Soft Anomalous Dimension Research Articles

Multiparton Cwebs at five loops

Scattering amplitudes involving multiple partons are plagued with infrared singularities. The soft singularities of the amplitude are captured by the soft function which is defined as the vacuum expectation value of Wilson line correlators. Renormalization properties of soft function allows us to write it as an exponential of the finite soft anomalous dimension. An efficient way to study the soft function is through a set of Feynman diagrams known as Cwebs (webs). We present the mixing matrices and exponentiated colour factors (ECFs) for the Cwebs at five loops that connect six Wilson lines, except those that are related by relabeling of Wilson lines. Further, we express these ECFs in terms of 29 basis colour factors. We also find that this basis can be categorized into two colour structures. Our results are the first key ingredients for the calculation of the soft anomalous dimension at five loops.

A new method for calculating the soft anomalous dimension matrix for massive particle scattering

The general structure of infrared divergences in the scattering of massive particles is captured by the soft anomalous dimension matrix. The latter can be computed from a correlation function of multiple Wilson lines. The state-of-the-art two-loop result has a tantalizingly simple structure that is not manifest in the calculations. We argue that the complexity in intermediate steps of the known calculations comes from spurious, regulator-dependent terms. Based on this insight we propose a different infrared regulator that is associated to only one of the Wilson lines. We demonstrate that this streamlines obtaining the two-loop result: computing the required Feynman integrals via the differential equations method, only multiple polylogarithmic functions appear (to all orders in the dimensional regulator), as opposed to elliptic polylogarithms. We show that the new method is promising for higher-loop applications by computing a three-loop diagram of genuine complexity, and provide the answer in terms of multiple polylogarithms. The relatively simple symbol alphabet we obtain may be of interest for bootstrap approaches.

Four-Loop Rapidity Anomalous Dimension and Event Shapes to Fourth Logarithmic Order.

We obtain the quark and gluon rapidity anomalous dimension to fourth order in QCD. We calculate the N^{3}LO rapidity anomalous dimensions to higher order in the dimensional regulator and make use of the soft and rapidity anomalous dimension correspondence in conjunction with the recent determination of the N^{4}LO threshold anomalous dimensions to achieve our result. We show that the results for the quark and gluon rapidity anomalous dimensions at four loops are related by generalized Casimir scaling. Using the N^{4}LO rapidity anomalous dimension, we perform the resummation of the energy-energy correlation in the back-to-back limit at N^{4}LL, achieving for the first time the resummation of an event shape at this logarithmic order. We present numerical results and observe a reduction of perturbative uncertainties on the resummed cross section to below 1%.

Soft integrals and soft anomalous dimensions at N3LO and beyond

We calculate soft phase-space and loop master integrals for the computation of color-singlet cross sections through N3LO in perturbative QCD. Our results are functions of homogeneous transcendental weight and include the first nine terms in the expansion in the dimensional regulator ϵ. We discuss the application of our results to the computation of deeply-inelastic scattering and e+e− annihilation processes. We use these results to compute the perturbative coefficient functions for the Drell-Yan and gluon-fusion Higgs boson production cross sections to higher orders in ϵ through N3LO in QCD in the limit where only soft partons are produced on top of the colorless final state. Furthermore, we extract the anomalous dimension of the inclusive threshold soft function and of the N-Jettiness beam and jet functions to N4LO in perturbative QCD.

The four loop QCD rapidity anomalous dimension

The rapidity anomalous dimension controls the scaling of transverse momentum dependent observables in the Sudakov region. In a conformal theory it is equivalent to the soft anomalous dimension, but in QCD this relation is broken by anomalous terms proportional to the β-function. In this paper we first give a simple proof of this relation using two different representations of the energy-energy correlator observable. We then calculate the anomalous terms to three loops by computing the three-loop fully differential soft function to \U0001d4aa(ϵ). Combined with recent perturbative data from the study of on-shell form factors and splitting functions, this allows us to derive the four loop rapidity anomalous dimension in QCD.

