Two-dimensional Harmonic Polylogarithms Research Articles

Bootstrapping octagons in reduced kinematics from A2 cluster algebras

Multi-loop scattering amplitudes/null polygonal Wilson loops in mathcal{N} = 4 super-Yang-Mills are known to simplify significantly in reduced kinematics, where external legs/edges lie in an 1 + 1 dimensional subspace of Minkowski spacetime (or boundary of the AdS3 subspace). Since the edges of a 2n-gon with even and odd labels go along two different null directions, the kinematics is reduced to two copies of G(2, n)/T ∼ An−3. In the simplest octagon case, we conjecture that all loop amplitudes and Feynman integrals are given in terms of two overlapping A2 functions (a special case of two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms): in addition to the letters v, 1 + v, w, 1 + w of A1 × A1, there are two letters v − w, 1 − vw mixing the two sectors but they never appear together in the same term; these are the reduced version of four-mass-box algebraic letters. Evidence supporting our conjecture includes all known octagon amplitudes as well as new computations of multi-loop integrals in reduced kinematics. By leveraging this alphabet and conditions on first and last entries, we initiate a bootstrap program in reduced kinematics: within the remarkably simple space of overlapping A2 functions, we easily obtain octagon amplitudes up to two-loop NMHV and three-loop MHV. We also briefly comment on the generalization to 2n-gons in terms of A2 functions and beyond.

Analytic results for two-loop master integrals for Bhabha scattering I

We evaluate analytically the master integrals for one of two types of planar families contributing to massive two-loop Bhabha scattering in QED. As in our previous paper, we apply a recently suggested new strategy to solve differential equations for master integrals for families of Feynman integrals. The crucial point of this strategy is to use a new basis of the master integrals where all master integrals are pure functions of uniform weight. This allows to cast the differential equations into a simple canonical form, which can straightforwardly be integrated order by order in epsilon in dimensional regularization. The boundary conditions are also particularly transparent in this setup. We identify the class of functions relevant to this problem to all orders in epsilon. We present the results up to weight four for all except one integrals in terms of a subset of Goncharov polylogarithms, which one may call two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms. For one integral, and more generally at higher weight, the solution is written in terms of Chen iterated integrals.

Two-loop QCD helicity amplitudes for $ q\overline q $ → W ±γ and $ q\overline q $ → Z 0γ

The self-couplings of the electroweak gauge bosons are probed at hadron colliders through the production of a massive gauge boson and a photon. To extend the theoretical description of this type of final states towards next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in QCD, we derive the two-loop QCD corrections to the helicity amplitudes describing the production of a massive gauge boson in association with a real photon. Our results are obtained by applying projectors to the general parton-level tensor structure. The leptonic decay of the vector boson is included, thus allowing for a fully exclusive description of the final state. The infrared poles of the amplitudes are described by an infrared factorization formula. We provide an analytic expression for the finite remainder of the amplitude in terms of one- and two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms. The amplitudes are expressed in the physical kinematics relevant to gauge-boson-plus-photon production at hadron colliders. As a by-product, we also derive the two-loop QCD amplitudes for vector-boson-plus-jet production at hadron colliders.

Two-loop QCD corrections to the helicity amplitudes for H → 3 partons

Many search strategies for the Standard Model Higgs boson apply specific selection criteria on hadronic jets observed in association with the Higgs boson decay products, either in the form of a jet veto, or by defining event samples according to jet multiplicity. To improve the theoretical description of Higgs-boson-plus-jet production (and the closely related Higgs boson transverse momentum distribution), we derive the two-loop QCD corrections to the helicity amplitudes for the processes $H \to ggg$ and $H\to q \bar q g$ in an effective theory with infinite top quark mass. The helicity amplitudes are extracted from the coefficients appearing in the general tensorial structure for each process. The coefficients are derived from the Feynman graph amplitudes by means of projectors within the conventional dimensional regularization scheme. The infrared pole structure of our result agrees with the expectation from infrared factorization and the finite parts of the amplitudes are expressed in terms of one- and two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms.

Two-loop planar corrections to heavy-quark pair production in the quark-antiquark channel

We evaluate the planar two-loop QCD diagrams contributing to the leading color coefficient of the heavy-quark pair production cross section, in the quark-antiquark annihilation channel. We obtain the leading color coefficient in an analytic form, in terms of one- and two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms of maximal weight 4. The result is valid for arbitrary values of the Mandelstam invariants s and t, and of the heavy-quark mass m. Our findings agree with previous analytic results in the small-mass limit and numerical results for the exact amplitude.

Two-loop QCD helicity amplitudes for ([formula omitted])-jet production in deep inelastic scattering

We derive the two-loop QCD helicity amplitudes for the processes ℓq→ℓqg (ℓq¯→ℓq¯g) and ℓg→ℓqq¯, which are the partonic reactions yielding (2+1)-jet final states in deep inelastic lepton nucleon scattering. The amplitudes are obtained by analytic continuation of the known helicity amplitudes for e+e−→qq¯g. We separate the infrared divergent and finite parts of the amplitudes using Catani's infrared factorization formula. The analytic results for the finite parts of the amplitudes are expressed in terms of one- and two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms. To evaluate these functions numerically, we list in detail the non-trivial (and kinematic region dependent) variable transformations one needs to perform.

