Top-quark hadroproduction in NNLO QCD

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive NNLO QCD calculation for top-quark pair production at hadron colliders, enhancing the precision of theoretical predictions crucial for testing the Standard Model and exploring new physics.

Contribution

It introduces the first complete application of the $q_T$-subtraction method to top-quark pair production at NNLO, including the calculation of soft contributions and initial numerical results.

Findings

First NNLO QCD calculation for top-quark pair production

Implementation of $q_T$-subtraction method in this context

Initial numerical results demonstrating the method's effectiveness

Abstract

The study of top-quark production and decay is central in the LHC physics programme, allowing precise tests of the Standard Model and offering a window on possible new physics. Accurate theoretical predictions for this process are therefore crucial. We report on a new calculation of the next-to-next-to-leading order QCD radiative corrections to the production of top-quark pairs at hadron colliders. The calculation is performed by using the $q_T$-subtraction method to handle and cancel infrared singular contributions at intermediate stages of the computation, and it represents its first complete application to the hadroproduction of a colourful high-mass system at next-to-next-to-leading order. We discuss the calculation of the additional soft contributions needed to implement $q_T$ subtraction for this process, and we show first numerical results.