On the massive two-loop corrections to Bhabha scattering

Abstract

We overview the general status of higher order corrections to Bhabha scattering and review recent progress in the determination of the two-loop virtual corrections. Quite recently, they were derived from combining a massless calculation and contributions with electron sub-loops. For a massive calculation, the self-energy and vertex master integrals are known, while most of the two-loop boxes are not. We demonstrate with an example that a study of systems of differential equations, combined with Mellin-Barnes representations for single masters, might open a way for their systematic calculation.

8 pages, 2 figures, latex, Contribution to Proceedings of XXIX Conf. of Theoretical Physics: Matter to the Deepest, Ustron, Poland, 8-14 September 2005; preprint number added