Perturbative predictions for 4 jet production at LEP and prompt photon emission at the tevatron

Abstract

Many contemporary experimental QCD results achieve greater accuracy in measurement than equivalent theoretical predictions calculated at leading order. Therefore it is necessary to consider next to leading order (NLO) predictions for many processes in order to compare experiment with theory. Accurate theoretical predictions are also important in order to reduce the uncertainty in QCD parameters such as the coupling constant a, and to test whether QCD is in fact the correct theory to describe the strong interaction. With NLO results it is also possible to separate different clustering algorithms and test non-perturbative effects. This thesis concentrates on the techniques necessary for the calculation of NLO observables from the processes e(^+)e(^-) → 4 jets and pp → γ + X. We formulate a new version of the hybrid subtraction scheme based on the colour antenna structure of the final state to evaluate the necessary phase space integrals for the 4 jet process. The scheme is universal and can be applied to any QCD processes. The general purpose Monte Carlo EERAD2 which incorporates this new technique is compared with both experimental data gathered by the DELPHI collaboration and other groups which have reported similar calculations. A Monte Carlo written for the process pp → γ + X requires a knowledge of the non- perturbative photon fragmentation function, D(_γ), and the second half of this thesis concentrates on a calculation of this process using the ALEPH measurement of D(_γ) based on a democratic algorithm. The Monte Carlo DPRAD incorporates these techniques and results from it are compared with data from the Tevatron.