Anatomy of double heavy-quark initiated processes

Understand

A number of phenomenologically relevant processes at hadron colliders, such as Higgs and Z boson production in association with b quarks, can be conveniently described as scattering of heavy quarks in the initial state.

• We present a detailed analysis of this class of processes, identifying the form of the leading initial-state collinear logarithms that allow the relation of calculations performed in different flavour schemes in a simple and reliable way.
• This procedure makes it possible to assess the size of the logarithmically enhanced terms and the effects of their resummation via heavy-quark parton distribution functions.
• As an application, we compare the production of (SM-like and heavy) scalar and vector bosons in association with b quarks at the LHC in the four- and five-flavour schemes as well as the production of a heavy Z' in association with top quarks at a future 100 TeV hadron collider in the five- and six-flavour schemes.