versus water (three comparisons; -1.24 kg, 95% CI -2.22 to -0.26). Most animal studies did not mimic LES consumption by humans, and reverse causation may influence the results of prospective cohort studies. The preponderance of evidence from all human randomized controlled trials indicates that LES do not increase EI or BW, whether compared with caloric or non-caloric (for example, water) control conditions. Overall, the balance of evidence indicates that use of LES in place of sugar, in children and adults, leads to reduced EI and BW, and possibly also when compared w

By reducing energy density, low-energy sweeteners (LES) might be expected to reduce energy intake (EI) and body weight (BW). To assess the totality of the evidence testing the null hypothesis that LES exposure (versus sugars or unsweetened alternatives) has no effect on EI or BW, we conducted a systematic review of relevant studies in animals and humans consuming LES with ad libitum access to food energy. In 62 of 90 animal studies exposure to LES did not affect or decreased BW. Of 28 reporting increased BW, 19 compared LES with glucose exposure using a specific 'learning' paradigm. Twelve prospective cohort studies in humans reported inconsistent associations between LES use and body mass index (-0.002 kg m(-2) per year, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.009 to 0.005). Meta-analysis of short-term randomized controlled trials (129 comparisons) showed reduced total EI for LES versus sugar-sweetened food or beverage consumption before an ad libitum meal (-94 kcal, 95% CI -122 to -66), with no difference versus water (-2 kcal, 95% CI -30 to 26). This was consistent with EI results from sustained intervention randomized controlled trials (10 comparisons). Meta-analysis of sustained intervention randomized controlled trials (4 weeks to 40 months) showed that consumption of LES versus sugar led to relatively reduced BW (nine comparisons; -1.35 kg, 95% CI -2.28 to -0.42), and a similar relative reduction in BW versus water (three comparisons; -1.24 kg, 95% CI -2.22 to -0.26). Most animal studies did not mimic LES consumption by humans, and reverse causation may influence the results of prospective cohort studies. The preponderance of evidence from all human randomized controlled trials indicates that LES do not increase EI or BW, whether compared with caloric or non-caloric (for example, water) control conditions. Overall, the balance of evidence indicates that use of LES in place of sugar, in children and adults, leads to reduced EI and BW, and possibly also when compared w

By reducing energy density, low-energy sweeteners (LES) might be expected to reduce energy intake (EI) and body weight (BW). To assess the totality of the evidence testing the null hypothesis that LES exposure (versus sugars or unsweetened alternatives) has no effect on EI or BW, we conducted a systematic review of relevant studies in animals and humans consuming LES with ad libitum access to food energy. In 62 of 90 animal studies exposure to LES did not affect or decreased BW. Of 28 reporting increased BW, 19 compared LES with glucose exposure using a specific 'learning' paradigm. Twelve prospective cohort studies in humans reported inconsistent associations between LES use and body mass index (-0.002 kg m(-2) per year, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.009 to 0.005). Meta-analysis of short-term randomized controlled trials (129 comparisons) showed reduced total EI for LES versus sugar-sweetened food or beverage consumption before an ad libitum meal (-94 kcal, 95% CI -122 to -66), with no difference versus water (-2 kcal, 95% CI -30 to 26). This was consistent with EI results from sustained intervention randomized controlled trials (10 comparisons). Meta-analysis of sustained intervention randomized controlled trials (4 weeks to 40 months) showed that consumption of LES versus sugar led to relatively reduced BW (nine comparisons; -1.35 kg, 95% CI -2.28 to -0.42), and a similar relative reduction in BW versus water (three comparisons; -1.24 kg, 95% CI -2.22 to -0.26). Most animal studies did not mimic LES consumption by humans, and reverse causation may influence the results of prospective cohort studies. The preponderance of evidence from all human randomized controlled trials indicates that LES do not increase EI or BW, whether compared with caloric or non-caloric (for example, water) control conditions. Overall, the balance of evidence indicates that use of LES in place of sugar, in children and adults, leads to reduced EI and BW, and possibly also when compared w

We derive the off-shell photon propagator and fermion-photon vertex at one-loop level in Maxwell-Chern-Simons quantum electrodynamics in arbitrary covariant gauge, using four-component spinors with parity-even and parity-odd mass terms for both fermions and photons. We present our results using a basis of two, three and four point integrals, some of them not known previously in the literature. These integrals are evaluated in arbitrary space-time dimensions so that we reproduce results derived earlier under certain limits., Comment: 23 pages, 4 figures, version published in Phys. Rev. D

