$q_T$-slicing with multiple jets (2412.05358v1)

Abstract: Modern collider phenomenology requires unprecedented precision for the theoretical predictions, for which slicing techniques provide an essential tool at next-to-next-to-leading order in the strong coupling. The most popular slicing variable is based on the transverse momentum $q_T$ of a color-singlet final state, but its generalization to final states with jets is known to be very difficult. Here we propose two generalizations of $q_T$ that can be used for jet processes, providing proof of concept with an NLO slicing for $pp \to 2$ jets and presenting factorization formulae that pave the way for extending our approach to NNLO. One of these extensions only applies to planar Born processes, such as $pp \to 2$ jets, but offers a dramatic simplification of the soft function. We also discuss how our approach can directly be extended to obtain predictions for the fragmentation of hadrons. This presents a promising path for high-precision QCD calculations with multi-jet final states.