Quest for precision in hadronic cross sections at low energy: Monte Carlo tools vs. experimental data

• Published in: The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields Vol. 66; no. 3-4; pp. 585 - 686
• Main Authors: Actis, S., Arbuzov, A., Balossini, G., Beltrame, P., Bignamini, C., Bonciani, R., Carloni Calame, C. M., Cherepanov, V., Czakon, M., Czyż, H., Denig, A., Eidelman, S., Fedotovich, G. V., Ferroglia, A., Gluza, J., Grzelińska, A., Gunia, M., Hafner, A., Ignatov, F., Jadach, S., Jegerlehner, F., Kalinowski, A., Kluge, W., Korchin, A., Kühn, J. H., Kuraev, E. A., Lukin, P., Mastrolia, P., Montagna, G., Müller, S. E., Nguyen, F., Nicrosini, O., Nomura, D., Pakhlova, G., Pancheri, G., Passera, M., Penin, A., Piccinini, F., Płaczek, W., Przedzinski, T., Remiddi, E., Riemann, T., Rodrigo, G., Roig, P., Shekhovtsova, O., Shen, C. P., Sibidanov, A. L., Teubner, T., Trentadue, L., Venanzoni, G., van der Bij, J. J., Wang, P., Ward, B. F. L., Was, Z., Worek, M., Yuan, C. Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.04.2010; Springer; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag (Germany)
• Subjects: Astronomy; Astrophysics and Cosmology; Cross-sections; Elementary Particles; Exact sciences and technology; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; High Energy Physics - Phenomenology; Measurement Science and Instrumentation; Nuclear Energy; Nuclear Physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Field Theories; Quantum Field Theory; Review; String Theory; The physics of elementary particles and fields; Pion Form Factor; Vacuum Polarisation; Monte Carlo; Monte Carlo Generator; Initial State Radiation; Vacuum polarization; Elementary particles; Luminosity; Radiative corrections; Positron annihilation; Cross sections; Mathematical physics
• ISSN: 1434-6044; 1434-6052
• DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-010-1251-4

We present the achievements of the last years of the experimental and theoretical groups working on hadronic cross section measurements at the low-energy e + e − colliders in Beijing, Frascati, Ithaca, Novosibirsk, Stanford and Tsukuba and on τ decays. We sketch the prospects in these fields for the years to come. We emphasise the status and the precision of the Monte Carlo generators used to analyse the hadronic cross section measurements obtained as well with energy scans as with radiative return, to determine luminosities and τ decays. The radiative corrections fully or approximately implemented in the various codes and the contribution of the vacuum polarisation are discussed.