Two-Loop Leading Color Corrections to Heavy-Quark Pair Production in the Gluon Fusion Channel

TL;DR

This paper presents an analytic calculation of two-loop QCD corrections to heavy-quark pair production via gluon fusion, valid for any kinematic and mass parameters, enhancing precision in theoretical predictions.

Contribution

It provides the first complete analytic expression for the leading color coefficient at two loops, valid for arbitrary Mandelstam invariants and quark mass.

Findings

Results agree with small-mass limit calculations.

Matches recent IR pole coefficient results.

Analytic expression applicable for all kinematic regimes.

Abstract

We evaluate the two-loop QCD diagrams contributing to the leading color coefficient of the heavy-quark pair production cross section in the gluon fusion channel. We obtain an analytic expression, which is valid for any value of the Mandelstam invariants s and t and of the heavy-quark mass m. Our findings agree with previous analytic results in the small-mass limit and with recent results for the coefficients of the IR poles.