Electroweak corrections and EFT operators in $W^+W^-$ production at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper studies how electroweak corrections and SMEFT operators influence W+W- production at the LHC, emphasizing their interplay for accurate new physics searches.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of electroweak corrections combined with SMEFT operators at NLO QCD, highlighting their importance in interpreting LHC data for new physics.

Findings

Electroweak corrections can counteract SMEFT effects in W+W- production.

Precise modeling of electroweak effects is essential for reliable new physics constraints.

Interplay between corrections and operators affects the sensitivity of LHC measurements.

Abstract

We investigate the impact of electroweak corrections and effective field theory operators on $W^+W^-$ production at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Utilizing the Standard Model effective-field theory (SMEFT) framework, we extend the Standard Model by incorporating higher-dimensional operators to encapsulate potential new physics effects. These operators allow for a model-independent approach to data interpretation, essential for probing beyond the Standard Model physics. We generate pseudodata at the next-to-leading order in quantum chromodynamics and include approximate electroweak corrections. Our analysis focuses on the interplay between these corrections and SMEFT operators at leading order. The inclusion of electroweak corrections is crucial as they can counteract the effects predicted by SMEFT operators, necessitating precise theoretical and experimental handling. By examining $pp\to W^+ W^-$ production, a process sensitive to the electroweak symmetry-breaking mechanism, we demonstrate the importance of these corrections in isolating and interpreting new physics signatures. Our results highlight the significant role of electroweak corrections in enhancing the interpretative power of LHC data and in obtaining reliable constraints on new physics interactions.