Towards collinear evolution equations in electroweak theory

Area of Science:

• High-energy particle physics
• Quantum field theory
• Electroweak interactions

Background:

• Previous studies identified uncanceled double logarithms in electroweak radiative corrections.
• Standard factorization patterns, analogous to those in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), were expected.
• Hard inclusive processes at the TeV scale present unique theoretical challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate collinear factorization in electroweak radiative corrections for hard inclusive processes.
• To understand the implications of uncanceled double logarithms on factorization patterns.
• To derive new splitting functions relevant to broken SU(2) gauge theory.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of collinear factorization in electroweak radiative corrections.
• Derivation of splitting functions at the one-loop level for broken SU(2) gauge theory.
• Investigation of structure functions' evolution equations under specific assumptions.

Main Results:

• A factorization pattern qualitatively different from QCD was discovered.
• New types of splitting functions emerge, crucial for describing initial beam charges.
• These splitting functions depend on an infrared cutoff linked to the symmetry breaking scale.

Conclusions:

• The findings necessitate a revised understanding of factorization in electroweak processes at high energies.
• The derived splitting functions are essential for accurate theoretical predictions in TeV scale physics.
• The study provides a foundation for further exploration of electroweak corrections and structure function evolution.