We compute the hydrodynamic relaxation times $tau_pi$ and $tau_j$ for hot QCD at next-to-leading order in the coupling with kinetic theory. We show that certain dimensionless ratios of second-order to first-order transport coefficients obey bounds which apply whenever a kinetic theory description is possible; the computed values lie somewhat above these bounds. Strongly coupled theories with holographic duals strongly violate these bounds, highlighting their distance from a quasiparticle description.
Jets constructed via clustering algorithms (e.g., anti-$k_T$, soft-drop) have been proposed for many precision measurements, such as the strong coupling $alpha_s$ and the nucleon intrinsic dynamics. However, the theoretical accuracy is affected by missing QCD corrections at higher orders for the jet functions in the associated factorization theorems. Their calculation is complicated by the jet clustering procedure. In this work, we propose a method to evaluate jet functions at higher orders in QCD. The calculation involves the phase space sector decomposition with suitable soft subtractions. As a concrete example, we present the quark-jet function using the anti-$k_T$ algorithm with E-scheme recombination at next-to-next-to-leading order.
We present new sets of fragmentation functions in next-to-leading order QCD that are determined from e+e- annihilation data of inclusive particle production. In addition to the O(alpha_s) unpolarized cross section the longitudinal cross section is also used to extract the gluon fragmentation function from e+e- annihilation data. As the O(alpha_s) vanishes for longitudinal polarized photons (or Z bosons), the O(alpha_s^2) corrections are required to reduce the scale ambiguities. Recently, P.J. Rijken and W.L. van Neerven presented the longitudinal coefficient functions to next-to-leading order. We confirm part of their results in this thesis and complete the calculation by the results for the color class C_F*T_R that must be included for a consistent comparison with LEP1 data. The complete set of coefficient functions is then used together with novel data from ALEPH to determine the fragmentation functions for charged hadrons. This set, and also sets for charged pions, kaons, and D^* mesons as well as neutral kaons published previously, can then be employed to test QCD in e+e- annihilation, photoproduction, gamma-gamma collisions, p-p_bar scattering and DIS. Finally, we suggest how the improved knowledge on the fragmentation in particular of the gluon could be used to determine the gluon and charm content of the photon.
The relation between the specific shear viscosity $eta/s$ and the dimensionless jet quenching parameter $hat{q}/T^3$ in perturbative QCD is explored at next-to-leading order in the coupling constant. It is shown that the relation changes little, although both transport coefficients independently are subject to large modifications at the NLO level. This finding confirms that the relationship is robust.
We report a calculation of the perturbative matching coefficients for the transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution functions for quark at the next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD, which involves calculation of non-standard Feynman integrals with rapidity divergence. We introduce a set of generalized Integration-By-Parts equations, which allows an algorithmic evaluation of such integrals using the machinery of modern Feynman integral calculation.
Deep inelastic scattering (DIS) total cross section data at small-x as measured by the HERA experiments is well described by Balitsky-Kovchegov (BK) evolution in the leading order dipole picture. Recently the full Next-to-Leading Order (NLO) dipole picture total cross sections have become available for DIS, and a working factorization scheme has been devised which subtracts the soft gluon divergence present at NLO. We report our recently published work in which we make the first comparisons of the NLO DIS total cross sections to HERA data. The non-perturbative initial condition to BK evolution is fixed by fitting the HERA reduced cross section data. As the NLO results for the DIS total cross section are currently available only in the massless quark limit, we also fit a light-quark-only cross section constructed with a parametrization of published total and heavy quark data. We find an excellent description of the HERA data. Since the full NLO BK equation is computationally expensive, we use a number of beyond LO prescriptions for the evolution that include most important higher order corrections enhanced by large transverse logarithms, including the recent version of the equation formulated in terms of the target momentum fraction.