Status and prospects of precision analyses with $e^+e^-\to W^+W^-$

Abstract

$e^+e^-\to W^+W^-$ is an integral part of the global precision analysis program which is becoming more relevant after the discovery of the Higgs boson. We analyze the current situation of precision calculations of inclusive $e^+e^-\to W^+W^-$ observables, and study the prospects of incorporating them into the framework of global precision electroweak analyses in light of per-mil-level cross section measurements at proposed future facilities. We present expansion formulas for the observables, making the dependence on the inputs clear. Also, the calculation of new physics effects is demonstrated in the effective field theory framework for universal theories. We go beyond the triple-gauge-couplings parametrization, and illustrate the complementarity of $e^+e^-\to W^+W^-$ and other precision data at the observables level.