Analytic integration of real-virtual counterterms in NNLO jet cross sections I

We present analytic evaluations of some integrals needed to give explicitly the integrated real-virtual integrated counterterms, based on a recently proposed subtraction scheme for next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) jet cross sections. After an algebraic reduction of the integrals, integration-by-parts identities are used for the reduction to master integrals and for the computation of the master integrals themselves by means of differential equations. The results are written in terms of one- and two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms, once an extension of the standard basis is made. We expect that the techniques described here will be useful in computing other integrals emerging in calculations in perturbative quantum field theories.

Harmonic polylogarithms for massive Bhabha scattering

One- and two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms, HPLs and GPLs, appear in calculations of multi-loop integrals. We discuss them in the context of analytical solutions for two-loop master integrals in the case of massive Bhabha scattering in QED. For the GPLs we discuss analytical representations, conformal transformations, and also their transformations corresponding to relations between master integrals in the s- and t-channel.

Master Integrals For Massless Two-Loop Vertex Diagrams With Three Offshell Legs

We compute the master integrals for massless two-loop vertex graphs with three off- shell legs. These master integrals are relevant for the QCD corrections to H ! V ∗ V ∗ (where V = W, Z) and for two-loop studies of the triple gluon (and quark-gluon) vertex. We employ the differential equation technique to provide series expansions in ǫ for the various master integrals. The results are analytic and contain a new class of two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms.

Two-loop QCD helicity amplitudes for e+e−→3 jets

We compute the two-loop QCD helicity amplitudes for the process e +e −→q q ̄ g . The amplitudes are extracted in a scheme-independent manner from the coefficients appearing in the general tensorial structure for this process. The tensor coefficients are derived from the Feynman graph amplitudes by means of projectors, within the conventional dimensional regularization scheme. The actual calculation of the loop integrals is then performed by reducing all of them to a small set of known master integrals. The infrared pole structure of the renormalized helicity amplitudes agrees with the prediction made by Catani using an infrared factorization formula. We use this formula to structure our results for the finite part into terms arising from the expansion of the pole coefficients and a genuine finite remainder, which is independent of the scheme used to define the helicity amplitudes. The analytic result for the finite parts of the amplitudes is expressed in terms of one- and two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms.

The two-loop QCD matrix element for e+e−→3 jets

We compute the O(α s 3) virtual QCD corrections to the γ ∗→q q ̄ g matrix element arising from the interference of the two-loop with the tree-level amplitude and from the self-interference of the one-loop amplitude. The calculation is performed by reducing all loop integrals appearing in the two-loop amplitude to a small set of known master integrals. Infrared and ultraviolet divergences are both regularized using conventional dimensional regularization, and the ultraviolet renormalization is performed in the MS scheme. The infrared pole structure of the matrix elements agrees with the prediction made by Catani using an infrared factorization formula. The analytic result for the finite terms of both matrix elements is expressed in terms of one- and two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms.

Numerical evaluation of two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms

The two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms G( a → (z);y) , a generalization of the harmonic polylogarithms, themselves a generalization of Nielsen's polylogarithms, appear in analytic calculations of multi-loop radiative corrections in quantum field theory. We present an algorithm for the numerical evaluation of two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms, with the two arguments y, z varying in the triangle 0⩽ y⩽1, 0⩽ z⩽1, 0⩽( y+ z)⩽1. This algorithm is implemented into a FORTRAN subroutine tdhpl to compute two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms up to weight 4.

Two-loop master integrals for jets: the planar topologies

Abstract The calculation of the two-loop corrections to the three jet production rate and to event shapes in electron–positron annihilation requires the computation of a number of up to now unknown two-loop four-point master integrals with one off-shell and three on-shell legs. In this paper we compute those master integrals which correspond to planar topologies by solving differential equations in the external invariants which are fulfilled by the master integrals. We obtain the master integrals as expansions in ϵ=(4−d)/2, where d is the space–time dimension. The results are expressed in terms of newly introduced two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms, whose properties are shortly discussed. For all two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms appearing in the divergent parts of the integrals, expressions in terms of Nielsen's polylogarithms are given. The analytic continuation of our results to other kinematical situations is outlined.

Two-loop master integrals for jets: the non-planar topologies

The calculation of the two-loop corrections to the three-jet production rate and to event shapes in electron--positron annihilation requires the computation of a number of two-loop four-point master integrals with one off-shell and three on-shell legs. Up to now, only those master integrals corresponding to planar topologies were known. In this paper, we compute the yet outstanding non-planar master integrals by solving differential equations in the external invariants which are fulfilled by these master integrals. We obtain the master integrals as expansions in $\e=(4-d)/2$, where $d$ is the space-time dimension. The fully analytic results are expressed in terms of the two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms already introduced in the evaluation of the planar topologies.