We derive the off-shell photon propagator and fermion-photon vertex at one-loop level in Maxwell-Chern-Simons quantum electrodynamics in arbitrary covariant gauge, using four-component spinors with parity-even and parity-odd mass terms for both fermions and photons. We present our results using a basis of two, three and four point integrals, some of them not known previously in the literature. These integrals are evaluated in arbitrary space-time dimensions so that we reproduce results derived earlier under certain limits., Comment: 23 pages, 4 figures, version published in Phys. Rev. D

We study chiral symmetry breaking for fundamental charged fermions coupled electromagnetically to photons with the inclusion of four-fermion contact self-interaction term. We employ multiplicatively renormalizable models for the photon dressing function and the electron-photon vertex which minimally ensures mass anomalous dimension = 1. Vacuum polarization screens the interaction strength. Consequently, the pattern of dynamical mass generation for fermions is characterized by a critical number of massless fermion flavors above which chiral symmetry is restored. This effect is in diametrical opposition to the existence of criticality for the minimum interaction strength necessary to break chiral symmetry dynamically. The presence of virtual fermions dictates the nature of phase transition. Miransky scaling laws for the electromagnetic interaction strength and the four-fermion coupling, observed for quenched QED, are replaced by a mean-field power law behavior corresponding to a second order phase transition. These results are derived analytically by employing the bifurcation analysis, and are later confirmed numerically by solving the original non-linearized gap equation. A three dimensional critical surface is drawn to clearly depict the interplay of the relative strengths of interactions and number of flavors to separate the two phases. We also compute the beta-function and observe that it has ultraviolet fixed point. The power law part of the momentum dependence, describing the mass function, reproduces the quenched limit trivially. We also comment on the continuum limit and the triviality of QED., Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures

We study chiral symmetry breaking for fundamental charged fermions coupled electromagnetically to photons with the inclusion of four-fermion contact self-interaction term. We employ multiplicatively renormalizable models for the photon dressing function and the electron-photon vertex which minimally ensures mass anomalous dimension = 1. Vacuum polarization screens the interaction strength. Consequently, the pattern of dynamical mass generation for fermions is characterized by a critical number of massless fermion flavors above which chiral symmetry is restored. This effect is in diametrical opposition to the existence of criticality for the minimum interaction strength necessary to break chiral symmetry dynamically. The presence of virtual fermions dictates the nature of phase transition. Miransky scaling laws for the electromagnetic interaction strength and the four-fermion coupling, observed for quenched QED, are replaced by a mean-field power law behavior corresponding to a second order phase transition. These results are derived analytically by employing the bifurcation analysis, and are later confirmed numerically by solving the original non-linearized gap equation. A three dimensional critical surface is drawn to clearly depict the interplay of the relative strengths of interactions and number of flavors to separate the two phases. We also compute the beta-function and observe that it has ultraviolet fixed point. The power law part of the momentum dependence, describing the mass function, reproduces the quenched limit trivially. We also comment on the continuum limit and the triviality of QED., Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures

We demonstrate that in unquenched quantum electrodynamics (QED), chiral symmetry breaking ceases to exist above a critical number of fermion flavours $N_f$. This is a necessary and sufficient consequence of the fact that there exists a critical value of electromagnetic coupling $\alpha$ beyond which dynamical mass generation gets triggered. We employ a multiplicatively renormalizable photon propagator involving leading logarithms to all orders in $\alpha$ to illustrate this. We study the flavour and coupling dependence of the dynamically generated mass analytically as well as numerically. We also derive the scaling laws for the dynamical mass as a function of $\alpha$ and $N_f$. Up to a multiplicative constant, these scaling laws are related through $(\alpha, \alpha_c) \leftrightarrow (1/N_f, 1/N_f^c)$. Calculation of the mass anomalous dimension $\gamma_m$ shows that it is always greater than its value in the quenched case. We also evaluate the $\beta$-function. The criticality plane is drawn in the $(\alpha,N_f)$ phase space which clearly depicts how larger $N_f$ is required to restore chiral symmetry for an increasing interaction strength., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures

We demonstrate that in unquenched quantum electrodynamics (QED), chiral symmetry breaking ceases to exist above a critical number of fermion flavours $N_f$. This is a necessary and sufficient consequence of the fact that there exists a critical value of electromagnetic coupling $\alpha$ beyond which dynamical mass generation gets triggered. We employ a multiplicatively renormalizable photon propagator involving leading logarithms to all orders in $\alpha$ to illustrate this. We study the flavour and coupling dependence of the dynamically generated mass analytically as well as numerically. We also derive the scaling laws for the dynamical mass as a function of $\alpha$ and $N_f$. Up to a multiplicative constant, these scaling laws are related through $(\alpha, \alpha_c) \leftrightarrow (1/N_f, 1/N_f^c)$. Calculation of the mass anomalous dimension $\gamma_m$ shows that it is always greater than its value in the quenched case. We also evaluate the $\beta$-function. The criticality plane is drawn in the $(\alpha,N_f)$ phase space which clearly depicts how larger $N_f$ is required to restore chiral symmetry for an increasing interaction strength., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures

