Search

We present the first calculation of same-sign WW scattering at the LHC in the fully leptonic decay channel including the modelling of polarisation for intermediate electroweak bosons and radiative corrections up to NLO EW+QCD accuracy. The predictions rely on a pole expansion and on the split of polarisation states at matrix-element level. Doubly-polarised and unpolarised signals are investigated together with full off-shell results. A detailed phenomenlogical analysis is carried out focusing on differential observables that discriminate between polarisation states, paving the way for refined polarisation-oriented analyses of vector-boson scattering with Run-3 LHC data., Comment: matches version accepted for publication in JHEP

In this work, we present the first full NLO predictions for the process $\mathrm{p}\mathrm{p}\to\mu^+\nu_\mu\mathrm{e}^+\nu_\mathrm{e}\mathrm{j}\mathrm{j}$ at the LHC in a typical tri-boson phase space. The NLO corrections reach 50% at the level of the fiducial cross section and have a very different hierarchy with respect to vector-boson-scattering phase spaces. By comparing the cross section of the full off-shell process with the sum of contributing on-shell electroweak-boson production subchannels, we find that the process is dominated by WWW and WH production, while vector-boson-scattering topologies still play a non-negligible role. In addition, NLO QCD predictions matched to parton shower which are supplemented by approximate electroweak corrections are provided. For the fiducial cross section, the electroweak corrections turn out to be small but the QCD corrections reach 47%. For the inclusive cross section, matching to parton shower affects the predictions by 7%. However, for differential distributions corrections due to the parton shower can be much more sizeable, depending on the region of phase space., Comment: 41 pages, 40 pdf files

Measuring precisely top-pair-associated processes at hadron colliders will become possible with the upcoming LHC running stages. The increased data statistics will especially enable differential measurements leading to an improved characterisation of such processes. Aiming at a consistent data-theory comparison, precise Standard-Model predictions are needed, including higher-order corrections and full off-shell effects. In this work we present NLO-accurate predictions for the production and decay of a top-antitop pair in association with a Z boson at the LHC, in the multi-lepton decay channel. The complete set of LO contributions and NLO corrections of EW and QCD origin is included. The calculation is based on full matrix elements, computed with all resonant and non-resonant contributions, complete spin correlations and interference effects. Integrated and differential cross-sections are presented for a realistic fiducial setup., Comment: 38 pages, 10 pdf figure files, 24 png figure files

The study of top-quark properties will be a central aspect of the physics programme of any future lepton collider. In this article, we investigate the production of top-quark pairs in the semi-leptonic decay channel in $\rm e^+e^-$ collisions, whose experimental signature is one charged lepton, jets, and missing energy. We present for the first time fiducial cross sections and differential distributions at next-to-leading-order accuracy in QCD for the full off-shell process. We find that the QCD corrections for the considered process are strongly dependent on the beam energies and range from few per cent up to more than $100\%$ (near threshold and above 1 TeV). We focus, in particular, on two scenarios: one close to threshold (365 GeV), dominated by top-pair production, and one at the TeV scale (1.5 TeV), for which irreducible-background contributions become relevant. An assessment of polarised-beam effects is also provided., Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures

Understanding the polarisation structure and providing precise predictions for multi-boson processes at the LHC is becoming urgent in the light of the upcoming run-3 and high-luminosity data. The CMS and ATLAS collaborations have already started using polarised predictions to perform template fits of the data, getting access to the polarisation of W and Z bosons. So far, only fully-leptonic decay channels have been considered in this perspective. The natural step forward is the investigation of hadronic decays of electroweak bosons. In this work, we compute NLO QCD corrections to the production and decay of WZ pairs at the LHC in final states with two charged leptons and jets. The calculation relies on the double-pole approximation and the separation of polarised states at the level of Standard Model amplitudes. The presented NLO-accurate results are necessary building blocks for a broad understanding and precise modelling of polarised di-boson production in semi-leptonic decay channels., Comment: 25 pages (one-column PRD layout), 12 figures, 3 tables. Refined structure, added comments and numbers about DPA accuracy and irreducible backgrounds, further minor corrections. Matches published version in PRD

