The next-to-leading order Higgs impact factor in the infinite top-mass limit

TL;DR

This paper computes the next-to-leading order impact factor for forward Higgs production in the infinite top-mass limit, crucial for small-x hadroproduction and forward Higgs emission studies.

Contribution

It provides the first NLO correction to the Higgs impact factor in the infinite top-mass approximation, expressed in both momentum space and BFKL eigenfunctions.

Findings

Derived the NLO impact factor in momentum representation.

Expressed the impact factor as a superposition of BFKL eigenfunctions.

Facilitates improved theoretical predictions for forward Higgs production.

Abstract

We calculate the next-to-leading order correction to the impact factor (vertex) for the production of a forward Higgs boson, obtained in the infinite top-mass limit. We present the result both in the momentum representation and as superposition of the eigenfunctions of the leading-order BFKL kernel. This impact factor is a necessary ingredient for the description of the inclusive hadroproduction of a forward Higgs in the limit of small Bjorken $x$, as well as for the study of inclusive forward emissions of a Higgs boson in association with a backward identified object.