Infrared Singularities of Scattering Amplitudes and N$^3$LL Resummation for $n$-Jet Processes

TL;DR

This paper derives the most general four-loop form of the infrared divergence structure in massless n-particle scattering amplitudes, revealing new color structures and implications for high-precision resummation in jet processes.

Contribution

It provides the first complete four-loop anomalous-dimension matrix form, including new color structures, and refines understanding of Casimir scaling violations in infrared divergences.

Findings

Derived the general four-loop anomalous-dimension matrix.

Identified new color structures involving $d_R^{abcd}$.

Implications for N$^3$LL resummation in n-jet processes.

Abstract

We revisit the multi-loop structure of the anomalous-dimension matrix governing the infrared divergences of massless $n$-particle scattering amplitudes in non-abelian gauge theories. In particular, we derive its most general form at four-loop order, significantly simplifying corresponding expressions given previously. By carefully reevaluating the constraints imposed by two-particle collinear limits, we find that at four-loop order color structures involving $d_R^{abcd}$, the symmetrized trace of four group generators, appear along with cusp logarithms $\ln[\mu^2/(-s_{ij})]$. As a consequence, naive Casimir scaling of the cusp anomalous dimensions associated with the quark and gluon form factors is violated, while a generalized form of Casimir scaling still holds. Our results provide an important ingredient for resummations of large logarithms in $n$-jet cross sections with next-to-next-to-next-to leading logarithmic (N$^3$LL) accuracy.