Heavy-Quark Production
S. Frixione, M. L. Mangano, P. Nason, G. Ridolfi
TL;DR
This review analyzes heavy-quark production across multiple collision environments, including hadro- and photoproduction, e+e- at the Z0 peak, and fixed-target studies, with a focus on the status of perturbative QCD calculations. It emphasizes the reliability of NLO predictions for top-quark production while highlighting ongoing tensions and the role of nonperturbative effects in charm and bottom production. Key methodological advances discussed include threshold resummation, heavy-flavour jet production, and extended electroproduction calculations, along with improved experimental techniques such as vertexing. The work synthesizes how these results constrain strong-interaction dynamics, the proton and photon structure, and potential beyond-Standard-Model signals via deviations from QCD expectations.
Abstract
We review the present theoretical and experimental status of heavy quark production in high-energy collisions. In particular, we cover hadro- and photoproduction at fixed target experiments, at HERA and at the hadron colliders, as well as aspects of heavy quark production in e+e- collisions at the Z0 peak.