NLO QCD And two weak bosons at the LHC

Thesis

We present original calculations of standard model processes involving two weak bosons at NLO in QCD, and study related phenomenology with reference to Higgs boson and new physics searches at the LHC. We employ a new theoretical technique, D-dimensional generalised unitarity, to obtain the multi-particle, one-loop scattering amplitudes for the processes pp → W⁺W^- + 1j, pp → W⁺W^- + 2j, pp → W⁺W⁺ + 2j, and gg → W⁺W^-g. We consider the LHC phenomenology of: the W⁺W^- + n jets background to Higgs searches, for n = 0,1,2; the effects of anomalous tri-linear gauge couplings in WW and WZ production; the background W⁺W⁺ + 2j to new physics searches involving like-sign leptons; and a method of spin determination of new states in a scenario where conventional methods fail.

Authors: Melia, T

• Publication date: 2012
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: QCD; NLO; LHC
• Subjects: Theoretical physics; Particle physics