The foreseen luminosities for the next LHC runs will enable precise differential measurements of the associated production of top-antitop pairs with a W boson. Therefore, providing accurate theory predictions for this process is needed for realistic final states. We present the first combination of NLO electroweak and QCD corrections to off-shell ttW$^+$ production in the three-charged-lepton channel, including non-resonant effects, full spin-correlations and interferences. Such radiative corrections comprise the electroweak and QCD corrections to the leading QCD order, and the QCD corrections to the leading electroweak order., Comment: 7 pages + references. Contribution to the 15th International Symposium on Radiative Corrections (RADCOR) and the XIX Workshop on Radiative Corrections for the LHC and Future Colliders (LoopFest)

Measuring the polarization of electroweak bosons at the LHC allows for important tests of the electroweak-symmetry-breaking mechanism that is realized in nature. Therefore, precise Standard Model predictions are needed for the production of polarized bosons in the presence of realistic kinematic selections. We formulate a method for the calculation of polarized cross-sections at NLO that relies on the pole approximation and the separation of polarized matrix elements at the amplitude level. In this framework, we compute NLO-accurate cross-sections for the production of two polarized Z bosons at the LHC, including for the first time NLO EW corrections and combining them with NLO QCD corrections and contributions from the gluon-induced process., Comment: 41 pages, 17 figures, 4 tables, minor corrections w.r.t. v1, matches published version in JHEP

Insight into the electroweak (EW) and Higgs sectors can be achieved through measurements of vector boson scattering (VBS) processes. The scattering of EW bosons are rare processes that are precisely predicted in the Standard Model (SM) and are closely related to the Higgs mechanism. Modifications to VBS processes are also predicted in models of physics beyond the SM (BSM), for example through changes to the Higgs boson couplings to gauge bosons and the resonant production of new particles. In this review, experimental results and theoretical developments of VBS at the Large Hadron Collider, its high luminosity upgrade, and future colliders are presented., Comment: Journal version with additional discussion and references. 56 pages (including toc and refs.), 71 image files, eight tables, and many references. VBSCan@Snowmass review

Accessing the polarization of weak bosons provides an important probe for the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking. Relying on the double-pole approximation and on the separation of polarizations at the amplitude level, we study WZ production at the LHC, with both bosons in a definite polarization mode, including NLO QCD effects. We compare results obtained defining the polarization vectors in two different frames. Integrated and differential cross-sections in a realistic fiducial region are presented., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, slightly extended version to appear in Phys. Lett. B

In this article, we report on the computation of the NLO QCD corrections to ${\rm p}{\rm p} \to \mu^-\bar\nu_{\mu}{\rm e}^+\nu_{\rm e}\bar{\rm b}{\rm b}\bar{\rm b}{\rm b}$ at the LHC, which is an irreducible background to ${\rm p}{\rm p}\to{\rm t}\bar{\rm t}{\rm H}\bigl(\to{\rm b}\bar{\rm b}\bigr)$. This is the first time that a full NLO computation for a $2\to8$ process with 6 external strongly-interacting partons is made public. No approximations are used, and all off-shell and interference effects are taken into account. Cross sections and differential distributions from the full computation are compared to results obtained by using a double-pole approximation for the top quarks. The difference between the full calculation and the one using the double-pole approximation is in general below 5\% but can reach 10\% in some regions of phase space., Comment: 21 pages, 17 pdf figures. gb channels corrected. Matches the published version in PRD

We present results of a computation of NLO QCD corrections to the production of an off-shell top--antitop pair in association with an off-shell $\text{W}^+$ boson in proton--proton collisions. As the calculation is based on the full matrix elements for the process $\text{p}\text{p}\to {\text{e}}^+\nu_{\text{e}}\,\mu^-\bar{\nu}_\mu\,\tau^+\nu_\tau\,{\text{b}}\,\bar{\text{b}}$, all off-shell, spin-correlation, and interference effects are included. The NLO QCD corrections are about $20\%$ for the integrated cross-section. Using a dynamical scale, the corrections to most distributions are at the same level, while some distributions show much larger $K$-factors in suppressed regions of phase space. We have performed a second calculation based on a double-pole approximation. While the corresponding results agree with the full calculation within few per cent for integrated cross-sections, the discrepancy can reach $10\%$ and more in regions of phase space that are not dominated by top--antitop production. As a consequence, on-shell calculations should only be trusted to this level of accuracy., Comment: 30 pages, 16 figures, updated references, fixed typos, added results for an additional central scale choice, extended comments on double-pole-approximation, clarified treatment of top width, matches version published by JHEP