Three-loop soft anomalous dimensions for top-quark processes

I present results for soft anomalous dimensions through three loops for several processes involving the production of top quarks. In particular, I discuss single-top and top-pair production. I also present some numerical results for double-differential distributions in t{\bar t}tt‾ production through approximate N^33LO.

Three-loop soft anomalous dimensions in QCD

I present results for soft anomalous dimensions through three loops for many QCD processes. In particular, I give detailed expressions for soft anomalous dimensions in various processes with electroweak and Higgs bosons as well as single top quarks and top-antitop pairs.

The Soft Anomalous Dimension at four loops in the Regge Limit

The soft anomalous dimension governs the infrared divergences of scattering amplitudes in general kinematics to all orders in perturbation theory. By comparing the recent Regge-limit results for 2\to22→2 scattering (through Next-to-Next-to-Leading Logarithms) in full colour to a general form for the soft anomalous dimension at four loops we derive powerful constraints on its kinematic dependence, opening the way for a bootstrap-based determination.

Soft gluon resummation for associated squark-electroweakino production at the LHC

We perform a threshold resummation calculation for the associated production of squarks and electroweakinos at the LHC to the next-to-leading logarithmic (NLL) accuracy. Analytical results for the process-dependent soft anomalous dimension and the hard matching coefficient are presented. The resummed results are matched to fixed-order predictions at next-to-leading order (NLO) in QCD, which are generalised to scenarios with non-universal squark masses and mixings. Numerically, the NLL contributions increase the total NLO cross section by 2% to 6% for squark masses ranging from 1 TeV to 3 TeV, respectively, and they reduce the dependence of the predictions on the factorisation and renormalisation scales from typically ±10% to below ±5%. Our NLO and NLO+NLL calculations have been implemented in the publicly available program Resummino.

Scattering amplitudes in the Regge limit and the soft anomalous dimension through four loops

Using rapidity evolution equations we study two-to-two gauge-theory scattering amplitudes in the Regge limit. We carry out explicit computations at next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy through four loops and present new results for both infrared-singular and finite contributions to the amplitude. New techniques are devised in order to derive the colour structure stemming from three-Reggeon exchange diagrams in terms of commutators of channel operators, obtaining results that are valid for any gauge group, and apply to scattered particles in any colour representation. We also elucidate the separation between contributions to the Regge cut and Regge pole in the real part of the amplitude to all loop orders. We show that planar contributions due to multiple-Reggeon exchange diagrams can be factorised as a Regge pole along with the single-Reggeon exchange, and when this is done, the singular part of the gluon Regge trajectory is directly determined by the cusp anomalous dimension. We explicitly compute the Regge cut component of the amplitude through four loops and show that it is non-planar. From a different perspective, the new results provide important information on soft singularities in general kinematics beyond the planar limit: by comparing the computed corrections to the general form of the four-loop soft anomalous dimension we derive powerful constraints on its kinematic dependence, opening the way for a bootstrap-based determination.

Boomerang webs up to three-loop order

Webs are sets of Feynman diagrams which manifest soft gluon exponentiation in gauge theory scattering amplitudes: individual webs contribute to the logarithm of the amplitude and their ultraviolet renormalization encodes its infrared structure. In this paper, we consider the particular class of boomerang webs, consisting of multiple gluon exchanges, but where at least one gluon has both of its endpoints on the same Wilson line. First, we use the replica trick to prove that diagrams involving self-energy insertions along the Wilson line do not contribute to the web, i.e. their exponentiated colour factor vanishes. Consequently boomerang webs effectively involve only integrals where boomerang gluons straddle one or more gluons that connect to other Wilson lines. Next we classify and calculate all boomerang webs involving semi-infinite non-lightlike Wilson lines up to three-loop order, including a detailed discussion of how to regulate and renormalize them. Furthermore, we show that they can be written using a basis of specific harmonic polylogarithms, that has been conjectured to be sufficient for expressing all multiple gluon exchange webs. However, boomerang webs differ from other gluon-exchange webs by featuring a lower and non-uniform transcendental weight. We cross-check our results by showing how certain boomerang webs can be determined by the so-called collinear reduction of previously calculated webs. Our results are a necessary ingredient of the soft anomalous dimension for non-lightlike Wilson lines at three loops.

