Constraints on Nonrelativistic-QCD Long-Distance Matrix Elements from J/ψ Plus W/Z Production at the LHC.

We study the associated production of prompt J/ψ mesons and W or Z bosons within the factorization approach of nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) at next-to-leading order in α_{s}, via intermediate color singlet ^{3}S_{1}^{[1]} and ^{3}P_{J}^{[1]} and color octet ^{1}S_{0}^{[8]}, ^{3}S_{1}^{[8]}, and ^{3}P_{J}^{[8]} states. Requiring for our predictions to be compatible with recent ATLAS measurements yields stringent new constraints on charmonium long-distance matrix elements (LDMEs) being nonperturbative, process-independent input parameters. Considering four popular LDME sets fitted to data of single J/ψ inclusive production, we find that one is marginally compatible with the data, with central predictions typically falling short by a factor of 3, one is unfavored, the factor of shortfall being about 1 order of magnitude, and two violate cross section positivity for direct J/ψ+W/Z production.

Nonplanar Cusp and Transcendental Anomalous Dimension at Four Loops in N=4 Supersymmetric Yang-Mills Theory.

We compute the nonplanar contribution to the universal anomalous dimension of the SU(4)-singlet twist-two operators in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory at four loops through Lorentz spin 18. From this, we numerically evaluate the nonplanar contribution to the four-loop lightlike cusp anomalous dimension and derive the transcendental ζ_{3} and ζ_{5} parts of the universal anomalous dimension for arbitrary Lorentz spin in analytic form. As for the lightlike cusp anomalous dimension and the ζ_{5} part of the universal anomalous dimension, we confirm previous results.

Double Prompt J/ψ Hadroproduction in the Parton Reggeization Approach with High-Energy Resummation.

We study double prompt J/ψ hadroproduction within the nonrelativistic-QCD factorization formalism adopting the parton Reggeization approach to treat initial-state radiation in a gauge invariant and infrared-safe way. We present first predictions for the cross section distributions in the transverse momenta of the subleading J/ψ meson and the J/ψ pair. Already at leading order in α_{s}, these predictions as well as those for the total cross section and its distributions in the invariant mass m_{ψψ} and the rapidity separation |Y| of the J/ψ pair nicely agree with recent ATLAS and CMS Collaboration measurements, except for the large-m_{ψψ} and large-|Y| regions, where the predictions substantially undershoot the data.

Deciphering the X(3872) via its Polarization in Prompt Production at the CERN LHC.

Based on the hypothesis that the X(3872) exotic hadron is a mixture of χ_{c1}(2P) and other states and that its prompt hadroproduction predominately proceeds via its χ_{c1}(2P) component, we calculate the prompt-X(3872) polarization at the CERN LHC through next-to-leading order in α_{s} within the factorization formalism of nonrelativistic QCD, including both the color-singlet ^{3}P_{1}^{[1]} and color-octet ^{3}S_{1}^{[8]} cc[over ¯] Fock states. We also consider the polarization of the J/ψ produced by the subsequent X(3872) decay. We predict that, under ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb experimental conditions, the X(3872) is largely longitudinally polarized, while the J/ψ is largely transversely polarized.

Breakdown of Nonrelativistic QCD Factorization in Processes Involving Two Quarkonia and its Cure.

We study inclusive processes involving two heavy quarkonia in nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) and demonstrate that, in the presence of two P-wave Fock states, NRQCD factorization breaks down, leaving uncanceled infrared singularities. As phenomenologically important examples, we consider the decay ϒ→χ_{cJ}+X via bb[over ¯](^{3}P_{J_{b}}^{[8]})→cc[over ¯](^{3}P_{J}^{[1]})+gg and the production process e^{+}e^{-}→J/ψ+χ_{cJ}+X via e^{+}e^{-}→cc[over ¯](^{3}P_{J_{1}}^{[8]})+cc[over ¯](^{3}P_{J}^{[1]})+g. We infer that such singularities will appear for double quarkonium hadroproduction at next-to-leading order.

