Real radiation at next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD:: e+e-→2 jets through O(αs2) -: art. no. 032002

We present a calculation of the differential two-jet cross section in e(+)e(-) annihilation through next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in the strong coupling constant alpha(s). The calculation is performed using a new method for dealing with real radiation suggested recently by us. For the first time, the two-jet event rate is computed directly, without any reference to the inclusive cross section e(+)e(-)-->hadrons. We also calculate the energy distribution of the leading jet in e(+)e(-)-->2 jets and find significant modifications of the shape of this distribution at NNLO.