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Inclusive B-Meson Production in e^+ e^- and p p-bar Collisions

J. Binnewies, B. A. Kniehl, G. Kramer

TL;DR

The paper tackles the mismatch between perturbative QCD predictions and observed $B$-meson production by introducing nonperturbative fragmentation functions for $b\to B$ in a five-flavor $MSbar$ framework. LO and NLO $b\to B$ fragmentation functions are extracted from OPAL LEP1 data, testing standard, Peterson, and Braaten-type starting forms; the Peterson form provides the best fits, and the resulting FFs are evolved to the $Z$-pole scale. These FFs are then used to predict hadroproduction cross sections at the Tevatron, where the NLO results reproduce the CDF data in both shape and normalization, confirming the universality of FFs and the importance of resumming collinear logs via Altarelli–Parisi evolution. The work demonstrates a consistent link between $e^+e^-$ fragmentation data and high-energy hadroproduction, yielding reliable predictions for large-$p_T$ $B$-meson production and offering a framework for future checks with ancillary distributions such as the $\eta$ distribution.

Abstract

We provide nonperturbative fragmentation functions for B mesons, both at leading and next-to-leading order in the MS-bar factorization scheme with five massless quark flavors. They are determined by fitting the fractional energy distribution of B mesons inclusively produced in e^+ e^- annihilation at CERN LEP1. Theoretical predictions for the inclusive production of B mesons with high transverse momenta in p p-bar scattering obtained with these fragmentation functions nicely agree, both in shape and normalization, with data recently taken at the Fermilab Tevatron.

Inclusive B-Meson Production in e^+ e^- and p p-bar Collisions

TL;DR

The paper tackles the mismatch between perturbative QCD predictions and observed -meson production by introducing nonperturbative fragmentation functions for in a five-flavor framework. LO and NLO fragmentation functions are extracted from OPAL LEP1 data, testing standard, Peterson, and Braaten-type starting forms; the Peterson form provides the best fits, and the resulting FFs are evolved to the -pole scale. These FFs are then used to predict hadroproduction cross sections at the Tevatron, where the NLO results reproduce the CDF data in both shape and normalization, confirming the universality of FFs and the importance of resumming collinear logs via Altarelli–Parisi evolution. The work demonstrates a consistent link between fragmentation data and high-energy hadroproduction, yielding reliable predictions for large- -meson production and offering a framework for future checks with ancillary distributions such as the distribution.

Abstract

We provide nonperturbative fragmentation functions for B mesons, both at leading and next-to-leading order in the MS-bar factorization scheme with five massless quark flavors. They are determined by fitting the fractional energy distribution of B mesons inclusively produced in e^+ e^- annihilation at CERN LEP1. Theoretical predictions for the inclusive production of B mesons with high transverse momenta in p p-bar scattering obtained with these fragmentation functions nicely agree, both in shape and normalization, with data recently taken at the Fermilab Tevatron.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 4 sections, 6 equations, 2 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. $B$-meson production in $e^+e^-$ collisions
  3. $B$-meson production in $p\bar{p}$ collisions
  4. Conclusions

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: The cross sections of inclusive $B^+/B^0$-meson production in $e^+e^-$ annihilation at $\sqrt s=M_Z$ evaluated with sets (a) LO S and NLO S, (b) LO P and NLO P, and (c) LO B and NLO B are compared with the OPAL data 11.
  • Figure :