NLO QCD corrections to pp -> ttbb+X via quark anti-quark annihilation

TL;DR

This paper calculates the next-to-leading order QCD corrections for the quark-antiquark annihilation subprocess in top-antitop bottom-antibottom production, a key background for Higgs searches at the LHC.

Contribution

It provides the first NLO QCD correction calculation for the quark-antiquark initiated subprocess in pp -> ttbb+X, enhancing theoretical precision for LHC background modeling.

Findings

Improved theoretical accuracy for pp -> ttbb+X process.

Enhanced understanding of background for Higgs boson searches.

Foundation for full NLO analysis of top-antitop bottom-antibottom production.

Abstract

The process pp -> top anti-top bottom anti-bottom + X represents a very important background reaction to searches at the LHC, in particular to top anti-top H production where the Higgs boson decays into a bottom anti-bottom pair. A successful analysis of top anti-top H at the LHC requires the knowledge of direct top anti-top bottom anti-bottom production at NLO in QCD. We take the first step in this direction upon calculating the NLO QCD corrections to the subprocess initiated by quark anti-quark annihilation.