The anapole moment of a charged scalar particle is studied in a model independent fashion, using the effective Lagrangian technique, as well as radiatively within the context of scalar quantum electrodynamics (SQED). It is shown that this gauge structure is characterized by a non renormalizable interaction, which is radiatively generated at the one--loop. It is found that the resulting anapole moment for off-shell particles, though free of ultraviolet divergences, is gauge dependent and thus it is not a physical observable. We also study some of its kinematical limits. In particular, it is shown that its value comes out to be zero when all particles are on--shell., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure

We investigate the Compton scattering vertex of charged scalars and photons in scalar quantum electrodynamics (SQED). We carry out its non perturbative construction consistent with Ward-Fradkin-Green-Takahashi identity (WFGTI) which relates 3-point vertices to the 4-point ones. There is an undetermined part which is transverse to one or both the external photons, and needs to be evaluated through perturbation theory. We present in detail how the transverse part at the 1-loop order can be evaluated for completely general kinematics of momenta involved in covariant gauges and dimensions. This involves the calculation of genuine 4-point functions with three massive propagators, the most non-trivial integrals reported in this paper. We also discuss possible applications of our results., Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, uses axodraw

We investigate the Compton scattering vertex of charged scalars and photons in scalar quantum electrodynamics (SQED). We carry out its non perturbative construction consistent with Ward-Fradkin-Green-Takahashi identity (WFGTI) which relates 3-point vertices to the 4-point ones. There is an undetermined part which is transverse to one or both the external photons, and needs to be evaluated through perturbation theory. We present in detail how the transverse part at the 1-loop order can be evaluated for completely general kinematics of momenta involved in covariant gauges and dimensions. This involves the calculation of genuine 4-point functions with three massive propagators, the most non-trivial integrals reported in this paper. We also discuss possible applications of our results., Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, uses axodraw

We present the two-loop helicity amplitudes for the scattering of massless quarks and massless gauge bosons in QCD. We use projector techniques to compute the coefficients of the general tensor describing the two-quark two-boson amplitude in conventional dimensional regularisation and use these coefficients to derive the helicity amplitudes in the 't Hooft-Veltman scheme. The structure of the infrared divergences agrees with that predicted by Catani while expressions for the finite remainders for q qbar -> gluon gluon, q qbar -> gluon gamma, q qbar -> gamma gamma and the processes related by crossing symmetry are given in terms of logarithms and polylogarithms that are real in the physical region. We have checked that the interference of tree and two-loop helicity amplitudes, summed over helicities and colours, reproduces the previous results for the finite remainders for interference of tree and two-loop amplitudes given in Refs. [1,2]. We also find agreement with the two-loop helicity amplitudes for quark-gluon scattering presented in Ref. [3]., Comment: 47 pages, JHEP class, three text files with finite remainders of tree, one-loop and two-loop helicity amplitudes ggHELS.out, gpHELS.out, ppHELS.out minor typos corrected

We present the two-loop helicity amplitudes for the scattering of massless quarks and massless gauge bosons in QCD. We use projector techniques to compute the coefficients of the general tensor describing the two-quark two-boson amplitude in conventional dimensional regularisation and use these coefficients to derive the helicity amplitudes in the 't Hooft-Veltman scheme. The structure of the infrared divergences agrees with that predicted by Catani while expressions for the finite remainders for q qbar -> gluon gluon, q qbar -> gluon gamma, q qbar -> gamma gamma and the processes related by crossing symmetry are given in terms of logarithms and polylogarithms that are real in the physical region. We have checked that the interference of tree and two-loop helicity amplitudes, summed over helicities and colours, reproduces the previous results for the finite remainders for interference of tree and two-loop amplitudes given in Refs. [1,2]. We also find agreement with the two-loop helicity amplitudes for quark-gluon scattering presented in Ref. [3]., Comment: 47 pages, JHEP class, three text files with finite remainders of tree, one-loop and two-loop helicity amplitudes ggHELS.out, gpHELS.out, ppHELS.out minor typos corrected

