Angular distribution of leptons from the decay of massive vector bosons

Berger, Edmond L.; Qiu, Jian-Wei; Rodriguez-Pedraza, Ricardo A.

Angular distribution of leptons from the decay of massive vector bosons

Authors

Berger, Edmond L.

Qiu, Jian-Wei

Rodriguez-Pedraza, Ricardo A.

Description

We examine the transverse momentum $Q_\perp$ dependence of the helicity structure functions for massive vector bosons of mass $Q$ in hadron reactions. We demonstrate that large logarithmic terms of the form $\ln(Q/Q_\perp)$ in the helicity structure functions have the same origin as the logarithmic terms in the angular-integrated cross section and that they can be resummed to all orders in the strong coupling $α_s$, in the same way as the angular-integrated cross section. As a consequence of current conservation, the resummed part of the helicity structure functions preserves the Lam-Tung relation as a function of $Q_\perp$ to all orders in $α_s$.
4 pages; a few changes in wording; one reference added. Version in press at Phys. Lett. B