Stability of the Electroweak Vacuum: Gauge Independence and Advanced Precision.

We perform a manifestly gauge-independent analysis of the vacuum stability in the standard model including two-loop matching, three-loop renormalization group evolution, and pure QCD corrections through four loops. All these ingredients are exact, except that light-fermion masses are neglected. We in turn apply the criterion of nullifying the Higgs self-coupling and its beta function in the modified minimal-subtraction scheme and a recently proposed consistent method for determining the true minimum of the effective Higgs potential that also avoids gauge dependence.

Complete Nonrelativistic-QCD Prediction for Prompt Double J/ψ Hadroproduction.

We perform a complete study of prompt double J/ψ hadroproduction at leading order in the nonrelativistic-QCD factorization framework by including all possible pairings of the cc̅ Fock states (1)S(0)([8]), (3)S(1)([1,8]), and (3)P(J)([1,8]) with J=0,1,2. We find that the (1)S(0)([8]) and (3)P(J)([8]) channels of J/ψ and ψ'} production and the (3)P(J)([1]) and (3)S(1)([8]) channels of χ(cJ) production, which have been overlooked so far, greatly dominate at large invariant masses and rapidity separations of the J/ψ pair, and that their inclusion nearly fills the large gap between previous incomplete predictions within the color-singlet model and the recent measurement by the CMS Collaboration at the CERN LHC, leaving room for next-to-leading-order corrections of typical size.

η(c) production at the LHC challenges nonrelativistic QCD factorization.

We analyze the first measurement of η_{c} production, performed by the LHCb Collaboration, in the nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) factorization framework at next-to-leading order (NLO) in the strong-coupling constant α_{s} and the relative velocity v of the bound quarks including the feeddown from h_{c} mesons. Converting the long-distance matrix elements extracted by various groups from J/ψ yield and polarization data to the η_{c} case using heavy-quark spin symmetry, we find that the resulting NLO NRQCD predictions greatly overshoot the LHCb data, while the color-singlet model provides an excellent description.

All-order renormalization of the propagator matrix for fermionic systems with flavor mixing.

We consider a mixed system of Dirac fermions in a general parity-nonconserving theory and renormalize the propagator matrix to all orders in the pole scheme, in which the squares of the renormalized masses are identified with the complex pole positions and the wave-function renormalization (WFR) matrices are adjusted in compliance with the Lehmann-Symanzik-Zimmermann reduction formalism. We present closed analytic all-order expressions and their expansions through two loops for the renormalization constants in terms of the scalar, pseudoscalar, vector, and pseudovector parts of the unrenormalized self-energy matrix, which is computable from the one-particle-irreducible Feynman diagrams of the flavor transitions. We identify residual degrees of freedom in the WFR matrices and propose an additional renormalization condition to exhaust them.

Gluon- and quark-jet multiplicities with NNNLO and NNLL accuracy.

We present a new approach to consider and include both the perturbative and the nonperturbative contributions to the multiplicities of gluon and quark jets. Thanks to this new method, we have included for the first time new contributions to these quantities obtaining next-to-next-to-leading-logarithmic resummed formulas. Our analytic expressions depend on two nonperturbative parameters with a clear and simple physical interpretation.

J/ψ polarization at the Tevatron and the LHC: nonrelativistic-QCD factorization at the crossroads.

We study the polarization observables of J/ψ hadroproduction at next-to-leading order within the factorization formalism of nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics. We complete the present knowledge of the relativistic corrections by also providing the contribution due to the intermediate (3)P(J)([8]) color-octet states at this order, which turns out to be quite significant. Exploiting the color-octet long-distance matrix elements previously extracted through a global fit to experimental data of unpolarized J/ψ production, we provide theoretical predictions in the helicity and Collins-Soper frames and compare them with data taken by CDF at Fermilab Tevatron I and II and by ALICE at CERN LHC.

