Radiative corrections for associatedZH production at futuree + e − colliders

The \(ZHf\bar f\) four-point function is calculated in the one-loop approximation of the Standard Model and full analytic results are presented. The loop contributions due to both light and new heavy fermions are inspected in detail. The dominant mechanisms of Higgs-boson production from fermions are compared. The effect of radiative corrections on the cross section of \(f\bar f \to ZH\) including bremsstrahlung is studied. The spectrum of hard bremsstrahlung is integrated analytically. The implications for Higgs-boson searches at futuree ⁺ e ^? colliders in the energy range 200 \(200GeV \le \sqrt s \le 1.5TeV\) , which includes both LEP 2 and the Next Linear Collider, are analyzed. ForM _H <2m _t weak corrections in the modified on-mass-shell scheme are generally negative and feebly vary withM _H , while forM _H >2m _t , they strongly increase withM _H and may take large positive values. Electromagnetic corrections dramatically reduce the cross section close to theZH-production threshold, while they may considerably enhance it far above this threshold.     

Two-loop virtual top-quark effect on Higgs-boson decay to bottom quarks

In most of the mass range encompassed by the limits from the direct search and the electroweak precision tests, the Higgs boson of the standard model preferably decays to bottom quarks. We present, in analytic form, the dominant two-loop electroweak correction, of O(GF2mt4), to the partial width of this decay. It amplifies the familiar enhancement due to the O(GFmt2) one-loop correction by about +16% and thus more than compensates the screening by about -8% through strong-interaction effects of order O(alphasGFmt2).     

Generalizing the Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi evolution of fragmentation functions to the smallest values

An approach valid to any order which unifies the fixed order Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi evolution of fragmentation functions at large x with soft gluon logarithmic resummation at small x is proposed. At lowest order, this approach, implemented with the double logarithmic approximation, reproduces exactly the modified leading logarithm approximation but is more complete due to the degrees of freedom given to the quark sector and the inclusion of the fixed order terms. We find that data from the largest x values to the peak region can be better fitted than with other approaches.