First, we present a combined analysis of ${\rm p}{\rm p} \to \mu^+ \nu_\mu {\rm e}^- \bar \nu_{\rm e}$ and ${\rm p}{\rm p} \to \mu^+ \nu_\mu {\rm e}^- \bar \nu_{\rm e} {\rm j}$ at next-to-leading order, including both QCD and electroweak corrections. Second, we provide all-order predictions for ${\rm p}{\rm p} \to \mu^+ \nu_\mu {\rm e}^- \bar \nu_{\rm p}+\mathrm{jets}$ using merged parton-shower simulations that also include approximate EW effects. A fully inclusive sample for WW production is compared to the fixed-order computations for exclusive zero- and one-jet selections. The various higher-order effects are studied in detail at the level of cross sections and differential distributions for realistic experimental set-ups. Our study confirms that merged predictions are significantly more stable than the fixed-order ones in particular regarding ratios between the two processes., Comment: 43 pages, 77 pdf figures. Matches published version

In these proceedings, next-to-leading-order (NLO) QCD and electroweak (EW) corrections to ${\rm p}{\rm p} \to {\rm e}^+ \nu_{\rm e} \mu^- \bar \nu_\mu {\rm b} \bar{\rm b} {\rm H}$ at the LHC are presented. In these computations the top quarks are considered off their mass shell and all non-resonant contributions are included. The results are presented in the form of fiducial cross sections and differential distributions. Moreover, two prescriptions to combine QCD and EW corrections are examined., Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, Proceedings of the $12^\mathrm{th}$ International Workshop on Top Quark Physics, Beijing, China, September 22--27, 2019. Reference updated

We propose a procedure to cross-validate Monte Carlo implementations of the standard model effective field theory. It is based on the numerical comparison of squared amplitudes computed at specific phase-space and parameter points in pairs of implementations. Interactions are fully linearised in the effective field theory expansion. The squares of linear effective field theory amplitudes and their interference with standard-model contributions are compared separately. Such pairwise comparisons are primarily performed at tree level and a possible extension to the one-loop level is also briefly considered. We list the current standard model effective field theory implementations and the comparisons performed to date., Comment: agreement achieved under the auspices of the LHC Top and Electroweak Working Groups, and of the LHC Higgs Cross Section Working Group

In this article we present an event generator based on the Monte Carlo program Powheg in combination with the matrix-element generator Recola. We apply it to compute NLO electroweak corrections to same-sign W-boson scattering, which have been shown to be large at the LHC. The event generator allows for the generation of unweighted events including the effect of the NLO electroweak corrections matched to a QED parton shower and interfaced to a QCD parton shower. In view of the expected experimental precision of future measurements, the use of such a tool will be indispensable., Comment: 20 pages, 12 Figures. Matches the journal version. Acknowledgement added

Diboson production at the LHC is a process of great importance both in the context of tests of the SM and for direct searches for new physics. In this paper we present a phenomenological study of WW, WZ, and ZZ production considering event selections of interest for the anomalous triple-gauge-boson-coupling searches at the LHC: we provide theoretical predictions within the Standard Model at NLO QCD and NLO EW accuracy and study the effect of the anomalous triple-gauge-boson interactions at NLO QCD. For WW and ZZ production, the contribution of the gluon-initiated loop-induced processes is included. Anomalous triple-gauge-boson interactions are parametrized in the EFT framework. This paper is the first application of RECOLA2 in the EFT context., Comment: 36 pages, 56 pdf figures, latex. Corrected typo in Eq.(3.2). One reference added. Published version

