Double fermionic contributions to the heavy-quark vacuum polarization

TL;DR

This paper calculates advanced quantum chromodynamics corrections to the heavy-quark vacuum polarization, providing both approximate expansions and exact numerical results to improve theoretical precision.

Contribution

It introduces the computation of virtual O(α_s^3 n_f^2) corrections to the heavy quark vector current correlator, extending high-energy expansions at three loops.

Findings

Extended high-energy expansion at three-loop level.

Provided exact numerical solutions for the correlator.

Enhanced theoretical understanding of heavy-quark vacuum polarization.

Abstract

We compute the virtual O(\alpha_s^3 n_f^2) corrections to the heavy quark vector current correlator in terms of expansions in the external momentum and as an exact numerical solution. As a byproduct, the available high-energy expansion at the three-loop level is extended.