Tests of hard and soft QCD with e+e- Annihilation Data

TL;DR

This paper evaluates QCD predictions for event shape distributions in e+e- annihilation, combining perturbative calculations for hard processes with a power correction model for soft processes, and analyzes the gauge structure through color factor fits.

Contribution

It introduces a combined approach using perturbative QCD and a power correction model to test event shape distributions and explores the gauge structure of QCD via color factor analysis.

Findings

Good agreement between data and combined QCD predictions

Power correction model effectively accounts for soft process contributions

Color factor fits provide insights into QCD gauge structure

Abstract

Experimental tests of QCD predictions for event shape distributions combining contributions from hard and soft processes are discussed. The hard processes are predicted by perturbative QCD calculations. The soft processes cannot be calculated directly using perturbative QCD, they are treated by a power correction model based on the analysis of infrared renormalons. Furthermore, an analysis of the gauge structure of QCD is presented using fits of the colour factors within the same combined QCD predictions.