1995/12/16 by S. Frixione, Z. Kunszt, A. Signer · 5 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #hep-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/0550-3213(96)00110-1
published as Nucl.Phys. B467 (1996) 399-442 · 48 pages (Latex, macros are included)
arxiv created 1995/12/16 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30
One- and two-jet inclusive quantities in hadron collisions have already been calculated to next-to-leading order accuracy, using both the subtraction and the cone method. Since the one-loop corrections have recently been obtained for all five-parton amplitudes, three-jet inclusive quantities can also be predicted to next-to-leading order. The subtraction method presented in the literature is based on a systematic use of boost-invariant kinematical variables, and therefore its application to three-jet production is quite cumbersome. In this paper we re-analyze the subtraction method and point out the advantage of using angle and energy variables. This leads to simpler results and it has complete generality, extending its validity to n-jet production. The formalism is also applicable to n-jet production in e+e- annihilation and in photon-hadron collisions. All the analytical results necessary to construct an efficient numerical program for next-to-leading order three-jet inclusive quantities in hadroproduction are given explicitly. As new analytical result, we also report the collinear limits of all the two-to-four processes.