Higgs production with a central jet veto at NNLL+NNLO

Abstract

Using methods of effective field theory, we derive the first all-order factorization theorem for the Higgs-boson production cross section with a jet veto, imposed by means of a standard sequential recombination jet algorithm. Like in the case of small-q T resummation in Drell-Yan and Higgs production, the factorization is affected by a collinear anomaly. Our analysis provides the basis for a systematic resummation of large logarithms ln(m H /p veto T) beyond leading-logarithmic order. Specifically, we present predictions for the resummed jet-veto cross section and efficiency at next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic order. Our results have important implications for Higgs-boson searches at the LHC, where a jet veto is required to suppress background events.

Jet veto clustering logarithms beyond leading order

“…This should be contrasted with a global jet veto, an event-wide measure that restricts jet activity that does not depend on a jet algorithm. For example, the H + 0-jet cross section can be defined by a veto on beam thrust, and precision calculations can be carried out to high accuracy without the complications that arise in a clustering algorithm [1]. Relevant to our case, the E T of the event is an effective global veto that is independent of the jet algorithm, where…”

“…In this case it is helpful to isolate clustering effects, and hence the R-dependence, into the ∆σ clustering correction. 3 Since the O(α s ) clustering correction vanishes, ∆σ (1) (p cut T ) = 0, the known O(α 2 s ) clustering effects are a LO quantity. This implies that ∆σ (3) (p cut T ), which contains the complete C 3 (R), could be determined from existing H + 2-jet NLO codes.…”

“…where I (1) C contains the IR poles and Sp (1) H is finite as → 0, containing only rational dependence on the splitting momenta.…”

“…Since the splitting matrix Sp (1) , and in particle I C , is the only part of the virtuals that depend on s 12 , we can focus only on this term. The divergent terms in the (UV-renormalized) 1-loop splitting matrix are [43] …”

“…Exclusive jet cross sections, such as the H + 0-jet cross section in which there are no jets with p T > p cut T , play a key role in channels where the Higgs cannot be reconstructed and jet binning is an effective discriminant between various Standard Model backgrounds. The uncertainty in theoretical predictions of these exclusive jet cross sections can be substantial, and accurately predicting these cross sections and providing robust estimates of their uncertainty is the focus of considerable effort [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. A good example is the H → W W * → + − νν channel, where a fixed order analysis of the exclusive 0-jet and 1-jet cross sections have theoretical uncertainties of O(17%) and O(30%) respectively and dominate the systematic uncertainties in the measurement [13,14].…”