The Heavy Fermion Contributions to the Massive Three Loop Form Factors

TL;DR

This paper analytically computes heavy fermion contributions to three-loop form factors in quantum field theory, utilizing advanced methods to handle complex integrals and differential equations, with results applicable in various kinematic regions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analytic approach for three-loop form factors involving heavy fermions, including techniques to handle elliptic integrals and minimal epsilon-expansions.

Findings

Complete pole term predictions using renormalization group methods.

Analytic expressions for form factors in Euclidean and near-zero momentum regions.

Numerical results supporting the analytic calculations.

Abstract

We compute the $n_h$ terms to the massive three loop vector-, axialvector-, scalar- and pseudoscalar form factors in a direct analytic calculation using the method of large moments. This method has the advantage, that the master integrals have to be dealt with only in their moment representation, allowing to also consider quantities which obey differential equations, which are not first order factorizable (elliptic and higher), already at this level. To obtain all the associated recursions, up to 8000 moments had to be calculated. A new technique has been applied to solve the associated differential equation systems. Here the decoupling is performed such, that only minimal depth $\epsilon$--expansions had to be performed for non--first-order factorizing systems, minimizing the calculation of initial values. The pole terms in the dimensional parameter $\epsilon$ can be completely predicted using renormalization group methods, as confirmed by the present results. A series of contributions at $O(\epsilon^0)$ have first order factorizable representations. For a smaller number of color--zeta projections this is not the case. All first order factorizing terms can be represented by harmonic polylogarithms. We also obtain analytic results for the non--first-order factorizing terms by Taylor series in a variable $x$, for which we have calculated at least 2000 expansion coefficients, in an approximation. Based on this representation the form factors can be given in the Euclidean region and in the region $q^2 \approx 0$. Numerical results are presented.