Higher order QCD Corrections to Fragmentation Functions in e^+~e^- Annihilation

Abstract

We analyze the second order QCD corrections to the fragmentation functions F_^H_k(x,Q^2) (k=T,L,A) which are measured in e^+~e^- annihilation From these fragmentation functions one can derive the integrated transverse (sigma_T), longitudinal (sigma_L) and asymmetric (sigma_A) cross sections. The sum sigma_{tot}=sigma_T+sigma_L corrected up to order alpha_s^2 agrees with the well known result in the literature. It turns out that the order alpha_s^2 corrections to the transverse and asymmetric quantities are small in contrast to our findings for F_L^H(x,Q^2) and sigma_L where they turn out to be large. Therefore in the latter case one gets a better agreement between the theoretical predictions and the data obtained from he LEP experiments.