Quark and Gluon Form Factors in Four-Loop QCD.

Area of Science:

• High-energy physics
• Quantum chromodynamics
• Particle physics

Background:

• Precise theoretical predictions are crucial for interpreting experimental results at particle colliders.
• Higher-order calculations in perturbative quantum chromodynamics (QCD) are necessary for achieving this precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compute photon-quark and Higgs-gluon form factors to four-loop order within massless perturbative QCD.
• To provide essential components for calculating higher-order cross sections for key LHC processes.

Main Methods:

• Perturbative quantum chromodynamics (QCD) calculations.
• Four-loop order computations.
• Analytic evaluation of form factors and master integrals.

Main Results:

• Complete analytic expressions for photon-quark and Higgs-gluon form factors at four-loop order.
• Identification and presentation of complex master integrals required for these calculations.

Conclusions:

• The computed form factors serve as ready-to-use building blocks for next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (N4LO) cross sections.
• These results will enhance the precision of theoretical predictions for Drell-Yan and gluon-fusion Higgs production at the LHC.