The production of top-quark pairs that subsequently decay hadronically and leptonically (lepton+jets channel) is one of the key processes for the study of top-quark properties at the LHC. In this article, NLO QCD corrections of order $\mathcal{O}{\left(\alpha_{\rm s}^3\alpha^{4}\right)}$ to the hadronic process ${\rm p}{\rm p}\to \mu^-\bar{\nu}_\mu{\rm b}\bar{{\rm b}} {\rm j} {\rm j}$ are presented. The computation includes off-shell as well as non-resonant contributions, and experimental event selections are used in order to provide realistic predictions. The results are provided in the form of cross sections and differential distributions. The QCD corrections are sizeable and different from the ones of the fully leptonic channel. This is due to the different final state where here four jets are present at leading order., Comment: 24 pages, 24 eps-figures. Matches the published version

We review recent results on next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD and electroweak (EW) corrections for processes involving off-shell top quarks. For the off-shell production of two top quarks that decay leptonically, the full NLO EW corrections have been computed. For the very same process in association with a Higgs boson, EW corrections have been calculated and combined with existing NLO QCD corrections. In both cases, selected differential distributions are shown. In these proceedings, particular emphasis is put on the effect of the EW corrections as well as the off-shell contributions., Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures. Contribution to the proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on Radiative Corrections (RADCOR 2017)

We report on a recent calculation of the complete NLO QCD and electroweak corrections to the process $pp\to\mu^+\nu_\mu e^+\nu_ejj$, i.e. like-sign charged vector-boson scattering. The computation is based on the complete amplitudes involving two different orders of the strong and electroweak coupling constants at tree level and three different orders at one-loop level. We find electroweak corrections of $-13\%$ for the fiducial cross section that are an intrinsic feature of the vector-boson scattering process. For differential distributions, the corrections reach up to $-40\%$ in the phase-space regions explored. At the NLO level a unique separation between vector-boson scattering and irreducible background processes is not possible any more at the level of Feynman diagrams., Comment: 6 pages, 8 eps figures, Prodeedings of the 13th International Symposium on Radiative Corrections (Applications of Quantum Field Theory to Phenomenology), 25-29 September, 2017, St. Gilgen, Austria

The production of a neutral and a charged vector boson with subsequent decays into three charged leptons and a neutrino is a very important process for precision tests of the Standard Model of elementary particles and in searches for anomalous triple-gauge-boson couplings. In this article, the first computation of next-to-leading-order electroweak corrections to the production of the four-lepton final states $\mu^+\mu^- e^+ \nu_e$, $\mu^+\mu^- e^- \bar\nu_e$, $\mu^+\mu^- \mu^+\nu_\mu$, and $\mu^+\mu^- \mu^- \bar\nu_\mu$ at the Large Hadron Collider is presented. We use the complete matrix elements at leading and next-to-leading order, including all off-shell effects of intermediate massive vector bosons and virtual photons. The relative electroweak corrections to the fiducial cross sections from quark-induced partonic processes vary between $-3\%$ and $-6\%$, depending significantly on the event selection. At the level of differential distributions, we observe large negative corrections of up to $-30\%$ in the high-energy tails of distributions originating from electroweak Sudakov logarithms. Photon-induced contributions at next-to-leading order raise the leading-order fiducial cross section by $+2\%$. Interference effects in final states with equal-flavour leptons are at the permille level for the fiducial cross section, but can lead to sizeable effects in off-shell sensitive phase-space regions., Comment: 20 pages, 18 figures

Recently, a measurement of the vector-boson scattering process with same-sign W bosons has been reported by the CMS collaboration. Hence it is of prime importance to have precise predictions with next-to-leading order (NLO) accuracy. In these proceedings, we report on a recent NLO electroweak computation to the full process ${\rm p}{\rm p}\to\mu^+\nu_\mu{\rm e}^+\nu_{\rm e}{\rm j}{\rm j}$. As realistic experimental event selections are applied to the final state, it can directly be compared with experimental measurements. This is particularly important as the corrections turn out to be surprisingly large and even exceed the NLO QCD corrections. The NLO electroweak predictions are presented at the cross-section and differential distribution level., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Proceedings to the XXV International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects, 3-7 April 2017, Birmingham, UK