Probing nonrelativistic QCD factorization in polarized J/ψ photoproduction at next-to-leading order.

We analyze the polarization observables of J/ψ photoproduction at next-to-leading order within the factorization formalism of nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics (NRQCD). This is a complete next-to-leading-order study of heavy-quarkonium polarization including the full relativistic corrections due to the intermediate (1)S(0)([8]), (3)S(1)([8]), and (3)P(J)([8]) color-octet states closing a gap in the worldwide endeavor to test NRQCD factorization at the quantum level. We present theoretical predictions in the helicity, target, and Collins-Soper frames of DESY HERA, evaluated using the color-octet long-distance matrix elements previously extracted through a global fit to experimental data of unpolarized J/ψ production, and confront them with recent measurements by the H1 and ZEUS Collaborations.

Ultrahigh-energy neutrino-nucleon deep-inelastic scattering and the Froissart bound.

We present a simple formula for the total cross section σ(νN) of neutral- and charged-current deep-inelastic scattering of ultrahigh-energy neutrinos on isoscalar nuclear targets, which is proportional to the structure function F(2)(νN)(M(V)(2)/s,M(V)(2)), where M(V) is the intermediate-boson mass and s is the square of the center-of-mass energy. The coefficient in front of F(2)(νN)(x,Q(2)) depends on the asymptotic low-x behavior of F(2)(νN). It contains an additional lns term if F(2)(νN) scales with a power of ln(1/x).

Reconciling J/ψ production at HERA, RHIC, Tevatron, and LHC with nonrelativistic QCD factorization at next-to-leading order.

We calculate the cross section of inclusive direct J/ψ hadroproduction at next-to-leading order within the factorization formalism of nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics, including the full relativistic corrections due to the intermediate 1S(0)[8], 3S(1)[8], and 3P(J)[8] color-octet states. We perform a combined fit of the color-octet long-distance matrix elements to the transverse-momentum (p(T)) distributions measured by CDF at the Fermilab Tevatron and H1 at DESY HERA and demonstrate that they also successfully describe the p(T) distributions from PHENIX at BNL RHIC and CMS at the CERN LHC as well as the photon-proton c.m.

Factorization breaking in high-transverse-momentum charged-hadron production at the Tevatron?

We compare the transverse-momentum (pT) distribution of inclusive light-charged-particle production measured by the CDF Collaboration at the Fermilab Tevatron with the theoretical prediction evaluated at next-to-leading order in quantum chromodynamics using fragmentation functions recently determined through a global data fit. While in the lower pT range the data agree with the prediction within the theoretical error or slightly undershoot it, they significantly exceed it in the upper pT range, by several orders of magnitude at the largest values of pT, potentially challenging the factorization theorem.

Complete next-to-leading-order corrections to J/psi photoproduction in nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics.

We calculate the cross section of inclusive direct J/psi photoproduction at next-to-leading order within the factorization formalism of nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics for the first time including the full relativistic corrections due to the intermediate {1}S{0}{[8]}, {3}S{1}{[8]}, and {3}P{J}{[8]} color-octet states. A comparison of our results to recent H1 data suggests that the color-octet mechanism is indeed realized in J/psi photoproduction, although the predictivity of our results still suffers from uncertainties in the color-octet long-distance matrix elements.

Orthopositronium lifetime: analytic results in O(alpha) and O(alpha3lnalpha).

We present the O(alpha) and O(alpha3lnalpha) corrections to the total decay width of orthopositronium in closed analytic form, in terms of basic irrational numbers, which can be evaluated numerically to arbitrary precision.

Large-x resummation in Q2 evolution.

