New Tests of Perturbative QCD Inspired by Hypothetical Tau Leptons

TL;DR

This paper develops new, scheme-independent tests of perturbative QCD based on tau lepton decay and electron-positron annihilation data, enabling consistency checks across various observables.

Contribution

It introduces commensurate scale relations that serve as renormalization scheme and scale invariant tests for leading-twist QCD predictions.

Findings

Provides a framework for scheme-independent QCD tests

Applicable to a wide range of experimental data

Enhances the self-consistency checks of perturbative QCD

Abstract

Inspired by the relation between the hadronic decay of the tau lepton and the electron-positron annihilation into hadrons, we derive new tests of perturbative QCD. We design a set of commensurate scale relations to test the self-consistency of leading-twist QCD predictions for any observable which defines an effective charge. This method provides renormalization scheme and scale invariant probes of QCD which can be applied over wide data ranges.