Calculation of Feynman diagrams with zero mass threshold from their small momentum expansion

Abstract

A method of calculating Feynman diagrams from their small momentum expansion [1] is extended to diagrams with zero mass thresholds. We start from the asymptotic expansion in large masses [2] (applied to the case when all $M_i^2$ are large compared to all momenta squared). Using dimensional regularization, a finite result is obtained in terms of powers of logarithms (describing the zero-threshold singularity) times power series in the momentum squared. Surprisingly, these latter ones represent functions, which not only have the expected physical `second threshold' but have a branchcut singularity as well below threshold at a mirror position. These can be understood as pseudothresholds corresponding to solutions of the Landau equations. In the spacelike region the imaginary parts from the various contributions cancel. For the two-loop examples with one mass $M$, in the timelike region for $q^2 \approx M^2$ we obtain approximations of high precision. This will be of relevance in particular for the calculation of the decay $Z \to b\bar{b}$ in the $m_b=0$ approximation.