The standard analytic solution to the Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi equation in Mellin space is improved by resumming the large-x divergences. Explicit results are given to next-to-leading order and next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy, which significantly reduce the parton density functions' theoretical uncertainties, more than the inclusion of next-to-next-to-leading order corrections in some cases, and is, therefore, of paramount importance for the reliable interpretation of ongoing and future experiments with hadron beams or targets, including those at the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

Two-loop virtual top-quark effect on Higgs-boson decay to bottom quarks.

In most of the mass range encompassed by the limits from the direct search and the electroweak precision tests, the Higgs boson of the standard model preferably decays to bottom quarks. We present, in analytic form, the dominant two-loop electroweak correction, of O(GF2mt4), to the partial width of this decay. It amplifies the familiar enhancement due to the O(GFmt2) one-loop correction by about +16% and thus more than compensates the screening by about -8% through strong-interaction effects of order O(alphasGFmt2).

Simple approach to renormalize the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix.

We present an on-shell scheme to renormalize the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix. It is based on a novel procedure to separate the external-leg mixing corrections into gauge-independent self-mass and gauge-dependent wave function renormalization contributions, and to implement the on-shell renormalization of the former with nondiagonal mass counterterm matrices. Diagonalization of the complete mass matrix leads to an explicit CKM counterterm matrix, which automatically satisfies all the following important properties: it is gauge independent, preserves unitarity, and leads to renormalized amplitudes that are nonsingular in the limit in which any two fermions become mass degenerate.

Strong-coupling constant with flavor thresholds at five loops in the modified minimal-subtraction scheme.

We present in analytic form the matching conditions for the strong-coupling constant alphas(nf) (mu) at the flavor thresholds to four loops in the modified minimal-subtraction scheme. Taking into account the present knowledge on the coefficient beta4 of the Callan-Symanzik beta function of quantum chromodynamics, we thus derive a five-loop formula for alphas(nf) (mu) together with appropriate relationships between the asymptotic scale parameters Lamda(nf) for different numbers of flavors nf.

Reconciling open-charm production at the Fermilab Tevatron with QCD.

We study the inclusive hadroproduction of D0, D+, D*+, and D(s)+ mesons at next-to-leading order in the parton model of quantum chromodynamics endowed with universal nonperturbative fragmentation functions fitted to e+e- annihilation data from CERN LEP1. Working in the general-mass variable-flavor-number scheme, we resum the large logarithms through the evolution of the fragmentation functions and, at the same time, retain the full dependence on the charm-quark mass without additional theoretical assumptions. In this way, the cross section distributions in transverse momentum recently measured by the CDF Collaboration in run II at the Fermilab Tevatron are described within errors.

Generalizing the Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi evolution of fragmentation functions to the smallest values.

An approach valid to any order which unifies the fixed order Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi evolution of fragmentation functions at large x with soft gluon logarithmic resummation at small x is proposed. At lowest order, this approach, implemented with the double logarithmic approximation, reproduces exactly the modified leading logarithm approximation but is more complete due to the degrees of freedom given to the quark sector and the inclusion of the fixed order terms. We find that data from the largest x values to the peak region can be better fitted than with other approaches.

Mass of the eta b and alpha s from the nonrelativistic renormalization group.

We sum up the next-to-leading logarithmic corrections to the heavy-quarkonium hyperfine splitting, using the nonrelativistic renormalization group. On the basis of this result, we predict the mass of the eta(b) meson to be M(eta(b))=9421+/-11(th)+9-8(delta alpha(s)) MeV. The experimental measurement of M(eta(b)) with a few MeV error would be sufficient to determine alpha(s)(M(Z)) with an accuracy of +/-0.

Heavy-quarkonium creation and annihilation with O(alpha(3)(s)ln(alpha(s)) accuracy.

We calculate the O(alpha(3)(s)ln(alpha(s)) contributions to the heavy-quarkonium production and annihilation rates. Our result sheds new light on the structure of the high-order perturbative corrections and opens a new perspective for a high-precision theoretical analysis. We also determine the three-loop anomalous dimensions of the nonrelativistic vector and pseudoscalar currents.