MS vs. Pole Masses of Gauge Bosons: Electroweak Bosonic Two-Loop Corrections

Abstract

The relationship between MS and pole masses of the vector bosons Z and W is calculated at the two-loop level in the Standard Model. We only consider the purely bosonic contributions which represents a gauge invariant subclass of diagrams. All calculations were performed in the linear $R_\xi$ gauge with three arbitrary gauge parameters utilizing the method of asymptotic expansions. The results are presented in analytic form as series in the small parameters $\sin^2\theta_W$ and mass ratio $m_Z^2/m_H^2$. As a byproduct we obtain the bosonic two-loop contributions to the renormalization of the weak mixing parameter $\sin^2\theta_W$ and of the Fermi constant. The running of Fermi constant will become important at high energy colliders.