QCD Corrections to Hadronic $W\gamma$ Production with Non-standard $WW\gamma$ Couplings

Abstract

The process $p \pbar \rightarrow W^{\pm}\gamma + X \rightarrow \ell^\pm \nu \gamma + X$ is calculated to ${\cal O}(\alpha_s)$ for general $CP$ conserving $WW\gamma$ couplings. At the Tevatron center of mass energy, the QCD corrections to $W\gamma$ production are modest, and the Born and inclusive ${\cal O}(\alpha_s)$ cross sections have similar sensitivities to the effects of anomalous couplings. At supercollider energies, the inclusive QCD corrections are large at high photon transverse momenta, reducing the sensitivity to non-standard $WW\gamma$ couplings by up to a factor~2. The size of the QCD corrections can be reduced significantly, and a large fraction of the sensitivity lost can be regained, if a jet veto is imposed.