We have computed the full next-to-leading (NLO) QCD corrections to the differential distributions $d^2\sigma/(dp_T~dy)$ for pseudo-scalar Higgs (A) production at large hadron colliders. This calculation has been carried out using the effective Lagrangian approach which is valid as long as the mass of the pseudo-scalar Higgs boson $m_{\rm A}$ and its transverse momentum $p_T$ do not exceed the top-quark mass $m_t$. The shape of the distributions hardly differ from those obtained for scalar Higgs (H) production because, apart from the overall coupling constant and mass, there are only small differences between the partonic differential distributions for scalar and pseudo-scalar production. Therefore there are only differences in the magnitudes of the hadronic differential distributions which can be mainly attributed to the unknown mixing angle $\beta$ describing the pseudo-scalar Higgs coupling to the top quarks., Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX, 3 Postscript figures In the previous version we have forgotten to include contributions which arrise from interferences between graphs containing vertices corresponding to the operator $O_2(x)$ in Eq. (3) with graphs originating from the operator $O_1(x)$. These interferences occur because of the prescription for the Levi-Civita tensor given in our paper. These extra contributions are added to Eqs. (19) and (20). Numerically they are completely negligible so that the figures are not altered

We present the NNLO QCD virtual corrections for qurak-antiquark -> gluon photon, quark-antiquark -> photon photon and the NNLO QED virtual corrections for electron positron -> photon photon and all processes related by crossing symmetry. We perform an explicit evaluation of the two-loop diagrams in conventional dimensional regularisation, and our results are renormalised in the MSbar scheme. The infrared pole structure of the amplitudes is in agreement with the prediction of Catani's general formalism for the singularities of two-loop amplitudes, while expressions for the finite remainder are given for all processes in terms of logarithms and polylogarithms that are real in the physical region., Comment: 36 pages, 2 postscript figures, LaTeX, JHEP class

We have computed the full next-to-leading (NLO) QCD corrections to the differential distributions $d^2\sigma/(dp_T~dy)$ for pseudo-scalar Higgs (A) production at large hadron colliders. This calculation has been carried out using the effective Lagrangian approach which is valid as long as the mass of the pseudo-scalar Higgs boson $m_{\rm A}$ and its transverse momentum $p_T$ do not exceed the top-quark mass $m_t$. The shape of the distributions hardly differ from those obtained for scalar Higgs (H) production because, apart from the overall coupling constant and mass, there are only small differences between the partonic differential distributions for scalar and pseudo-scalar production. Therefore there are only differences in the magnitudes of the hadronic differential distributions which can be mainly attributed to the unknown mixing angle $\beta$ describing the pseudo-scalar Higgs coupling to the top quarks., Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX, 3 Postscript figures In the previous version we have forgotten to include contributions which arrise from interferences between graphs containing vertices corresponding to the operator $O_2(x)$ in Eq. (3) with graphs originating from the operator $O_1(x)$. These interferences occur because of the prescription for the Levi-Civita tensor given in our paper. These extra contributions are added to Eqs. (19) and (20). Numerically they are completely negligible so that the figures are not altered

We present the NNLO QCD virtual corrections for qurak-antiquark -> gluon photon, quark-antiquark -> photon photon and the NNLO QED virtual corrections for electron positron -> photon photon and all processes related by crossing symmetry. We perform an explicit evaluation of the two-loop diagrams in conventional dimensional regularisation, and our results are renormalised in the MSbar scheme. The infrared pole structure of the amplitudes is in agreement with the prediction of Catani's general formalism for the singularities of two-loop amplitudes, while expressions for the finite remainder are given for all processes in terms of logarithms and polylogarithms that are real in the physical region., Comment: 36 pages, 2 postscript figures, LaTeX, JHEP class

We present the O(alphas^4) virtual QCD corrections to gluon-gluon scattering due to the self-interference of the one-loop amplitude. We give analytic expressions renormalised in the MSbar scheme and work in conventional dimensional regularisation. We write the structure of the infrared divergences from direct Feynman diagram evaluation in terms of the Catani formalism for infrared divergences. Formulae for the finite remainder are given in terms of logarithms that are real in the physical region. These results, together with those previously obtained for quark-quark and quark-gluon scattering complete the one-loop matrix elements for 2 to 2 processes needed for the next-to-next-to-leading order contribution to inclusive jet production at hadron colliders., Comment: 17 pages, JHEP class

We present the O(alphas^4) virtual QCD corrections to the scattering process of massless quark qqbar -> gg due to the interference of tree and two-loop amplitudes and to the self-interference of one-loop amplitudes. We work in conventional dimensional regularisation and our results are renormalised in the MSbar scheme. The structure of the infrared divergences agrees with that predicted by Catani while expressions for the finite remainder are given for the qqbar -> gg and the qg -> qg (gqbar -> gqbar) scattering processes in terms of logarithms and polylogarithms that are real in the physical region. These results, together with those previously obtained for quark-quark scattering, are important ingredients in the next-to-next-to-leading order contribution to inclusive jet production at hadron colliders., Comment: 32 pages, LaTeX, JHEP class, typo in Eq.4.6 fixed, typo in Eq 3.2 fixed

