We introduce a new technique to generate scattering amplitudes at one loop. Traditional tree algorithms, which handle diagrams with fixed momenta, are promoted to generators of loop-momentum polynomials that we call open loops. Combining open loops with tensor-integral and Ossola-Papadopoulos-Pittau reduction results in a fully flexible, very fast, and numerically stable one-loop generator. As demonstrated with nontrivial applications, the open-loop approach will permit us to obtain precise predictions for a very wide range of collider processes.

Using new four-loop results for the heavy quark vacuum polarization and new data for bottom quark production in electron-positron annihilation, an update on the determination of charm-and bottom-quark masses through sum rules has been performed. The previous result for the charmquark mass, mc(3 GeV) = 0.986 (13) GeV, based on the lowest moment, is supported by the new results from higher moments which lead to consistent values with comparable errors. The new value for the bottom quark, m b (10 GeV) = 3.610(16) GeV, corresponding to m b (m b ) = 4.163(16) GeV, makes use both of the new data and the new perturbative results and is consistent with the earlier determination.

We report on the first calculation of next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD corrections to the inclusive production of ZZ pairs at hadron colliders. Numerical results are presented for pp collisions with centre-of-mass energy ($\sqrt{s}$) ranging from 7 to 14 TeV. The NNLO corrections increase the NLO result by an amount varying from $11\%$ to $17\%$ as $\sqrt{s}$ goes from 7 to 14 TeV. The loop-induced gluon fusion contribution provides about $60\%$ of the total NNLO effect. When going from NLO to NNLO the scale uncertainties do not decrease and remain at the $\pm 3\%$ level.Comment: Reference added, version published on Physics Letters

Charged gauge boson pair production at the Large Hadron Collider allows detailed probes of the fundamental structure of electroweak interactions. We present precise theoretical predictions for on-shell W+ W- production that include, for the first time, QCD effects up to next to next to leading order in perturbation theory. As compared to next to leading order, the inclusive W+ W- cross section is enhanced by 9% at 7 TeV and 12% at 14 TeV. The residual perturbative uncertainty is at the 3% level. The severe contamination of the W+ W- cross section due to top-quark resonances is discussed in detail. Comparing different definitions of top-free W+ W- production in the four and five flavor number schemes, we demonstrate that top-quark resonances can be separated from the inclusive W+ W- cross section without a significant loss of theoretical precision.

In this article, we present a new implementation of the Laporta algorithm to reduce scalar multi-loop integrals-appearing in quantum field theoretic calculations-to a set of master integrals. We extend existing approaches by using an additional algorithm based on modular arithmetic to remove linearly dependent equations from the system of equations arising from integration-by-parts and Lorentz identities. Furthermore, the algebraic manipulations required in the back substitution are optimized. We describe in detail the implementation as well as the usage of the program. In addition, we show benchmarks for concrete examples and compare the performance to Reduze 2 and FIRE 5. In our benchmarks we find that Kira is highly competitive with these existing tools.

We present the new version of OpenLoops, an automated generator of tree and one-loop scattering amplitudes based on the open-loop recursion. One main novelty of OpenLoops 2 is the extension of the original algorithm from NLO QCD to the full Standard Model, including electroweak (EW) corrections from gauge, Higgs and Yukawa interactions. In this context, among several new features, we discuss the systematic bookkeeping of QCD-EW interferences, a flexible implementation of the complex-mass scheme for processes with on-shell and off-shell unstable particles, a special treatment of on-shell and off-shell external photons, and efficient scale variations. The other main novelty is the implementation of the recently proposed on-the-fly reduction algorithm, which supersedes the usage of external reduction libraries for the calculation of tree-loop interferences. This new algorithm is equipped with an automated system that avoids Gram-determinant instabilities through analytic methods in combination with a new hybrid-precision approach based on a highly targeted usage of quadruple precision with minimal CPU overhead. The resulting significant speed and stability improvements are especially relevant for challenging NLO multi-leg calculations and for NNLO applications. only little user intervention. Moreover, OpenLoops is used as a building block of Matrix [50] for the calculation of NNLO QCD observables. In this context, the automation of EW corrections in OpenLoops 2 opens the door to ubiquitous NLO QCD+NLO EW simulations in Sherpa [51, 52] and NNLO QCD+NLO EW calculations in Matrix [53].The OpenLoops 2 code is publicly available on the Hepforge webpage https://openloops.hepforge.org and via the Git repository https://gitlab.com/openloops/OpenLoops. It consists of a processindependent base code and a process library that covers several hundred partonic processes, including essentially all relevant processes at the LHC. The desired processes can be easily accessed through an automated download mechanism. The set of available processes is continuously extended, and possible missing processes can be promptly generated by the authors upon request.The paper is organised as follows. Section 2 presents the structure of the original open-loop recursion and the new on-the-fly reduction algorithm. Numerical instabilities and the new hybrid-precision system are discussed in detail. Section 3 deals with general aspects of NLO calculations and their automation in OpenLoops. This includes the bookkeeping of towers of terms of variable order α p s α q , the treatment of input parameters, optimal couplings for external photons, the renormalisation of the SM at O(α s ) and O(α), the on-shell and complex-mass schemes, and the I-operator. Section 4 provides instructions on how to use the program, starting from installation and process selection, and including the various interfaces for the calculation of matrix elements, colour/spin correlators, and tree amplitudes in colour space. Technical benchmarks concerning the speed and numerical sta...

We present a fully automated implementation of next-to-leading order electroweak (NLO EW) corrections in the OpenLoops matrix-element generator combined with the Sherpa and Munich Monte Carlo frameworks. The process-independent character of the implemented algorithms opens the door to NLO QCD+EW simulations for a vast range of Standard Model processes, up to high particle multiplicity, at current and future colliders. As a first application, we present NLO QCD+EW predictions for the production of positively charged on-shell W bosons in association with up to three jets at the Large Hadron Collider. At the TeV energy scale, due to the presence of large Sudakov logarithms, EW corrections reach the 20-40% level and play an important role for searches of physics beyond the Standard Model. The dependence of NLO EW effects on the jet multiplicity is investigated in detail, and we find that W + multijet final states feature genuinely different EW effects as compared to the case of W + 1 jet.

We present next-to-leading order (NLO) predictions including QCD and electroweak (EW) corrections for the production and decay of off-shell electroweak vector bosons in association with up to two jets at the 13 TeV LHC. All possible dilepton final states with zero, one or two charged leptons that can arise from off-shell W and Z bosons or photons are considered. All predictions are obtained using the automated implementation of NLO QCD+EW corrections in the OpenLoops matrix-element generator combined with the Munich and Sherpa Monte Carlo frameworks. Electroweak corrections play an especially important role in the context of BSM searches, due to the presence of large EW Sudakov logarithms at the TeV scale. In this kinematic regime, important observables such as the jet transverse momentum or the total transverse energy are strongly sensitive to multijet emissions. As a result, fixed-order NLO QCD+EW predictions are plagued by huge QCD corrections and poor theoretical precision. To remedy this problem we present an approximate method that allows for a simple and reliable implementation of NLO EW corrections in the MePs@Nlo multijet merging framework. Using this general approach we present an inclusive simulation of vector-boson production in association with jets that guarantees NLO QCD+EW accuracy in all phase-space regions involving up to two resolved jets.