The Gluon Impact Factors

TL;DR

This paper computes next-to-leading order non-forward gluon impact factors for arbitrary color states in QCD, verifying the gluon Reggeization bootstrap condition across various dimensions and quark flavors.

Contribution

It provides the first calculation of these impact factors at next-to-leading order and confirms the bootstrap condition for gluon Reggeization in a general setting.

Findings

Bootstrap condition is satisfied for arbitrary dimensions.

Impact factors are computed for both helicity conserving and non-conserving parts.

Results support the validity of gluon Reggeization in QCD.

Abstract

We calculate in the next-to-leading approximation the non-forward gluon impact factors for arbitrary color state in the $t$-channel. In the case of the octet state we check the so-called "second bootstrap condition" for the gluon Reggeization in QCD, using the integral representation for the impact factors. The condition is fulfilled in the general case of an arbitrary space-time dimension and massive quark flavors for both helicity conserving and non-conserving parts.