One-loop Electro-Weak Corrections to Three-jet Observables of b-quarks in e+e- Annihilations

TL;DR

This paper calculates detailed one-loop electroweak corrections to three-jet observables involving b-quarks in electron-positron collisions, crucial for precise measurements of the strong coupling constant and asymmetries.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive calculation of one-loop electroweak corrections to three-jet b-quark observables at the Z peak and linear collider energies, including virtual and bremsstrahlung effects.

Findings

Electroweak corrections significantly affect jet rates and shape variables.

Corrections impact the measurement of the strong coupling constant alpha_S.

Forward-backward asymmetry is notably influenced by these corrections.

Abstract

We compute the full one-loop EW contributions of O(\alpha_S alpha_EM^3) entering the electron-positron into two b-quarks and one gluon cross section at the Z peak and LC energies. We include both factorisable and non-factorisable virtual corrections, photon bremsstrahlung but not the real emission of W^\pm and Z bosons. Their importance for the measurement of alpha_S from jet rates and shape variables is explained qualitatively and illustrated quantitatively. Their impact on the forward-backward asymmetry is also analysed.