Recursion-free solution for two-loop vacuum integrals with "collinear" masses

Abstract

We investigate the structure of a particular class of massive vacuum Feynman integrals at two loops. This class enjoys the linear relation $m_1+m_2=m_3$ between its three propagator masses, corresponding to zeros of the associated Källén function. Apart from having applications in thermal field theory, the integrals can be mapped onto one-loop three-point functions with collinear external momenta, suggesting the term "collinear" masses. We present a closed-form solution for these integrals, proving that they can always be factorized into products of one-loop cases, for all integer-valued propagator powers.

Comments: 34 pages, 5 figures; v2: references added