Factorization of the dijet cross section in hadron–hadron collisions

The factorization theorem for the dijet cross section is presented in hadron–hadron collisions with a cone-type jet algorithm. We also apply the beam veto to the beam jets consisting of the initial radiation. The soft-collinear effective theory is employed to see the factorization structure transparently when there are four distinct lightcone directions involved. There are various types of divergences such as the ultraviolet and infrared divergences. And when the phase space is divided to probe the collinear and the soft parts, there appears an additional divergence called rapidity divergence. These divergences are sorted out and we will show that all the infrared and rapidity divergences cancel, and only the ultraviolet divergence remains. It is a vital step to justify the factorization. Among many partonic processes, we take \(q{\overline{q}} \rightarrow gg\) as a specific example to consider the dijet cross section. The hard and the soft functions have nontrivial color structure, while the jet and the beam functions are diagonal in operator basis. The dependence of the soft anomalous dimension on the jet algorithm and the beam veto is diagonal in operator space, and is cancelled by that of the jet and beam functions. We also compute the anomalous dimensions of the factorized components, and resum the large logarithms to next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy by solving the renormalization group equation.

Disentangling observable dependence in SCETI and SCETII anomalous dimensions: angularities at two loops

The resummation of radiative corrections to collider jet observables using soft collinear effective theory is encoded in differential renormalization group equations (RGEs), with anomalous dimensions depending on the observable under consideration. This observable dependence arises from the ultraviolet (UV) singular structure of real phase space integrals in the effective field theory. We show that the observable dependence of anomalous dimensions in SCETI problems can be disentangled by introducing a suitable UV regulator in real radiation integrals. Resummation in the presence of the new regulator can be performed by solving a two-dimensional system of RGEs in the collinear and soft sectors, and resembles many features of resummation in SCETII theories by means of the rapidity renormalization group. We study the properties of SCETI with the additional regulator and explore the connection with the system of RGEs in SCETII theories, highlighting some universal patterns that can be exploited in perturbative calculations. As an application, we compute the two-loop soft and jet anomalous dimensions for a family of recoil-free angularities and give new analytic results. This allows us to study the relations between the SCETI and SCETII limits for these observables. We also discuss how the extra UV regulator can be exploited to calculate anomalous dimensions numerically, and the prospects for numerical resummation.

Climbing three-Reggeon ladders: Four-loop amplitudes in the high-energy limit in full color

We show that an iterative solution of rapidity evolution equations with a leading-order kernel renders the entire signature-odd tower of next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic (NNLL) contributions to partonic $2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2$ amplitudes in the Regge limit computable in full color. The result, which universally holds in any gauge theory, corresponds to a set of three-Reggeon ladder diagrams. In this setting we compute the NNLL amplitude to four loops in dimensional regularization through finite corrections. Furthermore, by contrasting the result with the exponentiation properties of soft singularities we determine the four-loop correction to the soft anomalous dimension at this logarithmic accuracy. The latter features quartic Casimir contributions beyond those appearing in the cusp anomalous dimension. Finally, in the case of $\mathcal{N}=4$ super Yang-Mills, we also determine the finite hard function at four loops through NNLL in full color.

Cwebs beyond three loops in multiparton amplitudes

Correlators of Wilson-line operators in non-abelian gauge theories are known to exponentiate, and their logarithms can be organised in terms of collections of Feynman diagrams called webs. In [1] we introduced the concept of Cweb, or correlator web, which is a set of skeleton diagrams built with connected gluon correlators, and we computed the mixing matrices for all Cwebs connecting four or five Wilson lines at four loops. Here we complete the evaluation of four-loop mixing matrices, presenting the results for all Cwebs connecting two and three Wilson lines. We observe that the conjuctured column sum rule is obeyed by all the mixing matrices that appear at four-loops. We also show how low-dimensional mixing matrices can be uniquely determined from their known combinatorial properties, and provide some all-order results for selected classes of mixing matrices. Our results complete the required colour building blocks for the calculation of the soft anomalous dimension matrix at four-loop order.