We present the O(alpha_s^4) virtual QCD corrections to gluon-gluon scattering due to the interference of tree and two-loop amplitudes. We work in conventional dimensional regularisation and give analytic expressions renormalised in the MSbar scheme. The structure of the infrared divergences agrees with that predicted by Catani while formulae for the finite remainder are given in terms of logarithms and polylogarithms that are real in the physical region. These results, together with those previously obtained for quark-quark and quark-gluon scattering, complete the two-loop matrix elements needed for the next-to-next-to-leading order contribution to inclusive jet production at hadron colliders., Comment: 20 pages, LaTeX, JHEP class, typo fixed

We present the O(alphas^4) virtual QCD corrections to gluon-gluon scattering due to the self-interference of the one-loop amplitude. We give analytic expressions renormalised in the MSbar scheme and work in conventional dimensional regularisation. We write the structure of the infrared divergences from direct Feynman diagram evaluation in terms of the Catani formalism for infrared divergences. Formulae for the finite remainder are given in terms of logarithms that are real in the physical region. These results, together with those previously obtained for quark-quark and quark-gluon scattering complete the one-loop matrix elements for 2 to 2 processes needed for the next-to-next-to-leading order contribution to inclusive jet production at hadron colliders., Comment: 17 pages, JHEP class

We present the two-loop virtual QCD corrections to the scattering of massless identical quarks, q qbar to q qbar, in conventional dimensional regularisation and using the MSbar scheme. The structure of the infrared divergences agrees with that predicted by Catani while expressions for the finite remainder are given for the q qbar to qbar q and the q q to q q (qbar qbar to qbar qbar) scattering processes in terms of polylogarithms. The results presented here form a vital part of the next-to-next-to-leading order contribution to inclusive jet production in hadron colliders and will play a crucial role in improving the theoretical prediction for jet cross sections in hadron-hadron collisions., Comment: 20 pages, journal version, title changed, latex with JHEP.cls

We present the two-loop virtual QCD corrections to the scattering of massless distinct quarks in conventional dimensional regularisation. The structure of the infrared divergences agrees with that predicted by Catani while expressions for the finite remainder are given for each of the s-, t- and u-channels in terms of polylogarithms. The results presented here form a vital part of the next-to-next-to-leading order contribution to inclusive jet production in hadron colliders and will play a crucial role in improving the theoretical prediction for jet cross sections in hadron-hadron collisions., Comment: 25 pages, JHEP.cls, journal version, title changed, typos corrected, references added

We present the O(as^4) virtual QCD corrections to unlike-quark and like-quark scattering due to the interference of one-loop amplitudes with one-loop amplitudes. The structure of the infrared divergences agrees with that predicted by Catani. The results are expressed in an analytic form so that the relevant expressions for crossed scattering processes can be obtained in a straightforward manner. The one-loop contributions presented here, together with the interference of tree with two-loop amplitudes given recently, complete the 2 to 2 virtual QCD corrections at NNLO for the massless quark scattering processes., Comment: 11 pages, LaTeX using JHEP.cls

Using a Mellin-Barnes representation, we compute the on-shell massless planar double box Feynman diagram with an irreducible scalar product of loop momenta in the numerator. This diagram is needed in calculations of two loop corrections to scattering processes of massless particles, together with the double box without numerator calculated previously by Smirnov. We verify the poles in epsilon of our result by means of a system of differential equations relating the two diagrams, which we present in an explicit form. We verify the finite part with an independent numerical check., Comment: 6 pages, latex, npb.sty, 2 figures (one in postscript); contributed to proceedings of "Loops and Legs in Quantum Field Theory", Bastei, Germany, April 9-14, 2000

We discuss the two-loop integrals necessary for evaluating massless 2 to 2 scattering amplitudes. As a test process, we consider the leading colour two-loop contribution to qqbar to q'qbar'. We show that for physical scattering processes the two Smirnov-Veretin planar box graphs I1 and I2 are accompanied by factors of 1/(D-4) thereby necessitating a knowledge of both I1 and I2 to O(epsilon). Using an alternative basis I1 and the irreducible numerator integral I3, the factors of 1/(D-4) disappear., Comment: 6 pages, latex, npb.sty, 3 postscript figures, contributed to proceedings of "Loops and Legs in Quantum Field Theory", Bastei, Germany, April 9-14, 2000