Next-to-leading-order QCD corrections to the decay of $Z$ boson into $\chi_c(\chi_b)$

TL;DR

This paper calculates NLO QCD corrections to Z boson decays into chi_c and chi_b states, revealing significant contributions from color octet channels and their impact on decay ratios, providing insights into quarkonium production mechanisms.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed NLO QCD analysis of Z decays into chi_c and chi_b, highlighting the importance of color octet processes and their effects on decay ratios.

Findings

Color octet channels significantly enhance decay widths.

Ratios of decay widths are sensitive to color mechanism contributions.

Feeddown contributions to J/psi and Upsilon production are quantified.

Abstract

Based on the framework of nonrelativistic Quantum Chromodynamics (NRQCD), we carry out next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD corrections to the decay of $Z$ boson into $\chi_c$ and $\chi_b$, respectively. The branching ratio of $Z \to \chi_{c}(\chi_b)+X$ is about $10^{-5}(10^{-6})$. It is found that, for $Z \to \chi_c(\chi_b)+X$, the single gluon fragmentation diagrams of $^3S_1^{[8]}$, which first appear at the NLO level, can provide significant contributions, leading to a great enhancement on the leading-order results. Consequently the contributions from the color octet (CO) channels will account for a large proportion of the total decay widths. Moreover, the introduction of the CO processes will thoroughly change the color singlet (CS) predictions on the ratios of $\Gamma_{\chi_{c1}}/\Gamma_{\chi_{c0}}$, $\Gamma_{\chi_{c2}}/\Gamma_{\chi_{c0}}$, $\Gamma_{\chi_{b1}}/\Gamma_{\chi_{b0}}$ and $\Gamma_{\chi_{b2}}/\Gamma_{\chi_{b0}}$, which can be regarded as an outstanding probe to distinguish the CO and CS mechanism. With regard to the CS ($^3P_J^{[1]}$) channels, the heavy quark pair associated processes serve as the leading role, however, in the case of $\chi_b$, $Z \to b\bar{b}[^3P_J^{[1]}]+g+g$ can also contribute significantly. Summing over all the feeddown contributions from $\chi_{cJ}$ and $\chi_{bJ}$, respectively, we find $\Gamma(Z \to J/\psi+X)|_{\chi_c-\textrm{feeddown}}=(0.28 - 2.4) \times 10^{-5}$ and $\Gamma(Z \to \Upsilon(1S)+X)|_{\chi_b-\textrm{feeddown}}=(0.15 - 0.49) \times 10^{-6}$.