Infrared Singularities of Scattering Amplitudes and N${}^3$LL Resummation for $n$-Jet Processes

Abstract

We revisit the multi-loop structure of the anomalous-dimension matrix governing the infrared divergences of massless $n$-particle scattering amplitudes in non-abelian gauge theories. In particular, we derive its most general form at four-loop order, significantly simplifying corresponding expressions given previously. By carefully reevaluating the constraints imposed by two-particle collinear limits, we find that at four-loop order color structures involving $d_R^{abcd}$, the symmetrized trace of four group generators, appear along with cusp logarithms $\ln [{\mu }^2/(-s_{ij})]$. As a consequence, naive Casimir scaling of the cusp anomalous dimensions associated with the quark and gluon form factors is violated, while a generalized form of Casimir scaling still holds. Our results provide an important ingredient for resummations of large logarithms in $n$-jet cross sections with next-to-next-to-next-to leading logarithmic (N${}^3$LL) accuracy.

Comments: 31 pages, 3 figures. v2: journal version; note added with analytical result for k_1 from [73]; discussion of [42]