NNLO QCD predictions for $W\gamma\gamma$ production at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper provides the first exact NNLO QCD predictions for Wγγ production at the LHC, significantly improving the accuracy of theoretical models for this important electroweak process.

Contribution

It presents the calculation of NNLO QCD corrections for Wγγ production, including the finite two-loop part in the leading-colour approximation, advancing precision in multiboson process predictions.

Findings

NNLO corrections increase NLO predictions by about 23%.

Residual uncertainties are estimated at around 5%.

Predictions are provided for 13 TeV LHC conditions with standard cuts.

Abstract

Triboson production processes play a crucial role in probing the electroweak sector of the Standard Model, as they involve quartic gauge-boson couplings already at the tree level. With these measurements entering the precision era at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), accurate theoretical predictions become indispensable. We present the computation of the next-to-next-to-leading-order (NNLO) QCD radiative corrections to the production of a $W$ boson in association with two photons ($W\gamma\gamma$) at the LHC. The calculation is exact, except for the finite part of the two-loop contribution, which is included in the leading-colour approximation. Predictions for the fiducial cross section and selected kinematic distributions are provided at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, under standard experimental selection cuts. In line with observations for other multiboson processes involving direct photons, we find sizable NNLO corrections that enhance the next-to-leading-order predictions by about $23\%$, with residual perturbative uncertainties that can be roughly estimated to be at the $5\%$ level.