The process ${\rm p}{\rm p}\to\mu^+\nu_\mu{\rm e}^+\nu_{\rm e}{\rm j}{\rm j}$ receives several contributions of different orders in the strong and electroweak coupling constants. Using appropriate event selections, this process is dominated by vector-boson scattering (VBS) and has recently been measured at the LHC. It is thus of prime importance to estimate precisely each contribution. In this article we compute for the first time the full NLO QCD and electroweak corrections to VBS and its irreducible background processes with realistic experimental cuts. We do not rely on approximations but use complete amplitudes involving two different orders at tree level and three different orders at one-loop level. Since we take into account all interferences, at NLO level the corrections to the VBS process and to the QCD-induced irreducible background process contribute at the same orders. Hence the two processes cannot be unambiguously distinguished, and all contributions to the $\mu^+\nu_\mu{\rm e}^+\nu_{\rm e}{\rm j}{\rm j}$ final state should be preferably measured together., Comment: 25 pages,21 eps-figures. Matches the published version

This publication presents the combination of the one-loop matrix-element generator Recola with the multipurpose Monte Carlo program Sherpa. Since both programs are highly automated, the resulting Sherpa+Recola framework allows for the computation of -in principle- any Standard Model process at both NLO QCD and EW accuracy. To illustrate this, three representative LHC processes have been computed at NLO QCD and EW: vector-boson production in association with jets, off-shell Z-boson pair production, and the production of a top-quark pair in association with a Higgs boson. In addition to fixed-order computations, when considering QCD corrections, all functionalities of Sherpa, i.e. particle decays, QCD parton showers, hadronisation, underlying events, etc. can be used in combination with Recola. This is demonstrated by the merging and matching of one-loop QCD matrix elements for Drell-Yan production in association with jets to the parton shower. The implementation is fully automatised, thus making it a perfect tool for both experimentalists and theorists who want to use state-of-the-art predictions at NLO accuracy., Comment: 38 pages, 29 figures. Matches the published version (few typos corrected)

We present NLO electroweak corrections to Higgs production in association with off-shell top-antitop quark pairs. The full process $\text{p}\text{p}\to\text{e}^+\nu_{\text{e}} \mu^-\bar{\nu}_\mu\text{b}\bar{\text{b}} \text{H}$ is considered, and hence all interference, off-shell, and non-resonant contributions are taken into account. The electroweak corrections turn out to be below one per cent for the integrated cross section but can exceed $10\%$ in certain phase-space regions. In addition to its phenomenological relevance, the computation constitutes a major technical achievement as the full NLO virtual corrections involving up to 9-point functions have been computed exactly. The results of the full computation are supported by two calculations in the double-pole approximation. These also allow to infer the effect of off-shell contributions and emphasise their importance especially for the run II of the LHC. Finally, we present combined predictions featuring both NLO electroweak and QCD corrections in a common set-up that will help the experimental collaborations in their quest of precisely measuring the aforementioned process., Comment: 28 pages, 40 eps-figures. Matches the published version. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1607.05571

We present a state-of-the-art calculation of the next-to-leading-order electroweak corrections to ZZ production, including the leptonic decays of the Z bosons into $\mu^+\mu^-\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^-$ or $\mu^+\mu^-\mu^+\mu^-$ final states. We use complete leading-order and next-to-leading-order matrix elements for four-lepton production, including contributions of virtual photons and all off-shell effects of Z bosons, where the finite Z-boson width is taken into account using the complex-mass scheme. The matrix elements are implemented into Monte Carlo programs allowing for the evaluation of arbitrary differential distributions. We present integrated and differential cross sections for the LHC at 13 TeV both for an inclusive setup where only lepton identification cuts are applied, and for a setup motivated by Higgs-boson analyses in the four-lepton decay channel. The electroweak corrections are divided into photonic and purely weak contributions. The former show the well-known pronounced tails near kinematical thresholds and resonances; the latter are generically at the level of $\sim-5\%$ and reach several $-10\%$ in the high-energy tails of distributions. Comparing the results for $\mu^+\mu^-\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^-$ and $\mu^+\mu^-\mu^+\mu^-$ final states, we find significant differences mainly in distributions that are sensitive to the $\mu^+\mu^-$ pairing in the $\mu^+\mu^-\mu^+\mu^-$ final state. Differences between $\mu^+\mu^-\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^-$ and $\mu^+\mu^-\mu^+\mu^-$ channels due to interferences of equal-flavour leptons in the final state can reach up to $10\%$ in off-shell-sensitive regions. Contributions induced by incoming photons, i.e. photon-photon and quark-photon channels, are included, but turn out to be phenomenologically unimportant., Comment: 37 pages, 48 eps figures

