Sudakov Logarithm Resummation in Transverse Momentum Space for Electroweak Boson Production at Hadron Colliders

TL;DR

This paper compares different methods of resumming large Sudakov logarithms in the transverse momentum distribution of W and Z bosons at hadron colliders, proposing an approach that combines advantages of existing techniques.

Contribution

It introduces a formulation of transverse momentum space resummation that retains benefits of impact parameter space methods and smoothly transitions to fixed-order calculations.

Findings

Transverse momentum space resummation can match impact parameter space advantages.

The proposed method allows a smooth transition to finite order dominance at high q_T.

Comparison shows improved theoretical consistency in boson production predictions.

Abstract

A complete description of W and Z boson production at high-energy hadron colliders requires the resummation of large Sudakov double logarithms which dominate the transverse momentum (q_T) distribution at small q_T. We compare different prescriptions for performing this resummation, in particular implicit impact parameter space resummation versus explicit transverse momentum space resummation. We argue that the latter method can be formulated so as to retain the advantages of the former, while at the same time allowing a smooth transition to finite order dominance at high q_T.