Two-loop QCD corrections to the scattering of massless distinct quarks

Abstract

We present the two-loop virtual QCD corrections to the scattering of massless distinct quarks in conventional dimensional regularisation. The structure of the infrared divergences agrees with that predicted by Catani while expressions for the finite remainder are given for each of the s-, t- and u-channels in terms of polylogarithms. The results presented here form a vital part of the next-to-next-to-leading order contribution to inclusive jet production in hadron colliders and will play a crucial role in improving the theoretical prediction for jet cross sections in hadron-hadron collisions.