For the first time full next-to-leading-order electroweak corrections to off-shell vector-boson scattering are presented. The computation features the complete matrix elements, including all non-resonant and off-shell contributions, to the electroweak process $\mathrm{p} \mathrm{p} \to \mu^+ \nu_\mu \mathrm{e}^+ \nu_{\mathrm{e}} \mathrm{j} \mathrm{j}$. It is fully differential, and event selections are applied to the final states such that the predictions can be directly compared to experimental measurements. The corrections are surprisingly large, reaching -16% for the fiducial cross section and up to -40% in the tails of distributions. These large corrections are due to enhanced logarithms in the bosonic virtual corrections., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Version to appear in Phys. Rev. Lett

We present results of the first calculation of next-to-leading-order electroweak corrections to W-boson pair production at the LHC that fully takes into account leptonic W-boson decays and off-shell effects. Employing realistic event selections, we discuss the corrections in situations that are typical for the study of W-boson pairs as a signal process or of Higgs-boson decays $H\to W W^*$, to which W-boson pair production represents an irreducible background. In particular, we compare the full off-shell results, obtained treating the W-boson resonances in the complex-mass scheme, to previous results in the so-called double-pole approximation, which is based on an expansion of the loop amplitudes about the W resonance poles. At small and intermediate scales, i.e. in particular in angular and rapidity distributions, the two approaches show the expected agreement at the level of fractions of a percent, but larger differences appear in the TeV range. For transverse-momentum distributions, the differences can even exceed the 10% level in the TeV range where "background diagrams" with one instead of two resonant W bosons gain in importance because of recoil effects., Comment: 28 pages, 18 eps-figures

The Monte Carlo integrator HAWK provides precision predictions for Higgs production at hadron colliders in vector-boson fusion and Higgs strahlung, i.e. in production processes where the Higgs boson is Attached to WeaK bosons. The fully differential predictions include the full QCD and electroweak next-to-leading-order corrections. Results are computed as integrated cross sections and as binned distributions for important hadron-collider observables., Comment: 33 pages, 1 figure

We compute the next-to-leading order corrections of $O(\alpha_s^2\alpha^3)$ to the hadronic production of two oppositely charged leptons and two hard jets, $p p \to j j l^- l^+$, using Recola and Collier. We include electroweak and QCD corrections at the given order and all off-shell effects. We provide detailed predictions for the LHC operating at 13 TeV and obtain per-cent-level corrections for the total cross section. For differential distributions we find significant non-uniform distortions in high-energy tails at the level of several ten per cent due to electroweak Sudakov logarithms and deformations at the level of a few per cent for angular variables., Comment: 28 pages, 24 eps figures

Single-jet production with missing transverse momentum is one of the most promising discovery channels for new physics at the LHC. In the Standard Model, Z + jet production with a Z-boson decay into neutrinos leads to this monojet signature. To improve the corresponding Standard Model predictions, we present the calculation of the full next-to-leading-order (NLO) electroweak corrections and a recalculation of the NLO QCD corrections to monojet production at the Tevatron and the LHC. We discuss the phenomenological impact on the total cross sections as well as on relevant differential distributions., Comment: 22 pages, 10 figures, 6 tables. Sections 2 and 3 shortened, comments on experimental uncertainties added, some references added; version to appear in EPJC. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1103.0914