Soft Anomalous Dimensions and Resummation in QCD

I discuss and review soft anomalous dimensions in QCD that describe soft-gluon threshold resummation for a wide range of hard-scattering processes. The factorization properties of the cross section in moment space and renormalization-group evolution are implemented to derive a general form for differential resummed cross sections. Detailed expressions are given for the soft anomalous dimensions at one, two, and three loops, including some new results, for a large number of partonic processes involving top quarks, electroweak bosons, Higgs bosons, and other particles in the standard model and beyond.

Resummation for 2→n processes in single-particle-inclusive kinematics

We present a formalism and detailed analytical results for soft-gluon resummation for $2\rightarrow n$ processes in single-particle-inclusive (1PI) kinematics. This generalizes previous work on resummation for $2 \rightarrow 2$ processes in 1PI kinematics. We also present soft anomalous dimensions at one and two loops for certain $2 \rightarrow 3$ processes involving top quarks and Higgs or $Z$ bosons, and we provide some brief numerical results.

Loop equation and exact soft anomalous dimension in mathcal{N} = 4 super Yang-Mills

BPS Wilson loops in supersymmetric gauge theories have been the subjects of active research since they are often amenable to exact computation. So far most of the studies have focused on loops that do not intersect. In this paper, we derive exact results for intersecting 1/8 BPS Wilson loops in mathcal{N} = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, using a combination of supersymmetric localization and the loop equation in 2d gauge theory. The result is given by a novel matrix-model-like representation which couples multiple contour integrals and a Gaussian matrix model. We evaluate the integral at large N , and make contact with the string worldsheet description at strong coupling. As an application of our results, we compute exactly a small-angle limit (and more generally near-BPS limits) of the cross anomalous dimension which governs the UV divergence of intersecting Wilson lines. The same quantity describes the soft anomalous dimension of scattering amplitudes of W -bosons in the Coulomb branch.

Multiparton webs beyond three loops

Correlators of Wilson-line operators are fundamental ingredients for the study of the infrared properties of non-abelian gauge theories. In perturbation theory, they are known to exponentiate, and their logarithm can be organised in terms of collections of Feynman diagrams called webs. We study the classification of webs to high perturbative orders, proposing a set of tools to generate them recursively: in particular, we introduce the concept of Cweb, or correlator web, which is a set of skeleton diagrams built with connected gluon correlators, instead of individual Feynman diagrams. As an application, we enumerate all Cwebs entering the soft anomalous dimension matrix for multi-parton scattering amplitudes at four loops, and we compute the mixing matrices for all Cwebs connecting four or five Wilson lines at that loop order, verifying that they obey sum rules that were derived or conjectured in the literature. Our results provide the colour building blocks for the calculation of the soft anomalous dimension matrix at four-loop order.

Three-loop soft function for heavy-to-light quark decays

We compute the 1-jettiness soft function for the decay of a heavy quark into a light quark jet plus colorless particles at three-loop order in soft-collinear effective theory. The 1-jettiness measurement fixes the total small light-cone momentum component of the soft radiation with respect to the jet direction. This soft function is a universal ingredient to the factorization of heavy-to-light quark decays in the limit of small 1-jettiness. Our three-loop result is required for resummation at the N3LL′ level, e.g. near the endpoint in the photon energy spectrum of the B → Xsγ decay. It is also a necessary ingredient for future calculations of fully-differential heavy-to-light quark decay rates at N3LO using the N -jettiness subtraction method, e.g. for semileptonic top decays. Using our result for the soft anomalous dimension we confirm predictions on the universal infrared structure of QCD scattering amplitudes with a massive external quark at three loops.