Resummation of threshold logarithms in effective field theory for DIS, Drell-Yan and Higgs production

We apply the effective field theoretic (EFr) approach to resum the large perturbative logarithms arising when partonic hard scattering cross sections are taken to the threshold limit. We consider deep inelastic scattering, Drell-Yan lepton pair production and the standard model Higgs production through gluon-gluon fusion via a heavy-top quark loop. We demonstrate the equivalence of the EFT approach with the more conventional, factorization-based methods to all logarithmic accuracies and to all orders in perturbation theory. Specific EFr results are shown for the resummation up to next-to-next-to-next-to leading logarithmic accuracy for the above-mentioned processes. We emphasize the relative simplicity by which we derive most of the results and more importantly their clear physical origin. We find a new relation between the functions f((q,g)) in the quark and gluon form factors and the matching coefficients in Drell-Yan and Higgs production, which may explain their universality believed to hold to all orders in perturbation theory. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.