NLO jet production in k_T factorization

TL;DR

This paper advances the theoretical understanding of jet production in high-energy collisions by incorporating next-to-leading order corrections within the k_T-factorization framework, using BFKL results and phase-space separation techniques.

Contribution

It introduces a NLO calculation of inclusive jet production in k_T-factorization, including a jet cone definition and phase-space separation for different kinematic regions.

Findings

NLO corrections improve the accuracy of jet production predictions.

A phase-space separation method distinguishes multi-Regge and quasi-multi-Regge regions.

Different energy scale choices are analyzed for photon and hadron collisions.

Abstract

We discuss the inclusive production of jets in the central region of rapidity in the context of k_T-factorization at next-to-leading order (NLO). Calculations are performed in the Regge limit making use of the NLO BFKL results. We introduce a jet cone definition and carry out a proper phase--space separation into multi-Regge and quasi-multi-Regge kinematic regions. We discuss two situations: scattering of highly virtual photons, which requires a symmetric energy scale to separate impact factors from the gluon Green's function, and hadron-hadron collisions, where a non-symmetric scale choice is needed.