Fiducial distributions in Higgs and Drell-Yan production at N$^3$LL+NNLO

TL;DR

This paper provides highly precise theoretical predictions for transverse-momentum and related distributions in Higgs and Drell-Yan production at the LHC, combining fixed-order calculations with resummation to achieve small uncertainties.

Contribution

It introduces matched predictions at N$^3$LL+NNLO accuracy for key distributions, including fiducial cuts, with improved precision and agreement with experimental data.

Findings

Predictions have very small residual scale uncertainties.

Good convergence of the perturbative series.

Excellent agreement with 8 TeV experimental data.

Abstract

The perturbative description of certain differential distributions across a wide kinematic range requires the matching of fixed-order perturbation theory with resummation of large logarithmic corrections to all orders. We present precise matched predictions for transverse-momentum distributions in Higgs boson (H) and Drell-Yan pair (DY) production as well as for the closely related ${\phi^{*}_\eta}$ distribution at the LHC. The calculation is exclusive in the Born kinematics, and allows for arbitrary fiducial selection cuts on the decay products of the colour singlets, which is of primary relevance for experimental analyses. Our predictions feature very small residual scale uncertainties and display a good convergence of the perturbative series. A comparison of the predictions for DY observables to experimental data at 8 TeV shows a very good agreement within the quoted errors.