Two-Loop QED Heavy-Flavor Contribution to Bhabha Scattering

TL;DR

This paper discusses the recent analytic calculation of two-loop virtual corrections involving heavy-flavor fermion loops in QED Bhabha scattering, assessing their numerical impact at collider energies.

Contribution

It presents the first complete analytic calculation of two-loop heavy-flavor virtual corrections to Bhabha scattering in QED.

Findings

Heavy-flavor corrections have a measurable impact on Bhabha scattering cross sections.

The corrections are significant for precision measurements at colliders.

The results inform future collider experiments and theoretical models.

Abstract

We briefly review the status of the calculation of next-to-next-to-leading order corrections to large angle Bhabha scattering in pure QED. In particular, we focus on the analytic calculation of the two-loop virtual corrections involving a heavy-flavor fermion loop, which was recently completed. We conclude by assessing the numerical impact of these corrections on the Bhabha scattering cross section at colliders operating at a center of mass energy of 1 GeV and at the future ILC.