Multi-Parton Loop Amplitudes and Next-to-Leading Order Jet Cross-Sections

Abstract

We review recent developments in the calculation of QCD loop amplitudes with several external legs, and their application to next-to-leading order jet production cross-sections. When a number of calculational tools are combined together --- helicity, color and supersymmetry decompositions, plus unitarity and factorization properties --- it becomes possible to compute multi-parton one-loop QCD amplitudes without ever evaluating analytically standard one-loop Feynman diagrams. One-loop helicity amplitudes are now available for processes with five external partons (ggggg, q\bar{q}ggg and q\bar{q}q'\bar{q}'g), and for an intermediate vector boson V \equiv \gamma^*,Z,W plus four external partons (Vq\bar{q}gg and Vq\bar{q}q'\bar{q}'). Using these amplitudes, numerical programs have been constructed for the next-to-leading order corrections to the processes p\bar{p} to 3 jets (ignoring quark contributions so far) and e^+e^- to 4 jets.